Although the lectro kennel is a great idea (a heating unit that is made of hard plastic with a well protected cord)mine only lasted a year of light use. I took very good care of it and my dog is a small, non-destructive mini poodle. I had exactly the same problem with a a flat panel heating unit I purchased for a bird cage. Although they were of different brands, I believe that they are probably from the same manufacturer and are therefore both of poor quality.