I have had the most positive experience with Brighter Days - specifically with Jordan and Roxy. My dogs LOVE them and are so excited whenever it is time for a walk. It was immediately apparent that they all have significant experience with dogs and know how to make them feel comfortable. I even noticed an improvement in my dogs' leash walking skills after a few months. In addition to their fantastic work with my pups, they are just genuinely good people who are flexible and communicative. 10/10 would recommend! read more

In 2015 my mom died and we inherited her traumatized and high-strung comfort spaniel. We had always been cat people and knew very little about how to help our newest addition adjust to her new life with a new family in a new city. Our vet suggested a regular exercise routine and our neighbor--a big time dog lover--referred us to Jordan and Brighter Days. We are so happy with these guys! Our dog just loves Jordan. Daily walks have really helped her calm down. And Jordan is so reliable! We had to be out of state last year for a month. While we were away our dog got into some chocolate that the house sitter had left out. Jordan discovered the problem and contacted us right away. Any time she notices anything off, we hear from her immediately. She's also terrific about working with us when there are changes in our schedule and she's very helpful with our dog care questions. Could not be more pleased. read more

Sarah posted a comment to my last review stating that Abigail did not like my "tone." I therefore quote my email to Abigail IN FULL so that folks can judge for themselves whether my tone was inappropriate: "Thanks Abigail; I left a voice mail with Brighter Days yesterday saying I'd like to talk to a human before I used their service for the first time, and never got a call back, so I made other arrangements. When will businesses learn that they need to return their phone calls? In any event, is it OK if I keep your info for future reference? thanks, [Name]" So that was the email to which I got an email back saying that I would not be an acceptable customer to this pet sitting service. I was actually wondering whether the service, on seeing my review, would contact me to say that Abigail's nastiness was not representative of their group's treatment of its customers, but I see that I was mistaken. read more

Wow - the last time I was here, Brighter Days had nothing but well-deserved high marks. Now I see that Yelp has filtered nearly all of their good reviews (23 total? really?), instead leaving only four reviews, one of them a one-star review from someone who has was never a customer? It's too bad that their overall grade is so tainted by a single review from someone who never even used their service. My wife and I have used Brighter Days for a long time, I think well into our 3rd year now. We have nothing but praise for every single person who's taken care of our dogs. Sara, our present walker, is fantastic. When John who walked our two dogs for the first year left us, we were sad, because he was great, but Sara's proved to be just as capable. A couple other people, Devin and Orion, have subbed for her now and then, and everyone's always been 100% reliable, honest, and capable. Our beasts are difficult too.. that is, bad walkers, and one of them likes to destroy stuff at home which Sara discovers sometimes. She never complains, always let us know about problems, and has always gone above and beyond the call of duty with, er, unexpected mess-cleaning. So here's a vote from a very happy customer for Brighter Days. If you're looking for a good dog walking service in DC I recommend them highly. read more

My cat, Carnitas, would like to share a few words with all the Yelpers out there: purrrr purrr meow meow meow meowowowwoow MEWMEWmew.....MEOWW!! What she's trying to say is, "I don't really like people and I tend to scare easily. But Devin takes good care of me. We have a give and take relationship: He gives me foodz and Iz takes it. He also .......BIRD!!" Feline ADD. It's for the birds. read more

My 400th review was reserved for a 5 star stellar place, and the honor easily goes to Brighter Days Dog Walking! We have called upon Brighter Days a few times to watch over our cats while we were gone on holiday. Their prices are competitively priced for pet-sitting (and dog walking) services. They've always been very responsive, know animals, and let us be gone with ease knowing our pets are in good hands. What's more, the group works as a collective among the various dogwalkers, which means that there is always a fail-safe if your regular animal caretaker can't make it. I also appreciate that the collective focuses on geographically separating the clients for each caretaker, so that they can rely on bicycle as their main form of transport. Sometimes their website is a little bit wonky, so if you don't hear a reply back within three days from your request, send another just in case. read more

The Collective rocks! I had to scramble to find a dog walker as plans for my dog, Skye, while I was going to be out of town for Christmas fell through unexpectedly. Despite the snow storm, which happened the day after my plans fell through, we were able to get it set up in time for me to feel comfortable in letting Dave care for Skye while I was gone. An extra perk was that he took Skye to his house for Christmas Eve and Day because of the bad road conditions. That's what I call above and beyond! This was the first time I've ever used a dog walking service, and I could not have been more pleased. I would definitely use the Collective again and highly recommend! read more

