Can't rave enough. I was referred by my friend that lives down the street while I was pregnant and unable to walk my golden retriever. My dog Hoops now waits by the window for Sam every single day and we went from a few walks a week to 5 days because honestly...it's so worth it and knowing our dog gets adequate exercise, hang time with other dogs and fun outside makes it worth it. Sam shows up every morning or afternoon and we chat a little and he genuinely loves my dog. He also sends pictures from the walk and it makes my day. At this point he is a part of our crew! I never thought I'd have someone walk my dog but now I'm addicted and Sam can never leave us read more

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Sam and Sofia there is not enough positive things I could say about these two. We have been with them for years. Originally with my 80lbs Bernadoodle Oliver (5) who absolutely loved them. Sam & Oliver had a very special connection. Before Oliver passed Sam & Sofia came over and spent an hour with him giving him all the snuggles. Fast forward and we got a new puppy Rigby (1) who Sam has been training since day one. Rigby is the best on leash dog walker we have ever owned. He never pulls or barks at other dogs it's incredible what Sam has been able to do with him. We also do weekly training with Sam and Rigby has made huge improvements. Lastly my old lady Ellie (13) has the biggest love connection with Sofia. She brightens up the second she sees her. She is older and can't walk as often and I appreciate that Sam always offers her a walk but goes off her queues. I must also mention they are the most thoughtful humans. Never is there a holiday missed with these 2! From Halloween toys to Christmas ornaments or valentines sweets the dogs are spoiled by Sam and Sofia. We are so lucky to have them and honestly happy to call them friends. If you're in the area and are looking for kind, trust worthy humans this is your team. read more

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Sam was so great with my dog Patrick. Patrick loved his walks and was paired with his doggie BFFs occasionally. Sam sometimes even took Patrick on pack hikes! Patrick was always happy and had a good nap after his walks. Sam also suggested a new harness for my dog Patrick which has been a great adjustment when walking him. Thanks Sam! read more

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Sofia and company are so awesome! I've used their services a few times to check in on my cats when we've been away. She and her team are very organized and thorough. We set up an initial zoom meeting so I can show her the set up and the food. Her communication is impeccable. Every day she sends me an update and photos of the cats. It's such a relief to know my kitties are in safe, caring hands. Honestly, when we returned home from our last trip, my cats looked a bit disappointed to see me. I'm going to have to step up my game to keep them satisfied to Sofia's standards! read more

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I am very grateful to have found Barks and Recreation on Yelp. My schedule is very busy, very last minute with appointments and always had a hard time leaving my dog alone for a long period of time or had to find someone to help last minute. Sofia made the process very easy for me! She is very professional and reliable and because of her I have peace of mind that my pet is being walked and loved everyday. Thank you Sofia, Doyle adores you so much. We appreciate you. Highly recommend Barks and Recreation, best decision I made for my pet Doyle. read more

Barks & Recreation - Doyle with the blue playing with a friend, thanks Sofia ! - Dog Walkers Near Me

Great people, both Sam and Sofia are reliable and easy to communicate with. My dogs love going on walks with them and always come back happy. read more

Leaving my dog, Hippo, with any dog walker is not possible due to him being a special case. He has difficulty being near other animals such as cats and dogs. I need someone that has knowledge on how to react under pressure and be calm, know how to use a prong collar properly, and redirect a dog for safety reasons. Prior to asking Sofia to help, I had full confidence in her abilities, because I had previously seen her interact with other dogs that need special love and care like Hippo. After doing a meet and greet and I gave her the rundown on Hippo, I knew Hippo was in good hands. I received an update after the walk of his walk and a picture showing me one happy dog! The house was in order, Hippo was safe and the house was secure. Sofia arrived within the timeframe given and gave me the walk update immediately after completing the service. I can assure you will receive service that is reliable and trustworthy. I would definitely recommend Barks and Recreation Los Angeles. I will definitely book another appointment in the future when I need one. read more

Sofia is amazing!! We started using Barks and Rec during the pandemic to exercise our "overly exuberant" young doberman! Best decision!! Rex cant wait for her arrive....he adores her! Sofia is very professional, always on time, confirms appts, sends a written statement weekly, and gives you a verbal report after each walk! You can tell she loves her job and our pets!!! If you need any dog walking or sitting services, I would highly recommend both she and Sam! read more

