Q: When can I take a tour?

A: Tours are welcomed anytime during business hours, and no appointment is necessary! We encourage anyone new to pet boarding to take a tour of several facilities, and ask lots of questions, to make sure your pet, and you, are comfortable with the facility, staff, and accommodations. We also suggest speaking with your friends, co-workers, and local Veterinarians for recommendations on local pet boarding facilities.

In general though, you'll know within a couple of minutes of visiting any facility if its a good choice for your pet or not. Your pet will also speak volumes when you pick them up after your trip, if they were comfortable, clean, and well cared for. Watch for their reactions and body language. Check out our link on this website, "Tips For Choosing Pet Care," for additional information.

A: Yes! Chesapeake Pet Resort is licensed by, and in good standing with, the St. Mary's County Animal Control Division, in accordance with the County Animal Regulations. Our most recent unannounced inspection was in October 2009, with no issues or concerns whatsoever. We also receive oversight from, and are in good standing with, the St. Mary's County Enviromental Health Division, and the St. Mary's County Sheriff. In addition to our own Company's "above and beyond" Standards of operation, we also adhere to all Local and other applicable regulations. We are also members of the professional pet care associations of PCSA, NAAPS, and PSI, as well as a long term member of the St. Mary's Chamber of Commerce. Chesapeake Pet Resort also sponsors staff in continuing education programs and pet care certification courses.

Our facility is inspected throughout the year, and unannounced, by Officers of the St. Mary's Co. Animal Control Division. To date, we are unaware of any violations, or complaints from Animal Control. Check with your local officials prior to leaving your pets at any facility, for records of cleanliness, pet care, and any violations or complaints. Make sure any facility you choose is licensed as well.

A: Our very popular "upscale" lodging option, the Deluxe Cabins are actually separate small buildings available for family's of single or multiple pets, dogs, and/or cats. The cabins are decorated inside with nautical and Chesapeake Bay themes, include individual large custom beds with comforters and pillows and rugs, heat and ac units, and private covered fenced patio play yards. We're the only facility in the region to offer these great alternatives for pet lodging.

The cabins are frequently requestd for Long Term boarding, Day Trips, Holidays, and Anniversary or Honeymoon trips, when Pet Owners request extra special care and attention for their pets, or just because! In some cases we offer the cabins for special needs pets when additional care or monitoring is needed (short notice family emergency trips, post surgery pets, very elderly pets, other pets with special needs that wouldn't be comfortable in the general lodging building), while their families are away. These requests are on a case by case basis, and require respective additional fees, and management approval.

Stop by for a tour to see the Cabins for yourself! You'll say "WOW!... we didn't know there was such an option like this around here, or that we could even expect such care or level of comfort!"

A: Chesapeake Pet Resort offers a private inside space for your dogs with an attached doggie door to their own personal fenced outdoor patio dog run, which is about 10-12 feet in length. The Indoor-Outdoor Runs allow dogs to go in and out all day long, morning to evening, weather permitting. This has been great for their morale, as they can see the other dogs, get fresh air and exercise, and limits “pouting” time while away from home. Chesapeake Pet Resort also includes four or five play yard times each day, with staff, which is unique to our operation.

Please take unannounced tours and ask lots of questions for any pet care facilities, or "Kennels," you are considering. Typical "Kennels" offer indoor spaces or "Suites" or crates, with the option to purchase outdoor play times, but pets must depend on others to be able to go outside. Unless you're confident that lots of staff is present and available,(not just when you come by for a pre-scheduled tour), you can't be sure you're pets are getting outside to eliminate, or even at all.

Indoor-Outdoor connected runs, or our Deluxe Cabins, are the best option if pet comfort is your choice.

A: We're not the "cheapest" place in town, but you usually get what you pay for. Take a tour of several pet care facilities, or "Kennels," prior to making your choice. Yes, there are other great places that you can feel safe leaving your pets, but take a tour and ask questions. Price is important, but shouldn't be the only influence. If you're just looking for a place to store your pet, with minimal attention or outdoor time, for the cheapest price...we're not the place for you. Please take a tour and ask questions prior to leaving your pets anywhere.

The difference, however, is our high level of standards, attention to detail, safety, sanitation, and comfort, educated and trained staff, higher than average staff to pet ratio, genuine care, 'round the clock care, and management culpability. We stay in business because of our returning customer base and word of mouth that brings new business daily. Ask your friends or Veterinarians about us.

A: This is frequent question and please don't worry! We make sure all pets that want toys, get toys. We have an extensive variety of dog and cat toys, balls, rope toys, kong toys, squeeky toys, you name it. Toys are changed out for fresh each day when we switch out their laundry, and more often as needed, depending on the "slobber" factor and sanitary condition of said toys.

Many customers also bring new toys for their pets while they are out of town, as a special occassion gift (we also call it "Guilty Mom Syndrome"). Check out our toy and treat store at www.petlane.com/chessiepets, for a fun selection of toys, treats, and other goodies!

A: Please bring your pets’ Vaccination records and any special food, treats, or medication needed during their stay. All pets should arrive on a leash or in a pet carrier. We have all the bedding, blankets, bowls, and treats you need otherwise.

A: Yes. We provide Pedigree Adult dry food for dogs, but many customers opt to bring their food of choice from home, to avoid possible tummy issues. We do ask that dry food from home be pre portioned per pet, per meal, in plastic zipper bags. Cat owners should bring their food of choice.

