Camp Wignall Daycare and Boarding Services and Wignall Day Spa feature our outstanding camp and grooming staff, modern facilities and the availability of our onsite veterinary care by our hospital medical team. All of our services are integrated and coordinated between our staff to provide seamless care for your pets every day.
Camp and Grooming Staff work closely together to coordinate all the services your pet needs during a stay, whether it’s just for the day or for an “extended vacation”. Our goal is to provide the very best for each individual pet and help him/her to feel like this is home away from home. Being away from you is stressful, therefore we take extra steps to reduce stress and provide an atmosphere that will have them coming back for more! When you meet our staff, you will see that they truly love every pet and treat them as if they are their own.
Camp Wignall Staff:
Camp Wignall Camp Counselors, Daycare Group Leaders and Kennel/Grooming Supervisor, Jolene Landry. Our Kennel Technicians, Daycare Group Leaders and Kennel/Grooming Supervisor are our Camp Wignall Camp Counselors! Our weekday staff are full time Camp Counselors working with our Daycare Dogs and all our dog and cat boarders. Our part time staff are counselors who care for are dog and cat boarders. Caring for pets who are away from home, whether for a day, a week or a month, takes great patience, intuition, a working knowledge of animal behavior, animal care, basic animal training, significant physical strength and fitness; and of course a genuine caring for animal kind. All our staff are required to complete the same training, demonstrate the same skills and have the same personal traits we need for our staff to be successful working in our “pet home away from home”. Our Daycare Group Leaders have additional training and experience in managing canine groups. Training includes extensive classroom and hands-on training in animal care, basic emergency care and first aid, kennel sanitation and contagious disease, zoonotic disease, animal behavior, managing canine groups, customer service and safe, kind animal handling. In addition to their initial training, they are required to complete 5-10 hours of continuing education every year to stay well informed on the latest developments in our field. It’s a dog’s or cat’s life at Camp Wignall; but we like it that way!
Wignall Day Spa Staff:
Our Groomers have been professionally trained in the art and technique of grooming cats and dogs. Their training includes professional grooming school, continuing education through their regional professional organization, the New England Pet Grooming Professionals, college courses and hands-on training. In addition, they must complete extensive core classroom training in basic sanitation and contagious disease, pet diseases including zoonotic diseases, safe, kind animal handling, customer service and animal behavior; and are required to complete 10 hours of continuing education at the hospital every year. As with daycare and boarding, grooming takes great patience and a genuine caring for animal kind; but also a serious attention to detail, artistic ability, innate sense of style, depth perception, excellent fine motor skills and dexterity to handle scissors, blades and other grooming tools; great creativity in order to visualize how a specific pet can or should look depending on the breed; and excellent technical skills to bring that vision to life. Every pet’s a star at Wignall Day Spa!
Boarding & Daycare Fees:
Our Boarding and Day Care Fees are all inclusive: we do not charge extra for outdoor play, individualized attention, one-on-one time with staff, treats, bedding, a high quality Hills® diet or water play during a day camp or overnight camp stay. Additional fees apply to medical and grooming services during boarding, daycare or grooming stay. Our Dog Campers go outdoors for play every day. This is only one of the things that sets us apart from the competition! Camp Wignall can accommodate most companion pets including dogs, cats, exotic mammals, reptiles and birds! Exotics, reptiles and birds all board in our medical facility in environments suitable to their species and under the care of our medical team to ensure continuous monitoring.
