Dog and cat boarding near Benicia

Benicia is a small waterfront city with an older, higher-income population, and the drive to the kennel starts on its own streets before it joins the freeways.

Quick facts

• About 56 minutes and 37.9 miles from Benicia
• I-680 for 9.2 miles, I-80 for 19.2
• Cats and dogs both welcome

From the waterfront to Midway Road

The route leaves Benicia on streets such as East 2nd Street, Panorama Drive and Rose Drive, then runs 9.2 miles on Interstate 680 and 19.2 on Interstate 80 before the last stretch on Midway Road. The 56-minute estimate is free-flow, and it is the longest on this list for a Solano County city.

Since the drive is close to an hour each way, the afternoon window, 2:00 to 5:00 PM, suits a trip heading east, and the drive makes the most sense for a stay of a week or more.

A settled city

Benicia has about 26,700 residents in about 11,100 households. The median age is about 45, the median household income about $121,000 and the median home value about $810,000. About 70 percent of households own their home and about 28 percent have children. National AVMA shares suggest about 5,000 dog households and 3,600 cat households, an estimate.

Settled households with older pets and a few cats are common, so the cattery and the senior dog page are the most useful links here.

Parks, shelter and licenses

Phenix Dog Park is inside Benicia Community Park, and city rules there require dogs to display a current license. Solano County Animal Care is the animal shelter for Benicia.

Whatever you use locally, keep the rabies certificate current: dogs need it to be licensed and it is the first record the kennel needs.

Long stays suit Benicia owners

From 14 nights the nightly price drops to $65 in First Class, $53 in Business Class and $47 in Economy. Cats are $35. Medications are given at no extra charge and walks are included.

What a stay includes

The nightly rate covers the run, a Kuranda bed and blankets, house food or your own at no charge, medications and walks. Dogs choose between a heated or air-conditioned inside space and an outside area through a doggie door, and there is a large grass field and fenced play areas. Cats have individual four-level towers with their own litter box and blanket. Balance is paid at pick-up, and drop-off and pick-up run every day from 7:30 to 11:30 AM and 2:00 to 5:00 PM.

Tours run daily from 9 to 11 AM and 2 to 4 PM, no appointment.