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Local Expert: Su-Jit Lin

Su-Jit Lin once left her native New York on a whim and a gut feeling and has yet to regret the spontaneous shift that has led her to one of the most amazing and character-rich cities in the world.  A cum laude Tulane University graduate,...

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May 07, 2008
Accomodation

Zeus' Place - No Olympus

Making arrangements for the care of your dog while you are away is difficult.  Though there are many hotels in New Orleans that allow your four-legged companion to accompany you on your travels, there are even more that do not.  If bringing your dog into town with you is something you want to do, or if you’re a resident of the city and need someplace to keep your little buddy, dog boarding is the first solution to come to mind.  This was certainly the case for me.

Through extensive research, I decided to visit a place listed by local publication Gambit Weekly as “The Best Place to Board Your Dog.”  The website made it out that it was run by caring people with a yard and who offered webcam access (which, incidentally, just happened to be down at the time) to dog owners.  Optimistic, I made arrangements to check it out.  After all, I’m not going to leave my best friend somewhere sight unseen.  He sleeps on my Tempur-Pedic pillow and I intentionally leave scraps on my plate for him, if that’s any indication of this formerly starved and once-scrawny dog’s current lifestyle.

The weekend came with an afternoon free of duties, so I found myself pulling up to the facility in the slowly reawakening commercial area of Uptown Freret Street.  The front door was locked, and through the glass, you could see some dogs in crates in the reception area and other dogs free-ranging it in that entry room.  After ringing the buzzer a few times and finally calling the main phone line, an employee unenthusiastically let me in to give me The Tour.  

After what I’d read online, I was not only disappointed but appalled to see the conditions in which the dogs were being kept, and quickly came to understand how they can offer boarding as cheaply as $20 per night. Wire crates with dogs in them were stacked four high. The dogs were two to a concrete kennel, built in the style of the most depressing of animal shelters.  This was “so they could play and keep each other company,” claimed the employee.  That statement would have been much more believable if the space were a) bigger and b) the place wasn’t packed out to near-dangerous capacity.  Larger dogs were housed in larger wire crates in what equates as a poorly ventilated janitor’s closet.

A big redeeming point would have been if the large, run-down yard were filled with sounds of joyous puppy play.  However, in the middle of the early afternoon, no dogs were outside other than the two that belonged to the employee, who were being supervised by another young employee on her cell phone.  Funny how our tour guide was insistent that the dogs being boarded spent their days in the sun, and yet all of them were crying in their little crates stacked on top of one another.

Needless to say, I continued to search for other options after this visit, a trip I was very glad I took.  I went to a few more places, encountered a few other problems, ran into flaky customer service (New Orleans Pet Care by Nicole, for instance – all e-mails are frustratingly responded with “Please call!  Please call!”, rather than simple inquiries answered or a call back from them after leaving YOUR number), but nothing was quite as shocking as the discrepancy between that Gambit Weekly endorsement and what was presented.  Basically, this is my warning to travellers – never believe the hype and don’t put all of your faith in “Best Of” lists.  If you’re looking for a cheap place to dump your dog, Zeus’ Place is fine; if you cherish the well-being of your furry friend, pass this place up.
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