Blog · Pet Boarding
Empty Kennels, Full Voicemail:
How Missed Calls Cost Pet Boarding Facilities Thousands
February 25, 2026 · 5 min read
A pet boarding kennel's revenue is simple math: occupied runs × nightly rate × nights. Every empty run is money evaporating. And the #1 reason runs sit empty isn't lack of demand—it's unanswered phone calls. Pet parents don't leave voicemails when booking holiday boarding. They call the next facility on Google.
The Occupancy Gap: What It Really Costs
Let's run the numbers for a typical 30-kennel boarding facility:
- 30 runs at $50/night average (standard runs $40, suites $65, luxury $75)
- 90% occupancy: 27 runs occupied × $50 = $1,350/night = $40,500/month
- 70% occupancy: 21 runs occupied × $50 = $1,050/night = $31,500/month
- 20-point occupancy gap = $9,000/month = $108,000/year
That $9,000/month difference between a well-booked facility and an under-booked one comes down to one thing: how fast you convert inquiry calls into confirmed reservations. The demand exists. The runs are available. But if nobody answers the phone at 7 PM when a pet parent realizes they need Thanksgiving boarding, that run stays empty.
Why Pet Boarding Has a Unique Phone Problem
Seasonal Demand Spikes
Pet boarding demand is intensely seasonal. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, spring break, summer vacation, Fourth of July—call volume can triple during booking windows for these holidays. Your staff is already stretched thin with animal care. Adding 3x phone volume on top of morning feedings and kennel cleanings is a recipe for missed calls.
The Anxious Owner Effect
Pet parents worry. "Is Bella eating?" "Did Max get his walk?" "Is she getting along with the other dogs?" These check-in calls are emotionally important to the owner but operationally draining for your staff. Every status call displaces a potential booking call. During peak season, this creates a vicious cycle: anxious owners calling about boarded pets prevent you from answering calls from new customers trying to book.
Complex Intake Requirements
Boarding intake isn't a simple appointment. You need breed, size, vaccination records (rabies, bordetella, DHPP), feeding schedule, dietary restrictions, medications, emergency vet contact, behavioral notes, and owner preferences. A typical booking call takes 8–12 minutes. During a rush, each call is a 10-minute commitment your staff may not have.
After-Hours: The Hidden Booking Window
Pet owners plan vacations in the evening. They're sitting on the couch at 8 PM, booking flights, and suddenly realize they need boarding for the dog. They search "dog boarding near me," find your facility, and call. You closed at 6. They call the next result. That's a $300–$500 reservation gone because nobody answered at 8:12 PM on a Tuesday.
Industry data shows 35–40% of boarding inquiries come after business hours or on weekends. For a facility fielding 20 booking calls per day, that's 7–8 potential reservations per day going to voicemail. Even if 30% of those would have booked, you're losing 2–3 reservations daily at $250–$500 each.
Why Traditional Solutions Don't Work
Voicemail: Pet parents booking holiday boarding are time-sensitive and anxious. They're not leaving a message and hoping you call back tomorrow. They're calling the next kennel with availability.
Answering services: A general answering service takes a name and number. They can't check if you have a large-dog suite available for December 23–28, capture vaccination records, or explain your feeding protocol. The callback loop adds hours of delay, and by then the pet parent booked elsewhere.
Online booking widgets: Better, but many pet owners still prefer calling—especially for first-time boarding. They want to ask questions about your facility, explain their dog's anxiety, or ask about group play. A booking widget doesn't answer questions. A phone conversation does.
How AI Fills Empty Runs
Vox for Pet Boarding answers every call, checks kennel availability in real time, captures all intake details, and confirms the reservation on the spot:
Real-Time Availability: Vox knows which runs are open for which dates. No "let me check and call you back." The reservation is confirmed before the caller hangs up.
Complete Pet Intake: Breed, size, vaccination status, feeding instructions, medications, special needs, emergency vet—all captured on the call and attached to the reservation.
Vaccination Reminders: If a pet's bordetella vaccine expires before the boarding date, Vox flags it and reminds the owner to update before drop-off. No day-of rejections.
Waitlist Management: When runs are full, Vox adds the caller to a waitlist and automatically notifies them when a cancellation opens a spot. Zero manual follow-up.
The ROI: One Run at a Time
Part-time receptionist (20 hrs/week)
$18,000–$24,000/year
No after-hours coverage
Can't check availability during feedings
Vox AI ($250–$500/month)
0 missed calls, 24/7/365
Real-time availability check + instant booking
2 extra bookings/week at $350 avg = $2,800/month recovered
Two additional boarding reservations per week at $350 average = $2,800/month. That's a 6x–11x return on your Vox investment. During holiday season, the numbers are even more dramatic.
What to Do Next
If you have empty runs and a voicemail box that fills up every evening, the problem isn't demand. It's access. See how Vox works for pet boarding facilities →
Fill Every Kennel. Answer Every Call.
Set up in 20 minutes. Books reservations and captures pet details 24/7. Predictable pricing.