I have used the kennels at EPCOT, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood studios a number of times and found them to be a reasonably good and clean habitat for a loved pet. Best Friends, who have been operating the kennels in a professional and pet-friendly manner for several years, have shut them all down in favor of one new, large, fancy pet “prison”. Why a prison? 1) The only material thing dogs have with them at all times to connect them to their owner both logically and emotionally is their collar. This is immediately removed from the dog when they are processed in (substitute a plastic collar, aka Orange Jumpsuit). 2) The dogs’ own leash, over which the owners have the ability to maintain sanitation, is replaced with a shared leather leash over which neither the owner nor the facility has any control of the sanitation. (no belts in this prison!) 3) Unlike the older kennels where the known and trusted owners take the animals to and from their kennels, the new facility does not allow owners past the front processing desk. So the animals get no reassurance when they are put into their kennel and probably even worse, are fetched out of their kennel by some stranger. So if the animal is nervous about being in the kennel, imagine what it must be like to have some stranger come and try to get you to go somewhere else. We teach our children not to go off with strangers and we expect the same of our pets. Of course, in prison all those rules go out the window. 4) There are more people working at this location than the prior kennels. Pets do not have the ability to get to know any particular staffer (guard). 5) Even with more staff at the larger location there are not enough. Long waits to retrieve your pet for personal time or to return them afterwards are typical (I imagine just like visiting a prison inmate). The facility, itself is impressive (to humans) and it is probably reasonably good for the pets but the processes around treatment of the pets from their arrival to their departure is more focused on humans’ and lawyers’ interests than the best interests of the pets. The pictures are representative of only a very few areas, most of which your pet will never see. Their idea of a “Suite” (upgraded but not deluxe accommodations) is a typical kennel cage with one still sliding steel wall that opens several times a day to a small outdoor fenced area. They probably think it’s a great freedom for the dogs (as if they were human). I think that the dogs finally get used to their cages and then a wall disappears to expose another unfamiliar area. I’m sure all these “features” would be beneficial for a long term stay with plenty of time to become accustomed to them all. However, for a few days, the pets are in a constant state of confusion. Needless to say I will NEVER take my dog back to this prison.
