Kennel

All about everything else at Marriott's GREAT AMERICA
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Tanya
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Kennel

Post by Tanya »

Do they parks still operate kennels? Did anyone here work there? I walked through them every now and then when I did an audit. What was the oddest pet checked in? I think someone brought a snake once that I heard of.
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BrianPlencner
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Post by BrianPlencner »

Gurnee still has one. I walked through it a few times as well when I worked at the park.

I never personally worked in the Kennel unit, so I don't know much else about it. But, it is still at the front of the park, and it is still in use today.
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Mr. Brian Plencner
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Tanya
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Post by Tanya »

Thanks Brian. I remember it being a nice quiet, out of the way place to go when you needed a break (that is "quiet", considering it was a kennel)
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RLAiello
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Kennel

Post by RLAiello »

I started and ended my seasonal career at SFGAm at the Front Gate and occassionally you were asked to work at the Kennel. It was never a bother... the puppies were cute. It never brought in that much money $3 for a dog I think and maybe the same for a cat, although who in their right mind would bring a cat to a theme park!?!) but it was a much-appreciated service to the guests.

The kennel's name, by the way, was Pet Pourri.
Rick Aiello
SFGAm Employee 1988-1999
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MGA1
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Post by MGA1 »

The Kennel at Santa Clara Great America was demolished when that park built the Redwood Amplitheater. It was no longer there in 1989 which was my first visit to the SC park.

Gurnee still has a kennel and I don't think it's changed much since opening day in 1976. If you liked animals and didn't mind working alone, it was an easy job. It never was very busy and the kennel office was air conditioned and there was a desk where the employee could sit...one of the few costumed positions where employees could actually sit down while working. It also had a telephone which could make out-of-park phone calls (it was pre-cell phone era when I worked there). Almost all park phones were restricted so you couldn't call outside the park from them except for phones in management offices, Guest Relations, and the Kennel. So if you were bored at work, you could call your friends at home and talk.

The parking lot leads would try to hang out there in the air conditioning whenever they could get away with it.

Besides the typical dogs and cats, I know there had been a couple snakes, ferrets, and hamsters checked in...the guests supplied their own portable cages & food since the kennel didn't have those supplies.

The weirdest animals I remember seeing all happened on the same day. There were two small goats, a pig, and a couple sheep...they were kept in the fenced cage areas where large dogs are usually kept. Some 4-H group was traveling to go to a county fair and they stopped to spend a day at Great America.

I also remember a few times where a dog would escape from their cage when the employee went to feed them or clean up their poop in the cage. Since the employee couldn't leave the kennel unattended to chase the dog, she's have to call Park Ops and the Parking Lot leads would come over and catch the dog. There used to be a long service road behind the kennel before that coaster was built and the dogs usually ran out there someplace. I do remember one time, that a white poodle escaped and when the leads starting to chase it, it ran out into Orleans place the leads called Security and even with 2 leads and several security hosts, it still took a while to capture the pooch.
Last edited by MGA1 on Tue Dec 23, 2008 1:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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RLAiello
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Post by RLAiello »

There was a running joke amongst Front Gate supervisors during my first go-around at the gate. Apparently a dog had escaped the Kennel in early '88-- the year Shock Wave was new-- and run into the ride area. So for at least two seasons, the joke was (and I apologize if I get this wrong):

"Signal 2: Shock Wave - Dog in Ride Area"

Which was basically the radio emergency call to bring in all available units to help retrieve the dog from the Shock Wave ride area.

Not especially hysterical, but a memory nonetheless. :)
Rick Aiello
SFGAm Employee 1988-1999
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