PetBookings.com Blog

Region 9 Renegades – Mankato, MN

Rachel — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:49:13 +0000

Thanks to The Paw in Mankato, MN for hosting the Region 9 Kennel Meeting! About 15 pet care facilities in total attended and it was great to see the networking that ensued. A huge round table discussion allowed everyone to come together and have dialogue on the many topics that face pet care facilities on a daily basis. Additionally, we would like to thank everyone for the opportunity to attend such a gathering. Coming together, as this group has done, not only enables them to talk about old problems, but also gives insight on new solutions, such as an instant and confirmed reservation system like PetBookings! As the pet care industry continues to evolve, it is vital that everyone recognizes and shares opportunities with each other. We were fortunate to share the PetBookings opportunity with this fine group of business owners. Owning and operating a pet boarding facility is hands-on and time consuming. PetBookings can’t create more time in the day, but we can free up time to do more with your day. And that’s what our hopes are; To help the pet boarding facility operate more smoothly, provide a better customer experience, and to return higher value to the Kennel. Wag more bark less, right?!

The Pet Care Business Seminar, Houston, TX

Chris — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:50:49 +0000

Wow, what a great event in Houston, TX this weekend at The Pet Care Business Seminar! We met with pet care business owners from all over the U.S. and Canada. The association that once banded us all together appears to be heading in the right direction. It was a great turnout, and after speaking with so many pet care facility owners, the informal meeting of like-minded individuals is greatly missed in our industry. This grassroots initiative to reunite our industry may have another great resource for Pet Care Business Owners. The group is headed up by Carmen Rustenbeck, CEO of International Boarding and Pet Services Association. The IBPSA membership base is growing everyday and seems to be the leading resource for Pet Boarding Industry information. With more than 10,000 pet boarding facilities located in the U.S. alone, the pet boarding industry could benefit immensely from an organized member association. An association provides a networking group that understands what others are going through. Associations are also an Investment in the Future! They should provide value to their members. This is why we join trade associations, right?! The industry information mutually shared at events not only helps current members evolve and grow their business, but also helps new individuals emerge and succeed. The meetings provide great opportunity to share best practices and find out about new and emerging opportunities. If you are would like to organize an event that gathers Pet Boarding Facilities in your Region together, simply contact Carmen, carmen@ibpsa.com. Its up to us to bring everyone back together and it starts with groups like The Region 9 Renegades in Mankato, MN. They are currently holding an event right now!

Announcing Nationwide Launch

Chris — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:13:19 +0000

PetBookings.com is announcing the first online instant and confirmed reservations solution this weekend at The Pet Care Seminar in Houston, TX. We are super excited to deliver this to pet care facilities and your customers. Customers are already voicing their appreciation for the convenience of booking online and receiving instant and confirmed reservations. If you’re a pet care facility and want to experience the power of PetBookings, please click here. If you’re a pet owner and your favorite facility is not yet added, please click here.

Available Soon…

Chris — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:23:28 +0000

Thanks to all that have reached out about PetBookings.com service. We will be able to add your listing soon! For all of you that have contacted us through the form on the website, we will notify you soon in order to add your pet boarding facility.

New Pet Boarding Facilities Welcome!

Chris — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:06:36 +0000

PetBookings.com is adding new facilities on a per market basis, however, all pet boarding facilities are welcome to join no matter where you are located. You may have not received a formal invitation just yet, but please feel free to reach out to us! You could be the first in your area to offer online reservations with instant confirmation! We are happy to help setup your PetBookings.com profile, so you can start taking online reservations today! Simply go to www.petbookings.com/add-your-listing/

Fall Break, Thanksgiving, and Christmas!

Chris — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:07:43 +0000

Don’t procrastinate with your upcoming reservations. Unfortunately, there are not any pet boarding facilities in the area with unlimited availability, and nothing is more disappointing than not getting your pooch into their regular pet care facility. Availability is filling up fast and these holidays will be here before you know it! Book now to reserve a spot, so you won’t have to scramble at the last minute.

October is typically a high travel month, so if you are planning a nice fall getaway, make sure you plan accordingly. Book your pet’s reservation and check it off your list today.

New Changes!

Chris — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:29:03 +0000

PetBookings.com will soon be introducing even more features to serve you better. New development is underway and expected to be completed mid-July. Check back soon to see how PetBookings.com is changing the way boarding reservations are made!

Pet Product News

Chris — Sun, 01 May 2011 02:09:02 +0000

Online News

New Website Allows Pet Owners To Book Kennels 24-7

PetBookings.com, a website that allows pet owners to book pet boarding reservations in real-time with instant confirmation, launched nationwide in mid-March.

