PET BOARDING FACILITY

Project Management

Kaynat Ashraf 17-081

Maheen Masood 17-110

Shaff Ahsan 17-143

Usama Anwar 17-209

Muhammad Ahmad 17-259

Topic

Providing a pet care service that facilitates people with pet sitting services and ensures their pet’s

health is up-to the mark.

Background

The trend regarding pets has seen a change in Pakistan over the years. People are inclined

towards keeping pets now more than ever and with this inclination has come a shift in the pet

industry. Different pet accessories stores are now in operation. Already prepared pet food,

accessories and services have made it easier for people to keep pets. This is making the pet

market flourish. Dr. Akmal Rana, a practicing vet in Islamabad, says, “There’s a positive

improvement in trend of pets in Pakistan on a yearly basis. It’s probably because pet owners are

receiving proper services for their pets. Thirty to thirty-one years back when I started my

practice, there was no veterinary service. The diplomats were told before coming to Pakistan that

there’s no veterinary services available in Islamabad therefore, consider not taking your pets to

Pakistan. Now there are more vets coming, there’s pet food and other services are improving

year by year.  Also, people have money to spend on pets.” [ CITATION Zar16 \l 1033 ]

While more and more pet health services are being provided for pet care now, there is no service

that takes care of your pets during vacations or working hours. One of the most common

complaints of pet parents is that their pets are disruptive or destructive when left alone. Their

dogs might urinate, defecate, bark, howl, chew, dig or try to escape. Although these problems

often indicate that a dog needs to be taught polite house manners, they can also be symptoms of

distress. When a dog’s problems are accompanied by other distress behaviors, such as drooling

and showing anxiety when his pet parents prepare to leave the house, they aren’t evidence that
the dog isn’t house trained or doesn’t know which toys are his to chew. Instead, they are

indications that the dog has separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is triggered when pets become

upset because of separation from their guardians, the people they’re attached to. Escape attempts

by dogs, for example, with separation anxiety are often extreme and can result in self-injury and

household destruction, especially around exit points like windows and doors. [ CITATION Sep \l

1033 ]

When you are going out of town for work or a vacation, you don’t know where to keep your pet.

You wonder who will take your pet for a walk, and if you can rely on some relative or not.

Hiring pet care services is one way to make all the stress disappear. You can enjoy your vacation

while pet care services looks after your pet. The benefits of hiring pet care services are as

follows:

 Daily walk: Whether the pet wants to play around or needs a potty break pet sitters are

alert and attentive. They will take your pet for a walk, feed them on time, bathe them, and

so on.

 Vacation pet sitting: Vacation care for pet allows you to keep the pet at a pet center for

the time your travel. The pet sitters walk the dogs, feed them at the right time, clean them

as and when required, and giving them fresh water to drink. They also provide all the

love and affection to your pet.

 Overnight pet sitting: Some pets develop a habit of sleeping with humans, and they

sleep better when there is someone to snuggle up. Pet care services will cuddle your pet

and give them bedtime cuddles. They can schedule time according to the habits of pet.

You can find out morning and evening routines provided by the pet care.
  Pet sitting by hour: When you are out for some hours, and you want someone to look

after your pet. Pet care services provide company to your animal friend for few hours

when you are not around. Just like babysitting, the representative of pet care services will

be with your pet as long as you come back.

 Train your pet: Having a new pet, you have to work hard to make them learn routines

and train them. A pet care service will help your pet develop and maintain a proper

routine and reinforce training. They make all the work look easy, and you can have peace

of mind.

Problem Statement

To fill the gap by generating a project framework to develop a pet-care service center in order to

make it easier for pet lovers to keep pets and ensure their health while away.

Constraints

Lack of management experience

As there are no such pet-care services available in Pakistan, people don’t have any experience on

how to manage a pet store. It is a very big commitment and there is a risk of mismanagement as

the people will have no background experience of managing pets. To cover the risk of

mismanagement, training courses will be provided from specialized people to minimize the risk

of mismanagement and after every week there will be a background check in every department

of the store so that there is no space for errors left.

Building trust will be hard

People treat their pets as a member of their family. They are very conscious and concerned about

their pet’s health. Hence it will be difficult to leave their pet with someone they do not trust

instead of with a family member or friend. Initially, building trust would be difficult so to

overcome this problem, a few steps will be taken that will ensure the pet’s safety and develop

their owner’s trust. For example, the owners will be provided access to their pets through

cameras at all times so that they can keep an eye on their pets. This will not only give them the

satisfaction that their pets are in the right hands but will also help build the trust we seek.

Different care for different animals

Just as every human being is different, so are animals. Different animals require different care.

There is no one set way to take care of a pet. For example, a husky needs to live in a relatively

cooler environment so it would require an air-conditioned room at all times while a shih tzu just

needs to cuddle and play all the time. So there would be the need to manage animals accordingly

to their breeds which would require extensive research on different breeds of different animals

along with additional training and effort.

