Owners of dog kennels and catteries have reported record numbers of bookings and they are attributing the upsurge in business to affluence and the bad weather at home.

Adrian Coombes, of Clonakilty Boarding Kennels, Co Cork, told The Irish Timesthat this summer has been "way, way busier" than previous years. "We are always busy during the summer, but this year there were definitely a lot more late bookings when people rang up saying they were going away on last-minute deals because the weather was so lousy," he said.

Coombes said that people were taking more responsibility for their animals than in the past because there was a greater awareness of animal welfare.

Mick and Audrey Furlong, who run the Moggie Motel, Co Meath said they had doubled the size of their cattery premises this year, but that they still had to turn people away this summer. "We see that people are more affluent and that they are going away on four or five holidays during the year," said Audrey Furlong.

The Furlongs also said that people are using kennels and catteries because they are aware that their pets need human contact when they are away.

One dog owner, Trish Ash, said she puts her pets in to kennels so that she can have peace of mind when she goes on holidays: "I know I could bring another child away with me for the amount of money I pay for kennels, but it's worth it. I get peace of mind," she said. Most kennels and catteries charge between €10 and €20 per night.

Many of the kennels and catteries contacted had been established in recent years and all of them said that they had seen an increase in demand for animal care places this summer.

"There are new kennels opening up all the time," said Denis McKeown, chairman of the Irish Kennel Owners Association. He put the growth of these facilities down to an increase in the number of pets due to the migration of people to suburban areas and commuter towns.

Mark Beazley, general manager of the ISPCA, said that his organisation was also aware of an increase in the number of kennels and catteries, but he warned that people should be wary of the different standards of the services that are provided.

He added that the ISPCA was calling on the Government to introduce regulation which requires all kennels and catteries to take out licences.

There is currently no regulatory body to monitor standards at these types of animal care facilities.