Manage multi-day boarding, overnight stays, and extended daycare with Stay Appointments - optimized for kennels, boarding facilities, and pet hotels.
What are Stay Appointments?
Stay Appointments are specialized bookings for overnight and multi-day pet care:
Boarding (overnight kennels, pet hotels)
Extended daycare (drop-off Monday, pick-up Friday)
Pet sitting at your facility
Overnight training camps
Different from regular appointments:
Span multiple consecutive days
Track check-in and check-out times
Manage nightly/daily rates
Monitor kennel/room occupancy
Handle mid-stay service additions
Enabling Stay Services
Create a Stay Service Type
Before creating stay appointments, configure stay services:
Go to Services → New Service
In service type dropdown, select "Stay"
Configure stay-specific settings:
Nightly rate OR Daily rate
Check-in time (default)
Check-out time (default)
Required resources (kennels, rooms, suites)
Save service
Common stay services:
Standard Boarding (per night)
Luxury Suite Boarding (per night)
Extended Daycare (per day, no overnight)
Training Camp (per day with overnight)
Creating Stay Appointments
Access Stay Creation
Click New → Stay (or keyboard shortcut M)
Stay Creation Wizard
Stay appointments use a specialized multi-step wizard:
Step 1: Basic Information
Select customer and pets:
Search and select customer
Check pets staying
Each pet can have same or different accommodations
Select stay dates:
Check-in date - Arrival date
Check-out date - Departure date
Number of nights calculated automatically
Example: Check-in Oct 20, Check-out Oct 25 = 5 nights
Step 2: Check-in & Check-out Times
Customer-Requested Times with Business Approval
When customers book a stay, they request their preferred check-in and check-out times. These times are then subject to your review:
How the workflow works:
Customer selects their preferred check-in and check-out times during booking
Booking arrives as PENDING (if you have manual approval enabled) or CONFIRMED with the requested times
You can review, adjust, accept, or decline the booking before confirming
Once confirmed, the agreed times are set
For business-created stays:
Default check-in time pre-filled (from service settings)
Adjust to ANY exact time (e.g., 10:47am if that works for both parties)
Perfect for flexible arrangements agreed directly with customers
Example scenarios:
Sarah requests 10:30am drop-off → You confirm (or adjust and communicate)
Mike requests 3:15pm pickup → You review and confirm
Emma needs 8:00am early drop-off → You approve or negotiate alternative
⚠️ Current Limitation: Petboost does not currently support "forcing" customers to check in or out at exact times. Customers can request any time that works for them. Your control comes from the PENDING → CONFIRMED workflow where you review and approve (or adjust) their requested times.
Why we designed it this way (V1):
We recognised that for boarding bookings, customers are typically the time-constrained party — they're often booking far in advance, planning around travel schedules, and sometimes need drop-off/pickup outside regular business hours. The review-and-approve workflow gives you control while accommodating their needs.
Using PENDING vs CONFIRMED status:
PENDING: Customer has requested a booking — you review the times before accepting
CONFIRMED: Times are agreed and the booking is confirmed
To enable manual approval for stay services:
Go to your stay service → Booking Settings tab
Enable "Require Manual Approval"
All new bookings arrive as PENDING for your review
Why this matters:
Customer flexibility — Accommodate any schedule request
Business control — Review and approve before confirming
Staff coordination — Handovers agreed through the approval process
Early check-in/late checkout — May incur additional charges (via spillover pricing)
Kennel turnover — Plan cleaning between guests
Capacity planning — Know exactly when each pet arrives/departs
Step 3: Accommodations & Services
For each pet, select:
Accommodation type:
Standard Kennel
Large Kennel
Luxury Suite
Private Room
Shared Room
Pricing model:
Per night (most common for boarding)
Per day (for daycare-style extended stays)
Flat rate (entire stay one price)
Additional services:
Add services during stay:
Daily walks
Playtime sessions
Grooming
Training
Medication administration
Special feeding
Step 4: Assign Resources
Select specific accommodations:
Kennel number
Room name
Suite identifier
View availability:
Green = Available entire stay
Yellow = Partially available (conflicts some nights)
Red = Not available
Auto-assign option:
System assigns first available accommodation
Best when flexible on specific location
Step 5: Special Instructions
Add stay-specific notes:
Feeding schedule and dietary restrictions
Medication instructions with times
Exercise preferences
Behavioral notes (separation anxiety, dog-aggressive, etc.)
