Yes, we are always happy for new clients to call out for an inspection prior to making a reservation. This not only gives you the opportunity to meet with our team and ensure that you feel 100% comfortable, however also allows us to meet your pet and check that he/she will be suitable for boarding in our facility.

We like to assist new customers with inspections between 10am and 11:30am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but if those times aren’t suitable for your schedule, please call us and we’ll work with you to arrange a mutually suitable time.

Arrivals:

Our reception is open for arrivals between 9:00 am – 11:45am Monday to Friday, 9:00 am – 11:00 am on Saturdays and 4:30-5pm on Sundays.

Unfortunately, we can’t assist with arrivals prior to 9am as it interferes with our morning dog walks and creates both OH&S and operational issues. If you need to get away early, we can offer you the option of adding an additional night to your booking allowing you to check in your pet between 4:30 and 5pm on the previous day.

Departures:

Our morning departure hours are 9am to midday Monday to Friday, and 9am to 11am on Saturdays. We are also open for afternoon departures seven days per week between the hours of 4:30pm and 5pm.

Midtown Pet Centre requires all guests to have current tick and flea protection while boarding.

If a pet already has current tick and flea treatment at home before checking in, please advise the reception team of the product name, date administered, and length of protection.

If your pet is staying for a period longer than the covered period, you are welcome to supply the product and we can reapply it on the appropriate day for free.

Alternatively, we stock a range of products including Bravecto and Nexgard that are available for purchase from Midtown Pet Centre at arrival if needed.

Each suite is already furnished with comfortable bedding, blankets and toys, however you’re welcome to bring something small from home.

We use our own beds which are raised off the ground and designed to maximise hygiene, however owners are welcome to leave us with your pet’s favourite blanket for their bed, or favourite chew toy.

Please note that items are left at the owners own risk, and whilst 99% of the time they find their way home again, our rigorous hygiene standards (regarding washing bedding etc.) and over-enthusiastic dogs (chewing blankets and/or toys) mean that we cannot guarantee that all items will be returned or returned in the same condition.

We make every effort to keep each guests feeding routine as similar to home as possible.  If your pet is fed twice daily at home, we will continue that routine at Midtown.  Alternatively, if they are used to daily feeds, then again, we will stick with their established routine.

Midtown Pet Centre has access to a range of high-quality dog and cat foods that we feed to our guests, topped with our own special chicken, rice and vegetable mix that we cook on-site.

Alternatively, owners are welcome to provide their own food for their pets if they are on a special diet (e.g. a prescription diet) or even if owners just want to keep the feed consistent with what their pet would typically eat at home.

In this circumstance, owners are encouraged to provide Midtown Pet Centre with individually packaged daily portions or a bulk supply in a sealable container with an appropriate measuring device (e.g. Tupperware container plus scoop) along with clear instructions regarding how much & how often the portions are to be administered.

We are always happy to take a photo if it is important to the owners (e.g. you may have a young child that is missing their beloved pet), and if you fall into that category please do not hesitate to phone or email us with your request and we will be happy to assist.

However, our preference is always to prioritise the care, health and happiness of our guests over social media posts.  An hour spent photographing and uploading them to social media is an hour less time spent interacting and playing with our guests and making them feel loved.  For those reasons, you’ll find that we tend not to post to social media.

We accept entire male pets in our facility.

However, boarding a female that is in “heat” poses hygiene concerns in the boarding kennel and cattery environment and can also evoke behavioural changes in other guests staying with us.

If you have an entire female pet of breeding age, we can only accept her for boarding if you are able to tell us when she was last in season and we can be confident that she will not be in season during her stay at Midtown. 

If an entire female does come into season whilst at Midtown, we reserve the right to ask that you immediately arrange to have a friend or family member collect your pet and arrange alternative accommodation.

Older guests will typically require more attention from our team, or even veterinary care, during their stay as they generally have more pre-existing medical conditions than our younger pets. For example, heart conditions, diabetes, kidney and/or liver dysfunction, low thyroid, arthritis and other joint problems, are commonly seen in senior pets.

Some conditions may be underlying and not previously diagnosed prior to boarding. Therefore, before making arrangements for your senior pet to board, first make an assessment as to his/her overall health and temperament. It may also be a good idea to book your pet in for a veterinary health check just prior to boarding to ensure that all is well (or at least stable) with his/her health.