Can tend to be expensive for the owners

Each animal is accustomed to the food they are given at their respective houses. This can be a

problem and would require very extra care as animals can tend to reject the food they are not

accustomed to. Each animal would either have to bring food with them or their owners would

have to pay extra for the food which can tend to get expensive.

Alternative Analysis

To solve this problem, we came up with two ideas that are described as follows:
1) To offer an intimate, neighborhood atmosphere where pet parents will be able to drop

off their pets while on vacation or just a day at work.

For this, we will have to set up an exclusive pet facility with trained management that knows

how to deal with all kinds of pets. One pro to take note of is that the people that the pet owners

will be dealing with will most definitely be qualified professionals. All the people working in the

pet boarding facility will have gone through a required set of training before being accepted into

the facility. So the owners will be ensured that their pets are in the right hands with people who

know what they’re doing. Pet owners can opt to keep an eye on their pets through pet cameras

that will give them the option to monitor their pets’ activities throughout the time period they

leave their pets at the facility. This will help gain their trust. Some actions will be taken that will

ensure pet safety such as:

In the Workplace

 Kennels and pins will be cleaned on a regular basis since allowing dirt and waste to build

up in the animal’s area will increase their risk for disease and agitation.

 Proper restraints and the training for administering them will be available. An item as

simple as a muzzle can save you a painful bite from a dog that is startled or gets into a

fight with another animal.

 Any hazardous or medical materials will be disposed of. Syringes and hazardous waste

should be stored in special disposal containers that are properly labeled.

Knowing the Pets

  The management will be required to know the specifics of the breed they are working

with. When upset, cats arch their backs while dogs growl. They should be aware of all the

warning signs animals use to communicate so that they can be aware of how they are

feeling.

 They will be made to research on any exotic animals they might come into contact with.

Not all people keep only cats and dogs but most people are familiar with dogs and cats

only. It is never a good idea to approach an animal you are unfamiliar with before you

have learned the basics.

 Approaching all animals with extreme caution is necessary. Even if you feel confident

that the animal trusts you, an animal should never be surprised or rushed towards.

Self-Protection

 Being aware of diseases is essential. Ringworm, salmonella, tuberculosis, and herpes b

are common illnesses in animal facilities that can have great impact on human health.

Different symptoms in animals and humans as well as the possible means of transmission

should be learnt as it is just as important to take care of your own health as the pets.

 Some people are allergic to certain animals. Proper medication will be available in case

of emergency situations.

 Last but not the least, the staff should remain prepared for the emotional strain. It is very

easy to form bonds with animals that will soon leave the facility. As an animal caretaker,

you have to be prepared to say goodbye to your furry friends.

2) To provide pet sitters who will provide daily care for pets while their owners are on

vacation or at work.
For this, pet sitters will be provided through online or on-call appointments who will take care of

pets in the pet owner’s absence. They will stay in the home of the owner so pets feel comfortable

on familiar territory and don’t have to adjust or readjust. The pet sitters will also be trained

individuals who are friendly with pets and know how to take care of pets they’re not familiar

with. The pro to this is that there is less risk of infections or illnesses that can be transmitted in a

pet facility through other animals if not conscious. This method is more personal. The pet will

have one-on-one attention and care. Visits will be done on requested schedule. Pet sitters are

responsible for all basic animal care while their clients are not home. They must be able to

perform the following tasks:

 Provide food and water.

 Brush fur and teeth and carry out other types of grooming.

 Walk dogs.

 Clean litter boxes.

 Give medications, if applicable.

Pet sitters are also responsible for notifying owners and taking pets to the vet if they should

become sick or suffer an injury while under their supervision.

Conclusion

After considering both the options, we have come to the conclusion that both of these options

have their own pros and cons but option 1 is relatively better than option 2. Even if a pet-sitter is

a professional individual, he is ultimately a stranger and most people are not comfortable with

the idea of a stranger being in your home while you are away. Pet-sitters can also tend to slack

off especially since there is no one watching them. They might give up on certain duties only

because they know the animals can’t stand up for themselves. With pet boarding, there is a whole
system. There is the upper management that makes sure the trained staff is performing their

duties well. They are under observation all the time so building trust is easier with them. Your

pets will be fed and made to exercise as per routine since there will be a set schedule that the

staff will have to follow. Food and medication will be closely monitored at all times. While pet

owners are away, pets can tend to get lonely and they do not respond to strangers, in their own

territory and otherwise. In a boarding facility, they will have company of other animals they can

socialize with. This will not only make the whole process easier but will keep the pet happy. It is

clear that option one is the most suitable solution for this problem.

Work Breakdown Structure

BREAKDOWN DESCRIPTION WBS CODE

Project Construction of pet boarding facility for pets of 1.0

pet owners who are away.

