Pet boarding is one of the most loyalty-friendly service businesses there is. When a dog owner finds a kennel or daycare that their pet is genuinely happy to return to, they become committed repeat customers. They book the same place for every holiday, every weekend away, every work trip. They refer their neighbours. They leave five-star reviews.
The problem for US kennels and dog daycares is that this loyalty is largely invisible and unstructured. The business knows who their regulars are, but there is no mechanism that acknowledges the regularity, rewards the commitment, or proactively keeps the calendar full during the high-demand windows that make or break the year.
The pet care industry in the United States was valued at more than $150 billion in 2025, with pet boarding and daycare representing a significant and growing segment. Dog daycare in particular has expanded rapidly in metropolitan areas and suburbs, with customers in cities like New York, Austin, and Denver using daycare as a daily or several-times-weekly service for their dogs. Kennels serving holiday boarding demand face a different pattern: intense demand during Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, and summer, with softer periods in between.
Both types of business benefit from a loyalty program, but the mechanics and the push notification strategy look different for each.
Why wallet-pass loyalty works for pet boarding businesses
Pet owners already have their phone in hand at drop-off and pick-up. Drop-off is a moment of mild anxiety (will my dog be okay?) and pick-up is a moment of genuine happiness (my dog is thriving). Both are high-engagement moments where an invitation to join a loyalty program will be well received.
A digital loyalty card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet requires no app download. The card appears in the same place as the owner's credit cards, transit cards, and boarding passes. It is present every time they look at their phone. The stamp count or points balance is always visible, which is a persistent reminder of the accumulated value in the relationship.
The push notification is the capability that separates digital loyalty from a paper punch card. For a kennel, the ability to send a push notification to all loyalty cardholders six weeks before Thanksgiving, offering a double-points bonus for early booking, means the peak calendar fills before demand from the general public even begins. For a daycare, a push notification on a Monday morning reminding customers that their dog has not visited in two weeks brings back lapsed regulars without requiring a phone call or a personal message.
For more on why push notifications from wallet passes convert better than email for time-sensitive offers, see push notification open rates vs. email.
Four program mechanics for kennels and dog daycares
Stamp per stay, 10th stay free. For overnight boarding, one stamp per night works well. The 10th night free is a meaningful reward that arrives within 2 to 4 holiday seasons for a typical boarding customer, giving the program enough proximity to feel achievable. For multi-night stays, stamp per booking (rather than per night) is simpler to manage: one stay, one stamp, regardless of duration.
Daycare punch card: 10 days, 11th free. For daily daycare customers, a faster cadence works better. A customer who brings their dog 3 times a week reaches 10 stamps in under a month. That speed makes the reward feel immediate and keeps the program top-of-mind. The 11th day free is a small cost for the business but a consistent reminder of value for the customer.
Early-booking bonus for peak seasons. A push notification sent 6 weeks before Thanksgiving and 6 weeks before Christmas, offering double points or a bonus stamp for bookings made before a specified date, fills the peak calendar early. This benefits the business (predictable revenue, ability to staff appropriately) and the customer (they secure a spot when availability is tight). A message along the lines of "early-bird double stamps: book your Thanksgiving boarding by November 1 and earn 2 stamps on us" is concrete, time-limited, and directly tied to the loyalty program.
Referral bonus for bringing a neighbour's dog. Word of mouth is the primary acquisition channel for most US kennels and daycares. A loyalty bonus for referrals, where the existing customer earns extra points when a new customer completes their first booking, formalises the recommendation that was already happening informally. The new customer receives a bonus stamp on sign-up, giving them a head start and a reason to become a regular.
Comparison: LoyaltyPass vs. alternatives
| Feature | LoyaltyPass | Gingr (pet business software) | Paper punch card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $99/month | From $119/month (basic) | Near zero |
| Apple Wallet / Google Wallet | Yes | No (app-based) | No |
| Push notifications | Yes, included | Email only | No |
| No app required for customers | Yes | No | Yes |
| Early-booking push campaigns | Yes | No | No |
| Referral tracking | Yes | Partial | No |
| Setup time | Under 10 minutes | Days (full onboarding) | Minutes |
Gingr is a full pet business management platform and is worth considering if you need scheduling, invoicing, and staff management in one tool. For loyalty specifically, its push notification capability is limited and it requires customers to use a separate app. LoyaltyPass at $99/month delivers the loyalty mechanic with wallet-pass delivery and push notifications at a lower cost and with no app requirement for customers.
Paper punch cards remain common at independent kennels. They are free, simple, and familiar. They cannot, however, send a push notification to remind a customer that Thanksgiving booking is filling up, and they cannot fill peak capacity six weeks in advance.
Setup in under 10 minutes
For a kennel or daycare:
- Create your account, upload your facility logo, and choose your program type.
- Set up a stamp card (e.g., 10 stamps, 10th stay free) or a points program for higher-spend daycare packages.
- Schedule your peak-season push notification campaigns in advance (e.g., a Thanksgiving early-booking push on October 1, a Christmas push on November 1).
- Add a QR code to your reception desk, your booking confirmation emails, and your check-in paperwork.
- At drop-off or pick-up, staff stamp cards using the LoyaltyPass merchant app on any smartphone. The whole process takes 10 seconds.
No booking software integration required. Works alongside any existing system, from a paper booking diary to kennel management software. For details on how LoyaltyPass operates alongside different setups, see loyalty programs that work with any POS.
Frequently asked questions
What loyalty program works for a kennel or dog daycare?
A stamp card program works well for pet boarding. Each overnight stay or daycare session earns one stamp, and the 7th or 10th stay is free or discounted. For daycare businesses with daily visits, the threshold is reached faster, which keeps the reward visible and motivating. LoyaltyPass issues stamp cards directly to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet at $99/month, with push notifications for early-booking incentives before peak holiday periods.
How do kennels use push notifications to fill holiday periods?
The two highest-value booking windows for pet boarding are Thanksgiving week (US) and the two weeks before Christmas. Sending a push notification to loyalty cardholders 6 weeks before each window, with a double-points bonus for early booking, fills your peak calendar before the general public can book. This is significantly more effective than social media posts because the notification reaches cardholders whether or not they follow you on any platform.
What is the best way to get pet boarding clients to sign up for a loyalty card?
The drop-off and pick-up moments are the highest-engagement windows. When a pet owner picks up their happy dog after a stay, they are at peak satisfaction and most receptive to signing up. Staff can show the QR code on the LoyaltyPass merchant app for an immediate scan, and the loyalty card appears in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet in one tap. Place a QR code in your reception area and on your booking confirmation emails to capture sign-ups at all stages.
