Bella Survived the Boarding Kennels!

Some people don't own dogs because, they say, they wouldn't be able to go away on holiday! Some people don't like leaving their animals in the care of others - especially 'institution' type places like Boarding Kennels!  In South Africa, where your home security is an added factor, people don't stop going on holiday! There's good business in House-sitting ... and Dog-sitting (include cats, fish, hamsters, birds etc!) The cost of someone looking after your house is simply part of the holiday budget - just like putting a dog in Boarding Kennels!

We left at 6am Monday morning so had to take Bella to the local Kennels before they closed at noon on Sunday. She was quite distracted by so many different smells in the reception and didn't even know I'd handed over the lead :(  Plus her blankie and Green Fluffy Thing Piece (about a third of the original). And I walked out :(

(Bourne Hill Kennels, Wherstead, Ipswich)

So there was no Bella to play ball with on Sunday afternoon in the garden; no Bella to take for a wee walk before church on Sunday evening; no Bella to wag her tail when we got back from church on Sunday night; and no need to wake up early to take Bella for her morning walk - except that we had to get up early to get to the Midlands by mid-morning!

Hubby was REALLY looking forward to not having to wake up at 6.30am on Tuesday morning to take Bella for a walk, part of the holiday feeling - so he woke up at 4am and went fishing instead!!

Did we think of her and wonder how she was managing in the Kennels? Of course we did, but she was being well looked after!

(Plenty of space to walk the dogs!)

We got back after closing time on Friday and got another sleep-in on Saturday, except that we needed to go shopping and planned to be at the Kennels at 10am when they opened!

"Bella's been fine!" was the expected comment! We caught a glimpse of her being brought to reception and saw her turn aside to say goodbye to a friend behind the bars! What went through her mind when she suddenly discovered on Monday I wasn't there? Had I abandoned her? Did she have flashbacks to her time at the Blue Cross?

Whatever she thought then, she was very pleased to see us on Saturday and soon settled back home. Bella is a quiet dog - she doesn't bark much and doesn't like noises when she wants to rest! If she's in her bed in the kitchen and we come in and start talking, or if I put a machine on in the kitchen, she'll move into the lounge. If the TV noise gets too much she'll move away from our company and into the quiet kitchen. So I reckon the fact that she seemed to sleep the rest of that Saturday was probably from lack of sleep and rest in the Kennels - sorry Bella, it wasn't a holiday for you!

It may be that having been around other dogs for a week, seeing them next door, hearing them bark, whine, cry etc. that she may ... here's hoping! ..... have got a little more used to dogs and that on walks she won't get over excited! Maybe! She certainly didn't react as excitedly as she has when the dog-behind-the-big-wooden-fence barked madly at her smell on the other side!

Another couple of weeks and she'll be back there again - I wonder if she'd be crossing off the days on a calendar if she knew!!