FAQs
Meet and Greets
How do meet and greets work with Camp Zoo?
We begin first with a guided tour of the property. During the tour we go over a bit about Camp Zoo and how we operate both inside and out. This is a great time to ask questions. Then, we will introduce your dog(s) to our personal dogs one at a time and evaluate their interaction. Since the dogs are in a pack environment we have to feel comfortable with all the dogs and ensure they are not dog or person aggressive. Once we've witnessed and discussed how your dog does with other pack members they will either pass or fail. If your dogs passes we then discuss how reservations can be made through the scheduling app we use called Gingr. We require a meet & greet/temperament test to ensure we do not board any aggressive dogs.
How do I schedule a meet and greet?
Contact us through text or email and myself (Joe Wolf) or my assistant manager will get back in touch to schedule a time and day as well as send our meet & greet questionnaire via email. The questionnaire MUST be completed prior to a meet and greet so that we have your pup's vaccine records on file before they meet other dogs. This is a safety precaution to ensure no spread of illness.
Do I have to be present for the meet & greet?
Yes, both you and your dog must be present for a meet & greet. As fun and safe as we make every part of the Camp Zoo experience your dog will still be entering an unfamiliar situation, and it's best to have their favorite and most familiar person there for support.
How early should I arrive? How late am I allowed to be?
We ask all clients whether to please ARRIVE AS CLOSE TO YOUR SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT TIME AS POSSIBLE. We appreciate anyone trying to be early but since we try to have our pack out as much as possible prior to a meet and greet there is a chance dogs will be outside if you arrive too early. It is much more challenging or dangerous to get the whole pack back inside when something exciting like a car, new person, and/or new dog are right outside the gate. Within less than 10 minutes prior to your scheduled meet and greet time is the earliest we are okay with.
Anyone 20 minutes or more late WITHOUT COMMUNICATION OR NOTICE will be considered a no-show and must be rescheduled.
What happens if my dog doesn't pass?
If your dog doesn't fully pass, don't fret! In the majority of cases we are more than happy to offer an alternative type of run for your dog called a "solo play". For solo runs we take your dog out with either just myself or my assistant manager. We may also bring out any dogs your pup gets along with if any. Solo runs provide a smaller, more specialized experience for pups who just don't mesh with a larger group of dogs - and that is absolutely okay in our book. It is always our number one goal to provide a safe and fun environment for any dog who is willing and solo runs are one way we can achieve that. Solo runs are offered at no extra cost.
Where do I park when I arrive with my dog?
The easiest spots to park on our property is by one of the two gates. The best spot is right at the front green gate where we let everyone in. You do not need to pull all the way in the gate, just park in front of it. You may also park by the brown gate next to (typically) a Kia Soul. That is our staff vehicle.
Boarding and Daycare
How long do the dogs play/Will my dog be in a kennel all day?
We are strongly against having our dogs stay in kennels for hours at a time. We guarantee 4 to 6 hours of play for each dog we see and the pups are crated/kenneled for feeding time, sleep/break time, or during meet and greets only. Otherwise your dog(s) will be in a pack environment roaming free inside and outside. Many traditional kennels leave dogs in a kennel up to 20-22 hours a day and they leave the premises for 12 or more hours for the evening/night. Not at Camp Zoo!
Do I need to bring anything for boarding or daycare?
The only item we require is a collar with a tag that has your dog's name and up to date owner contact information as well. We take harnesses in place of collars provided they have a tag on them. Please let us know if your dog is prone to chewing/destroying them as well. Harnesses will be removed otherwise. We provide bedding but blankets, pillows, or any comfort items are welcome. Be aware the same rule as harnesses: they can have them provided that they are not going to destroy and/or consume said items. We are not responsible for any destruction of items by your dog.
You may also bring food for boarding if your dog is on a specific diet they need to stay on.
Is there overnight supervision?
