Ashley watched my beloved dog Radley when we went on a vacation to Alaska a few weeks ago. To say…read moreI am protective of my dog is an understatement, so leaving him with anyone was tough. However, Ashley's screening process -not just with my dogs, but the dogs he would be staying with - ensured he was in a safe and healthy environment while we were gone. She goes through multiple steps to ensure that dogs aren't just physically, but also emotionally, safe while their owners are gone. As Radley has some anxiety issues, Ashley worked with us to prepare him for any potential issues he may have - which thankfully he didn't! If you want your dogs to be cared for, played with and honestly loved while you are away, Ashley should be your go to. I don't trust my dog with just anyone and the relief I felt each day with the pictures and updates allowed us to relax and enjoy our vacation. Radley didn't want to come home when we picked him up hahah! This is a great business with an individual who is knowledgeable about dogs and provides a safe haven for traveling owners to leave their pets. Will definitely use Ashley again!!!

Just the facts. Our…read morepup is 8 months old. Our plans were to travel abroad for 2 weeks. What to do? We considered boarding w/ established kennels, but wanted something more personal, bespoke. Among others, we were referred to Ashley Scontriano. We paid Ashley for numerous pre-trip visits, a few hours each, to acclimatize our pup, and allow Ashley to determine if he'd be a good fit. We valued her opinion and trusted her judgement. We received the thumbs up, with less than a week to go before our trip. Ashley agreed to care for our pup while we were out of the country. What a relief! We dropped our pup with Ashley, the morning of our departure, excited for our vacation. Less than 24 hours later, already 2k miles away, we received a text from Ashley which began "Please think of a plan B..." A plan B?? We had cancelled our plan B when Ashley gave us the green-light, prior to departing. The message continued, and I paraphrase, that our pup kept her up all night, crying, and she just couldn't take it. She didn't see that coming? Separation anxiety from a puppy, the first night away. She's a "dog professional?" What to do?! We'd cancelled our plan B, and wouldn't ask friends to take on a puppy for 2 weeks. Thankfully, Ashley had a possible solution -- we could pay her $200/day for "doggy boot camp!" HA! And I wonder how often that has worked with other clients -- too busy, too wealthy to say no? We called Beds & Biscuits. Fortunately, as our initial plan A, we'd completed the pre-reqs and they were able to accommodate our puppy. Glowing progress reports, too, from his stay with them -- yes, a needy puppy, craving attention and love, something they provided him. Something we thought Ashley had agreed to provide him. Instead, she wanted more money, after agreeing to watch him, and proposed drugging him to "better manage his anxiety." And so, after spending $$$ on Ashley's pre-trip evaluations, delivering our puppy into her care, and flying 2k miles away, Ashley reversed course, bailed...his "separation anxiety" (one night in) was too much, but it wouldn't be too much if we'd pay her $200/day? No thanks. And now she's demanding $130 more for the day/night she "cared for" our puppy. Ashley has said that WE didn't do enough before departing -- that the time at her home was insufficient, that she was "set up to fail." As a "dog professional," wasn't this something she should have, could have flagged BEFORE we departed? She didn't -- she assured us our pup would be well cared for, that he was settling in just fine. And then we departed, flew 2k miles, and without a conversation texts us "Please think of a plan B..." Incredibly unprofessional. Lacking completely in scruples and integrity. Further -- if you care at all about who you're entrusting your dog to, the quality of the human being -- who you're giving your money to -- then please do what we should have done, prior to this whole mess. Google Ashley Scontriano. https://goodtimes.sc/santa-cruz-news/news/nuz-pro-tip-dont-defend-racism-social-media/ https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/11/03/18818730.php

I've boarded my Aussie, Lucy, at Desjardins for both short and extended stays over the years, and I…read morecouldn't recommend them more. Kevin and Sara are wonderful, and their beautiful, spacious property is perfect for an energetic dog like Lucy. Before her first stay, they gave us a tour of the property and had Lucy complete a daycare trial, which gave me so much confidence. One of my favorite moments has been running into some of the staff on our walks. Lucy gets so excited and runs right up to them, which says everything about how well she's cared for there. I've also referred family friends, and they've all had great experiences. Desjardins is a place I trust completely, and I know Lucy is always happy and well cared for.

Best puppy camp ever!!! So glad we found them!! Beautiful site. Amazing owners. Our dog is one…read morelucky guy to stay with them!!!

Tammy is amazing, her grooming services alone deserves the 5 star rating, but her her…read moredaytime/overnight care for her doggy patrons is the best that I have ever been exposed to. She is a wizard at getting dogs to behave in the most agreeable fashion. Her love for her calling is evident in how she handles both her 4 legged patrons and their owners!

Tammys place has such a happy vibe. The groomers do a great job. My dog seems to enjoy his spa…read moretime. I love being greeted by the dogs in day care.

Melissa was the most exceptional cat sitter for our two middle aged cats, Puddy and Georgia. Her…read moretwice a day visits kept the cats entertained and feeling loved even though Georgia hid under the bed every time Melissa was there (but she still hides if my husband walks into the room even after 11 years). Getting photos of Georgia under the bed and Puddy playing while we were away gave reassurance that all was well. She is also great with dogs; I often ran into her walking neighbors' dogs at the park. We've moved from the area now, but I would recommend Happy Paws without reservation to anyone needing a pet sitter.

