take care of dogs and cats, the summer headache

Frédérick, co-manager of the Dyrenes Club pension in Fontaines-en-Sologne, looks at his reservation form for the month of July. If it still has a few empty seats in the coming days, that will no longer be the case in August. “Since February, we have been full for the entire month of August, and 70 people are on the waiting list, says the owner of the place, and we even have a reservation for Christmas. » He pursues: “On the phone, the customers are surprised that we are full, so we encourage them to plan better for the following year. »

Different scales, same problems

Dyrenes Klub is part of the pensions “known” of Loir-et-Cher, with its 40 boxes constantly filled in the summer and this French minister – whose identity has not been revealed – who regularly passes by to use its services. But even in smaller structures such as “family pension” From Bois Jolis to Conan, the agenda overflows. “We’ve been booked up since January, I spend my days turning people away on the phone,” explains Candice Paimparay, who since 2021 has welcomed up to nine dogs in her house with a large plot.

Here, as in Dyrenes Klub, 24-hour care costs €18. “Our desire for a family format for dogs means that we only have nine places, so you have to order early. In the low-summer period, it can be released one or two weeks in advance, but this is very rare. » Faced with the number of requests, the manager tries to “redirect customers” to his colleagues in the region, and suggests “home visits within a radius of 20 km” in some cases.

Home care, more than an emergency solution

Faced with traffic jams at boarding schools, some turn to home care. Léa Boutard has made a career out of it: “I started by looking after the family’s animals, and then I helped out during my student work. But since April 2023 it has been my full-time occupation. » With his company Léa’nimaux, the 22-year-old offers an experience ” various “ of the pension, with monitoring “personalized and adapted animal with emotional dependence”.

His schedule is very busy in July, with a minimum of 6 daily clients, and seven days a week, but in August it explodes: “The week of the 15th I will manage at least twelve animals a day, which equates to 14 hours of work including travel.” she continues. To have your animal cared for by Léa, you must wait until the start of the school year or until next year.

So what to do?

Fortunately, there are still solutions. You can find singles on many matchmaking sites like Holidog or Rover or on Facebook groups Animal care ad And Looking for a dog sitter or dog walker. As a last resort, knock on your neighbors. With any luck, they can help you.