Bernie the bulldog and Bella the sheltie, at the Paws Inn.   (Photo: Kristine Larsen)

• Paws Inn Chelsea

  145 W. 24th St.; 212-645-7297

  There’s nothing like that twinge of guilt when you drop off your pet at a kennel, but even owners with acute separation anxiety can rest easy leaving them here. Owner Sherry Field and her staff of self-described “animal freaks” are so finely attuned to owners’ neuroses that you can call for updates anytime—they’ll even put your pet on the phone. That’s one reason it’s the boarding option most recommended by veterinarians, pet-shop owners, and overprotective owners. Another is the free-flowing existence dogs and cats (bunnies, guinea pigs, and hamsters, too) lead in this hotel-style facility. Instead of the cramped quarters and infrequent leashed walks that are standard at many kennels, dogs are grouped here by size and disposition and given their run of the place at all times; cats have the option of sleeping in cages, but otherwise roam free. Dog boarding is $42 to $50 per night, cats are $25, plus discounts for longer stays or multiple pets. “I have four dogs, and it’s the only place I would think of ever leaving them,” says Bobbi Giordano, who runs a dog-rescue group called Bobbi and the Strays. “Sherry can tell me things about my own dogs that I don’t even know about.”

From the 2007 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine