Dog day care for UC Davis commuters

The Census counts about 1,485 households in the UC Davis area, and nearly all of them rent. Many of those dogs spend long class, lab and clinic days alone.

Quick facts

• About 16 minutes each way, 10.5 miles
• $38 a day, $7 an hour up to $38
• 12 days for $380 with Buy 10 get 12
• Lab or class day: drop off by 11:30 AM, pick up 2:00 to 5:00 PM

Fitting day care around a campus schedule

The trip runs along Hutchison Drive, then 5.5 miles of Highway 113 and 3.6 miles of Interstate 80. At about 16 minutes each way it is the shortest drive to the kennel from any Davis-area address.

Drop-off is 7:30 to 11:30 AM and pick-up is 2:00 to 5:00 PM, with the front desk closed from 11:30 to 2:00. A morning drop-off before an afternoon of lecture or lab and a pick-up by 5:00 is the usual rhythm.

A renter's dog in a small apartment

About 98 percent of households in the UC Davis area rent, the median age is about 19, and about 680 households would have a dog if national rates held. That is an estimate from Census households and AVMA shares, not a count.

Apartment dogs often have a balcony at most. At the kennel they get about 10 acres with large fenced play areas and a grass field, and their own indoor/outdoor run for rest.

Student-friendly math

One day is $38. Hourly is $7 an hour, so four hours is $28 and anything past five hours is capped at $38. Roommates sharing a dog can split the bill.

With the package, 12 days cost $380 for one dog, or $700 for two dogs per kennel. One day a week over a 10-week quarter is 10 days, so a package covers a full quarter with two days to spare.

Records first

Bring a rabies certificate and records for distemper/parvo, Bordetella and canine influenza, and upload them before the first visit. Yolo County also requires a license for every dog over four months, and it cannot outlast the rabies vaccine.

When you travel

Break and holiday stays are covered on the UC Davis page, the UC Davis families page and the winter break page.