Comparing owner‑run boarding in St. Marys and Woodbine
Camp Waggin Tails is a small, owner‑run boarding operation in Woodbine, north of St. Marys, and it comes up regularly when local owners ask each other for recommendations. Woodlands Pet Retreat is also small and owner run, in St. Marys itself. Of all the comparisons on this site, this is the one where the two businesses are most alike in spirit, so the honest differences come down to location, facilities and what each of us can verify about how we operate.
We want to be upfront about something: there is less public information available about Camp Waggin Tails than about the larger facilities in the area, and much of what circulates comes from neighbour recommendations rather than a published policy page. Where we cannot verify something, this page says so instead of guessing.
Several details about Camp Waggin Tails could not be verified from published sources, and two different phone numbers appear in public directories. Check with Camp Waggin Tails directly for their current policies, pricing and offerings.
Camp Waggin Tails is on Old Still Road in Woodbine, roughly 20 to 25 minutes from central St. Marys depending on where you start. Woodlands is on Davis Street in St. Marys. If you are dropping off before an early flight or collecting after work, that round trip matters more than most people expect, especially across three drop‑off windows in a week.
If you live in Woodbine, Kingsland's north side, or off Exit 6, the maths reverses and they are plainly the more convenient choice. Convenience is a legitimate reason to pick a facility, and we would rather you make that call clearly than have us talk around it.
What the two share is more interesting than what separates them. Both are small operations where the owners are the people caring for your dog, which usually means direct communication and consistency, the same faces every visit. Neither is a chain. If you have had a good experience with a small owner‑run facility before, you already know why people seek that out.
Where we can be specific about Woodlands: dogs stay in private indoor suites, go out through the day into fenced yards, are never grouped with dogs from other households, and have a caretaker on the property overnight alongside motion‑activated cameras. The business is insured. Drop‑off and pickup run in three daily windows. We can also coordinate grooming through Chien d'amour, our sister salon. For the equivalent details at Camp Waggin Tails, ask them directly, and use the question list below to make sure you cover the same ground with both of us.
Camp Waggin Tails may be the better fit if their location, particular services or availability suit you more closely than ours.
These are the questions that actually reveal how a facility operates. Ask us, and ask anywhere else you are considering.
Our answers are on the FAQ page, and you can see the building and yards on the facility page.
Our rates are published in full. Camp Waggin Tails does not publish a rate sheet, and we are not going to invent one.
We found no published rate sheet. A neighbour‑forum comment from several years ago mentioned a low per‑family nightly figure, but that is a dated third‑party remark rather than a current published price, so we will not repeat it as fact. It does suggest asking them specifically whether they price per family or per dog, because for a multi‑dog household that single question can change the total substantially.
For comparison, Woodlands prices per dog: $45 or $65 a night depending on suite, plus $20 per additional dog sharing. No deposit, no cancellation fee, no holiday surcharge.
Contact Camp Waggin Tails directly for current pricing. Note that two different phone numbers appear in public directories.
Come learn more about our boarding environment, rates and care approach. Tours are welcome before a first stay.
Questions about Camp Waggin Tails versus Woodlands? Call or text (912) 674‑4709 and we will give you a straight answer.
Information about other businesses is provided for general comparison purposes and may change. Contact each provider directly for current services, pricing, availability and policies. Woodlands Pet Retreat is not affiliated with the businesses mentioned unless specifically stated.