Similar to Hotels.com, visitors to the site can search for openings at pet boarding facilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week by entering their city, desired check in and out dates and number of rooms needed. In addition to reservations, users can book additional services offered by their particular boarding facility.

Chris Tilson, president and CEO of PetBookings.com, said he launched the website first and foremost as a convenience for pet owners. These days, many travelers book their flights and hotels online. But, if they have a pet, travelers still have to call a kennel to make a reservation, said Tilson, who is also vice president of Arbor Lane Kennel in Indianapolis. PetBookings.com allows customers to book all their travel arrangements online at their convenience.

PetBookings.com beta launched in the spring of 2010 with 11 Indianapolis- area kennels. Now, Tilson is inviting boarding facilities across the United States to join.

PetBookings.com offers a number of benefits to participating kennels, Tilson said. Taking reservations 24-7 means less of a chance that a kennel will miss out on a new customer, who might need to book a reservation when the brickand- mortar facility is closed.

Also, the website provides kennels with the opportunity to upsell additional services, such as nature walks, grooming or play activities. About 75 percent of the website’s users end up booking services in addition to boarding, Tilson said.

“When it’s put in front of the customers in that menu format, they are selecting the additional options,” Tilson said.

Convenient, Easy, Smart…Online reservations designed for YOU!

Chris — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:50:24 +0000

PetBookings.com is Networking: Joining the online network of pet reservations connects our industry in ways we have never experienced and will benefit us in ways we have never considered! PetBookings.com not only works directly for your kennel through a custom portal on your website, but it also creates a common online marketplace for pet owners to find you. PetBookings.com is committed to creating a system; A unified website including every pet boarding facility in the U.S. working together to cultivate and grow the pet boarding industry by increasing consumer utilization through new online avenues of accessibility and convenience. It’s Hotels.com, but for pets!

PetBookings.com is Online Reservations: Finally, our pet boarding industry can now benefit from an online meta-booking-engine just as the hotel industry has done for so many years. PetBookings.com has captured every detail and policy the pet boarding industry needs in order to offer and accept online reservations with absolute confidence. Dog kennels, Pet Resorts, Veterinarians, Doggy Daycare, and more can benefit!

Today, 7 out of 10 reservation plans are booked online. It’s obvious our customers love the convenience and now we can deliver!

PetBookings.com is Customer Service: Online reservations provide an obvious convenience to our customers, but what may not be so obvious is the outstanding convenience they offer to pet boarding facilities. We can now offer our inventory online to be purchased anytime of the day or night. Less time spent in the office, fewer voicemails to return, and more time doing what we want!

PetBookings.com is Smart: Settings, preferences, rates, availability, policies, minimum stays, seasonal rates, discounts, descriptions, and more! You have total control of your property account and PetBookings.com works for you every bit of the way, 24 hours a day! Set your policies, preferences, and filters then forget about it. PetBookings.com only allows online reservations that meet your preset settings. Whether you want more business or simply want to offer as great service to yourself and your customers, PetBookings.com is the answer.

Press Release

Chris — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:43:31 +0000

Indianapolis — March 15, 2011—The new service, PetBookings.com, is allowing pet owners to go online and book boarding reservations in real-time with instant confirmation. With kennels having limited office hours and filling to capacity months in advance, online reservations are a much needed service for an industry slightly behind the times when it comes to technology. It is basically Hotels.com, but for pets! No such service like PetBookings.com has previously surfaced due to the unique details and intricacies involved in making pet boarding reservations. Differing rate structures, number and size of pets, and closed to arrival/departure dates are among the number of variables that contribute to the complexity of a single pet reservation. Although the behind the scenes programming and inner workings differ greatly, the look and navigation of PetBookings.com resembles the most popular online travel planning websites, such as Orbitz, Travelocity, and Expedia.

It has taken over a year and a half of development and programming in order to launch the website for use. Currently, there are 11 pet boarding facilities in the Indianapolis area that are taking real-time online reservations through PetBookings.com. Indianapolis has served as the beta testing ground, and the website is now ready to launch a national campaign. Next week, PetBookings.com will be targeting over 625 kennels nationwide and inviting them to join the network of online reservations.

PetBookings.com is the only website that offers this type of service and convenience. It is completely original and provides an outstanding service to pet owners and pet boarding facilities, alike. Pet owners can now synchronize and reserve every aspect of travel planning online, whether it is airfare, hotel, cruise, car rental…and now pet boarding!