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Kristen C.

Homer, AK

5.0 out of 5 stars
75 reviews
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The Good Life - Dog Heaven-

Pet care experience

I own and operate The Good Life, an affordable dog & cat boarding/doggie daycare/foster/rescue located just outside of town. I have been involved with helping animals all of our lives and been professionally in business since 2014. We have staff and are licensed and insured. We are situated on 15 acres and completely off grid, with a private hiking trail system on our property and no super close neighbors. The property backs onto state land and we are a just a short 10 - 12 minute drive from town, 15-20 minute drive from the spit. We have five FENCED in yards which is a wonderful tool to have to ensure the safety of your dogs. One of the yards is an indoor/outdoor area to our house and the other fenced in yards are spread over 1.5 acres behind the house so there's plenty of room to play in. We normally split the dogs into little dogs/older dogs/dogs that need more space in one fenced in yard. And the younger, more energetic dogs in the other fenced in yards. That's if they do want to be split, sometimes we find they do better together. We have a pond specifically for the dogs to splash in and we also have many streams, creeks and mud holes (they love to get muddy!). We also frequently go on hikes and beach walks (to a private beach we have access to) and love to bring the dogs. If they’re runners, they will stay on leashes. In the winter, we run the dogs with a snow machine and when there's no snow, we use a wheeler. The activities are conducted safely and at a slow pace. We incorporate all guest dogs and cats into our family and while they're here, they are treated like our own. No one is crated. We also offer a dog wash at the end of their stay for an additional $30. For night time sleeping, we offer 2 separate situations: 1. Inside one of two kennel buildings. These buildings were specifically customized and designed for us by professional builders. Each building is 32 ft x 14 ft with 8 kennels each. There are 6 kennels that are 8 ft X 4 ft and 2 kennels that are 4 ft X 4 ft. So as you can see, there is plenty of room and equipped with beds and water bowls. The kennel buildings are heated with monitor heaters in the winter and cooled with 2 fans in the summer. Each building also has 2 ventilation fans as well as a thermometer and cameras. The kennel buildings are cleaned daily and deep cleaned every 3rd day. The other sleeping situation is 2. Inside our home with us. We are 100 ft away from the kennels, but we also have some dogs that stay inside the house with us. They are welcome to stay in the house if 1. They don't pee or chew up on the furniture. 2. They get along with our dogs. 3. They won't eat our cats. Our cats have ways to escape into our shop and hide out but a dog that is lazer focused on a cat wouldn't do well in this environment. And 4. Good recall. That's because if we open a door and they dart out, we want to be able to get them back. We have 2 cats, 3 dogs, and 1 chinchilla (all rescues, of course). They get along with everyone - other dogs and cats. We have a lot of experience with pet care including cats, dogs, and housesitting. Puppies to senior dogs, social to introverts, we have encountered them all! If they need daily exercise or daily snuggles, or both...we provide it! The Good Life has its' own van for transport and we are reachable on my phone via text or call. We will also text you updates and pictures either through here or your phone number. Not only are we reliable and responsible, but animals are our passion. I have dedicated my lives to the mission of rescuing and providing a (THE) Good Life to all animals. Hence the name of our private rescue and dog boarding facility. Please note that we have set hours of operation. We are open 7 days a week, but our hours are 7:30 am - 7:00 pm. Most tours have an early departure time. If you need to schedule a drop off before 7:30 am or a pick up after 7:00 pm, there will be a $25 add on fee to reflect the additional hours our staff will have to come in. It will be added on when the booking is made, we will discuss it first so there are no surprise fees. Alternatively, you are welcome to book and drop off the previous night of a tour. You can check out The Good Life on Facebook and Instagram. We started The Good Life to help rescue, adopt, and foster animals so when you choose us, you're helping other animals in need.

Reviews

Julianne E.
Dog Boarding • Aug 10, 2023
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Kristin was very communicative and easy to work with!

Jordanna W.
Doggy Day Care • Jul 26, 2023
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So special to have a safe place for Cami to go! She seemed to love it(: will see you next time Kristen!

