Aunt Darlene's Bed & BarkFest
Cage-Free, In-Home Dog Boarding

Click Here To Compare Single Dog Home Boarding vs. Multi-Home Dog Boarding

In 2003 after 18 years as a Legal Secretary I decided it was time for a change.  I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to work with animals.  At the time I had a cat and would ask my mom and dad to take care of her when I would go on vacation.  I knew how important it was to have someone I could trust in my home, and more importantly someone I could trust to take good care of my pet while I was away.  To make a long story short I decided to start Aunt Darlene's Pet Sitting & Dog Walking Service.  It's now over 5 years later and I love my job today just as much as I did the day I started and I know how fortunate I am to be able to do something I really love and to make a living doing it.  Starting Aunt Darlene's Pet Sitting & Dog Walking Service was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  While pet sitting & dog walking is still the main focus of my business I do get many requests to board dogs by people who are just not comfortable leaving their dogs at home for several days when they go away.  The truth is that most dogs are more comfortable in their own home because they spend a lot of time at home while their owners are at work or just out of the house.  As long as they have some human interaction, food and water dogs and cats do very well because they are in familiar surroundings with their own bed, toys, places that they lie, smells they are used to, etc.  When they stay at their own home the only thing that changes is that their owners aren't there for a few days.  When they go to a boarding facility or a kennel, not only do they not see their owners for a few days, they also have no idea where they are and can be traumatized by the whole situation.  Many of our customers have told us about their experiences with kennels and while not all of them have had bad experiences, many more of them were bad than good.  The rule is that if possible it is better for a dog to stay home and be cared for by a pet sitter than to go to a kennel or boarding facility.  With that being said, I know that there are some people that aren't comfortable with leaving their dogs at home while they're away and there are some dogs that just don't do well alone.  Like people, every dog has it's own unique personality, likes and fears and some have severe separation anxiety when left alone for any length of time and may even become destructive or depressed.  Some dogs are introverts and some are extraverts.  Some are aggressive and some are very timid.  No two dogs are exactly alike.  It's very important to me to be able to satisfy every clients needs and to provide the service that they want.  In Fall of 2007 due to the high number of requests that we get to board dogs at our home we added in-home, cage-free dog boarding to the services that we offer.  In the first 4 years of in home boarding we've boarded over 350 different dogs and it's been the best time of our lives.  Some dogs stay with us so often that the feel like they belong to us.  Even our dogs get bummed out for a couple of days when their favorite friends go home.  Your dog will love it here.

Why should you board your dog at Aunt Darlene's Bed & BarkFest?
1.  We are 100% Cage-Free, and smoke-free.
2.  All boarding is in-home.  No dog runs, no cages like a doggie prison.
3.  All guest homes are thoroughly checked out and background checks must be impeccable.
4.  We (The Owners of Aunt Darlene's) have over 8 years of experience in the pet service industry and are still involved with every client and their pets.  We have been providing pet sitting, dog walking and cage-free, in-home dog boarding ourselves in our New Jersey home since 2003. 

My house is a mother-daughter home, the downstairs is no longer occupied and is perfect for boarding dogs.  All of our first-time clients are always very pleasantly surprised when they see our Bed & BarkFest facility. 

We now have 3 homes to serve you better.
During our busier times we often get a lot more requests to board dogs than we can  accommodate.  In order to provide the highest quality cage-free, in-home dog boarding to as many New Jersey and New York dog owners as possible we have added a third home to our Bed & BarkFest service.
Our guest home owner in Old Bridge is Mary Ann.  Mary Ann has been a pet sitter for Aunt Darlene's for over 4 years and is one of the biggest dog lovers we know.  Mary Ann is a wonderful person, a true dog lover, and has become a personal friend that I trust explicitly.  Mary Ann and her son have been an exceptional addition to our guest home network and her clients have given her rave reviews.
Our Guest Home owners in Hazlet are Carly and Gino.  Carly and Gino have two sons who are big animal lovers just like their Mom and Dad.  When we met Carly, Gino and their two sons we knew immediately that they were exactly the kind of family that we would be comfortable leaving our dogs with, and we knew that our clients would feel exactly the same way when they meet them.  We have extremely high standards for the people we allow into our business and Carly & Gino passed with flying colors. 

