Since we opened in 1997, Pet Camp has allowed pet parents to bring in bedding from home for their dogs and cats while staying with us. For several reasons, we must reevaluate our dog bed policy.
Reason number 1: The San Francisco Fire Marshall has told us to! While pet care facilities in San Francisco are not required to have fire sprinklers (and some still don’t) Pet Camp has always had fire sprinklers and recently upgraded our system. The Fire Marshall has told us that we cannot have dog beds in about half our building UNLESS we can show that the dog beds are flame retardant. We are pleased to report that we have located such bedding and will be using these beds throughout Pet Camp.
Reason number 2: Your pet’s health and safety. We know YOUR dog’s bed is clean and free from any bacteria or germs, but, sadly, not every pet parent keeps their dog’s bed as tidy as you do. Turns out that dog beds can harbor infectious organisms; in other words, someone else’s dog bed can bring something into Pet Camp to which we don’t want your dog exposed. How could this happen since your dog isn’t sharing this other dog’s bed? Sadly, some of these bad things can jump from a dog bed to a passerby (human or dog) and get spread.
Reason number 3: The environment. Yup, we know the reservoirs are full and the rivers are running wild, but as they say, “there’s never enough water to waste.” Our new dog beds are designed to be washed and dried on a regular basis and are simply better for the environment. How is this possible and how does this differ from your bed? The beds we’ve purchased create cushioning by being slightly elevated off the floor. This allows them to create a cushioning effect of thick (which means harder to wash & dry) bedding. These beds can be cleaned and disinfected WITHOUT going through the washer and dryer.
Where does this leave us? Starting on January 1, 2020, Pet Camp will no longer accept dog beds from home. We know that this is a significant change and we understand that not every camper’s parent is going to be pleased. But we think that overall this is the best course of action for the health and safety of all the campers.
As always, should you have any questions about this change please feel free to contact either Michelle or Mark.
Thanks for reading.