Pet boarding is one of the highest-trust, highest-liability segments of the pet industry. You’re responsible for someone’s dog 24 hours a day for days or weeks at a time. If something goes wrong — a missed medication, a fight between dogs, a dog escaping — the consequences are serious.
This isn’t an area to wing it with a paper calendar and a whiteboard. I’ve covered kennel management software in detail in our kennel management guide, so this article focuses specifically on the boarding reservation and operations workflow, and how to choose software that keeps your facility running safely and profitably.
What Makes Boarding Software Different From Other Pet Software
Boarding operations have unique requirements:
Multi-day stays with variable pricing: A standard kennel might be $45/night, a deluxe suite $65/night, and a luxury room $85/night. Add holiday surcharges ($10-$20/night extra), multi-pet discounts (10-15% off second dog), and extended stay discounts (7+ nights get 10% off). Your software needs to calculate all of this automatically. For more on this topic, see our guide on Best Pet Sitting Software (2026). For more on this topic, see our guide on Best Pet Transportation & Taxi Software (2026). For more on this topic, see our guide on Best Inventory Software for Pet Stores (2026).
Physical space management: Each dog needs an assigned kennel, run, or room. You need to know which spaces are occupied, which are available, which are being cleaned, and which are reserved for incoming guests. Visual kennel boards are essential.
Feeding and medication compliance: Every dog has different food (type, amount, schedule) and potentially medications. Missing a meal or a medication dose is a serious problem. Software needs to track this and provide staff with clear, actionable feeding/medication schedules.
Check-in/check-out procedures: Unlike a grooming appointment (dog arrives, gets groomed, goes home), boarding involves detailed intake (vaccination verification, feeding instructions, medication handoff, emergency contacts, behavioral notes) and checkout (return personal items, settle final payment, provide stay summary).
Extended client communication: Pet parents boarding their dog for a week want daily updates. Report cards with photos, activity summaries, and “your dog is doing great!” messages are expected at quality boarding facilities.
Top Boarding Software Platforms
1. Gingr — Best Overall
Price: $115/month (Starter) | $175/month (Professional) | Custom (Enterprise)
Gingr is the most popular boarding software and consistently receives the highest satisfaction ratings from facility owners. See our detailed Gingr review for the full breakdown.
Boarding-specific strengths:
- Visual kennel board showing real-time occupancy
- Automated vaccination verification at check-in
- Feeding and medication management with tracking
- Report cards with photos sent to pet parents
- Webcam integration for live viewing
- Multi-room type pricing with automatic calculations
- Holiday surcharge management
- Online reservations with real-time availability
2. PetExec — Best for Analytics
Price: $99/month (Basic) | $149/month (Standard) | $199/month (Premium)
PetExec excels at the business side of boarding — occupancy analytics, revenue per kennel, pricing optimization, and financial reporting. See our PetExec review for details.
3. Revelation Pets — Best Modern Interface
Price: $79/month (Essential) | $129/month (Professional) | $179/month (Enterprise)
Modern, clean interface with solid boarding features at a more accessible price point than Gingr.
4. ProPet — Best for Large Facilities
Price: Starting at $150/month | Custom for large operations
Enterprise-level facility management for large kennels and multi-location boarding operations.
5. KennelBooker — Best Budget Option
Price: Starting at $49/month
Basic boarding management at an affordable price. Good for small kennels (under 15 capacity) that need online booking and basic operations tracking.
Setting Up Boarding Operations in Software
Step 1: Configure Your Rooms and Spaces
Create each physical space in your software:
- Name/number each kennel, run, suite, or room
- Set the capacity (1 dog, 2 dogs for buddies, etc.)
- Assign a room type (standard, deluxe, luxury)
- Set nightly rates per type
- Set holiday rates
- Define amenities per room type (outdoor access, elevated bed, webcam, etc.)
Step 2: Set Vaccination Requirements
Configure mandatory vaccinations:
- Rabies — required, must be current
- DHLPP/DHPP — required, within 12 months
- Bordetella — required, within 6 months
- Canine influenza — recommended or required (your policy)
- Negative fecal test — within 12 months (recommended)
Set the software to block check-in for non-compliant dogs. This protects your facility and removes staff from the awkward position of turning away a dog at the door.