Emergency contact information
Pickup authorization (who can pick up pet)
Upload documents:
Vaccination records
Vet contact information
Special care instructions
Medication photos
Step 6: Review & Create
Summary shows:
Dates: Check-in to check-out
Duration: Number of nights/days
Accommodation: Per pet
Services: Additional services scheduled
Total cost: Breakdown by pet and service
Action buttons:
Create Stay - Standard creation
Create & Send Confirmation - Creates and emails customer
Save as Draft - Complete later
During Stay Management
Check-In Process
When pet arrives:
Open stay appointment
Click "Check In" button
System records:
Actual arrival time
Staff member who checked in
Condition upon arrival
Status changes to "In Progress"
Check-in workflow:
Take arrival photos
Inspect pet for existing injuries/conditions
Verify belongings (food, toys, medications)
Confirm special instructions with customer
Assign to accommodation if not pre-assigned
Adding Services Mid-Stay
Customer requests additional services during stay:
Open stay appointment
Navigate to "Add Service" section
Select service and date(s)
Options:
One-time service (e.g., bath on day 3)
Daily recurring (e.g., extra walk every day)
Specific dates (e.g., playtime on Mon, Wed, Fri)
Invoice updates automatically
Common mid-stay additions:
Grooming before checkout
Extra playtime
Medication administration
Training sessions
Special treats/enrichment
Daily Care Tracking
Document daily activities:
Notes section:
How pet ate (full meal, partial, refused)
Bathroom habits (normal, diarrhea, constipated)
Energy level (playful, lethargic, normal)
Interactions with other pets
Any concerning behavior or health issues
Photo updates:
Daily photo for customer peace of mind
Document any injuries or issues
Before/after grooming
Pet having fun (playing, socializing)
Best practice: Update daily at consistent time (evening preferred)
Health & Incident Management
If pet becomes ill or injured:
Document immediately in appointment notes
Take photos of injury/symptoms
Contact customer via phone + email
Vet consultation if needed:
Add vet visit as service
Upload vet records
Update medication schedule
Update daily care notes with treatment plan
Emergency protocol:
Call customer immediately
Follow documented emergency contacts
Transport to vet if authorized
Document all actions in detail
Check-Out Process
When customer arrives for pickup:
Open stay appointment
Click "Check Out" button
System records:
Actual departure time
Staff member handling checkout
Review stay with customer:
How pet did during stay
Any incidents or concerns
Medication administered
Services provided
Return belongings
Finalize invoice and process payment
Checkout checklist:
✅ Pet health check
✅ Return all belongings
✅ Share stay summary with customer
✅ Provide vet records if applicable
✅ Schedule next stay if requested
✅ Process payment
Stay Pricing
📚 For complete stay pricing documentation, see the Pricing Guide.
How Stay Pricing Works
Stay pricing bills per 24-hour period, not per calendar night.
This is an important distinction:
What You Might Expect | How Petboost Works |
"5 nights = 5 × nightly rate" | "Total hours ÷ 24 = number of periods" |
Calendar-based billing | Time-based billing |
Why 24-hour periods?
More accurate for irregular check-in/out times
Fair billing whether customer checks in at 9am or 3pm
Supports sub-24h rates for short stays or remaining hours
Enables "stay longer, save more" tier discounts
Two Types of Pricing Tiers
1. Per-Day Period Rates
Apply to complete 24-hour periods
Enable "stay longer, save more" discounts
Example: "2-7 days @ $73/day" means ALL full periods use $73 once unlocked
2. Short-Stay & Spillover Rates
Apply to stays under 24 hours OR remaining hours after full periods
Example: A 5d 8h stay charges 5 periods at the per-day rate, plus the 8h at the spillover rate
Quick Pricing Example
Stay: Monday 10am → Saturday 6pm (5 days 8 hours = 128 hours)
Component | Calculation | Amount |
5 full 24h periods | 5 × $73 (unlocked tier rate) | $365 |
8 remaining hours | 1 × $55 (spillover tier) | $55 |
Total | $420 |
Partial Day Handling
Spillover rates handle partial days fairly:
Early check-in → More hours = potentially additional spillover charge
Late check-out → More hours = potentially additional spillover charge
Hours are calculated exactly, not rounded to nights
See the Pricing Guide for complete configuration instructions and examples.