Melissa is amazing and I'm so glad we found her! We were going away for a week and needed someone…read moreto look after our 60pd dog Barney and our two Bengal cats. I hired her to come twice a day for 45min each visit and she walked Barney in the meadows near our house, fed all animals twice a day, cleaned litter box and even played laser with the cats. She also sends pics of the animals after every visit so when you're halfway across the country you feel good knowing your pets are being cared for. Our animals loved her. If you're looking for a pet sitter, Happy Paws is the best! Already have booked her again for June. Thanks Happy Paws! @BengalFever

10 Stars - Coast K9 and Jourdan Murphy Are the Best!…read more I cannot say enough good things about Coast K9 and the amazing dog trainer, Jourdan Murphy! My dog was struggling with basic obedience and leash pulling, and after a few sessions with Jourdan, the transformation has been incredible. Jourdan is patient, knowledgeable, and truly understands dog behavior. From the very first session, I could tell she was dedicated to helping both my dog and me succeed. She took the time to explain her training methods, ensuring I understood how to continue reinforcing the training at home. The results have been nothing short of remarkable--my dog listens better, walks calmly on the leash, and is much more focused around distractions. The entire experience with Coast K9 has been professional, and you can tell jourdan genuinely cares about the dogs and their owners. If you're looking for a trustworthy, effective, and kind dog trainer, Jourdan Murphy at Coast K9 is the one to go to. Highly recommended!

I have a high-drive dog and I had to go out of town for about a week. I have had some not so great…read moreexperiences at some other kennels, so I wanted to be sure this was a good fit. Let me say Jourdan was amazing with my dog. First she used to work at the breeder where I bought my last Shepherd and she has no problem with large dogs that others might find too scary. Second she had my dog heeling around with her in minutes and heeling better than I have been able to do in months. The kennel area is clean and a much better environment than the usual large kennels where your dog has little to no human interaction. I will continue to go train at Coast Canine where they do awesome work and wouldn't hesitate to board my guy there again. Highly recommend!

Literally cannot recommend Mike enough. My puppy Barbie and I work with him 1:1, at my house, and…read moreBarbie also loves the Puppy Socialization classes, in Aptos. Mike is the epitome of calm, powerful, energy - Barbie respects and loves him so much. He embodies the values I strive to implement in my dog training - positive techniques, that empower my puppy to "make the right choice." Mike, thank you so much for giving me confidence as a new dog owner. I can't wait to keep working together, to help Barbie be the best dog she can be.

Mike is an amazing trainer. He's helped my dog and I make huge progress in a short amount of time…read more Scheduling was easy, and the training is quality and clear. My reactive Aussie and I are so grateful.

We have two German Shepherds. One of them is a 92 pound working shepherd thus a bit high…read moremaintenance. He tends to be vocal when he's excited and for people who are not familiar with the breed that can be intimidating. Also like a lot of working GSDs can be a bit particular with who they like. We over the years have struggled to find a kennel that we are comfortable leaving them with. I find that he goes running in wagging his tail when I drop him off. And I really appreciate the good humor that Robert shows with Kosmos. The second dog,Yasmin, is pretty easy she just follows along.

1-Star Review - Extremely Disappointed - Would Not Recommend…read moreI boarded my two dogs at Heritage Kennel in Santa Cruz for four days and was very disappointed with the care they received. One of my dogs, Winnie, arrived with a paw wound. She was wearing a cone and sock, and I provided all the necessary supplies: gauze, bandages, and ointment, along with clear instructions for treatment. None of the supplies were used. When I picked her up, her paw was noticeably worse than when I dropped her off. Additionally, when I collected their bedding to take home and wash, there were dead bugs on the bottom. I also specifically requested anxiety medication for the dogs for the car ride home. I'm not sure if it was ever given -- the dogs were extremely anxious and distressed during the drive. If the medication had been administered as requested, they should have been calm and sleepy for the trip. For the price paid (including what appeared to be charges related to Winnie's paw treatment that was never provided), I expected basic care and follow-through on instructions. This felt like a complete failure of the "VIP treatment" I was hoping for. If dogs could talk, I'd love to hear exactly what happened (or didn't happen) while they were there. I will not be bringing my dogs back to Heritage Kennel.

We've had really great experiences boarding our large breed dog here. She's a big, high-energy dog…read morewho still thinks she's a puppy, loves water, and always wants attention--and she absolutely loves coming here. They have indoor kennels and outdoor options, and the dogs get plenty of playtime with lots of space to run. Our dog especially loves playing with the hose or her water bowl, and Shannon happily indulges our pup in one of her favorite things. The best sign for us is how excited she gets when we take her. The minute we turn onto the street she knows where she's going and starts getting excited in the car. Dogs are great judges of character, so that tells us a lot. Everything is also very clean and well kept. When we pick her up she's happy, relaxed, and clearly well cared for. We've even added a bath before pickup and she always comes home clean and happy. It's really reassuring to have a place where we know she's getting lots of attention, playtime, and good care while we're away. Highly recommend Mama Shannon's Dog Lodge‍

5 stars is an understatement. Mama Shannon has an amazing set-up ensure My 2 Dogs have tons of FUN…read more& come Home Happy & a good kind of Tired. Priceless Peace of Mind knowing they are Safe & well cared for while I work the night shift at the Hospital.