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Meal Preparations

Staff guidelines for prepping meals safely: special diets, wet food timing, and chemical distance.

Purpose

Start here if meal prep is new to you: every lodging dog needs a labeled bowl, matched exactly to their feeding instructions, and a few simple safety rules keep mealtime from becoming a health issue.

At a Glance

  • Every lodging dog needs a labeled bowl for their meal schedule. See Labeling Bowls for the labeling rule itself.
  • Special diet dogs eat only their own food; if we don't have it, don't feed, tell the RI or a manager.
  • Wet food goes in at feeding time, not before.
  • Meals with medicine, wet food, or other special items stay out of reach of any dog that might wander into the prep area.
  • Cleaning chemicals stay at least 3 feet from all food and treats, always.

Steps

  1. Confirm every lodging dog has a labeled bowl for their meal schedule before you start.
  2. Follow the feeding instructions on the label exactly. See Feeding Categories for what each label marking means.
  3. Check whether the dog is on a special diet; if so, only their own food goes in the bowl.
  4. Hold off on wet food until the actual feeding time.
  5. Keep meals with medicine, wet food, or other special items out of reach of any dog that could get into the prep area.
  6. Keep food and treats at least 3 feet from cleaning chemicals at all times.

Edge Cases

  • We don't have a dog's special diet food on hand: do not feed, and tell the RI or a manager so they can sort it out with the owner.
  • Feeding instructions from the owner look wrong, way too much for instance: ask a manager whether they should be clarified or modified.
  • A dog looks like they won't have enough food to last through their departure day: tell the RI or a manager so more food gets arranged before departure day.

Where do I log this if a meal gets held or skipped?

Tell the RI or a manager directly, right when you notice it, so they can arrange feeding instructions with the owner. This isn't a call to make on your own.

Who to Ask

A manager sorts out unclear or seemingly wrong feeding instructions. The RI or a manager handles running-low situations and special diet gaps directly with the owner. See Daily Medications for how medicated meals fit into this same prep window. When a meal prep question doesn't have an obvious answer, ask before you act; a guess with food or medicine is not worth it.