Email templates
Pet boarding request reply emails
Four emails for boarding requests, from the first reply to the days before a first stay. Written for dog daycare, boarding and grooming locations.
A boarding request comes with a date attached, and the owner needs an answer before they can book a flight or ask a neighbor. A quick, specific reply is the kindest thing you can send. These four cover the common threads: a new request, a full holiday, a first stay and a follow-up.
Replace everything in square brackets with your own details: drop-off times, vaccination rules, what to pack. Keep the requirements you really enforce and delete the rest. Owners read these lists closely, so they should match what your front desk says at drop-off.
Brandyland sends the first reply for you, on brand, within sixty seconds of the boarding form, and follows up in your words until a person answers. Then the follow-ups stop.
Boarding request acknowledgment
Send within minutes of the request. Automatic is fine.
Subject: Boarding at [Location name] from [Drop-off date] Hi [First name], Thanks for thinking of [Location name]. We have your request for [Drop-off date] to [Pick-up date] for [Number of pets]. A person from our team will confirm availability by [Reply time]. If your plans are close, call us at [Phone] and we can check while you are on the line. Two things help us confirm quickly: 1. Current vaccination records for [Required vaccines, such as rabies, DHPP and Bordetella] 2. Any feeding, medication or behavior notes You can reply to this email with both. Talk soon, The [Location name] team
Holiday boarding waitlist reply
Send when the holiday dates are full. Say plainly how the waitlist works.
Subject: [Holiday] boarding: you are on our waitlist Hi [First name], Thank you for asking about boarding over [Holiday]. We are full from [Full from date] to [Full to date], so I have added [Pet name] to our waitlist for [Drop-off date] to [Pick-up date]. Here is how it works: 1. If a spot opens, we email and call in the order requests came in. 2. You then have [Time to confirm, such as 24 hours] to say yes before we offer it to the next family. 3. The waitlist is free and holds nothing, so please keep other plans open too. Dates outside that stretch are still open, including [Open dates]. If any of those would work, reply and I will book it. [Your name] [Location name] [Phone]
First-stay checklist
Send a few days before a pet's first stay. Edit the lists to match your rules.
Subject: Getting ready for [Pet name]'s first stay Hi [First name], We are looking forward to meeting [Pet name] on [Drop-off date]. Here is everything for a smooth first stay. Drop-off: [Drop-off window, such as 7 to 10 a.m.] on [Drop-off date] Pick-up: by [Pick-up time] on [Pick-up date]. [Late pick-up rule, such as Pick-ups after 6 p.m. are charged as an extra night.] Please bring: 1. Their regular food, portioned by meal if you can, with feeding instructions 2. Any medication in its original container, with written directions 3. A leash, and a collar with ID tags 4. Something that smells like home, such as a worn T-shirt (we cannot promise it comes back unchewed) Before the stay, please send: 1. Vaccination records for [Required vaccines], if we do not have them yet 2. An emergency contact who is not traveling with you 3. Your vet's name and phone number If [Pet name] has not had a meet-and-greet with us yet, book one here: [Booking link]. Please leave at home: [Items you do not accept, such as rawhides and large beds]. Questions before then? Reply here or call [Phone]. See you on [Drop-off date], [Your name] [Location name]
Follow-up
Send two days after your reply if the owner has not booked or answered. Send only one.
Subject: Still need boarding from [Drop-off date]? Hi [First name], Checking in about boarding for [Pet name] from [Drop-off date] to [Pick-up date]. We still have room, and I can hold it until [Hold until date] while you finish your plans. To confirm, book here: [Booking link], or reply and I will set it up for you. If your plans changed, no need to reply. Safe travels either way. [Your name] [Location name] [Phone]
Questions
Questions people ask
What should a boarding reply always include?
The dates you have on file, when a person will confirm, and what you need from the owner before the stay, usually vaccination records. Ask for everything in the first email so nobody waits on a second one.
How should a holiday waitlist work?
Say it plainly: who is first, how a spot is offered, and how long the owner has to say yes. Tell them the waitlist holds nothing, so they can keep other plans open without feeling bad about it.
Should returning pets get the first-stay checklist?
No. Send it before a pet's first stay, or when your rules change. Returning owners need a short confirmation with the drop-off and pick-up times.
Should we post on the website when holiday boarding is full?
Yes, so owners see it before they ask. One line at the top of the site does the job, such as "Holiday boarding is full from December 20 to 27." Take it down after the last date.
Want this done for every location, automatically?
Brandyland runs the website, the replies and the reminders for every location of a franchise. Leave your email and a person replies within a day.