Home Away From Home:
We have the unique advantage of providing hours of physical exercise and human contact every day for your pets during any stay. Because our dog campers play outdoors with our staff every day and our cat campers can stretch, play and explore indoors, we enable all our campers to feel more like they are home rather than away. We give careful attention every day to all the creature comforts you want for your pets at home…and more
| Clean, Fresh Bedding Daily | Clean, Fresh Water Daily, as needed |
| Fresh Hills Diet Daily, fed to your specifications | Special Diets Accommodated (picky eaters, poor appetite, nervous stomach, prescription diets) |
| Socialization (Dogs: with other compatible dogs; Cats: with family member cats) | Alone Play Times (for dogs not compatible with other dogs) |
| Individual Kennel Runs for Dogs and Cat Condos/Suites for Cats | Fully Air Conditioned/Heated Kennel Runs/ Cat Condos/Suites |
| Healthy Treats! | Staff Supervision |
| Hugs, Kisses, Pets, Music, Smiles, Encouragement, Cuddling, Patience, Understanding and More | Basic Behavior Training Incorporated into Every Day |
| Special Integration for New Campers | Staff Trained in Medical Observation, Basic First Aid and Basic Emergency Care |
| Staff Trained in Basic Animal Care, Animal Behavior and Behavior Management | Medication Administration by our Medical Staff |
| Emergency Medical Care by Medical Staff | Medical Boarding for sick/chronically ill pets |
| Onsite Grooming during any stay | Personal Attention by Our Staff: Every Pet, Every Day |
| Toys, Outdoor Wading Pools and Outdoor Play Structures for Dogs; Outdoor Views, Indoor Climbing Structures and Window Seats for Cats | Beautiful, fully turfed, fenced and double gated outdoor dog play yard, open 365 days |
Full medical services are available to every pet during his/her stay, should that need arise. These range from routine physical examinations and vaccinations to laboratory tests, x-rays, medication administration and even surgery. In addition, we offer a special service, Medical Boarding. Unlike typical boarding facilities, if your pet is sick just as you are supposed to leave on that well-planned vacation or has a chronic illness, we can accommodate his/her special needs while you are away.
Medical Boarding:
Medical Boarding allows you to rest assured that your sick pet will receive the very best care during any stay with us. By contacting us in advance to discuss your pet’s needs for medical boarding under the supervision and care of our medical team, we can create an individualized plan for your pet’s stay that will be medically supervised and safe, enabling you to vacation worry-free. For more information about medical boarding, please call us at 978-454-8272 to discuss your pet’s needs.
Facility:
Because Wignall Animal Hospital is a fully equipped, air conditioned/heated state of the art facility, your pets will be comfortable year round at Camp Wignall. Our outdoor camp activities for dog campers take place in our secure fully fenced/gated, turfed outdoor play area which is always fully staffed. Rather than quick walks on a leash, our boarding and daycare dogs experience the freedom of the outdoors for play, socialization, voiding, summer splashes in our wading pools and of course, T.L.C. from our staff. All at no additional cost. Individual indoor kennel spaces are at least 3’x6’x8’ for boarding dogs and include food, water, bowls, bedding, treats and toys all included. Cat Campers have the peace and quiet of our Cat Camper Condo Suites which all come with great outdoor views and include food, water, bowls, litter, bedding, treats and toys. Cat Campers can relax in their condo, perch on a window seat, climb for some exercise and enjoy tasty meals, all in their own little kitty camp!
Wignall Day Spa
Wignall Animal Hospital Grooming, is also fully staffed, air conditioned and heated year round. Unlike any other grooming facility in the greater Dracut/Lowell/Pelham area, Wignall Day Spa features 1000 square feet devoted to grooming! Separate rooms for bathing and drying enable our staff to provide a calm environment for spa appointments. A spacious waiting room provides ample room for pets at drop off and pick up and special parking only for our grooming clients directly at Wignall Day Spa. Pets at the hospital for medical appointments or at Camp Wignall for boarding or daycare, can easily be groomed on the same day as a medical appointment or during a boarding/daycare stay.
Grooming: Who Needs It?
If you think that only foo-foo dogs or Westminster Abbey competitors need grooming, your pooch or kitty is missing out! Our Groomers individually assess each pet for his/her grooming needs, ranging from brush outs to baths to intricate haircuts. They can recommend how often specific breeds should be groomed for the best maintenance of the coat and cut. Pet owners may think that letting hair grow long and getting fewer haircuts will save them money; however breeds that need the coat maintained with regularly scheduled haircuts, can get matted, tangled and cause vision and stability problems if left unmanaged. Matts are painful for the pet, as the longer the hair, the heavier the matt is and the more it pulls on the pet’s scalp. Paw hair and nails left to be overgrown can actually impeded a pet’s ability to properly walk; and in the extreme cases, the pet will stop playing and will only walk when necessary. Our staff can help you plan your pet’s grooming appointments to be economical and good for your pet. Even short haired dogs and cats need regular grooming—either by you at home or by a professional groomer. Many pet owners do not realize how much routine grooming can help reduce shedding, encourage healthy hair and skin and promote proper hair growth. Ask our staff and they can explain what you can do on your own in between Wignall Day Spa appointments, to maximize your pet’s appearance and coat/skin health.