Deliverable 1 Construction of the Pet Suites 1.1
Wp1 Construction of the pet living area 1.1.1
Wp2 Glaziers will do the aluminium window and door 1.1.2
Wp3 Construction worker will install ventilation 1.1.3

system
Wp4 Tile installer will install the floor tiles. 1.1.4
Wp5 Vendor to purchase the equipment (i.e. Pet Toys, 1.1.5

Litter Box, Air Conditioner, Heaters, Exhaust

Fans, Cameras)
Wp6 Electrician for the fittings of AC, Lights, 1.1.6

Heaters, Exhaust Fans, Cameras

Deliverable 2 Construction of Small Animal Play Area 1.2
Wp1 Construction of the play area 1.2.1
Wp2 Glaziers will do the aluminium window and door 1.2.2
Wp3 Carpenter will build the area partition 1.2.3
Wp4 Tile installer will install the floor tiles. 1.2.4
Wp5 Vendor to purchase the equipment (i.e. 1.2.5

Accessories, Toys, Air Conditioner, Heaters,

 Cushions, Cameras)
Wp6 Electrician for the fittings of AC, lights, heaters, 1.2.6

cameras
Deliverable 3 Construction of Big Animal Play Area 1.3
Wp1 Construction of the play area 1.3.1
Wp2 Glaziers will do the aluminium window and door 1.3.2
Wp3 Carpenter will build the area partition 1.3.3
Wp4 Tile installer will install the floor and wall tiles. 1.3.4
Wp5 Vendor to purchase the equipment (i.e. 1.3.5

Accessories, Toys, Air Conditioner, Heaters,

Cushions, Cameras)
Wp6 Electrician for the fittings of AC, lights, heaters, 1.3.6

cameras
Deliverable 4 Construction of Kennel Room 1.4
Wp1 Construction of the kennel room area 1.4.1
Wp2 Tile installer will install the floor tiles 1.4.2
Wp3 Vendor to purchase the equipment (i.e. Cages, 1.4.3

Collars, Litter boxes, Air Conditioner, Heater,

Cameras)
Wp4 Electrician for the fittings of Air Conditioner, 1.4.4

Heaters, Lights, Cameras

Wp5 Construction worker will install ventilation 1.4.5

system
Deliverable 5 Construction of Office 1.5
Wp1 Construction of the office area 1.5.1
Wp2 Glaziers will do the aluminium window and door 1.5.2
Wp3 Tile installer will install the floor tiles. 1.5.3
Wp4 Vendor to purchase the equipment( i.e. Tables, 1.5.4

Chairs, Lockers, Stationery, Desktop, Air

Conditioner, Heaters, Exhaust Fans)

Wp5 Electrician for the fittings of AC, lights, heaters, 1.5.5

WiFi
Deliverable 6 Construction of Staff rooms 1.6
Wp1 Construction of staff room area 1.6.1
Wp2 Glaziers will do the aluminium window and door 1.6.2
Wp3 Tile installer will install the floor tiles. 1.6.3
Wp4 Vendor to purchase the equipment (i.e. Sofas, 1.6.4

Beds, Table, Chairs, Lockers, Air Conditioner,

Heaters)
Wp5 Electrician for the fittings of Air conditioners 1.6.5

and Exhaust Fans, Lights

Deliverable 7 Construction of Bathroom 1.7
Wp1 Construction of bathroom area 1.7.1
Wp2 Glaziers will do the aluminium window and door 1.7.2
Wp3 Tile installer will install the floor tiles. 1.7.3
Wp4 Vendor to purchase the equipment (i.e. Taps, 1.7.4

Sinks, Commode, Shower)

Wp5 Plumber will install sink, taps, and commode 1.7.5
Wp6 Electrician will fit the lights and exhaust fan 1.7.6
Deliverable 8 Construction of Physician Room 1.8
Wp1 Construction of physician area 1.8.1
Wp2 Glaziers will do the aluminium window and door 1.8.2
Wp3 Tile installer will install the floor tiles. 1.8.3
Wp4 Vendor to purchase the equipment (i.e. Bed, 1.8.4

Table, Chairs, Medical Instruments, Sink, Air

Conditioner, Heaters, Cameras)

Wp5 Electrician for the fittings of Air conditioners 1.8.5

and Exhaust Fans, Lights, Cameras, WiFi

Wp6 Plumber for the installation of sink 1.8.6

SCHEDULING
Sr# Project Deliverable Target Time
1 Construction of the Pet Suites 8 Weeks
2 Construction of Small Animal Play Area 3 Weeks
3 Construction of Big Animal Play Area 4 Weeks
4 Construction of Kennel Room 4 Weeks
5 Construction of Office 2 Weeks
6 Construction of Staff rooms 3 Weeks
7 Construction of Bathroom 1 Week
8 Construction of Physician Room 1 Week
Total Time 26 Weeks 6.5 - (7 Months)
 References

Separation Anxiety. (n.d.). Retrieved from ASPCA: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-

dog-behavior-issues/separation-anxiety

Sipra, H. (2020, March 10). Is Pakistan ready for domestic pet food production? Retrieved from
https://www.petfoodindustry.com: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/8996-is-
pakistan-ready-for-domestic-pet-food-production

Turk, Z. (2016, June 11). Changing trend of keeping pets in Pakistan. Retrieved from The Daily Patriot :
https://dailythepatriot.com/changing-trend-of-keeping-pets-in-pakistan/