When it comes to the care of special needs or aging pets, Midtown Pet Centre will;

  • Offer plenty of opportunity for your senior pet to get out and walk around/receive individual attention. This will help keep his/her joints mobile and avoid any uncomfortable stiffness and allow our staff to monitor their health very closely.
  • Work with you to provide any special dietary needs.
  • Administer any medications according to veterinary directions.
  • Allow extra time for our team to interact with and assist dogs that have hearing and/or vision deficits.
  • Take the time to make your dog more comfortable if he/she appears overly anxious or stressed.
  • Exercise and socialise them separately from the younger, or more boisterous dogs
  • Inform you and recommend that you allow us to seek veterinary attention for your pet should your dog stop eating, appear distressed, or experience repeated bouts of vomiting or diarrhoea.

It is critical to your pet’s wellbeing that you advise our staff of any health problems or concerns. Be honest. Midtown Pet Centre is here to provide the best care possible for your senior pet, but may not be able to do so if we are not aware of pre-existing conditions.

Remember, we do not know your dog as well as you do, and subtle differences in behaviour or habits that may be indicative of a developing problem may go unnoticed if you do not inform us of what is and isn’t normal for your pet. It is also extremely import that you leave a forwarding phone number where we can contact you in the case of an emergency. We also ask, where possible, that you provide an additional contact number for someone local and who will be able to make health-care decisions for your pet if we are unable to reach you on the number provided.

The easiest way for either new or existing clients to make a reservation is to simply go to the “Contact Us” page on our website and e-mail through the details of your proposed stay and we will arrange the booking and e-mail you a booking confirmation within 24 hours of receiving your request (excluding Sundays).

The details that we will require to set up your booking are listed on our “Contact Us” page.

Of course, you can also arrange a reservation over the phone by calling us during the following times:

Monday – Friday:             9:00am – 12noon or 4:30pm-5pm

Saturday:                             9:00am – 11am or 4:30-5pm       

If your call goes through to voicemail during the above times, it will be because we are assisting other customers with an arrival or departure, so please leave a message and we will return your call as quickly as possible.

We require all guests to be currently vaccinated. Please remember to bring your current vaccination certificate with you to check in (if we have not previously seen it) or feel free to email it to us prior to your arrival.

Dogs are required to have a current C5 vaccination (or equivalent e.g. C3 plus KC booster) whilst cats require a F3 or equivalent vaccination.

Please bring whatever equipment you would normally use for walking your dog, whether it be a flat collar, a choker collar, a harness, a halti or anything else.

Importantly, however, it is essential that whatever equipment you provide is structurally sound and properly fitted.  For example, please ensure that your dog’s collar is secure and cannot slip over their head.  Please ensure that any harnesses are properly fitted and your dog can’t back out of it.  Please ensure that your lead is strong, secure and in good working order (e.g. not torn or frayed) and that any clips function properly.

The security of your pet is paramount and so it is essential that you provide us with safe and properly fitted equipment that we can rely upon when doing our twice-daily walks on our 10 acre estate.

We try to cater for all types of requests, so let us know what you would like during your pet’s stay and we will accommodate your wishes wherever possible.

Our goal is always to provide the best possible environment for all of our guests, which means understanding and reacting to the needs of each individual pet.

Some guests settle in much better and are far happier if they are able to share with a friend as part of our buddy program, whilst others are better suited having their own space.

Usually, dogs from the same family will pine for each other unless they are housed together, but we do occasionally look after two or more pet from the same family who are much happier having a holiday from each other, and room separately during their stay at Midtown.

The bottom line is that regardless of whether your pet prefers their own space, or would be happier in our buddy program, we have a solution.

We have the privilege of caring for many pets that stay with us for long term stays.

We understand that it is hard to leave your pet for a week, but it’s extremely hard to leave them for months at a time.

It is important to have trust and understanding when leaving your pet for a long period of time. To that end, we ask that before making a long-term reservation, owners make the time to talk with our team to discuss the specifics and idiosyncrasies of your furry family member.

For our long-term guests, if you contact us with a request, we are happy to periodically email or text updates and photos of your cat/dog so you can be sure they are happy and enjoying their home away from home. We can also organise for any immunisation or veterinary treatment to be completed in house by Wendy, our resident vet, for a minimal rate.

During their time at Midtown, our long-term guests become part of our Midtown family, and we form close bonds with them, ensuring that our guests feel loved and nurtured throughout their stay.