I just started using A Brighter Day. And so far I can only agree with all the other positive reviews. Somebody from the team got back to my right away, came by to meet my dog and then we scheduled our first dog walking "date". My dog loves my walker and she had done all her "business" while on the walk so no nasty surprises when I got home, got fed. He left me a note about the walk so I knew how it went. I don't need dog walking every day - thanks to my dog's amazing blatter (-: - so the collective's flexibility is extremely helpful. I just drop Devin an e-mail and he quickly confirms via e-mail back. Devin is easy to work with and I look forward to them continuing to make my life easier as we continue to work together. A co-worker uses A Brighter Day as well and she has only good things to say about the walks her golden retriever gets every day. read more

We hired Brighter Days to care for our cat while we were gone for Thanksgiving break. Jordan was the person who took care of our cat. The service went above and beyond our expectations. For instance, we were only gone for three days, and we had left fresh litter, but anyway Jordan scooped the litter box so when we arrived it was still like fresh. Our cat usually needs a lot of attention and love, but when we were back he didn't look anxious or needy---I can tell he got plenty of attention and playtime while we were gone. We will definitely count on Brighter Days for any upcoming travels! read more

Brighter Days has been the best thing for me and my pup, Luna. I contacted Joshua about 3 years ago after moving back to the DC area, and was so nervous about leaving my little 5 month old home alone while I was at work. But she was so well taken care of that I never worried again. The best thing about Brighter Days is the professionalism they exude. They are ALWAYS dependable, responsible, and conscientious. And they actually care about your animals. This means a lot when someone is coming into your home. This is one thing in your life that you will never have to worry about. They will take care of your little furry loved ones, without fail and without drama. Bar none, they are the best in DC. read more

I use Yelp all the time, but rarely take the time to write reviews - John over at Brighter Days Dog Walking is well worth it though. Over the last 4-5 years, my wife and I tried several dog walking services - all highly Yelp reviewed - only to be disappointed time and time again. That was before we found Brighter Days. John is the consummate professional, easy to get hold of, and receptive to specialized instructions. We often take trips that sometimes last up to two weeks at a time, and find ourselves in need of dog/cat/fish/plant sitting over these periods. With John, we've always come back to healthy and happy pets. As to price, John's rates actually ended up being much less than other, bigger dog sitting services. Even more than that, the peace of mind that my wife and I have, knowing our beloved pets are in good hands, is priceless. I highly recommend John & Brighter Days. read more

Jordan is so good with my dog Stella who she has walked and dogsat for a long time. Stella is extremely willful (mostly my fault) and can be standoffish with other people besides me, but she immediately connected with Jordan, gets really excited every time she sees her, and loves being around her. Also, Stella takes direction from Jordan well, and seems fulfilled by the reinforcement she gets from Jordan and the way that Jordan engages with her. Jordan has also given me a lot of helpful tips for how to train her better and take better care of her. Thanks Jordan! read more

My husband and I just returned from a weekend away and, yet again, we were thrilled with Preston. We first hired Preston to walk our dogs while we were on our honeymoon. We had a couple of friends staying at our house, but they worked long hours, so Preston would walk our dogs during the work weeks while we were away. He also stayed at our house the last two nights of our trip. Thanks to him (and our awesome friends), my husband and I were able to relax on our honeymoon. Preston communicated with our friends to give them important updates about who did what on each walk, etc. A few weeks later we asked Preston to walk the dogs just for a one-day job. He had no problem getting there when we needed him and our dogs were happy when we got home that evening. More recently, we were so happy to learn that Preston was available to stay with our two dogs over the holiday weekend because we'd just taken them on a long road trip and simply could not put them through that again. As always, Preston was very professional and was quick to respond to my emails leading up to the trip. He provided us with email updates in response to our emails over the weekend. When we returned from our trip, our dogs were in great spirits and the house was clean. Preston even washed the sheets and towels he used while staying in our home! My husband and I have wonderful friends who are usually able to help us when we're out of town, but when our friends cannot help out or when we don't feel like burdening them again, we go to Preston (Brighter Days) without hesitation. Hopefully we'll never have to board our dogs again! I highly recommend Preston and, if the others at Brighter Days are even half as kind to the animals (and owners) as Preston is to our dogs (and us), then you just can't go wrong with this company. Thanks so much for everything! read more

