I kennel my dogs and always have. We were using one kennel for my husky, which she LOVED. They loved her there. However, it was a very small kennel and hard to get space. I also was very outdoorsy. My husky was a typical husky in that she LOVED being outside (she was definitely an inside dog at home, but she enjoyed being outside any chance she got), so she enjoyed it, however my two spoiled brats and dogs that are very much house dogs probably would not have too much fun there. We switched kennels about 10 years ago because the other kennel never had any space. They are nice, but are just a kennel. No fancy suites. Concrete walls and cement floors. Indoor/outdoor runs. They do have a fenced in yard that you can buy one-on-one playtime for the dog, but that's about it. We have never had an issue, though, and they do take care of the dogs. I recently started looking around for a new kennel, though, because that one is kind of expensive. Make sure you call them and ask questions (when are they open for drop off/pick up, how much, do they provide any play time or walks for the dogs, do you have to provide your own food or will they provide it, if the dogs is on any medication will they give it to the dog, do the dogs have access to outside, and anything else that you find important). Then schedule a tour of the facility. Make sure it is clean (in both the public areas and the kennels), make sure the dogs are well taken care of (is there an abundance of feces in the kennels, do they look relatively happy, is it cool/warm enough for them, etc.), and make sure the staff is friendly. One of the kennels I called was very nasty to me. I told them what kind of dog I had (a mutt that I had rescued from a shelter) and she got very snippy with me, told me it would be extra for that breed, that breed does not typically do well in kennels (she does get very anxious in kennels, but I have no other choice in boarding her), if they have any issues they will not keep her, etc. I said "Well, I have no choice, thank you for your time. Bye" and hung up. I told my mom how nasty she was (and she was the owner) and my mom said that she remembered the owner being nasty with her 10 years ago when we were switching kennels. My theory is if they can't be nice to you, how do you know that they will be nice to your dog?
The other thing is to make sure your dog is up to date on ALL vaccinations. See if you can bring her favorite toy to the kennel (make sure it is nothing she can shred or choke on, I usually send my dogs' Kongs with them) so that she has something to do all day and something from home that smells like you. And you might want to send her own food. A stressful situation like a kennel + being away from her family + being with new people and strange dogs + new food is not a good mix.
Cats are easy. For my cats (I had one for 14 years then had a 9 month cat free period and got my cat almost a year ago) we always filled one of the dog bowls with water (it's big and both cats always drank out of it). We also filled either both sides of their double food bowl or the other dog dish with cat food. We had someone (with my old cat it was my grandparents and with my new cat it is a friend of mine who adores my cat and will text me pictures of the cat while I'm away) check in on them every couple days, scoop the litter box, make sure they had plenty of food, and give them fresh water. I went away for 4 or 5 days this winter and my friend came to check on my cat. I told her she only had to come maybe twice. She was here everyday checking on her and texted me pictures of my cat.
We know this and book her stays months in advance as soon as we know trip dates. For the couple of times we've had out-of-state family emergencies, we've been extremely lucky to get a last minute stay for her there. 
It would help if my Shepherd wasn't such a nut. 
