The Atlas/Boarding, Day Care & the Home/IBPSA Standards
VoluntaryUS
IBPSA Standards
IBPSA · International Boarding & Pet Services Association
A voluntary trade-body framework of operating standards for boarding and pet-care businesses, strongest in the United States.
01 What It Is
The International Boarding & Pet Services Association is a professional association for pet-care businesses, strongest in the United States but with members in several countries. It provides industry standards, education, certification and business resources for boarding kennels, day care and related services, in a sector that has little federal regulation of its own.
02 What It Covers
Its standards and guidance address the operational side of running a boarding or pet-care business: sanitation, animal handling, emergency procedures and staff training, supported by education and certification programs developed with veterinarians and industry experts. Members commit to a code of ethics and to ongoing education in pet safety, health and behavior.
03 How It Is Checked
Membership and adoption of the standards are a business choice rather than a legal requirement, and the association is a trade body rather than an accredited certifier or an inspectorate. Its standing comes from the framework and credentials it offers and the commitments members make, not from independent audit of each facility.
04 Why It Matters
In much of the United States commercial boarding is lightly regulated, so an owner has little official assurance about a facility. An operator’s membership of a body like IBPSA, and its use of the standards and training, is one of the few signals that it works to a recognized framework rather than making it up as it goes.
Common Questions
Is it law or accreditation?
Neither. It is a trade association, not an accredited certifier or an inspectorate. Membership and adoption of its standards are a business choice rather than a legal requirement.
Who runs it?
The International Boarding & Pet Services Association, strongest in the United States but with members in several countries.
What does it cover?
The operational side of running a boarding or pet-care business: sanitation, animal handling, emergency procedures and staff training, supported by education and certification programs.
What do members commit to?
A code of ethics and ongoing education in pet safety, health and behavior.
Who does it apply to?
Boarding kennels, day care and related pet-care businesses that choose to join.
Why does it matter?
In much of the United States commercial boarding is lightly regulated, so an operator’s membership of a body like IBPSA is one of the few signals that it works to a recognized framework rather than making it up as it goes.
Primary sources
- International Boarding & Pet Services Associationibpsa.com
- About IBPSAibpsa.com