In addition, our Professional Groomers are trained to look for symptoms and signs of illness and physical distress on your pet. Because they are handling and looking at every exterior part of your pet’s body during grooming, they often detect things that you would not normally notice, such as ear infections that are often hidden inside your pet’s ears; skin irritations and infections buried beneath your pet’s coat; ticks, insect bites, cysts or other masses on the belly or under skin folds that are frequently undetected by pet owners. Our staff are trained to detect these things and have a Veterinary Technician provide a free preliminary examination to determine whether there is need for a doctor examination. Should one of our doctors think that there is a medical issue that should be pursued and we will be happy to provide a doctor examination at your request.
There is no extra charge for high quality shampoo and conditioner products: we use them on all pets at Wignall Day Spa. 99% of our campers are groomed at the end of a boarding stay! Just like your other kids, our pet campers take camp play very seriously, therefore getting a bath, trim, nail trim and ear cleaning is a must before going home! Our camp and grooming staff coordinate your pet’s grooming needs to enable him/her to go home fresh, clean and sweet smelling at pick up.
Required Vaccinations/Tests before Boarding or Grooming:
Dogs |
Cats |
Ferrets |
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| * NOTE: some 3 year Distemper accepted. Call 978-454-8272 for information | ||
Hours:
Camp Wignall is OPEN: |
Wignall Day Spa is OPEN: |
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Camp Wignall FAQ’s:
What does the boarding/daycare fee include?
Camp Wignall Fees are all-inclusive for food, bedding, bowls, toys, treats and outdoor and indoor play times. There is no additional fee for playtimes or playgroups which total approximately 4 hours per day; or for ongoing training which is incorporated into all of our play activities.
Play groups are orchestrated based on each pet’s level of comfort with other pets, socialization skills, temperment, the pet’s age and size, as well as owner recommendations and staff recommendations. They provide the optimal opportunity for play, staff interaction, the company of other pets and stress relief.
If your pet is on medication, there is a medication administration fee of $9.00 per day per pet.
What is the medication administration fee for?
We take administering your pet’s medications seriously and have our medical staff supervise it.
By having Wignall Animal Hospital administer your pet’s medication, our medical staff oversees all medication dispensing and monitors side effects during your pet’s stay. In the event that your pet experiences any complications from his/her medications, our veterinarians will do an assessment and contact you to assist you with an appropriate medical action plan.
How do I enroll my pet in boarding or daycare?
Boarding: You can register your pet for boarding in 3 ways:
#1 Phone: 978-454-8272. We will mail you a registration form to complete, sign, date and return to us either in person, via mail or via fax (978-458-4646). A reservation is confirmed once we receive the form back completed by you.
#2 Website: you can print a Boarding Registration Form from our website. Then complete, sign, date and return to us either in person, via mail or via fax (978-458-4646). Once received, we will verify that we availability for the dates you requested. If we are unable to accommodate your request, we will call you to discuss it with you and we can place your name on a Boarding Waiting List for your desired dates.
#3 In Person: you can make a boarding reservation and submit a Boarding Reservation Form in person at the hospital. We will be able to confirm availability at that time.
Daycare: You can register your pet in 3 ways: phone, website, in person as noted above for Boarding.
Daycare registration requires that 2 forms are completed, dated, signed and submitted to Wignall Animal Hospital: Daycare Enrollment Form and Daycare Participation Agreement Form. The submitted forms will be reviewed by our Kennel Supervisor who will contact you to discuss Daycare for your pet before you bring your pet the first time.
Can my pet board/come to daycare if he/she is sick?
