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Pet boarding software: what it does and how to choose

Good pet boarding software manages kennel and suite availability, takes online reservations and deposits, enforces vaccine records, and tracks feeding and medication schedules — then texts confirmations and reminders to cut no-shows. Most plans run $40 to $200 a month. The right pick matches your run layout and services, and connects to your website so the "book boarding" button flows straight into it.

We're a website and lead-capture company, not a boarding software vendor, so we'll recommend the right tool honestly — and show where our piece sits next to it.

What the best boarding software handles

Reservations and a live kennel board

A real-time view of which runs and suites are open by date, with online booking so owners reserve holiday weeks before you sell out. Overbooking a kennel is the costliest mistake software prevents.

Vaccine and record enforcement

It blocks a booking until rabies, distemper, and bordetella are on file and flags expirations. That protects your other guests and your liability without a paper binder.

Feeding, meds, and care notes

Per-pet schedules so staff know who gets which food, which pill, and when. Kennel cards print from the same record, so nothing depends on the front-desk person's memory.

Deposits, invoicing, and reminders

Online deposits hold the reservation, invoices total the stay plus daycare and grooming add-ons, and text reminders cut last-minute cancellations.

Rough pricing tiers

Entry tools

$40–$70/mo

Basic reservations, pet profiles, and invoicing for a small kennel. Fine for one location with a handful of runs and simple needs.

Full kennel platforms

$80–$200/mo

Online booking, deposits, vaccine enforcement, text reminders, daycare and grooming modules, and reporting. Where most growing boarding facilities land.

Add-on costs

2.6–3.5% + fee

Payment processing on deposits and invoices runs the usual card rates. Budget that on top of the monthly subscription.

Where lead capture fits — and when you don't need more

Boarding software runs the operation once a booking exists. It does not bring the booking in — that's your website, your Google Business Profile, and how fast you answer an inquiry. The two jobs are different, and a gap between them loses reservations.

Our AI lead capture (included from $249/mo with a site) answers "do you board cats," "what's the holiday rate," and "is there a run open over Thanksgiving" after hours and hands the named lead to you, so it never reaches your booking software unanswered. Our CRM tier (from $1,750/mo) layers reputation and follow-up automation on top.

Honest version: if your current software already books fine and your phone gets answered, you may need nothing from us. Most kennels' real leak is the after-hours inquiry, not the software.

Read next

Pet boarding website design, how to start a pet boarding business, pet sitting software, the business software guides hub, and our AI receptionist.

We don't post stock testimonials. On a 15-minute call we screen-share the real dashboards behind our own businesses — live leads, rankings, and the exact page that produced each one. See the proof →

Common questions

What does pet boarding software do?

Manages availability, online reservations and deposits, vaccine records, feeding and medication schedules, check-in and check-out, invoicing, and reminder texts.

How much does it cost?

Most plans run $40 to $200 a month by run count and features, plus payment processing on deposits.

How do I choose?

Match it to your size and services, make sure it enforces vaccine records and takes deposits, and confirm it connects to your website so bookings flow in cleanly.

See the website side first

Send your facility name and city — we'll confirm your market is open and build a working demo within 48 hours. Free, no card, no commitment.

Prefer email? [email protected]

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