American pet lovers want full-service pet care centers that provide not only quality care, but one-stop shopping for all of their pet care needs.

That's the finding of the third annual "Kennel of the Future" survey, conducted by Best Friends Pet Resorts & Salons during 2003. The survey includes feedback from a total of 1,400 dog and cat owners.

More services
The survey found that today's pet owners want the convenience of having a variety of services - boarding, grooming, training and even vet check-ups - all available under one roof. Survey respondents who board their pets when they travel indicate that they would like additional services including:

• More than 70% of survey respondents say they want grooming services offered by the facility where they board their pets,
• Fully half of all respondents want their pet to attend Doggie Day Camp or Play Group,
• Almost 35% want dog training while their pets are boarding, and
• More than 30% would like their pets to have vet check-ups when they board.

The percent of respondents choosing each of those service areas increased by at least 10% since the original survey conducted in 2001 and interest in dog training grew by more than 50%.

A growing number of pet owners also want to be able to book their pets' boarding reservations online. More than 40% of the 2003 survey respondents indicated that they would like to make reservations online, compared with just 25% two years ago. However, 50% say they still want to make their pets' reservations with a real person - either on the phone or face-to-face.

More amenities
Consistent with the finding of the 2001 survey, pet owners want the best care money can buy.
The survey found that 40% of cat owners and 38% of dog owners would like luxury suites with raised beds and rugs for their pets.

Even those pet owners not looking for luxury accommodations said they would pay extra for special amenities:

• 50% would like a video monitoring service that would allow them to "look in" on their pets via the internet while they are away,
• 33% would like a radio or television in their pets' room, and
• 14% would like massage or water therapy.

Of those responding to the survey, 1,311 own at least one dog and 377 own at least one cat. Of those, 288 own both a dog and a cat. The survey included questions on the type and location of facilities, services offered, preferences for making reservations, room size and special amenities. There was also a section where pet lovers could describe the perfect kennel in their own words.

People who love pets
While services and amenities are important, the most essential feature that pet owners look for in choosing a kennel is a staff that loves pets. "What's important to me as that the people who are caring for my dog really love animals," said one respondent. "I want to know that she's as well cared for when I'm away as she is at home."

The Kennel of the Future survey was established in 2001 to monitor changes in pet owner attitudes about care for the pets. The survey is administered via e-mail with a random sampling of pet owners from across the U.S.

Want to share your ideas about the perfect boarding facility? Take our online Kennel of the Future Survey.