Because we must protect the health of all our “campers”, you should make alternate arrangements for a sick pet. Just like with children at school, contagious illnesses can spread to other pets. It is for this reason that up to date vaccinations and fecal testing are required for our campers. *(See Medical Boarding)
*If your pet is identified as sick within the first 24 hours of a boarding/daycare stay, we consider your pet to have arrived sick and may need to place your pet in medical isolation. A medical examination ($61) will be done to diagnose your pet’s illness. A veterinarian will contact you to discuss an appropriate medical plan. If medical boarding is required, there is an additional for of $23 per day, per pet. Medical boarding enables us to protect the health of our other boarders/daycare pets; and to treat your pet in the medical environment where he/she can be closely monitored while you are away.
What if my pet shows symptoms after boarding has begun?
If your pet is identified as sick within the first 24 hours of a boarding/daycare stay, we consider your pet to have arrived sick and may need to place your pet in medical isolation. A medical examination ($54) will be done to diagnose your pet’s illness. A veterinarian will contact you to discuss an appropriate medical plan. If hospital isolation is required, the fee is $35 per day per pet. Medical isolation enables us to protect the health of our other boarders/daycare pets; and to treat your pet in the medical environment where he/she can be closely monitored while you are away. If medically appropriate, we will move your pet into regular boarding in our Kennel as soon as possible, at which time standard boarding rates will apply.
If my pet has never stayed for boarding or daycare, do you help him/her to adjust?
Our campers are spoiled with attention and lots of tender loving care! Our staff take every new camper under their wings and focus on helping him/her feel at ease, safe, comfortable and happy to be here. It is normal for your pet to need some time adjusting to your absence, home routines and smells, familiar faces and sounds. While there is no replacement for you, thanks to our staff our campers learn to love camp as their “second home”.
What is “kennel cough”?
Kennel cough is an old fashioned term for a cough. A cough is not an illness but rather a symptom of some kind of upper respiratory infection. Previously, a cough in a dog was only associated with groups of dogs in contact with each other, such as in a boarding kennel because most dogs stayed at home their entire lives and very few people boarded their dogs..
Times have changed! Today, dogs live in close contact with humans who often take their dogs everywhere, including to dog parks, back and forth to the vet, for rides in the car, for visits with friends, etc. Dogs are no longer home bodies! AND, viruses and bacteria that can cause a cough are easily transmitted by people on shoes and clothing as well as by dogs themselves via their saliva and breath/cough.
Canine Cough can be a symptom of a simple cold, allergies, a foreign body lodged in the throat, canine influenza (dog flu), pneumonia or bronchitis. An infection can be a simple cold causing a cough which lasts 1 or 2 days or it can take 2 weeks to resolve completely
Why does my dog seem fine and then suddenly start coughing?
A cough usually is evident several days after the pet has been exposed to the source of irritant, therefore your dog could arrive at Camp Wignall appearing completely normal and without a cough, already exposed to the irritant. If your dog begins coughing while boarding, he/she most likely carried the infection in his/her body unknowingly into camp. If your dog begins coughing while in boarding, we will immediately isolate him/her in our medical facility and care for him/her there until departure or he/she is symptom-free. Medical fees apply.
How can Wignall Animal Hospital prevent the spread of coughing?
We do everything humanly possible to maintain a clean, safe facility. Our Kennel Staff have strict requirements for disinfection of kennel runs/cages; use anti-bacterial sanitizer; wear gloves when appropriate; do a quick medical screening of every boarding pet upon arrival; monitor all boarding pets for obvious symptoms such as a cough, runny nose, runny eyes, lack of appetite and lethargy; sanitize food/water bowls daily; sanitize cleaning equipment daily; sanitize our outdoor turf daily; clean up any pet waste promptly and properly dispose of it. They report all significant symptoms immediately to our medical staff for evaluation on a case-by-case basis. Of course we require that all boarding dogs must have the Bordatella vaccination, the only vaccination available for any of the known bacterial sources that can cause a cough.
If my dog is vaccinated with the Bordatella vaccination, how can my dog catch an illness from another dog’s cough?