A: We provide ample blankets and puffy bolster beds for all of the pets, (in addition to raised Kuranda PVC pet cot beds), which are laundered at least once or twice each day. In this environment, it is also vital that we not introduce any fleas or ticks into the facility that may harbor in bedding from home, even if you think it is clean. Your pets will be just fine with our ample supply of blankets and bedding so it is not necessary to empty out your linen closest at home for their visit with us. We work very hard to make sure no pet is ever lying on the concrete. During winter months when the building is heated with an oil furnce, we also wrap some pets up in blankets for that added "snug as a bug in a rug" feeling. Most really enjoy this as they snuggle in for nite nite time and wait for their tuck in treats.

A: Any medications, including vitamins and other “non essential” supplements, etc, require staff time to ensure that your pet actually receives and/or consumes any medications you send.

All pills or medications must to be in their original containers, not mixed in with food from home, so we know what they are, or in case your pet has a reaction of some sort, and so that we can dispense and log in our computer system for proper administration. If you wish not to be charged for “non essential” medications, please leave these items at home. We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t ensure your pet got their medications, which does require staff time to administer and document, particularly when we are very busy with numerous pets requiring a variety of medications throughout the day and night.

A: Lodging pet guest fees are due at check-out for your current visit. Many customers however, do pay at check-in to save time on check-out day when they just want to see their pet and head home after being on travel or flight training. We do request payment at check-in for any pets being picked up after hours (which is by appointment only), or for pets being picked up by non-family members or friends that are just here to pick up your pets for you. Frequent daycare customers have customized payment schedules on a monthly or weekly basis. For longer visits with big invoices, many customers also put deposits down and send payments prior to the pet's reservation to reduce some of the sticker shock on check-out day. Sort of like "doggie lay-away"!

A: We accept Cash, MC, Visa, and Discover. Checks are accepted with 2 valid ID's, including a driver's license. Bad check fee is $50 and we reserve the right to deny any check for any reason, so please have a back-up payment method available if needed.

"Deposit Now" direct deposit of checks technology was added to our operation in November, 2009. All checks provided to us are scanned and deposited where funds from your account are withdrawn immediatley.

A: Chesapeake Pet Resort & Day Spa typically fills up several months in advance for our Deluxe Cabins and Patio Loding Runs, for peak dates and Holidays. Many customers call ahead to reserve their space, but we understand that sometimes last minute trips come up and lodging space is needed asap. If we are full when you contact us, we do offer waiting lists, and if space becomes available we will contact those on the waiting list to see if they are still interested, on a first come, first serve basis.

We also offer In-Home Pet Sitting Services to accomodate customers that aren't comfortable taking their pets elsewhere when our Cabins and Patio Lodging Runs are full. Feel free to call us for additional information about our In-Home Pet Sitting services and availability. We are a member of PCSA (Pet Care Services Association), NAAPS (National Assoc. of Professional Pet Sitters), and PSI (Pet Sitters International), and all staff is subject to background checks.

For those seeking similar pet care facilities when we are full, we suggest checking the yellow pages or www.petcareservices.org for a list of other facilities in your area. Please take a tour of any new facility, however, to ensure cleanliness, proper staffing, and overall confidence in care, before leaving your pets just anywhere. Be sure that your canine pets are able to go inside and outside with their own doggie door, and not just housed in an indoor cell or cage all day and night, unless other arrangements are made to ensure your pets receive lots of outdoor playtime daily, at no additional charge.

A: Yes. We have staff on-site into the night, in addition to our monitored security system, and video surveilance both on-site and remote access viewing, all in addition to our overnight licensed Security Contractor to protect the pets and facility.

A: Customers can call anytime or e-mail us at chessiepets@yahoo.com. If calling after hours we will call you back as soon as we can, or during regular business hours. Remember though, we will be calling you if at any time during your pets visit with us we have cause for concern. We won’t bug you on your vacation, but if the need arises, we will contact you to let you know of our concerns. Please make sure you leave a valid local emergency contact name and phone number with us.

A: For major Holidays and Summer, we typically fill up 6 months or more in advance. Many families opt to book their dates for the year, up to a year in advance, to ensure their pets get the Indoor-Outdoor Runs. The optimum pet care facilities will fill up in advance, so be leery of places that have lots of room on peak dates and Holidays; there's probably a reason why.

A: Care of your pets is a 24-7 commitment and responsibility, however, we also have family responsibilities and our office is only staffed during the hours posted so that we can make sure all of your pets needs, and our own family's, are taken care off. Please respect our limited "free" time and family time before they forget who we are.

Most customers have a solid pre-arranged back up plan with pre-payment at check-in and with designated friends to pick up their pets before our office closes, if their return visit has any possibility of being delayed. Please plan your trip in advance, taking into account travel delays or problems that are out of our control.

A: One of the benefits of being a reputable pet care facility in the area, is being able to ask questions and screen pets prior to their arrival, rather than just taking any pet that calls. We try to take fun and stable family pets that don't bite,...but all dogs, or cats, will bite, or scratch. We take great efforts to ensure pet comfort and care while you are away, but all pets will likely miss their owners on some level, and may bite if they are nervous, at any time.

If your pet bites a Staff member, or anyone else, we are required by Law, to contact the Sheriff, Animal Control, and the St. Mary's Environmental Health Department. Our first concern will be human safety, and then of course the care and safety of your pet. Animal Control will typically require a ten day quarantine after the incident, which shouldn't be a problem since we only accept pets with current vaccinations. Luckily, this is a very rare event, due primarily to efforts to only accept family pets with stable personalities, and very good, and comforting, staff with proper animal handling skills. We can provide a copy of the Animal Control Regulations, or you can view this information at www.co.saint-marys.md.us/emergencycomm/animalcontrol.asp