Holiday Boarding Waitlist and Deposit Checklist for US Kennels

Short answer: Thanksgiving falls on 26 November this year, and many kennels are already close to full for it and for Christmas. Set your holiday dates, a minimum stay and a deposit, take requests onto a waitlist until the deposit is paid, and offer cancelled runs to the next family in line the same day. The checklist below has 10 points.

What do US kennels usually ask for at the holidays?

Published policies vary, but they follow a pattern. Several Camp Bow Wow locations define a holiday period as three days before and three days after the holiday, ask for a two or three night minimum stay, and take a deposit at booking, from $25 or $50 at some locations to two nights' boarding at others. One location gives families a week to pay the deposit before they lose their waitlist place. Happy Paws Kennels in California asks for a 50% non-refundable deposit 30 days before drop-off for stays that start within 7 days of a major holiday.

The checklist

Before bookings open

1. Publish your holiday dates. Write the exact dates for Thanksgiving and Christmas on your website and booking page, so nobody argues about whether 23 December counts.
2. Set a minimum stay. Two or three nights stops a run going to a one-night stay when a family needed a week.
3. Choose one deposit rule. A flat fee is simple. A share of the stay protects you better on long bookings. Say whether it is refundable, credited or forfeited.
4. Write the cancellation tiers in plain words. For example, full credit with 7 or more days' notice, half credit inside 7 days, nothing inside 48 hours.

While requests come in

5. Treat every request as waitlisted until the deposit lands. Send the payment link at once and tell the family how long they have to pay.
6. Check vaccines at the same time. Ask for current records with the deposit, not at drop-off. Our holiday boarding pre-arrival plan covers this step in detail.
7. Keep the waitlist in order. Record the date and time of each request, the dates wanted, the number of dogs and any run size needs.

When something changes

8. Refill a cancellation the same day. Message the next two or three families who fit the dates, hold the run for a few hours, and give it to the first to pay.
9. Confirm in writing. A booking is not confirmed until the family has a written confirmation with dates, drop-off times and what to bring.
10. Remind everyone a week before. One message a week out with drop-off times and the cancellation rule catches the families whose plans have changed while you still have time to refill.

Where does RevisitCare fit?

RevisitCare sends reminders and confirmations by WhatsApp and SMS, and its AI voice agent can answer booking calls when your team is busy with drop-offs. Taking deposits and running the waitlist itself stays in your booking software. See the features or read our plan for filling quiet weekdays once the holidays are over. You can start a 7-day free trial with 20 AI conversations, with no credit card required.

FAQs

How much deposit should a kennel take for holiday boarding? Published US policies range from a flat $25 or $50 to two nights' boarding or 50% of the stay. Pick one rule, state it before booking and apply it to everyone.

Should holiday deposits be refundable? Many kennels give a refund or account credit with about 7 days' notice and keep the deposit for later cancellations or no-shows. Credit keeps the money with you while staying fair to the family.

When should a kennel open holiday bookings? Open them early enough that families can plan travel, and publish the date so regulars know when to book. Requests can sit on the waitlist until the deposit is paid.

What is the fairest way to run a waitlist? First come, first served by the time of the request, filtered by dates and run size. Offer a free run to a few families at once and give it to the first who pays.