My parents just moved to the area and contacted Mt. Hope Kennels for boarding of their dog for a…read morefew days while getting moved into their new home. They had made an appointment to drop off the dog but when they arrived the kennel was closed. They called and reached the owner who promptly hung up on them when they asked why he wasn't open for their agreed upon appointment. What any awful experience just moving to Chester.

While I did not have a bad impression of the facility it was without a trainer at this time, my…read morewhole reason for looking. I also did not realize how indoctrinated places like this are with requiring vaccination of your pet for attendance. And then continual repeat vaccination for certain things. With all that has been unearthed about the contents of the vaccines and the side effects you would think there would be some flexibility or exemption for the owner's beliefs. This facility is not the only one I looked at and this requirement was standard in the others as well. I chose an individual pet sitter instead.

We recently visited the kennel in May of 2024 and was impressed with the layout, and running space…read morefor dogs. We planned on a 4 hours dog assessment for future daycare and boarding but was turned away because they required annual dog flu shots. The initial flu shots are spaced at 2-4 weeks. We did not know if this requirement until the day of dog assessment day. Therefore, off to the vet to get additional shots before my dog can stay. Disappointed!

Wanted to use them for puppy boot camp. First had to pay $100 for an evaluation. When we went to…read morebring him home the receptionist said he barked so much in the crate they had to move him to another room. We were not given any comments on how the evaluation went and were out $100 for no information. The owner said that since we lived so close he would try to move us up to a closer entry. This was last fall. Later we got a call saying he could start in January 2026. Another issue is that we decided to board both of our dogs for a weekend in September. When we brought them home both drank 2 bowls full of water each. I guess they don't water on the weekends? Just not a good experience all the way around. We found another place that took our pup within a week for boot camp and it worked out perfectly.

In essence, over several months, we had the worst training experience one could have. No…read morecommunication and no results. If I could give a rating of zero stars, I would. Below is the letter we sent to K9 & Co. when they would not refund our fees for "boot camp". If you love your dog, do not take it to K9. April 24, 2021 Mark Finch and K9 & Co. Retreat, We started coming to K9 & Co. with the intention of giving our new 8-month-old dog, Gypsi, a head start in obedience training as our elder patients are moving in with us. We wanted to do as much as we could to help our dog acclimate to new people quickly and avoid danger to them (e.g., jumping up on them, etc). We brought her in for day school and were told she "wasn't ready for that" but would benefit daycare in the meantime to socialize her. We dropped her off for daycare/day school from December 2020 through April 2021, two/three days per week.  Never did she get into day school save ONE time on March 5th, 2021. No report was given to us regarding what she worked on (if anything) on this date. Additionally, we called and scheduled a home visit for February 3rd, 2021. We received a phone call on February 3rd (the day of the appointment) stating, you "forgot we were scheduled"; so we scheduled another date on March 15th, 2021, again received a call cancelling the appointment. We got NO follow-up regarding rescheduling the home visit, and it was never discussed again. After slowly integrating Gypsi's routine into your day care several times per week and after formal evaluation on December 6th, 2020, you recommended "a tailor boot camp to help Gypsi". On March 15th, 2021, we dropped her off for boot camp and were told "we don't have time to follow up with you on a 'daily basis' or keep you informed daily on her progress and to remember no news from us (K9 & Co.) is good news".  However, your website states, "You work with the owners every step of the way"... I can say that none of our expectations were met. The cost of the "Boot camp" is fairly expensive, and after 2 days shy of 4 weeks, Gypsi had learned nothing. I'm not even sure she received any training at all. I suspect she was let out of her crate several times per day and fed, but no active instruction occurred. In fact, she had new abrasions and scabs on her elbows indicating excessive crating, requiring medical care as well as a urinary tract infection diagnosed by our veterinarian. We called many times to be updated on Gypsi's progress only to hear, "We are not sure what Mark has done. You'd have to talk to him." Your website indicates, "We take pride in working with our pet owners every step of the way in their pet's training process." This is false. We have never heard from or seen Mark Finch, and the only communication we received was after WE called your establishment and asked how Gypsi was doing, only to be told that essentially you did not know and that "No news is good news". I emailed a couple times to get some report on how she was doing only to get NO info other than "she's fine and adjusting..." We called a few times only to get the same short answers with NO details on how things were going and what was being worked on with her. We emailed asking for a date for her to come home along with some stipulations we have, with NO response... AND NEITHER ONE OF US HAVE EVER HAD ANY CONVERSATION WITH MARK FINCH (the elusive dog trainer)... On April 14th, 2021, I contacted Chase Bank to stop payment for $2500 to K9 & Company Retreat for services not rendered.