Multi-Pet Stay Discounts
Automatic discounts when multiple pets from same family board:
Configure in service settings
Example: 10% off second pet, 15% off third+
Applies automatically to invoice
Visible in pricing breakdown
Additional Service Pricing
Services during stay billed separately:
Added to final invoice
Can be one-time or recurring
Priced according to service rate
Example stay invoice:
Standard Kennel (5 nights @ $40/night): $200Daily Walk (5 days @ $15/day): $75Checkout Bath: $45Subtotal: $320Multi-pet discount (10%): -$32Total: $288
Resource Management
Kennel/Room Assignment
Track accommodation occupancy:
View which kennels/rooms occupied each night
See upcoming check-ins/check-outs
Identify turnover cleaning needs
Timeline view best for resource management:
Horizontal bars show stay duration
Each kennel gets own row
See overlaps and conflicts
Optimize space utilization
Capacity Planning
Monitor facility capacity:
Total kennels/rooms available
Current occupancy percentage
Upcoming capacity by date
Peak booking periods
Overbooking alerts:
Warning when exceeding capacity
Identify conflicting reservations
Manage waitlist
Multi-Pet Stays
Same Family, Multiple Pets
Common scenarios:
Same accommodation (pets share kennel/suite)
Separate accommodations (own kennels)
Mixed (one shared, one separate)
How to handle:
Option 1: Single stay appointment with multiple pets
Create one stay
Select all pets
Assign each to accommodation (same or different)
One invoice with all pets
Option 2: Separate stays
Create individual stay per pet
Useful if different dates (one stays longer)
Separate invoices (can link for discount)
Recommendation: Single stay appointment preferred for simplicity
Pet Interaction During Stay
Document social dynamics:
Pets that play well together
Separation needs
Group vs. individual time
Feed separately if food aggressive
Scheduling socialization:
Add "Playtime" services for interaction
Document interactions in daily notes
Photos/videos of pets playing together
Common Stay Types
1. Vacation Boarding
Typical duration: 5-14 nights
Services included:
Standard kennel/suite
Daily feeding
Bathroom breaks
Basic exercise
Add-ons customers request:
Extra playtime
Daily walks
Cuddle time
Webcam access
Daily photo updates
2. Extended Daycare
Typical duration: 5 consecutive days
No overnight stay:
Drop-off Monday morning
Pick-up Friday evening
No overnight accommodation needed
Charged per day, not per night
Best for:
Work weeks
Training programs
Socialization intensive
3. Overnight Training Camp
Combines boarding + intensive training
Structure:
Stay for 1-2 weeks
Daily training sessions
Practice exercises
Board-and-train model
Documentation:
Daily training notes
Progress reports
Video of training
Owner instructions for home practice
4. Short-Term Emergency Boarding
Unplanned/urgent stays:
1-3 nights typically
Last-minute bookings
Family emergencies, medical issues
Considerations:
Flexibility on accommodations
May not have full paperwork upfront
Collect vaccination records during stay
Follow-up on missing information
Stay Reports & Summaries
Daily Stay Report
At end of each day, generate report showing:
Current occupancy
Pets checking in tomorrow
Pets checking out tomorrow
Health/incident notes
Tasks for tomorrow (grooming, vet visits)
Customer Stay Summary
Upon checkout, provide customer with:
Stay dates and duration
Daily care notes
Photos taken during stay
Services provided
Medication administered
Recommendations for future stays
How to generate:
Open stay appointment
Click "Generate Stay Summary"
Review and edit if needed
Email to customer or print
Managing Boarding Internally
For businesses where handovers are arranged directly between staff and customers (rather than fixed booking windows), consider managing boarding as an internal-only service.
When to Use Internal-Only Boarding
Handover times agreed directly between staff and customer
Complex boarding requiring human assessment before accepting
High-touch service with lots of variables
Premium boarding where personal coordination is expected
How to Set It Up
Go to your boarding service → Booking Settings tab
Disable Self-Service Booking (toggle OFF)
Create bookings manually when arrangements are confirmed
Set exact check-in/check-out times per booking
What You Still Get
Full calendar visibility alongside other services
Kennel/room capacity tracking
Invoicing and all payment methods
Mid-stay service additions
Customer communications (confirmations, reminders)
See Internal-Only Services for complete setup guide.
Tips & Best Practices
Booking stays:
Book early for holidays (30-60 days advance)
Require vaccination records before check-in date
Send pre-stay reminders (3 days before)
Confirm pickup time day before checkout
Flexible handovers: Set exact times per booking, not just windows
During stay:
Daily photo updates = happy customers
Document everything (CYA for disputes)
Note feeding and bathroom patterns
Report concerns immediately (don't wait)
Checkout:
Allow 15 minutes for checkout process
Don't rush customer (share stay details)
Schedule next stay while they're there
Send follow-up email with stay summary
Facility management:
Clean accommodations between stays
Inspect for damage or maintenance issues
Rotate popular kennels/suites fairly
Track maintenance schedule per resource
Troubleshooting
"No available accommodations for dates"
→ Check resource calendar, adjust dates, or use waitlist
"Customer wants to extend stay"
→ Edit stay appointment, change checkout date, system updates pricing
"Pet needs medication mid-stay"
→ Add medication administration as recurring service, document in notes
"Checkout delayed, customer running late"
→ Update expected checkout time, alert team if impacting next check-in
"Dispute over extra charges"
→ Reference daily notes and services list, show timestamped documentation
Related FAQs
Have questions about boarding and stay appointments? See these commonly asked questions:
What's Next?
Internal-Only Services - Managing boarding without online booking
Booking Links & Deep Linking - Service-specific booking links