We love Jordan and Brighter Days. Not only is the group amazing at what they do (we've never been more sure our dog is well-cared for during the day!), but we feel good about supporting a worker-owned collective that makes decisions as a group and provides paid time off and health insurance. Jordan is very responsive and flexible, even when we have last-minute schedule changes, and has an amazing demeanor with dogs. We've been clients for almost two years now, have never had a hiccup, and can't recommend them highly enough. Thank you! read more

We recently used Brighter Days to watch our 3 yo husky-mix, Jake, for two weeks. We worked with Devin who met with us about two weeks prior to our departure to meet Jake and explain the process and what we could expect. Devin was responsive to our questions and quickly followed up with any concerns that we had via email. The day of our departure, Devin came over about 45 minutes before our cab picked us up so that we could go over everything again with him as well as tie up any last minute details. While we were gone, Devin took pictures of Jake and sent them to us as well as letting us know about an issue that Jake had managed to get himself into. Devin was excellent at keeping us abreast of everything. When we returned home, Jake was content and worn out -- which I take as a good sign. A happy dog is validation enough for me! I'd recommend Devin and BDC to anyone and look forward to using them again soon! read more

Benji has been our walker for almost a year. He's reliable, professional, and takes good care of our pup! Highly recommend Brighter days.

They are simply the best. Devin is amazing, so professional and reliable. Such genuine love for our dog and dogs in general.

I used Brighter Days for 2 years before moving out of the area. My pup loved his walkers and I really liked that they left notes with walk times and upbeat bathroom notes: "pee only"/ "#1 + 2!". Honestly, if I weren't a neat freak with a house full of crazy security/monitoring that tracks walk times, I'd probably be giving a 4- or 5-star review. Our alarm system logs all entrance and exit times and I quickly noticed that a few walks were way under the agreed upon 30 mins -- sometimes only around 5 mins. Once in awhile, I'd come home to find a note from random substitute walkers I'd never met before. When called on the short walk times, Brighter Days often offered a free walk, but it makes me wonder how many pooches are getting super short walks without their owners knowing about it. :( After complaining a couple of times about late and messy walks by a couple of different walkers (leashes left on our white linen couch, dog crate left unlatched, human pee on our toilets?!), we were assigned to Jaime. Jaime was awesome and easily the best dog walker I've ever had-- trustworthy, eerily punctual, and neat. I was home a few times during his walks, and I could barely tell when he was coming in and out because he was so quiet and efficient. Unfortunately, Jaime has since left Brighter Days and I'm not sure if he plans to return. All in all, I'd recommend Brighter Days, but do monitor the walk times and follow up via email if necessary. Brighter Days did try to make things right whenever I reached out to them, and after some adjustments, I did end up with an awesome walker that I was completely happy with. read more

I don't have my own dog, but I occasionally foster dogs for various rescues. Brighter Days is the best dog-walking service I've ever used in DC. They also give their employee-owners vaca, healthcare and substitutes. And they always inform you in advance if a sub is coming, and follow your directions to the tee. I'd use them again in a heartbeat. read more

UPDATE! Immediately after posting this review, I was contacted by Devin - one of the owners of Brighter Days - who apologized profusely for the lack of communication. It turns out they had attempted to return my email, but I never received it. As I said before, I know things fall through the cracks, but Devin contacted me to rectify the situation. That is a great business practice! I ended up opting for a doggy day care rather than a pet walking service so I cannot speak to the per walking they provide, but the customer service was incredible. He even contacted me later prior to a company meeting asking for suggestions on how to improve future customer service that could be discussed among the staff. I highly recommend Brighter Days based solely on the high level of professionalism and customer service! It really pains me to write this review... I am brand new to the area and was looking for a pet walking service to take my 5 year old maltipoo out during the day while I'm at work 3 days per week (I'm a nurse and work 12 hour shifts). She does fine being alone for 12 hours plus, but I wanted her to have a little interaction with someone during the day since I'm gone long hours. Upon my arrival to DC, I immediately asked a local for a recommended company to use. I was thrilled when Brighter Days came so highly recommended and was so reputable, not to mention the excellent reviews on yelp! I immediately filled out the request online, which is the only way they accept new clients. Once completed, it said someone would be in touch with me soon. After about 3 days of no response, I called the company and left a message with my contact information and the nature of my online request. The recording said that someone would contact me within 24 hours. That was 3 days after. After nearly a week, I have heard nothing back. I am so disappointed because I loved the company's website and their philosophy on pet care. I literally stopped a stranger on the street who was walking his dog and asked if he had a dog walker that he recommended. I'm hoping to have better luck with that company. I understanding things can fall through the cracks, which I was I made the follow up call, so I find that to be pretty unacceptable business practice to have no follow through. I would completely understand if they weren't taking new clients or there was a reason they wouldn't be a good fit, but a returned call would've been nice. read more