I have used Marla's services for the past few years. She is wonderful with my cats and spoils them…read morewhen she comes. She stays and plays with them after feeding and litter chores are done. I would highly recommend her for your pets.

Marla is the BEST. She has been caring for our kitties for years now, and it is such a blessing…read moreknowing that when we go on vacation we can rest easy knowing that Marla is taking wonderful care of our babies. She sends texts everyday with pictures of the kitties and even feeds the strays that come by our back patio. Truely a caring person!

I recently moved to Richmond and needed someone to watch my cat over Christmas week. They responded…read moreto my request immediately. The pricing is extremely reasonable. We set up the "meet and greet" and multiple employees came over to see where the food, water, litter, etc is and to meet my cat. Everyone wore masks to comply with covid precautions. Over the week they were extremely professional and took great care of my cat. They stayed with him for 30 minutes per day and played with him in addition to cleaning the litter and preparing his food. They even cleaned up a little leak I had after it rained really hard one day. After each visit I got a detailed email with all they did and multiple cat photos. I'm always so worried about my cat when I go away and they made me feel so much better. I'm so so happy with this service and will 100% be using them again!

New to Richmond and in need of a great pet sitter, I 'm so happy to have found Kate. We had a…read more"Meet & Greet" with my two felines (who have special needs), and I could tell she was relaxed and confident with pets. She carried out all my instructions and provided me with updates. Very satisfied!! Grace

Tara kept my dog once, and he had such a great time that I tried to schedule him for another visit…read more Stopped answering calls, texts, or emails. How do you run a business like that? Oh well, that money will go to someone else.

We are so pleased to have found this place. Our retired racing greyhound is one of our kids. I…read morewasn't comfortable knowing that when we went on vacation she would be sleeping in anything that resembled a cage. So glad I kept looking for just the right place. This is it. The owners treat my baby like a member of their own their own family. So genuinely kind and caring. You wouldn't believe how much space these dogs have to play and run. The best part? The sleeping quarters. Each dog has their own "cube" like space that is closed off by a picket fence and equipped with a high end dog bed. My deepest thanks to Tara and her husband for caring enough about dogs to put so much effort into making this a special place.

Julia was absolutely incredible with our hyper anxious dog. I can't recommend her and her partner…read moreenough! We did 3 sessions with them and it made a huge difference in our doodle.

Dawg Boss is extremely knowledgeable in what they do. They can train any type of dog and really…read morelove what they do. Your dog is safe with them and exceptionally cared for. They have helped me many times with my dogs and I know if I have a question I can always turn to them. Definitely recommend!!!

I never write reviews but I had a very unpleasant experience trying to book an initial consultation…read morewith Midlothian Pet Pals. I reached out back in 2021 when my husband and I first moved to the area and received a response that they were booked for the dates I was requesting. I completely understood that as I was requesting for only a month out (it was fine, we would figure it out). I then responded looking to book for future dates but received no response back. I ended up finding an independent pet sitter for the dates I needed but thought I would reach back out a year and a half later to see if I would have better luck with a response. Again, I was told in April that they were booked solid through the end of August...I responded saying I would still like to book an initial consultation so that I would be able to request future dates. I never received a response. It was extremely off-putting that they wouldn't even take a new customer who was willing to be flexible and work around next available dates. I have now found a much more professional, friendly, and responsive pet sitting company who I have been recommending to everyone who's asked me instead. It was disappointing to say the least and I hope others have a more positive experience.

I would recommend not using this company. I have left several messages and no return call. If they…read morecan't even return your call I certainly wouldn't trust them with my pet.