Because we generally have 6 or more dogs doing long term stays with us at any point in time, our long term guests tend to benefit from the same playmates throughout the bulk of their stays which really helps them to settle in and feel like they are part of a family.

We ask you to understand if we get a little emotional when you collect your friend. As the time goes by, they do become a part of our lives as well as yours and although we are happy they are going home, we often find it hard to say goodbye.

For those customers requiring assistance to transport their pet to or from our facility we recommend the use of one of the many pet taxi services available on the Gold Coast. We are happy to provide recommendations if you contact us. Uber also has pet taxi’s, although they do require you to accompany your pet.

We have a great team of staff (many of whom are trained vet nurses) who continuously check the health and happiness of our guests.

In the unlikely event that your pet requires veterinary treatment during their stay, we will attempt to contact you and/or your listed emergency contact on the telephone numbers and/or email addresses provided to seek instructions.

If we are unable to make contact through these methods, or a situation is presented in which an immediate decision is required, we will make a decision based on the welfare and best interest of the pet. 

It is a condition of boarding your pet with Midtown Pet Centre that in the absence of any clear written instructions to the contrary, if we believe your pet requires urgent veterinary attention and we cannot contact you via phone in a timely manner to discuss your pet’s condition, you authorise us to take any reasonable steps to keep the animal alive until such time as you have been contacted and provided us with instructions.

Please note that all veterinary fees are the responsibility of the owner.

Important information about Canine Cough

Canine Cough (Boardatella bronchiseptica):

Canine cough is not inclusive to dogs, it can be transmitted between many different animal types. While vaccinations help to prevent and/or minimise the severity of the virus, they are not 100% effective and dogs can catch canine cough whenever they inhale the relevant bacteria or virus particles into their respiratory tracts. This can occur at any time including at a dog park, going for a walk, and interacting with other animals (not only dogs). While every precaution is taken to prevent canine cough in the boarding kennel facility, not unlike children catching a cold at school, dogs can catch canine cough if they come into contact with a carrier.

Canine Cough is initiated with a viral (parainfluenza) infection and damage to the mucus membranes of the upper respiratory track, which is then followed with a bacteria phase with Boardatella. At this stage the effects can be mucus pooling and a coughing and retching action. Vaccines are fairly effective against this disease. The standard vaccines contains both a viral and bacterial component to protect against both stages of the cough. Due to the ability of the parainfluenza virus’ to mutate it is hard to produce vaccines that work against all strains.

In most cases, canine cough is not a serious condition and most pets are able to recover without receiving any specific treatment. Veterinary treatment and antibiotics are typically required in situations where the dog develops a secondary bacterial infection (e.g. pneumonia) that can occasionally develop as a result of the initial viral infection.

Importantly, canine cough can have a lengthy incubation period (up to two weeks), and dogs can be carriers without exhibiting any symptoms. Accordingly, it is possible to have a dog carrying/transmitting the virus without showing any signs of infection itself, and it is also possible for dogs to pick up the virus and be sent home whilst the virus is still in the incubation stage, only for the dog to start showing symptoms the day after it arrives home (or potentially many days later). Please note that we will always tell owners if we are aware that their dog is infected or has been exposed to the virus.

Fortunately, incidents of canine cough in the kennels are very rare, but if your pet does exhibit any symptoms consistent with canine cough shortly after their stay, please contact us and let us know, so that we can implement our procedures which enable us to quarantine off any animals that were in close contact with your pet and minimise the risk of further transmission of the virus.

Brachycephalic Breeds

Some of the more well-known or popular brachycephalic breeds include:

  • French Bulldog
  • Pug
  • British Bulldog
  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
  • Boston Terrier
  • Boxer
  • Brissels Griffon
  • Pekingese

This breed of dog can have breathing health related issues and are also very prone to problems during heat and excitability. To that end, we ensure our facility is climate controlled year round so our guest are warm in the winter and cool in the summer. These breeds are generally walked and enjoy playtime in the early morning and late afternoon during summer time so that they don’t suffer from the heat.

Midtown Pet Centre understand that these breeds have special needs and takes all measures to ensure their health and well-being, however they can be prone to life threatening issues in a very sudden and short amount of time.

Many airlines have strong travel guidelines and restrictions in place with Brachycephalic dogs and cats because of the delicate upper respiratory tract anatomical anomalies.

We advise that veterinary check ups should be considered prior to boarding and consideration by the owner during warmer months to ensure optimum pet health.

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