Background information
What it’s really like at an animal shelter: these five myths aren’t true
by Darina Schweizer
Luxury pet holidays – this is where classy cats go to relax
26/7/2023
Translation: Katherine Martin
Pictures: Christian Walker
About to head off on holiday and want to treat your pet to some luxury too? At Tierhotel 5 Stern, cats and dogs can spend the night in style: in a swanky room, enjoying all-inclusive service and a spa. I took a jaunt to this grand hotel, with similarly grand intentions.
The Shih Tzu on Sea? The Border (Collie) Grand? The Park Hotel Pooch? What luxuries does Tierhotel 5 Stern – a high-class hotel for pets – have in store for us?
As photographer Chris and I pass the sign for the town of Niedergösgen in Solothurn, I’m itching to find out. We drive past meadows, fields and industrial areas, eventually coming to a fenced-in, low-rise building with large stretches of grass around it. Here, the sat nav says, «You have reached your destination.» Hmm. Not quite what a classy joint would look like. But hey, what do they say about not judging a book by its cover? With this in mind, we hit the lobby.
At reception, there’s immediately something to lap up. Receptionist Deborah Thillen greets us with a glass of water, a Spitz barking shrilly at her feet. «This is Missy,» she says, «The boss will be right over.»
Shortly afterwards, he arrives. Piet Umiker is the complete opposite of Missy: tall and muscular, with a baritone voice. In 2016, the trained chef and animal psychologist, who served in the Swiss Army for several years, opened Tierhotel 5 Stern. He now employs 16 animal attendants with federal certificates of proficiency. It’s called a «hotel» for good reason. «Our guests get a much more sophisticated stay than they would at an animal boarding facility. Come on, let’s do a little tour,» he says.
A first sniff of the suites
Our foray through the classy hotel begins in the animal quarters. Given that it’s the summer holidays, the spaces for 40 dogs, 36 cats and 10 rodents are almost fully occupied. There’s a choice of single- and multi-bed suites with cosy nests, underfloor heating, air filters and comfy furniture such as seats and beds. Almost like in a real hotel.
One striking difference, however, is that the room rates are based on weight (for dogs). Imagine how that’d work out for guests at Zurich’s 5-star hotel Baur au Lac. «Sir, would you be so kind as to step onto the scale for a moment? The porter will take your luggage to your suite in the meantime.»
As we’re walking down the corridor, I study the pet hotel’s prices. Dogs cost 59–79 Swiss francs per day, cats 31–35 Swiss francs and rodents 20–25 Swiss francs. That’s a tad higher than in boarding kennels, but there’s a reason behind it – it’s standard for dogs to get a room to themselves. «I can say from experience that when dogs are in boarding kennels and briefly join new packs, it triggers stress,» Umiker explains. However, he adds, «Of course, dogs can also share a room with their buddies here.» For cats, it’s the other way around – 4-bed rooms are standard, but single suites are an option too.
I can say from experience that when dogs are in boarding kennels and briefly join new packs, it triggers stress.
One guest staying in a single room is Flöckli (which translates into English as «Little Snowflake»). I peep cautiously into his room. If you think this moggy is a delicate snowflake, you’ve got another thing coming. He’s more like a destructive blizzard. «Flöckli likes to attack our animal attendants,» Umiker explains. He points to a piece of paper hanging up just outside the room listing all the guest’s details.
Another item on the list is illnesses. «We had to give a snake cough syrup once. That was a real struggle,» Umiker recalls. In the next room, he shows us the lockable psychiatric cabinet where the animals’ medications are kept. This is another way the pet hotel is different from most boarding kennels. «We meet the highest standards of safety and hygiene,» Umiker explains.
All inclusive: food, leisure and fitness
We move on to the hotel kitchen. It’s got every right to call itself that. It is, after all, kitted out with equipment from the catering industry, including a commercial dishwasher. Does ex-chef Piet Umiker feel at home here? «No, I’m glad I don’t have to be standing over a stove anymore,» he says. Instead of serving up filet mignon on porcelain plates, he now serves bowls of dog food. Unlike in many boarding kennels, all food is included in the price. That is, unless pet owners bring in special food themselves.
Umiker fills a dog bowl and takes it to a guest named Charlie. The dog is approaching the end of his stay at Tierhotel 5 Stern. He’s curled up in his cosy little bed when Piet Umiker goes to set down his food bowl. Stopping by the «guest sheet» outside the door, Umiker checks which items have been crossed off the «Rundum-Wohlfühlpaket» (general wellness package) to-do list so far today.
