Brighter Days Collective is one of a kind. They are responsive and helpful even in the tightest of binds. Throughout the past 5 years I have used Brighter Days' services for walks and in-house dog sitting. Although a regular for dog walks during the first few years, as I was working and in grad school and needed to relieve my pup during the day, more recently I have used Brighter Days and John in particular for in-house dog sitting while I'm gone for a long weekend. I've also used them for emergency, last minute walks. I have never once gotten turned down and they have always fit me into their schedule. Most recently my dog began drinking water excessively and having accidents in his crate. It was a sudden onset medical issue. We are in the process of getting it figured out but we needed as solution as the vets try to diagnose the issue. I shot John a quick text asking if he could fit us into the walking schedule daily. Initially he was unsure as his schedule was looking packed, but not a day has gone without a walk. I cannot say enough positive things about the services that John and Brighter Days provide. My dog loves John and gets excited even when we see him out and about. Brighter Days provides me the security that I need no matter the situation. I know that my dog is in good hands and when they stay at my place to dogsit, I know that my house is in good hands as well. I cannot say thank you enough for the number of times that John has accepted dog walks with less than 24 hours notice. Excellent, excellent, excellent!!! read more

John is our dogwalker. He is the best. He's completely committed to his job, and it shows in the care he gives our dog. Ruby, our dog, gets really excited when she sees John coming, and I know that he doesn't shortchange her on her daily exercise. Reliable, trustworthy and flexible -- I wouldn't use any other service. They also do in-home dogsitting, which I haven't used. But I wouldn't hesitate to let them stay at our place, given our past experiences with them. 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

I have been very happy with Brighter Days - they are flexible, great at communicating what's going on with my recently-rescued dog, and extremely reliable. What has been most impressive, though, is that my dog has turned out to have a little bit of a complicated personality, and John has spent tons of time trying to work with him and make him feel more comfortable, including coming over a couple of times when I could be home to see what was going on. My dog is not perfectly happy (yet), but I am definitely happy with how some extra doggie drama has been handled. read more

Brighter Days is amazing, they are flexible, friendly, and most importantly great with our dog! I don't know what we would do without John from Brighter Days! read more

Had an unfortunate experience with this company- the walker lied about the amount of time he was walking/playing with my puppy which amounted to less than ten minutes, as well as, not interacting with my 9 lb puppy in a manner appropriate for anyone who works with animals. When asked how things were going the walker lied about how interactions were going and the time he was spending with my four month old puppy. Unfortunately the only reason why i asked was i saw him drag henry without a coat/harness leash by his neck collar from his dog bed across this living room. And, on another occasion after he ignored henry walking around the apartment and sitting down on the couch using his phone- his only interaction with henry was to throw a ball past my puppy for a round of fetch and deadpanned his name who was sitting down confused staring at him. When he didnt chase it on the first round, the walker shrugged and got up and left. Lastly, another dog walker in the neighborhood who saw this walker reaches out to me afterwards expressing concern about what he saw during my puppys walk with this individual. The only redeeming quality of this service was that my keys were returned professionally and I didnt have to argue for a refund for most of the walks/playtime. read more

Brighter Days is wonderful! We use them once or twice a week, and they're really flexible with our schedules. Andy, our usual walker, has been really reliable and communicative, and he takes great care of our pup. It's also great that any time Andy can't cover a walk, someone from Brighter Days fills in. read more

We've been using John of Brighter Days for several months now and are very satisfied. He's patient with our often-hyperactive Tibetan Terrier puppy, very flexible about scheduling, and consistent at returning emails or texts. He also arranged for a recurring social walk with a neighborhood dog friend, and seems to be flexible about tailoring the walks to your (or your dog's) preferences. Brighter Days was recommended to us by several Mt. Pleasant neighbors as trustworthy, and John is certainly a familiar face in the area. read more

I can't tell you how lucky I feel to have Preston of Brighter Days as our dog walker! He has been our walker for two years now, and he is just the best. He takes superb care of my pup, and he has gone above and beyond to give extra TLC since my dog began experiencing some health problems. And the co-op system is great. When Preston goes on vacation or has a day off, there is always a reliable back-up walker there to step in. They are fantastic! read more

Very professional outfit; reliable, trustworthy and the walkers seem to have a real connection with and love for dogs. When there's been staff turnover or when a walker is unavailable, they've always made sure that our pup is covered and in good hands. read more

We have been using Brighter Days for our cat-sitting needs for so long I can't even remember how we initially found them. John and Andy are great and have been with us through 2 different cats, a couple sets of foster cats, and a move from Mt Pleasant to Crestwood (with a couple year hiatus while we were overseas). They are totally reliable, well priced, and lovely people. We highly recommend Brighter Days. read more

Brighter Days has been with us since we first got our dog, and I can't imagine a better dog-walking service. Everyone is responsive and respective, and I know I'm leaving Cleo in good care. I love the daily notes about the walk, and our walker went above & beyond to clean up when our dog had a bout of diarrhea. It's always easy to get in touch with our walker if we have a change in schedule or have a question, and she always keeps us in the loop with regard to scheduling changes and other issues. Overall, a great organization! read more