The Bordatella vaccination does not provide 100% protection! Similar to human flu shots, the vaccination may protect a dog completely or reduce the severity of the illness, but it can not guarantee that a dog will never get a cough.
How can I know if my dog has been exposed to a virus or bacteria that will cause one of these illnesses?
The only way you would know is if you see your dog with a dog who has these symptoms! We often see coughing cases in a dog who has been at home, has not had contact with other dogs; or has been with other dogs, but none of them had any symptoms seen by the dog owners. Similar to children in school, this is why it is so challenging to prevent the spread. You often do not know a dog is contagious until he/she is coughing, has a runny nose or runny eyes.
Can I have my pet’s annual physical examination, vaccinations, fecal test and other routine tests done during boarding?
Yes! Simply tell us you would like them done during a boarding stay.
Can I have a medical re-check done during a boarding stay?
Yes! If your pet is not contagious, he/she can board in the Kennel and we will perform the medical recheck examination during the boarding stay.
Can I have a sick appointment for my pet while he/she is boarding?
If you arrive with a sick pet to board, your pet would be hospitalized and boarded in our medical facility. Medical Boarding fees plus any applicable treatment fees will be due upon pick up of your pet. Please advise us in advance that this is your need and we will discuss costs and services in advance with you.
What if my pet needs only an updated fecal test in order to board and I don’t realize it until I arrive for drop off?
We will perform the fecal test in the hospital at drop off. If the test is negative, nothing further need be done. If the test is positive, your pet can not be in the Kennel unless treated, therefore we will immediately begin treatment. You will be responsible for the cost of the fecal test and any medication or other treatment required enabling your pet to board in the Kennel.
Can I have my pet groomed during a boarding stay?
Yes! Simply choose “Grooming” on the Boarding Registration Form and we will arrange an appointment with one of our Groomers during your pet’s stay. The Grooming Fee is due upon check out from boarding.
I am very particular about how I want my cat/dog groomed. How will the Groomer know what my preferences are?
We highly recommend you speak with one of our Groomers before the boarding stay. You will also indicate any specific instructions on your Boarding Registration Form. You can feel free to call our grooming facility, Wignall Day Spa, at 978-454-4216/4217 to discuss your instructions. One of our Groomers would be happy to hear from you.
What will my pets be fed during boarding? My pets are very finicky eaters.
We use Hills® Diets for all our boarding pets. These are the same foods we recommend to our clients and also used by our staff for their own pets. Normally, we feed our boarding dogs and cats Hills “Sensitive Stomach” which is light, easily digestible food we find most of our boarders enjoy and adjust to easily. If you prefer to bring your own food from home, you are welcome to do so. There is no extra charge for this.
Exotic pets such as snakes, turtles, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, gerbils, hedgehogs, birds, rats and mice, bring their species-specific food to boarding, along with their “habitat” from home.
I know dogs can get rough during play. Can my dog get hurt?
We take every recommended precaution to keep all our boarding pets safe while they have a great time with us! Dogs will be dogs as the saying goes, however all play groups are supervised by our staff who have been trained in managing dog behavior. It is very unlikely that your dog will get hurt because of the close supervision and our intervention when play is heading towards being rough or inappropriate. Just as with a group of children, there are occasional cuts and scrapes which are unavoidable—dogs do use their teeth to play after all! Because we ease new boarders into a play group, trying to match them in size, activity level, temperament, etc, we carefully monitor their ability to socialize with their “new friends” and will change the “play plan” any time necessary.
The soft, dog-friendly outdoor turf eliminates wounds and injuries caused by hard surface play areas; and our entire outdoor play space is fenced, including double gating for entry and exit for additional safety against escape.
What standard does Camp Wignall use for how boarding and daycare are run?
Wignall Animal Hospital/Camp Wignall is a member of the Pet Care Services Association (P.C.S.A), formerly the American Boarding and Kennel Association (A.B.K.A.) and we follow their guidelines for professional pet boarding and daycare facilities. We have recently applied for PCSA Gold Accreditation as a Boarding and Daycare Facility/Program. Accredited programs/facilities must meet rigorous standards in 15 different categories, including pet safety, facility operations and cleanliness, staffing, staff training and pet evaluations for group play.