Alongside our hours of fun we never leave them alone overnight for more than 8 hours. Anytime we are not on premises we have Ring brand cameras monitoring them 24/7 and SimplySafe's alarm system. Each room the dogs reside in has a fire/smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector (also SimplySafe brand). Each room is also air conditioned to 68 degrees, especially during the hotter months.
What are your prices?
Overnight Boarding is $62 per night, or $58 per dog if you have more than one pup in the family staying with us. Daycare is $32 per day. If you plan to board or have your pup attend daycare for multiple days we also offer packages of 10 and 20 days, each day being at a reduced rate. We offer packages for both daycare and boarding.
I'm going to be late/early. What should I do?
If you know you will be 10 minutes late or early to arrive for your pup's reservation PLEASE TEXT US. We base when the dogs can be outside around the specific times clients schedule in Gingr for pickups and drop offs. If you put 9:10AM as the time you will drop off your pup, that is exactly when we will be expecting you to arrive. When the dogs are outside as someone pulls up in their vehicle they are often too excited to go inside, causing potential fights and injuries by jumping on the gate or each other. So for our safety and theirs, prior communication is key. We do not mind that you are late or early when provided with enough time to safely move the dogs inside.
A $5 FEE PER OCCURRENCE WILL BE APPLIED TO ANY CLIENT ARRIVING 15 MINUTES OR MORE EARLY/LATE WITHOUT PRIOR COMMUNICATION.
Are there any extra charges I should be aware of?
Our only additional charges are for bathes as a $25 add-on for daycare or for dogs boarding with us for less than 5 days (dogs boarding for more than 5 days receive a free bath) or late fees for anyone 15 minutes late or early without prior communication ($5 per occurrence). We pride ourselves on our price being completely inclusive with no hidden or "up charges". We provide a high quality dog food or owner provided food for dogs with special diets at no additional charge. We also do not charge extra for couch time, treats, or giving medications.
Where can I see my dog during the day?
We regularly post videos of the pups playing on property to our Instagram page multiple times a day. This is the majority of where you'll see your dog having a good time. Individual photos and updates can be provided upon request. Currently we are a two man operation making individual pictures and updates for each pup more challenging on top of running the pack and
What brand of dog food do you provide?
Skoki, a brand by First Mate. First Mate is a Canadian-based company with high standards of production meaning a safer, more nutrient-focused food. Skoki is a high-calorie, grain-in, meat dense dog food that supports the amount of activity we provide our pups throughout the day.
Gingr
What is "Gingr"?
A: Gingr is the app we use for scheduling day care or boarding as well as payments and vaccine records. Gingr can be found on most app stores.
How do I sign up and how do I make a reservation?
Gingr must be used to schedule with us. Gingr can be downloaded off of most app stores. After a meet & greet with us is complete we will send you a text with a code. This code will be needed to use Gingr for scheduling with us specifically. Once you have signed up and entered the code IT IS NORMAL TO NOT BE ABLE TO SCHEDULE IMMEDIATELY. We will get a notification on our end asking us to confirm your completed meet & greet. Once we have confirmed that you will be free to request boarding or daycare.
How do I pay for my dog's daycare or boarding stay?
After any daycare or boarding we send an invoice via Gingr that can be paid through the app. You may either pay for each invoice individually, leave a card on file for us to run after each visit, or buy packages with credits that can be applied towards daycare or boarding costs (separate packages for boarding or daycare).
Where do I upload my dog's vaccine records?
Gingr also allows you to upload vaccine records and attach them to your/your pup's account. This is how we keep track of who is due for updated vaccinations. For new clients: when first signing up if you have sent us your vaccine records via email but Gingr says your pup's vaccines are expired THIS IS NORMAL and will not affect your ability to request daycare or boarding. Gingr does not automatically receive vaccine records so we need to enter those dates on our end.
Please text us with additional questions and to schedule your meet & greet!
We look forward to hearing from you!