Brighter Days is fabulous. After a bad flying experience with my cat, Jackson, a few Christmases ago, I decided it was time to start leaving him at home when I traveled. I called several pet sitters whose numbers I found online and Brighter Days was the only one who called me back, AND they returned my message the same day I called them. Now, Jackson can be difficult....sometimes he's friendly and cuddly, sometimes he'll sit in his basket and completely ignore you. Plus he's a biter. However, John not only puts up with his crap (literally) but also actually seems to like him, and Jackson likes him in return, so that's a win-win. Last Christmas, I unexpectedly had to leave town early because of the snow and called John at 7 am in a panic. Despite the fact that I woke him up, he was incredibly friendly and professional and had no problem adding an extra day onto his sitting schedule. When I went out of town in October, Abigail and Sonya also did a great job. All of the sitters from Brighter Days have been wonderful, giving Jackson his pills, feeding him, changing his cat box, and really going above and beyond to spend time with him and keep him company. They also leave notes about how he's been while I was gone, and are super flexible about pickup/dropoff times for keys and payment. Brighter Days is the best! read more

I've used Brighter Days for about 1 1/2 years. They have been fantastic. One hundred percent reliable, personal (it doesn't feel like dealing with a corporation, but a group of good people), fair in every instance, good with my dogs, there when I need them, flexible with my schedule, good about writing notes to tell me how the dogs are doing, both with the daily dog walks and when they've done home stays when I've travelled. I insisted on meeting the dog walkers who would visit my dogs and they were very accommodating. I was impressed when I met them and more impressed once they started helping me with the dogs. It took me a little while to find Brighter Days, having tried others first and being dissatisfied in many respects -I'm really glad I found this group. read more

We've had a wonderful experience with Brighter Days. We have an energetic black lab who began walking with Jordan when he was just two months old. After we moved, he walked with Aysia. He adored both of them; I am so bummed to have moved out of their area now. Both Jordan and Aysia were always incredibly accommodating of schedule changes, even when they were last minute. I completely trusted them with my fur baby and knew he was in good hands. If there was ever an issue, I'd get a text or an email. I highly recommend this excellent company! read more

Brighter Days has been one of the best things that happened to our family since relocating to DC in 2008. We have been using Brighter Days for the past two years and could not be more pleased with their services. They are reliable, responsive and genuinely seem to love their jobs and all of the pets they care for. We use the Collective for both midday walks and overnight stays and have been so happy. There is nothing better than knowing our dog, Murray, is going to be so well cared for. I can't say enough good things about Brighter Days and their professionals, especially Abigail who does most of our visits (although they are all great!). I highly recommend Brighter Days! read more

WE LOVE Brighter Days and were one of their first clients way back in 2008. We've had several walkers over the years and have absolutely loved every one of them. They all have cared for my 2 dogs like their own and are always extra careful when out on the streets (I have 2 dogs who are skiddish around men and children), excellent in their communication with me (unpromted texts and emails that the dogs are doing well when I'm out of town), reliable in the heat of the summer and the snow in the winter, timely, and fun and upbeat when greeting my dogs every day. Defintely would recommend to anyone who has a dog or any other pet and needs a walk or a sitter! read more

Brighter Days has been wonderful. Devin has walked our dog for almost a year now, and he and his team have been nothing but dependable, kind, and accommodating to our changing schedules. They really care about the work they do and they regularly go above and beyond for our dog. Devin even noticed a small lump growing on her stomach before we did. It's been great to know that while we are at work there is someone looking out for our dog who really cares about her well-being, and isn't just going through the motions. read more

Brighter Days has been with us since 2008: through a move to a different neighborhood, one pup's chemo and subsequent passing, a new pup's adjustment period (separation anxiety is no joke), inconsistent schedules, and goodness knows what else. And I say "been with" because I can't imagine a more reliable, caring group of people. Seriously--I trust them more than I trust some of my relatives! They'll leave a little note with any updates post-walk; if there are problems (say, maybe your dog ate a bag of Hershey's kisses, or is having explosive GI problems), they'll get in contact with you immediately. The past few years, Andy has taken great care of our dogs. But, as others have noted, the collective fills in for one member when they're unable to or out of town. I'm pretty sure over the past eight years, just about every member has walked one or both of my furry friends. Moreover, I want to support a business model that is hyper local, involved in the community, and treats both members of the collective, and clients (both two- and four-legged) with respect and kindness. I am so grateful for Brighter Days. read more

Brighter Days is, hands down, the best dog walking service in DC. I've been using them for 6 years and I could not be a happier customer. I've had a few different walkers through Brighter Days and they've all been fantastic--reliable, communicative, trustworthy, and caring. Most recently I've worked with Jeremy, who has gone above and beyond in walking my little Shih Tzu mix. He took care of her during a seizure (and notified me immediately) and has been wonderful about accommodating changes in my schedule. And I'll always remember Preston stopping by for a second time to check on my dog after hearing about a fire in the neighborhood. I also loved working with Abigail and was so pleased with her dog sitting services. In all my years working with Brighter Days, I have not had a single miscommunication or negative experience. I highly recommend hiring this amazing, high-quality service. read more