Nothing but the best for our guests!  An Aunt Darlene's Guest Home is your dog's home away from home with a name you can trust.

We are professionals who have been in business for several years and are fully insured, certified in pet first aid and CPR and are exceptional with animal of all kinds.  Our clients are like extended families to us and they would never consider using anyone else to watch their pets.  This is the kind of service we provide and guarantee.  Please read our Testimonials and take a look at our boarding facility and you will see why Aunt Darlene's pet services are the best in New Jersey.

Click Here to inquire via email about our dog boarding services, or call Darlene at 732-254-1980. 
If your call is answered by our answering machine, please leave a message with the following information:
Your Name:
Phone Number:
Type of dog(s) and approximate ages and weights.
The dates you will need service.
We will respond to your call as soon as possible.

Boarding Requirements: See Below (Important)

While staying at our house your dog(s) will be pampered in our luxury suite with a full kitchen, bathroom, living room, refrigerator, stove, enclosed fireplace, etc.  They also have a 27" TV to watch the Animal Planet, or their favorite shows while lounging on the couch or the lazy-boy recliner.  Maybe your dog would prefer to take a long afternoon nap on a nice soft doggie bed.  Although it's not your dog's real home, it is a nice warm cozy home setting that feels just like it sounds, warm and cozy.  There's a nice fenced in back yard for running and playing fetch and of course to go out to take care of nature's calls several times a day. There's even a screened in 18x35 back porch that looks out into the woods so your dog can lie and watch the furry little critters scurry through the trees.  Our dogs love it back there!  It's your dog's home away from home where he or she can play all day and by the end of the day will be so tired and happy that they will go right to sleep and dream of milk bones and chasing bunnies and Squirrels all night long. 

When your dog stays with us, you can be 100% confident that he or she is getting the very best, loving care and compassionate treatment.  My husband and I spend a lot of time sitting with, petting, hugging and playing with your dogs just like we do with our own pets.  Pets are our passion and it shows in everything we do.  If your pet's happiness and treatment while you are away are important to you, than look there's no need to look any further, you've found Aunt Darlene, a name you can trust. 

When you book your initial Free consultation at our home, you will see why we are Central Jersey's #1 choice for dog boarding and why we already are the #1 choice for dog walking and pet sitting services.

We only board up to four dogs at a time to ensure the best possible personal care for your dogs.

Click Here to see where your dog will stay.

Click Here to see where we are on Google Maps.

Click Here to see what our clients have to say about us.

Click Here to inquire via email about our boarding services, or call Darlene at 732-254-1980. 
If your call is answered by our answering machine please leave a message with the following information:
Your Name:
Phone Number:
Type of dog(s) and approximate ages and weights.
The dates you will need service.
We will respond to your call as soon as possible.

Boarding Requirements:
*All Dogs Must Meet The Following Requirements;
House-broken, or wee-wee pad trained (puppies only), non-aggressive, non-destructive, well socialized, friendly to people and other dogs and must be up to date on the required vaccinations including Parvo and Bordetella, and must spayed, or neutered. 

For the safety and security of our clients all drop offs and pick ups are by appointment only during Specified, scheduled times.
Our Schedule for pick ups and drop offs is as follows:
Monday Through Saturday: 9:00 AM To 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM To 7:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 Noon Only

Please Note: Due to insurance restrictions and for the safety of all dogs, at the discretion of Aunt Darlene's Pet Sitting & Dog Walking Service, LLC, some dogs may not be permitted if they are in the classification "bully breed." Examples: (American Pit Bull Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Bull Terriers, American Bull Dogs, or mixed breeds that have the appearance or characteristics of one of the aforementioned breeds).
To ensure Cage-Free Dog Boarding vacancy, please book as early as possible.
Holidays Book Up Very Early. 
Please book Holidays at least 30 days in advance if possible.  We may have vacancy within 30 days, but booking earlier helps to ensure we can accommodate your dogs.

Click Here to fill out our in-home dog boarding inquiry form, or call Darlene at 732-254-1980.