I moved away and was sad to have to find a new dog walker after my great experience with Brighter Days. Robin is the best!! Charlie misses her a lot! I could not recommend them more highly. They're incredibly easy to work with and great with the pups. read more

I have been a customer of Brighter days for a few years now (close to 4 years, I believe). Every dogwalker and dogsitter who has taken care of my dog has been great, especially the past two years. My dog is very reactive and anxious, and dogwalkers at Brighter Days handle her with care and accommodate her personality. If you have a dog and need a reliable dogwalker and/or dogsitter, I recommend Brighter Days. Their rates are very reasonable and comparable for the area, and they will take good care of your dog, even the rambunctious ones. read more

It is true that I am not in the market for a dog walker and I do not currently own a dog, but I have in the past and I truthfully couldn't think of anyone I would trust more to walk my dog than Devin Miller. I can personally vouch for him and the company he keeps. Any friend of Devin is a friend of mine. He is truly a stand up and stand out guy! read more

I couldn't be happier with Brighter Days... Devin takes great care of my kids and I think they may secretly like him better than me. Very reliable and dependable service by a group of folks who seem really committed to what they're doing. 110% recommended. read more

Big fans of Brighter Days. They've dealt with our senior St. Bernard, our younger, crazier St. Bernard, and our not always housebroken bulldog. They've been 100% reliable for dog walking and dog sitting, and have really come through on short notice many times. We've worked mostly with Andy, but when he's not available his colleagues have been equally great. Can't recommend them enough! read more

Woohoo! as good as it pets! 100% praise on what folks at Brighter have done for my super young puppy and I. They sat down with us before hand to discuss details, leave great messages in a notebook and alert us when my dog gets into trouble in the day time. They have also been super flexible with our schedule. You know your dog loves their dog walker and friend when we accidentally run into them on the street and your dog goes nuts to see them. Also ...a shout out to their professionalism in being responsible with my condo keys and access card to my building. I've never had an issue...they seem to be beyond reproach! GAG...too mushy, I know. I am eternally grateful. Keep up the good work guys. read more

Jeremy, Devin, and Lakesa have all walked my dog on various occasions. He weighs about 60 pounds and can be leash-reactive (i.e., he has a tendency to bark and sometimes even lunge toward other dogs), an issue we're working on but that seems to stem from his experiences before being rescued from a shelter. Because of this, I was somewhat nervous about having strangers walk him. But at times when his other person and I have been out of town or busy, we've needed the help--and Brighter Days has been great. I've told them about his issues and what works for him, and they've taken good care of him. More recently, I needed dogsitting over a long weekend. I contacted Brighter Days, but I hadn't given much advance notice, and they weren't available. But they offered to send something to their referral list, and Lee was able to step in. Lee took the time to come to my place, meet the dog and join me on a walk, and hear about hhhis habits, where his food was, etc. I came home last night to find a happy dog who'd been well cared for. So while I guess that Lee is more a friend of Brighter Days than a member of the collective, I give Lee five stars as well. One other note--I love Brighter Days' cooperative structure. Bopth the materials benefits (health insurance, paid vacation) and the perhaps-less-tangible but important extension of democracy to the workplace are models for so many other businesses. I'm glad to support that while ensuring great care for my dog. read more

Brighter Days is the best! Preston takes such outstanding care of our 2 dogs and cat that I am always at ease when I am away from home - and I am one of those really nervous pet owners! I have been working with them for almost 2 years and do not have one single complaint., they are courteous, highly responsive and flexible. Most importantly, the pets LOVE Preston and I can tell he loves them too. Thanks guys! read more

Brighter Days has been walking my dog Holly for the better part of the last year and I couldn't be happier with them. Devin services my building in Columbia Heights and is kind, communicative, easy going, and a true animal lover. When he came for the initial consultation, he sat down on the floor with my dog and spent a good 45 minutes just getting to know her and learning about her. BD is also extremely flexible - other walking companies I've worked with in the past nickel and dime you for schedule changes or not hitting a weekly minimum. BD is just there to make your life easier and take really good care of your pup. Can't recommend them highly enough. read more