Step 3: Create Intake Forms
Digital intake forms should capture:
- Owner contact information and emergency contacts
- Veterinarian contact information
- Feeding instructions (food type, brand, amount, frequency, special notes)
- Medication details (drug name, dosage, frequency, administration method, what it’s for)
- Behavioral information (good with other dogs? Resource guarding? Separation anxiety? Escape tendencies?)
- Special requests (extra walks, playtime, specific bedding)
- Personal items being left (toys, blankets, food containers — inventory these!)
Step 4: Set Up Communication Templates
Booking confirmation:
“Your reservation for [pet name] is confirmed! Dates: [check-in date] to [check-out date]. Room type: [type]. Total: $[amount]. Check-in time: 7am-10am. Please bring current vaccination records, any food/medications, and a favorite toy. Questions? Reply to this message.”
Day-before reminder:
“Reminder: [Pet name] checks in tomorrow, [date], between 7-10am. Please bring: current vaccination records, food for the stay, any medications with written instructions, and a comfort item. See you tomorrow!”
Daily report card:
“[Pet name]‘s Day [number] Report: Ate all meals ✅ | Played with [friend names] ✅ | 3 potty breaks ✅ | Mood: Happy and relaxed 😊 | [Photo attached] Staff note: [Name] had a blast in play group today! [He/She] really hit it off with [other dog name].”
Ready for pickup:
“[Pet name] is ready for pickup! Check-out hours: 12pm-6pm. Please bring photo ID. Your total for this stay is $[amount]. We’d love a Google review if [pet name] had a great time: [review link] 🐾“
Boarding Revenue Optimization
Dynamic Pricing
Use your software’s data to optimize pricing:
Holiday pricing: Charge 20-40% more during peak periods (Christmas, Thanksgiving, July 4th, Spring Break). Pet parents expect higher holiday rates and book regardless because they need care while traveling.
Weekend premium: Some facilities charge $5-$10 more for Friday and Saturday nights. The logic is simple — weekends are higher demand.
Extended stay discounts: Offer 10-15% off for stays of 7+ nights. This encourages longer bookings and fills weekday gaps.
Multi-pet discounts: 10-15% off the second pet encourages families with multiple dogs to board all of them with you rather than splitting between facilities.
Maximize Occupancy
- Online booking is essential — pet parents book boarding while planning their trip, often at night or on weekends
- Deposit requirements reduce cancellations and protect holiday revenue
- Waitlists fill cancellations quickly
- Package pricing (buy 10 nights, get 1 free) encourages prepayment and loyalty
- Automated rebooking — at checkout, suggest booking their next trip
Add Revenue Streams
- Grooming during boarding — offer bath and groom services during the stay (great for the owner: they drop off a dog and pick up a clean, groomed dog)
- Training sessions — basic training during the stay
- Premium play packages — extra one-on-one play time, pool time, hikes
- Webcam access — some facilities charge $5/day for webcam access
- Transportation — pickup and dropoff service for an additional fee
- Late checkout — $15-$25 for checkout after noon
Safety and Liability
Boarding carries real liability risk. Your software should support:
Incident documentation: Log any injury, fight, illness, or behavioral incident with date, time, description, photos, and staff involved. This protects you in disputes and insurance claims.
Medication logs: Documented proof that medications were given on schedule. If a pet parent claims you missed a dose, your logs are your defense.
Vaccination records: Digital copies of vaccination records on file. If a dog gets kennel cough and the owner claims it happened at your facility, you can show that all dogs in the facility were vaccinated.
Waivers and agreements: Digital signing of boarding agreements covering liability, emergency medical authorization, pickup authorization, and cancellation policy.
My Recommendation
Small boarding kennel (under 15 capacity): KennelBooker ($49/month) or Revelation Pets ($79/month). Affordable, covers the basics. For more on this topic, see our guide on Best Pet Business Software Under $50/Month (2026).
Mid-size kennel (15-40 capacity): Gingr Professional ($175/month). The vaccination compliance, report cards, and kennel board justify the price at this scale.
Large facility or multi-service (boarding + daycare + grooming): Gingr Professional or Enterprise. It’s the only platform that handles all three services well at scale.
Data-driven operator: PetExec for the analytics. Optimize your pricing, occupancy, and revenue with data.
Budget isn’t the place to cut corners in boarding. You’re responsible for living animals 24/7. Proper software with medication tracking, vaccination compliance, and incident documentation isn’t a luxury — it’s part of operating responsibly.