Hilltop Kennels

Hilltop Kennels offers dog boarding and daycare in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, from a six-acre property at 1403 1/2 Wilson Ave SW on the city's southwest side. Each boarding dog gets a private, climate-controlled suite with indoor play space and outdoor room to move. The kennel also takes cats and handles grooming, so one trip can cover a stay and a bath.

Services offered

• Overnight boarding in private, climate-controlled suites
• Doggy daycare with indoor and outdoor play areas
• Grooming
• Medication administration during a stay
• Add-on one-on-one playtime and exercise walks on the pond trail

What stands out about the facility

The play space is built for year-round use. There's K-9 grass underfoot and a fresh-air exchanger that pulls outside air into the indoor area, which matters in an Iowa February when nobody is playing outside for long. A perimeter security fence encloses the outdoor space. Dogs rest on raised platforms rather than directly on the floor, and both the play areas and the isolation area are monitored by video. The six acres leave room for the pond-trail walks offered as an add-on.

Practical details for owners

Rates published on the kennel's own site run from $22 to $35 per day, depending on the service. Booking is handled by phone at (319) 363-1054 rather than through an online portal, so plan to call ahead for holiday weeks. Proof of current vaccinations is required before a dog stays.

Office hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to noon on Saturday, and 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. That Sunday window is short, so owners coming back from a weekend trip should confirm pickup timing when they book. Hilltop Kennels is reachable at Htkennelsia@yahoo.com for vaccination records and general questions.