Our Fear Free Commitment

At District Dogs, we are committed to striving for an experience that minimizes stress for every pet, whether it’s during boarding, daycare, or training sessions. Inspired by the Fear Free initiative—a movement aimed at preventing and alleviating fear, anxiety, and stress in pets—we adopt practices and principles designed to reduce these factors as much as possible. Our approach seeks to transform traditional pet care into a positive journey for your beloved companions, with the goal of making their time with us as enjoyable and beneficial as we can.

Led by Fear Free Certified Professionals

Our commitment to your pet’s well-being is at the core of our mission, and this is reflected in our team’s dedication. Each store is led by professionals who have received Fear Free certification, underscoring our effort to align with the highest standards of care. This certification is a significant part of our approach, underscoring our dedication to prioritizing the happiness and comfort of your pets. It represents our goal to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress in pets as much as possible, guided by the Fear Free initiative. While we cannot guarantee a completely stress-free environment, we are committed to making your pet’s experience with us as positive and beneficial as possible, transforming traditional pet care into a journey aimed at enhancing their well-being.

Elevating Our Services

While our current training programs already share a significant overlap with Fear Free principles, we’re taking it a step further. This additional layer of expertise allows us to enhance our services, ensuring every pet enjoys a positively enriched environment. Though our facilities may not be Fear Free certified, we’re committed to incorporating these valuable tools and techniques to maximize the Fear Free components in our care.

The True Fear Free Experience: Structured Daycare Program

Our Structured Daycare program epitomizes the Fear Free experience. Designed to cater to each pet’s individual needs, this program focuses on creating a supportive environment that encourages play, learning, and relaxation in equal measure.

The Top 10 Reasons to Adopt a Fear Free Boarding and Daycare Environment

1. Prevent Stress-Induced Illnesses:

Our commitment to a Fear Free approach signifies our dedication to actively recognizing and reducing stress, aiming to prevent its impact on your pet’s health. While we strive for the ideal, we acknowledge the complexity of completely eliminating stress but remain devoted to creating a nurturing sanctuary that prioritizes the physical and mental well-being of your pets.

2. Elevate the Kennel Experience:

We’re redefining kennel stays by transforming them into peaceful retreats. Our focus is on ensuring these spaces offer the utmost in comfort, with every element chosen to promote calm and tranquility. It’s our mission to provide a setting that pets can not only feel safe in but look forward to spending time in, acknowledging while total stress elimination is aspirational, significant stress reduction is our constant goal.

3. Safe and Calm Care Delivery:

In our environment, care and medication delivery are designed to be as stress-minimized as possible. Through training in gentle handling and positive reinforcement, we work towards seamless care experiences that safeguard both physical and emotional health, always aiming to reduce anxiety and stress wherever feasible.

4. Enhanced Enrichment:

Our enriched environment aims to mentally and physically engage every pet, reducing stress and promoting well-being. We provide diverse activities and comforts, tailored to meet their innate needs and preferences, contributing to an atmosphere where each pet can find peace and contentment, within the bounds of our ongoing effort to minimize stress.

5. Behavior Problem Prevention:

Through our proactive approach to behavior management, employing positive reinforcement and gentle guidance, we focus on preventing the onset of stress-related behaviors. This initiative not only serves the pets but also creates a more positive, stress-aware setting for our staff and the animals in our care.

6. Reduced Injury Risks:

A cornerstone of our philosophy is the creation of a safer environment through stress reduction. Recognizing that complete stress elimination is a challenge, we prioritize minimizing stressors that could lead to injuries, ensuring a safer space for both pets and staff through diligent care and attention.

7. Pet-Centric Approach:

Our pet-centric care is grounded in empathy and an understanding of each pet’s unique perspective. This approach drives us to tailor our environment and practices to suit individual needs and preferences, affirming our commitment to their comfort and well-being, while understanding that achieving complete stress freedom is an ongoing pursuit.

8. Strengthening Bonds with Clients:

We believe that our efforts to create a comforting and stress-aware environment forge stronger bonds of trust and loyalty with pet owners. This relationship is built on our shared commitment to the pet’s well-being, demonstrating that, although a completely stress-free environment is aspirational, striving for it is a journey we undertake together.

9. Integration into the Fear Free Ecosystem:

Being part of the Fear Free community signals our commitment to enhancing pet well-being alongside a global network of professionals. This affiliation supports our continuous improvement and learning, as we collectively strive towards environments that minimize stress and promote animal welfare.

10. Differentiation through International Recognition:

Our affiliation with the Fear Free certified community underscores our commitment to setting a high standard in pet care. This international recognition speaks to our dedication to innovation, compassion, and the ongoing effort to create environments that are as free from stress as possible, recognizing the journey towards complete stress reduction is a shared one with our pet owners and their beloved pets.