Riverside Boarding Kennels

18/12/2023

01/11/2023

**OWNER FOUND**
We are still reaching out to find the owner of this black lab found on the embankment road, lurgan.

Please contact the practice if this may be your dog

27/10/2023

🚨🚨 FOUND🚨🚨
27/10/23

Location - Woodbrook walk Lisburn

Details- this little one was found running alone and is definitely missing his/her owner. If this is your dog please pm us
Thank you🐾

05/10/2023

Good morning!

I just wanted to address something I saw this morning on another kennel page (in England). A woman arrived unannounced at their premises and asked to be let in to see the kennels. She was told this wasn’t possible just then and was asked to phone and make an appointment.

And she was outraged. And has proceeded to post all over the internet that the business must have something to hide and advising people to never make a booking at a boarding premises unless they arrive unannounced and do a “spot check”.

This is really bad advice. For several reasons.

1. Animal Welfare - not all dogs like us to have visitors. Indeed, for some, having strangers coming in can be very upsetting. Therefore, all appointments at Riverside are tailored to our current cohort.

There will most certainly be times when we don’t do visits at all on certain days. And this will be because it is not in certain dogs’ best interests to have visitors and will cause undue stress.

Having visitors also disturbs our daily routine and therefore we do our visits at a time which best suits the dogs. At Riverside this is 10:00 and 10:20am.

Schools and nurseries don’t allow people to randomly enter their premises. It is simply too disruptive. And as far as we are concerned the animals in our care should be afforded that same courtesy.

2. Security. At Riverside we much prefer people to have come to see the kennels and meet us before they bring their dog for the first time. A kennel visit is important- you can ask any questions you have and we can find out the information we need about your dog.
When you phone to make that appointment we will always ask a few simple questions which serve to reassure us that the enquiry is genuine. If there is ever any doubt about that an appointment is not given.

I have lost count of the number of times people have arrived on our doorstep, kids in the car, asking to “just pop in and see the doggies”. We are not a petting farm. Or, people have stopped by to see the kennels “just in case they decide to go away sometime “. Under no circumstances will we grant people access to the dogs in these scenarios.

Children are not allowed onto the premises. Can you imagine the horror if they put their fingers into a dog and are bitten?!

3. Environmental Health. The vast majority of the time the dogs are settled and quiet. There is no need for them to bark. Our visitors are often impressed that when they arrive in the car park they don’t hear any barking.

That does, however, change when we take people inside. You are coming into their safe space. And they will bark. If we let people arrive randomly we would cause an noise issue.

More importantly though that also causes an animal welfare issue.

To summarise - if you are planning to use kennels for the first time do take the time to visit. But phone first. Make an appointment that is at a suitable time for the animals. And if you do decide to arrive unannounced and aren’t allowed in don’t jump to the conclusion that the business is trying to hide something - that is very unlikely. They are just running their business in the way they know it needs to be run.

At Riverside it’s dogs first, people second. And that’s just how it needs to be.

22/08/2023

🚨🚨PUBLIC WARNING🚨🚨

We have been contacted today after a ladies dog ingested rat poison yesterday at Victoria park Belfast and needed to be rushed to the vets.

Thankfully this pup is now on the mend but we urge owners to please be extremely careful when walking your dog in the above area.

17/08/2023

🚨🚨 VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY REQUIRED 🚨🚨

With the ever increasing volume of messages and calls coming in from all across Northern Ireland regarding lost and found pets. We are ran by a small team of volunteers so we are desperately in need of some people to join the Lost Paws NI squad!

We cover the whole of Northern Ireland and we are striving to have a team full of volunteers that cover every part of the country. We are a very passionate and friendly team so the benefits of volunteering for us would be you would have the opportunity to meet new people and develop new skills. All necessary training will be provided by ourselves.

It’s our mission to get every lost and found pet back home to their family and we need your help to continue doing that.

Please PM us if you could help in any capacity.

If you are not in the position to volunteer for us we would massively appreciate it if you could share this appeal.

Thank you ❤️❤️

30/07/2023

REUNITED WITH OWNER

‼️URGENT!‼️

MISSING: JACK RUSSELL TERRIER

LOCATION: BELFAST ROAD AREA, BALLYNAHINCH, BT24

DATE: 30/7/23

DETAILS: escaped from car window, is chipped but not wearing a collar

PLEASE PM PAGE WITH ANY INFORMATION

Many thanks

30/07/2023

29/07/2023

REUNITED WITH OWNER

‼️URGENT PUP IS ONLY 10 WEEKS‼️

MISSING: BLACK & WHITE SPANIEL X & BLACK SPANIEL PUP

LOCATION: DICKSON PARK, BALLYGOWAN

DATE: 29/07/23

DETAILS: Both dogs have escaped garden. Pup is only 10 weeks old

PLEASE PM PAGE WITH ANY INFORMATION

Many thanks

18/07/2023

An update to yesterdays post.

17/07/2023

Seriously, what is wrong with some people! Please be vigilant when out walking x

🚨🚨 COMMUNITY NOTICE - POSSIBLE POISONING 🚨🚨

We have been made aware of a post circulating about a dog possibly ingesting poison in either Crawfordsburn Park or Scrabo Forest and sadly passing away. If you are walking your dog local to the area please be vigilant!

If you find what you suspect to be poison please contact PSNI.

07/07/2023

Maybe avoid Hillsborough Forest Park at the minute everyone.

𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐠𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝.

Three of our dogs are currently in the vets receiving emergency care after eating items left out in Hillsborough Forest Park.

Search Dog Betsy along with Trainee Search Dogs Koda and Rocko are receiving the very best of care and their handlers are with them. Three family pets are also affected.

It may be an idea to avoid the park for now, or keep your dogs on a lead.

22/04/2023

UPDATE - this little one’s owner has now been found and she has gone home. Her buddy had found his own way home early this morning. All is well again 😁.

A little Shih Tzu has been found wandering on the Old Ballynahinch Rd at approximately 7am this morning and has now been brought to us for safe keeping.
This little one also had a pug type dog along with it but the finders were unable to catch it.
If anyone knows who owns these 2 please let us know. Likewise if anyone sees the other wee one please contact us and we will try to secure.
Thanks.

22/01/2023

❤️❤️ UPDATE - BACK HOME ❤️❤️
20/01/23

Location - Carryduff/Old Ballynahinch Road

Name - Joe

Details - Joe went missing this evening. There has been a possible sighting around 7:30 at the Lough Moss on Hillsborough Road.

Please reach out if you have spotted this wee guy! 🤍