K9 University Chicago

One of the few Chicago boarding facilities that publishes both its nightly rates and its overnight staffing arrangement, which makes it a useful benchmark for the rest of this category.

Accommodation. Two tiers. Regular boarding uses what the site calls large condo kennels with sanitised bedding and elevated cots. Deluxe Comfort suites are 4 by 6 feet and enclosed on all sides. Dogs get indoor and outdoor group play every day, grouped by size, temperament and play style.

Staffing. The site advertises staff on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That is worth noting because most Chicago facilities do not say either way — Stay in North Center is the only other boarding listing here that states anything about who is in the building overnight.

Requirements. Current distemper, parvo, rabies, bordetella and lepto, plus a negative faecal test within the past year. The lepto and faecal requirements are stricter than most; check your dog's records before you book rather than at drop-off.

Transport. Pickup and drop-off is offered at $25 each way, $50 round trip.

Getting there. Lake Street at Sacramento, under the Green Line. Drop-off and pickup windows are narrower than the opening hours — weekday mornings 6:00 to 8:30 and afternoons 1:30 to 4:00, with no weekend drop-off or pickup at all. If you fly home on a Sunday, your dog stays an extra night.

Source: the facility's own boarding page, read 2026-09-25.