Pet boarding for Contra Costa County families

Contra Costa County has about 414,417 households, most of them an hour or more from Dixon. The kennel's location between Sacramento and the Bay Area makes it a stop for owners who head up Interstate 80 for a trip.

Quick facts

• Crockett 52 minutes, Hercules 57, Martinez 60
• Estimated 188,600 homes with a dog, 133,000 with a cat
• Stays are charged by the night, like a hotel
• Rates include food, medications and walks

Contra Costa County in numbers

The Census counts about 1,165,012 people in Contra Costa County, with a median age of 40.5 and about 32 percent of households renting. Applying national ownership shares to 414,417 households gives roughly 188,600 homes with a dog and 133,000 with a cat. Those are estimates, not a count of pets.

How far it is

From the north side of the county the drive is about 52 minutes from Crockett, 55 from Vine Hill, 56 from Mountain View, 57 from Hercules and 59 from Port Costa, Rodeo and Pacheco. Martinez is 60 minutes and Pinole 61. Antioch and Oakley are 63, Brentwood 65 and Concord 67. These are free-flow estimates and do not include traffic.

Nearby pages in Solano County are Vallejo and Benicia, the last towns before the kennel.

Who books from this side of the bay

A country kennel can suit a longer trip, a holiday week or a flight out of Oakland or San Francisco. The Oakland page and the SFO page explain how the drive fits around your flight.

County licensing

Contra Costa Animal Services runs the county shelter at 4800 Imhoff Place in Martinez, and dogs over four months need a county license with a current rabies vaccine. The license is handled through DocuPet. At Happy Paws, the same rabies record goes on file along with distemper/parvo and Bordetella for dogs, or FVRCP for cats. Canine influenza is recommended but not required.

Prices

Economy is $52 a night, Business Class $59 and First Class $72. Cats are $35. A week in an Economy run is 7 x $52 = $364, and stays of 14 nights or more drop to the reduced long-term rate on the rate sheet. The balance is due at pick-up. See the 2026 rates.