Haley B.
Doggy Day Care • Jul 22, 2023
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Our experience with this sitter started out great from the booking process. She was able to take my small dogs on short notice and kindly agreed to hold them until 8:30pm for us while we did a fishing charter. When we showed up, the dogs were taken into one of two sheds with dogs inside - a musty, smelly shed covered with damp, muddy floors (I was invited to bring the dogs into it, so I did see the inside.) There were multiple cages for the dogs to go into, and multiple dogs barking. We thought, shoot, I wonder how this is going to go?, but knew we had just today and that we were sure they’d have a great time. We received pictures of our dogs later in the day, which I very much appreciated. However, zooming in on our dogs, they both were exhibiting body language indicative of anxiety and stress. One of my dogs is always gregarious, excited, smiling, ears and tail up - but in this picture, his spine was hunched over, tail drooped down, and his facial expression was devoid of any joy. Upon zooming in, my other one (who admittedly does not love crowded areas with large dogs), was foaming at the mouth - a sign I have seen when she becomes frantic. They both looked disengaged from the crowded group of large dogs, but from what I could see I didn’t see any signs of danger, and knew they were being supervised; even though they weren’t separated from the big dogs the way it was indicated they would be. She sent a message saying she tried to feed them, but that neither were interested in eating. This is a huge red flag for them - they never turn down their food. Later, we pulled up to the property at the agreed upon time, with no one available to meet us. I had given plenty of notice as we had been coming into the dock and exiting the spit, and she replied saying she would let her on site employee know of our arrival. From what I gathered, it was never communicated to the employee earlier in the day that we would be arriving, so when we showed up, he had no idea and either didn’t see or expect to receive any notifications from her. I stood and listened to my dog howling and crying from the inside - a sound I have never heard from her before. The longer I stood there, the more anxious I was getting as I could tell my dog was distressed with no human presence nearby. I didn’t hear a peep from my other dog. By 8:50pm, I told her we had been waiting 20 minutes and told her I was about ready to let myself into the shed to get them to which she responded “well you are very late”, and I reminded her that we were present at our mutually agreed upon time. She subsequently and repeatedly mentioned that “you are late” and told me to drive my car up to a chicken coop and blare my horn so that this employee could hear me. I was uncomfortable doing this, but was desperate to get my dogs. I did get the employer’s attention. He profusely apologized, and I get it, mistakes happen and people miscommunicate - but rudely being called out for “late” by Kristen was shocking. She had become immediately argumentative and maintained I was in the wrong for not respecting her business hours (which I could understand had it not been for the fact that we agreed to have a pickup time of 8:30pm). The employee let us into the shed to get the dogs, which was still damp and dirty, and now was uncomfortably warm from being heated up all day, and lacked any air circulation. The windows were barely cracked, and I believe this was to mitigate the noise her neighbors would hear from dogs that would upset them (this was a point she mentioned multiple times). Our dogs were damp and filthy, and clearly relieved that we were back. With other Rover experiences in the past, they have been sad to to leave and it was apparent in this way that they did not have a good experience. There are so many other small details I could mention, but I’m sure this wordy message adequately details the conditions they keep the dogs in when they aren’t actively held in the crowded yard. For owners of small dogs, I would recommend you avoid this place like the plague. I am not sure one or two employees can provided dedicated enough attention to 15 or 20 dogs. I feel like larger dogs are better suited for this experience, though I honestly feel like anyone who truly cares for their pup should not take them there. They are guaranteed 4 hours of playtime each day, which indicates to me that for potentially 7 hours that day, they are put into cages in the sheds. It is my mistake for not doing more thorough research, as my Rover experiences have all been awesome with one person devoting clear, consistent, dedicated attention to my dogs in the comfort of their home, so this was my expectation. This was not this type of environment, but again, my fault for not researching. I learned my lesson for next time. I hate to rag on this business, especially after how incredibly accommodating Kristen was, and for an affordable price, but between the conditions of the sheds/cages, the stress my dogs exuded, and disrespectful, unprofessional communication with her later in the day, I will not be booking here in the future.

Alan T.
Dog Boarding • Jul 18, 2023
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This Lady was the best. We had some prior bad experiences, but she treated our kids like royalty! Missy was a happy girl when I picked her up!

About Kristen C.

Communication

19 repeat pet parents
100% response rate
Usually responds in a few minutes
90% bookings with photo updates

Skills

20 years of experience
Oral medication administration
First aid/CPR
Senior dog experience
Special needs dog experience
Can provide daily exercise

Safety, trust & environment

We have 5 fully fenced in yards with dig proof fencing as well as 2 kennel buildings with individual areas for dogs. Everyone is supervised during play time.

Home

Lives on a farm/ranch
Has a fenced yard
Non-smoking household
Has caged pets
Has 3 dogs, 3 cats
No children present
Dogs allowed on bed
Dogs allowed on furniture

Information Kristen C. would like to know about your pet

I like to know if a dog is good off leash, has allergies, or has behavioral issues. Pets must be up to date with vaccines. I also need to know if they are spayed/neutered.

A typical day

Besides running the dogs with a snow machine or wheeler, I have access to a private beach that I frequent with my dogs. I also go on a lot of hikes with friends and their dogs. We do daily exercise which consist of playing fetch and walking as well as a fun, safe fenced in yard pen for everyone to play in. A tired dog = a good dog.

Services

Boarding
in the sitter's home
$45per night
Doggy Day Care
in the sitter's home
$40per day

Kristen can host

Cats
0 to 15 lbs
16 to 40 lbs
41 to 100 lbs
over 101 lbs
No females in heat

Availability

We work, live, and breath dogs. This is our full time job and passion. We will be directly supervising during play time or individually placing dogs in separate areas if we leave the house. We also have at least one staff member that lives on site.

Available
Not available
SMTWTFS
Calendar last updated 24 days ago
Kristen can host up to 8 pets per night
Boarding Cancellation Policy:

About Kristen C.

Communication

19 repeat pet parents
100% response rate
Usually responds in a few minutes
90% bookings with photo updates

Skills

20 years of experience
Oral medication administration
First aid/CPR
Senior dog experience
Special needs dog experience
Can provide daily exercise

Safety, trust & environment

We have 5 fully fenced in yards with dig proof fencing as well as 2 kennel buildings with individual areas for dogs. Everyone is supervised during play time.

Home

Lives on a farm/ranch
Has a fenced yard
Non-smoking household
Has caged pets
Has 3 dogs, 3 cats
No children present
Dogs allowed on bed
Dogs allowed on furniture

Information Kristen C. would like to know about your pet

I like to know if a dog is good off leash, has allergies, or has behavioral issues. Pets must be up to date with vaccines. I also need to know if they are spayed/neutered.

A typical day

Besides running the dogs with a snow machine or wheeler, I have access to a private beach that I frequent with my dogs. I also go on a lot of hikes with friends and their dogs. We do daily exercise which consist of playing fetch and walking as well as a fun, safe fenced in yard pen for everyone to play in. A tired dog = a good dog.

Location

Homer, AK

Kristen C.'s Neighborhood

Pets

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Kristen C.

Homer, AK

5.0 out of 5 stars
75 reviews