Daily room clean, health check and petting session? Check! Feed and morning walk? Check! Bath and evening feed? Still to do! Afternoon walk? Time to head out.
Without going into Charlie’s room, Umiker opens up a flap – the way circus animal tamers do with big cats. Charlie bounds out onto the green, settling under a cosy pergola. Is this his private garden? «Not quite,» Umiker says, «One stretch of grass is for several animals. We either let them out together or on their own, depending on what their owners ask for.»
Tierhotel 5 Stern also has an entertainment programme. «Entertainers» make sure the hotel guests get some exercise in a large playground. With sports-mad dogs, the keepers and groomers also do agility training or extensive walks. Or they hitch them to a dogscooter, a kind of summer dog sled (article in German). If a spa treatment has been requested, they give the guests a bath.
Special guests and pets who’re never collected
A room at the back of the hotel belongs to a special guest by the name of Odin. The dog is difficult to train, but unlike in a boarding kennel, this doesn’t exclude him from staying at Tierhotel 5 Stern. The flap system means he can be taken care of without coming into contact with the staff or other dogs. However, Umiker stresses that the hotel don’t train dogs. «Even though they’re often in need of it,» he says with a smile.
Untrained dogs are one thing. But what if it’s the owners who don’t know how to behave? Are there some who never come to collect their four-legged friends? «We get that about five times a year. So far, it’s only ever been dogs. Maybe because they’re more time-consuming than cats and rodents,» Umiker says.
During the pandemic, people bought dogs en masse. Many of them are barely socialised. They’re too much for their owners, who then want to get rid of them.
When this happens, Umiker gets in touch with the Swiss Veterinary Office and the police. If the animals can’t be placed, he keeps them and finances their care through donations. There are currently nine orphaned dogs – including ones confiscated from their owners – living at Tierhotel 5 Stern. «Verein schutzbedürftige Hunde» (The Association for Dogs in Need of Protection) (website in German) is looking to rehome them.
«During the pandemic, people bought dogs en masse. Many of them are barely socialised. They’re too much for their owners, who then want to get rid of them,» Umiker says, advising against purchasing dogs from abroad particularly strongly. «The business is a mafia, pure and simple. It’s better to help peoplelocally,» Umiker says. The pet hotel also regularly sends surplus food to Serbia, Spain and Kosovo. It also pays for dogs in Thailand to be neutered.
New rooms for rabbits, reptiles and birds
We make our final stop at the rooms for rodents. Though the cages are decidedly large, they’re almost at capacity already. «It’s wild how many rabbits are staying with us. Things are starting to get tight,» Umiker explains. And there’s another problem – outdoor cages get too hot in summer. As a result, Umiker is planning to build new, insulated rooms for rodents. Not only that, but the rooms will also contain terrariums for reptiles and a hedgehog sanctuary. Bird aviaries are set to follow.
«I’m keeping my brother’s quails in a rodent enclosure right now,» Umiker says with a laugh. «They’re strange animals. But not the most unusual guests we’ve ever had – not by a long shot. A couple of years back, we had runner ducks dashing around the hotel.»
Chasing bigger goals
Umiker likes to keep moving too. Whether he’s climbing a mountain on his days off or working on the pet hotel’s latest expansion, he always aims high. His biggest goal would be to found an animal welfare association for Northwestern Switzerland within the next 20 years, and affliliate his pet hotel, hedgehog sanctuary included, with it.
«I’d advocate for better working conditions and professional development for animal attendants. It’s a great job, but fewer and fewer people want to do it under the current conditions. Vacancies are becoming increasingly difficult to fill,» says Umiker.
Now back in the hotel lobby, we check out. Deborah Thillen bids us a friendly farewell and turns her attention to a couple with a dog. The mongrel looks better rested than his owners, who’re just back from someplace exotic. Maybe they should trade places next time.
Source: Tierhotel 5 Stern
Darina Schweizer
Senior Editor
Darina.Schweizer@digitecgalaxus.chI like anything that has four legs or roots. The books I enjoy let me peer into the abyss of the human psyche. Unlike those wretched mountains that are forever blocking the view – especially of the sea. Lighthouses are a great place for getting some fresh air too, you know?
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