We used Brighter Days for our weekend getaway and we were not disappointed. John S. took great care of our two dogs, Lucy and Greta, and our cat, Mouse. He was kind, considerate and the dogs took to him almost immediately. We wouldn't hesitate to use their services again and again. read more

We love Devin and Brighter Days. Devin walks our pup Charlie and is amazing. He is reliable and flexible and is fantastic with Charlie. He walks a few dogs in our building and is by far our most popular guest with the pups. We trust him and are so happy we found him in DC. read more

Whit, Preston, and John walked our dog in the five years that we lived in the Adams Morgan/Mt. Pleasant area. We loved each of the dog walkers and couldn't have been happier with the service they provided. All three walkers were flexible with our changing schedule, responsive, and trustworthy. Most importantly, our dog liked them and we could trust that she was in good hands during her mid-day walks. We recently moved out of the area and were sad to say goodbye to Brighter Days. We hope to find dog walkers as great as them in our new neighborhood. I highly recommend Brighter Days. read more

I can't say enough positive things about this company! I travel for business weekly and needed a reliable person to check in on my two kitties while I'm away. After seeing all of the great reviews, I decided to give it a shot! It couldn't have been easier...I used the online form to make first contact. A short while later Jordan responded via email and we set up a time for her to stop by & meet the kitties / get the keys. Jordan is awesome and has done a great job taking care of my kitties so far. Great service, great prices, great concept (bike based business!). read more

Danielle is fabulously patient, kind, and gentle with my 10-year old stubborn and neurotic dachshund. She has made the dog walker experience a breeze and is always communicative and available. I appreciate her flexibility and the grace with which she interacts with my pooch. Needless to say I highly recommend her and brighter days--when I called her references they were unanimously in praise of the care that Danielle provides! Your pup will be in great hands!!!! read more

Brighter Days Collective is simply the best dog walking service in DC. Though that's probably because they aren't just a service ... they are so much more than that. When we adopted our little one from Lucky Dog last January, we interviewed four different companies. Nobody came off as more trustworthy, sincere or authentic than Brighter Days. And, they didn't disappoint. In fact, they have gone far above and beyond our expectations. Not only are they all those things and more, but they treat her as if she is the most important dog in the world. Each person I've met from the Brighter Days team has proven reliable, flexible, full of energy and a true lover of animals. I know that she looks forward to the jingle of Abby's or Preston's keys every day and I can rest easy knowing that she is being cared for by someone who looks at her as more than 'just a job.' read more

Great place! Devin took care of our kitty for over a week- it's always so hard for me to leave her but after Devin came over to meet her I knew she was in good hands- very responsible and a natural connection with animals! read more

Great customer service and employees who love dogs! I have been using Brighter Days for about seven months and have had a wonderful experience. As soon as I contacted Brighter Days they set up a consultation with Jeremy, who would be walking my dog. My dog can be shy around males but was immediately comfortable around Jeremy. I was hesitant to have my dog walked in a group, as he seems to enjoy his alone time. Jeremy willingly set up a test run to walk my pup with the other dogs he would be walking with and provided me with a detailed review of the walk. Since then my dog has been happily walking with his new friends every week. Jeremy gives advance notice whenever he is going to be unavailable and provides me with the name and contact information for the other Brighter Days walker who will be taking care of my dog while he is gone. He is also very flexible and understanding whenever I need to cancel or reschedule a walk. I definitely recommend Brighter Days! read more

I have a very difficult dog to manage, but Jordan and Jeremy always did a fantastic job taking care of him!! They went above and beyond my expectations in helping him become comfortable with them, and proactively worked with me to help address some of my dog's anxiety issues around strangers and other dogs. I couldn't recommend them more highly, and sorely miss working with them in our new city! read more

Our dog benefitted from Brighter Days' excellent service for at least 5 years. Our walkers were caring, dedicated, responsible and responsive. In particular, Syn who was our dog walker for over a year and possibly longer, and tag teaming with Andy, were both terrific. Our dog loved seeing them every day and we knew we could count on them always. We have moved to Seattle and were sorry to say goodbye to the great team at Brighter Days. read more

I LOVE Brighter Days. They are incredibly responsive, flexible, responsible and thorough. I always know that my pup is in very good hands. Our dog loves Robin and delights whenever we see her around the neighborhood. They have been great to work with and we will stay with them FOREVER! I recommend them in the highest. read more