Derbyfield Kennel
556 Depot Street
North Harwich, Massachusetts
Telephone: (508) 432-2510
Website: DerbyfieldKennel.com
This family-run kennel in the Mid-Cape region offers one guest feature this well-traveled terrier has seen nowhere else: visiting hours! Between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., owners may check their dogs out of the kennel – which meant Brontë and I were able to join in some of the family fun during our recent week in Cape Cod. 
The only requirements are that your people leave a credit card on file and that you’re back before 3:00. Derbyfield owner Barbara Furner says that some clients just swing by for a walk or a little playtime on the kennel property; others take their dogs out for the entire time. The only concern, she notes, is when a dog leaves for the day thinking he is headed home. If a dog seems agitated upon his return, Furner speaks with his owner about how some dogs just need a little more structure than others. This same level of personalized concern for her guests came across in the entire kennel team’s treatment of your senior correspondent (me!) at check-in. After listening carefully to my People explain how the cold exacerbates my arthritis and makes it difficult for me to stand some days – especially after a leisurely nap or extended stint at the typewriter – one of them said “We LOVE older dogs!” while another assured us that they had experience with elderly guests whose ailments are even more advanced than mine. Three woofs for our new home away from home on Cape Cod!
(March 2009)