An empty run is the most expensive thing in a boarding kennel. It costs you the same whether a dog is sleeping in it or not — heating, bedding, staff time, insurance. When a client books that run and then simply doesn't arrive, you've lost revenue you can never recover. And unlike a hotel, you often had a waiting list you could have taken from.
No-shows are more common than most kennel owners admit. Industry figures suggest around 5–8% of bookings result in a no-show or very late cancellation that leaves you unable to fill the spot. On a 20-run kennel, that's a meaningful chunk of income walking out the door every month.
The good news: most no-shows are preventable. Here's how.
1. Take a deposit at the time of booking
This is the single most effective change you can make. A deposit — even a small one — immediately filters out casual enquirers and creates a financial commitment from the client. Someone who has paid £20 or £30 upfront is far more likely to pick up the phone and cancel properly if their plans change, rather than simply not showing up.
How much? A deposit of 25–30% of the total booking value is standard in the industry. For peak periods — school holidays, bank holidays, Christmas — many kennels require 50% or non-refundable deposits entirely. The key is to be consistent and transparent: state your deposit policy clearly at the time of booking, not buried in small print.
"Since we started taking 30% deposits online, our no-show rate dropped from about 1 in 12 bookings to almost zero. The clients who weren't serious simply stopped booking."
— Kennel owner, County Kerry
2. Set up automated booking reminders
Life gets busy. Sometimes a no-show isn't deliberate — the client genuinely forgot, or assumed their partner was handling drop-off. A well-timed reminder sequence fixes this.
A good reminder sequence looks like this:
- 7 days before check-in: An email reminder with booking details, drop-off time, what to bring and your cancellation policy.
- 48 hours before check-in: An SMS reminder with the key details — date, time, your address. Short and punchy.
- Morning of check-in: An optional final SMS or push notification confirming the booking is live and you're expecting them.
KennelBooker handles all of this automatically. Once a booking is confirmed, the reminder sequence fires without you lifting a finger. You can customise the timing, the message content, and whether each reminder goes out by email, SMS or both.
3. Make your cancellation policy crystal clear
Many kennel owners are reluctant to have a strict cancellation policy because they worry it will put clients off. In practice, the opposite is true: professional clients expect a policy, and it only puts off clients who were likely to no-show anyway.
A clear policy should cover:
- How much notice is required to receive a full refund vs. partial refund vs. no refund
- What happens to the deposit if they cancel inside your cancellation window
- What happens if they no-show entirely with no contact
- Whether there are different rules for peak periods
Put this policy on your booking confirmation email, your website's FAQ, and anywhere the client is making a financial commitment. Ambiguity is what leads to difficult conversations later.
4. Confirm bookings with a two-step process
If you take bookings by phone, email or through an online form, consider adding a confirmation step before the booking is fully secured. After the initial enquiry:
- Send a booking confirmation with the deposit link and full terms
- Only mark the booking as confirmed once the deposit has been received
This removes the grey area where a client thinks they've booked but you've only had a tentative enquiry. It also gives you a record of when they received and acknowledged your terms.
5. Follow up on missed check-ins quickly
When a client doesn't arrive by their check-in time, call them within 30 minutes. Most of the time you'll find a simple explanation — they're running late, or they forgot to update you on a change. Acting quickly gives you the best chance of either getting the client in that day, or freeing up the run to offer to a waiting-list client.
Having a waiting list in the first place is worth mentioning: if you're consistently full during peak periods, keep a simple waitlist. When a cancellation or no-show happens, you can move quickly to fill the run.
The bottom line
No-shows are a solvable problem. Deposits create commitment. Automated reminders eliminate forgetfulness. A clear cancellation policy sets expectations. Together, these three changes will reduce your no-show rate to near zero — and protect the revenue your kennel depends on.
KennelBooker handles deposits, automated reminders and booking confirmations out of the box. If you're not already using it, you can start a free 14-day trial — no card required.