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Bear Brook Kennel is honored to be one of the few Maine boarding kennels to be PCSA Accredited!

What does it mean to board your pet at an PCSA Accredited Boarding Kennel?

When you board your pet at an PCSA accredited boarding kennel, you know that you are dealing with a pet care facility that complies with all of the "Standards of Excellence" required by the PCSA Voluntary Facilities Accreditation Program (VFA).  This is the only pet industry program which enables participating boarding kennels to demonstrate their commitment to exceptional pet care.

The VFA Program is administered by PCSA, the international trade association for the owners and operators of commercial pet care facilities, and offers you, the pet owner, the comfort of knowing that the accredited facility you are using has earned the PCSA "Stamp of Approval" by successfully completing this comprehensive program.

Boarding facilities that participate in the VFA Program must submit detailed information on their animal care procedures and business policies to PCSA.  They must also open their facility to an on-site inspection by trained VFA evaluators, to verify compliance with the standards of excellence that the program specifies.

The program standards include over 200 detailed requirements for boarding facilities that were developed by PCSA over a five-year period.  These standards reflect the views of kennel operators, veterinarians, pet owners, and humane organizations and thus represent the current "state of the art" in animal care and management.

Boarding facilities that enroll in the program must first submit extensive and detailed documentation showing that their business procedures and policies conform to the requirements of the VFA Program.

When the VFA Committee has verified that all of the preliminary materials meet the program requirements, the applicant may then request an on-site evaluation of their facility.

The on-site evaluation is conducted by a VFA-trained  kennel operator.  When the evaluation has been successfully completed, and is in compliance with the program standards, a "Certificate of Accreditation" is issued to the applicant.

But the process does not stop here! The program standards are continuously updated and the facility must repeat the entire process every five years in order to maintain accreditation.

When you see the VFA Accreditation Ribbon displayed in a pet care facility, you can be assured that you are entrusting your beloved pet to the care of a dedicated leader in the industry...A facility which meets all of the industry standards for pet care.

CERTIFIED KENNEL OPERATOR NOW AT BEAR BROOK KENNEL!

The Pet Care Service Association offers a three level education program for professional pet care providers. 

Level I:  Certified Pet Care Technician, a study program for anyone involved in commercial pet care.  It is used to develop more professional animal care and customer service techniques.  All of Bear Brook's employees are CPCT's.

Level II:  Advanced Certified Pet Care Technician, an intermediate program which provides more in=depth study of animal care and customer service.  PLUS introduces supervision, management, business and personal development. Congratulations to Terry Bedard on becoming an Advanced Certified Pet Care Technician.

Level III: Certified Kennel Operator, this is PCSA's program for boarding kennel operators and managers enhancing professional development through further study and certification.  The PCSA CKO Program is aimed at raising the professional standards and improving the practice of animal care and business management in the boarding kennel industry by giving special recognition to those candidates who have demonstrated a high level of competence and ethical fitness in boarding kennel management.  Satisfactory completion of the program is based upon satisfactory submission of all required forms and successful completion of both oral and written examinations.  Congratulations goes out to Manager Amanda Ireland who obtained her CKO in June of 2006.

We are extremely proud of our employees for their accomplishments and dedication.