Pet Boarding and Sitting Near Boulder Creek: Where the Dog Stays

Local Guides

Jun 7

Every trip out of town starts with the same question: where does the dog stay? Boulder Creek has more answers than you'd guess, and they run from a kennel run by your own vet to a sitter who comes up the mountain so your cat never leaves the house. Here's the full list, closest first.

In town: boarding at the vet

Boulder Creek Veterinary Clinic at 12870 Highway 9 lists pet boarding among its published services, and boarding at a veterinary practice has an obvious appeal for an animal with a health condition: it's the one option where the building is also a clinic. The clinic doesn't publish boarding availability or which animals it takes, so call 831-338-7205 before you build a trip around it. That's the only boarding option inside Boulder Creek itself; everything else means at least a short drive.

Down the valley: Felton's two options

Felton Veterinary Hospital at 5996 Highway 9 offers supervised boarding for dogs and cats, with grooming available at the same stop, so a pet can come home from a week away freshly bathed. The hospital posts a boarding admittance form on its site, which tells you they'll want paperwork sorted before drop-off; ask what it requires when you book at 831-335-3466. Office hours are Monday through Friday 8 to 6 and Saturday 8 to 2, which frames your drop-off and pickup windows.

Camp Happy Tails, based in Felton, is the valley's dedicated pet-care business: doggy daycare, boarding, grooming, and in-home pet sitting across the San Lorenzo Valley, and it describes itself as fully insured, licensed, and bonded. The sitting side is the piece nothing else on this page offers. For a cat, a flock of chickens, or a dog that does badly in kennels, a sitter who handles feeding, medication, and company at your own house is often the calmer answer, and it solves the mountain-specific problem of animals that shouldn't travel down Highway 9 twice. Call 831-247-8245.

Down in Santa Cruz: the 24-hour facility

When you want a staffed building around the clock, the nearest facility that publishes it is Bed & Biscuits Groomingdales at 2625 Chanticleer Avenue in Santa Cruz, which boards dogs and cats and says it's staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It's a full campus: daycare, grooming, and dog training alongside the boarding. Office hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 to 6, Saturday 8 to 2, and two short Sunday windows, with other times by appointment. Call 831-475-1580.

App-based sitters (Rover and similar) also operate in the valley. They're a real category, and plenty of people use them happily, but they're individual arrangements we can't verify the way we verify a business, so we don't list individuals here.

What to ask before you book

The questions are the same everywhere, so ask them once, early:

Vaccination records. Boarding facilities generally require proof of vaccination; ask which ones and bring the paperwork. Felton Vet's admittance form is posted online, so you can get ahead of that one.
Medications and quirks. If your pet takes medication or has a routine that matters, confirm the provider will handle it and write it down at drop-off.
Holiday lead time. Thanksgiving through New Year's books up everywhere. If the trip is planned, book the boarding when you book the flights.
A trial run. For a first-time boarder, a single daycare day or one overnight before a long trip tells you more than any phone call.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there dog boarding in Boulder Creek?

Boulder Creek Veterinary Clinic lists boarding among its services; call 831-338-7205 to confirm availability. The nearest confirmed dog and cat boarding is Felton Veterinary Hospital, down Highway 9 at 831-335-3466.

Who does in-home pet sitting in the San Lorenzo Valley?

Camp Happy Tails, a licensed, bonded, and insured Felton-based business, offers pet sitting with feeding, medication, and companionship, plus daycare and boarding. Call 831-247-8245.

Where's the nearest boarding facility staffed overnight?

Bed & Biscuits Groomingdales in Santa Cruz, 2625 Chanticleer Avenue, says it's staffed 24 hours a day, every day. Phone 831-475-1580.

Can my pet get groomed while boarding?

Yes, at two of these: Felton Veterinary Hospital offers grooming alongside boarding, and so does Bed & Biscuits. In town, Bowzer Baths grooms by appointment but doesn't board.