Our three cats absolutely adore Sofia! We specifically sought out a sitter that would work out the kitten energy of our two younger cats, and our daily photo updates didn't disappoint. It's always tough to leave your pets, but such a pleasure to come home to happy cats and clean boxes. We've referred multiple friends based on our experiences, and I think our cats might even look forward to our next vacation read more

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Great service! I work a lot and my buddy needs a little exercise. I am so happy that they can come out to take my Flapjack out to get some air and walkies. Thanks again you guys!! read more

Barks & Recreation - My lil' buddy after his walk ;) thanks you guys he's so happy - Dog Walkers Near Me

Oberon is the luckiest happiest boy when he is spending time with his hooman girlfriend! read more

Barks & Recreation - Happiest boy ever! - Dog Walkers Near Me

Sam is quite a dog whisper.not only does he show up on time , he took us as a last minute call. My son had to leave town for a week last minute notice and I being a disabled senior who lived in a Tarzana condo was loosing sleep worried how I was gonna walk my mid sized Tibetan mastiff "Charlie" who is a very smart ,very loving dog, but a total alpha male, and can't ever get along with other dogs with the exception of our two other dogs who took awhile for him awhile. Anyway he loves his strolls with Sam anything that has to do with the pups Sam knows , I definitely would use his service again , and recommend then to anyone who needed a nice , honest , reliable , affordable, and informative dog walker call Sam I give him 5 ***** He is a great young man . Thanks Sam. Dave and Dogs .. read more

I can't say enough about how wonderful Sam and Sofia are! My senior dog stays young walking and playing on his daily adventures with Sam. I've seen the way Rufus gets excited when he sees Sam coming. I work long hours, and it's a blessing to know Rufus is in safe and caring hands. read more

Barks & Recreation - Dog Walkers Near Me

Finding Sam and Sophia is like winning the lottery! One of our dogs needs special attention and is a weary of strangers, but Sam and Sofia charmed him right away, and now he can't get enough of them! They are reliable, quick to answer emails and texts, and they provide great updates to reassure us the pups are being well looked after! Sofia has also stayed with the dogs while we were out of town, and it was such a relief to know they were in great hands! I highly recommend them! read more

​I can't overstate how grateful I am to have found Sofia, and Barks & Rec, to stay with our three indoor cats when we travel.  When our usual person was not available last year, we sought a trustworthy, conscientious petsitter who could follow detailed instructions about the cats' medication, food and safety needs, whom we would trust in our home.  Despite preferring word of mouth referrals, I reached out to Sofia and Sam after finding them on YELP.  It looked like they might specialize in dogs, but I loved their energy during our meet-and-greet and my mind was put at ease.  Sofia has been fantastic during three separate stays.  Two of our cats need medications and she has handled pill pockets, liquid meds, powder supplements, time sensitive dosing, etc, like a pro.  She is on time, professional, communicative via text, and predictable with her enthusiastic, loving updates and fabulous photos.  She has bonded with each of the cats, tuned into their idiosyncrasies and discovered the ways each of them shows their love.  It's a huge comfort to know the cats are being so well loved and cared for when we are away. My only hesitation in recommending Sofia is that she'll get too busy when others discover her too :). read more

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I had pet sitters who did not take the time to interact with my cat who needs human attention while I was away. It's so very hard for me to leave my pet but I know he is in good hands with this duo team. Really grateful for them. I highly recommend these people who love pets and will be patient and kind with yours. read more

Sam and Sofia are amazing. First our house is chaotic because we not only have our own dogs but we are fostering during this pandemic. So needless to say if they can handle our mess they can handle any job. Sam and Sofia came over to meet our dogs and within a few minutes they disarmed the craziness and all the dogs were eating treats. One of the many things I love about Sam and Sofia is their flexibility. I've been caught somewhere and frantically call and they are on it. Available and never an up charge. They will send you plenty of pics and updates from the visit. And I'm definitely neurotic when it comes to my dogs and I recommend Barks and Recreation. read more

Sofia was amazing with our dog. Very responsible and communicative, took very good care of him with long walks and lots of fun pics sent our way. Highly recommend this company! read more

We were introduced to Sofia through mutual friends who are as particular about their dog as we are with ours! So, I knew going in that Lollie was going to be in good hands. I soon found out she was in great hands! Sofia is warm, compassionate, professional, reliable and trustworthy. Plus she takes amazing pictures!! This was the first time we were leaving Lollie for the night and we felt completely at ease because Sofia sent amazing photo updates and detailed reports. I really can't say enough good things about her. Barks and Rec is a Godsend and we will definitely be using them from now on. read more