What training or credentials do Camp Wignall Kennel Staff have?
All of our Kennel Staff undergo extensive training under the mentoring of a senior staff person. The training covers all aspects of kennel operations, pet care, pet safety, sanitation, pet first aid and medical issues as well as cleanliness, behavior management and customer service. Staff training is an ongoing process that includes monthly in house training sessions for all Kennel Staff.
Our Senior Kennel Staff have years of experience handling, treating, training and managing pets in group settings.
Jolene Landry, Kennel Supervisor and Daycare Group Leader, has 15+ years of experience and training that includes dog training, Veterinary Technician, kennel management, dog behavior, customer service, pet rescue and adoption and general pet care. She earned a PCSA certificate as a Pet Care Technician. Her training includes in house training at Wignall Animal Hospital, as well as from the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), PCSA and other organizations.
Kcy Horton, Kennel Technician and Daycare Group Leader, has 8 years of experience and training that includes dog training, behavior management, general pet care, customer service and group play. She holds an A.S. Degree in Applied Animal Science, Small Animal Care from the University of New Hampshire.
Jen Johnson, Kennel Technician, Daycare Group Leader and Groomer, has 3 years of experience and training that includes dog training, behavior management, group play, general pet care and customer service. She holds an BS. Degree in Biology and Environmental Science, from the University of Nebraska.
Wignall Day Spa FAQ’s
Why does my pet need an up-to-date parasite test in order to be groomed?
Intestinal Parasites are transmitted from pet to pet AND some are transmitted from pets to humans. For the health of your own pet, as well as the other pets being groomed and our Staff, we need to be as certain as possible that the pets being groomed are parasite-free.
How are parasites transmitted?
Intestinal Parasites are transmitted via a pet’s feces, urine infected food or infected water. Simply put, microscopic eggs, larvae and live parasites are shed in the feces/urine and then enter the human or pet body through the skin, eyes or mouth. Because pets are frequently licking and sniffing, it is very easy for them to receive the parasites into their bodies. Intestinal Parasites can survive outside the body for a long time and are often found at parks, playgrounds, backyards, puddles of water and inside homes.
Do Intestinal Parasites cause Illnesses?
YES. ROUND WORMS can cause visceral larva migrans and cause permanent eye damage or blindness in humans. HOOK WORMS can cause cutaneous larva migrans resulting in damage to the intestines and other organs in humans. WHIP, HOOK AND ROUND WORMS can cause severe intestinal upset, diarrhea, intestinal hemorrhage and anemia in pets.
Why don’t all Grooming providers require these same things?
The American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA) recommends these things as the standard of care for pets in a group setting. Although pets in Grooming are separated from each other, they are still in the same room. Airborne infectants can easily travel from pet-to-pet and intestinal parasites can live on many different surfaces, indoors and outdoors.
How can I best protect my pets when they are to be groomed?
Consult with your veterinarian regarding year-round intestinal parasite protection and make sure your pets are up-to-date with the required vaccinations (explained below) and parasite testing. Because we require that pets to be groomed are up-to-date, your pet will be in the company of pets who are also up-to-date.
Why does my pet need up-to-date vaccinations in order to be groomed?
Vaccinations protect your pets from the most commonly transmitted—and preventable—pet illnesses, just as with humans.
- RABIES: Required by Massachusetts State Law. Rabies is transmitted by an infected animal to another animal and to humans. There is no treatment for rabies and it is fatal.
- DISTEMPER/HEPATITIS/PARVO/PARAINFLUENZA: (DHPP) Are transmitted by bodily fluids or airborne (i.e., a cough). These can cause damage to the liver, neurological/ gastrointestinal /respiratory systems and can be fatal.
- LEPTOSPIROSIS: (L) Is transmitted from an infected animal’s urine to pets and humans. It causes damage to the liver and kidneys and can be fatal
- BORDATELLA: Is transmitted via airborne bacteria (i.e., cough) and causes respiratory illness.
