When we went on vacation four days ago, we dropped our dog off when we picked him up after our vacation he was full of fleas. Also, I realize that it's a dog kennel but the smell of urine was so strong in the reception area that I ran outside. Never again. That place never used to smell that bad. read more

We have been going to this place ever since we bought Mozart home from the breeder at 8 weeks old. That was six years ago! Our dog loves coming here. It's a motel, daycare, playground, home all in one. Plus, there are lots of pet sitter/caretakers. When Mozart leaves for home, we have an excited, happy and tired dog every time. When he arrives, he starts whining the veterans bridge and stays excited until he gets in and barks everyone out he sees. He's obviously a favorite there and knows it because he is quickly recognized and goes up to his aunties and uncles that care for him and nuzzles up to them. Thank you so much for all the love you keep giving him. We hope you don't get tired of him because we're gonna keep him there as long as you'll let us! Two thumbs up for the care and love these pets get at downtown doggie daycare!!! Love Mozart, Hilary and Jay read more

Downtown Dog Resort & Spa - Pet Sitting Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

My dog was not ready at the agreed pickup time. I had to wait an additional 6 hours to pick up my dog. This was due to this facility's mandatory bath for stays 5 or more days, which is an additional fee. Full prepayment at drop off was also required. Additionally, my dog came back with an abrasion due to the wire frame kennel fencing material. My dog had severe diarrhea at pickup. My dog was extremely stressed and required treatment to address the diarrhea after his 5 day stay here. He has boarded at other facilities in the past without issue. Due to these issues, I would only use this facility if you have no other option. read more

There are so many amazing things I could say about Downtown Dog. In November of 2021 I brought my baby, Vinny, to them for his first day of daycare (he was 5 months). Ever since I have been bringing him at least twice a week and we trust him to board there whenever we go away. The caretakers love him like their own dog. It is truly the most harm warming feeling. When I brought him to the vet to get a simple shot, Sam and other caretakers were kissing Vinny's head, holding him, and making him feel safe. He absolutely loves his family from daycare and so do I. I recently left Vinny with Daf, the trainer, for 2 weeks and I am just blown away by how the results. Not only was I updated frequently on his progress, Daf also took time to build an incredible bond with my dog. He is a miracle worker- training through trust and fairness. He taught me so much and Vinny so much (GSD mix by the way). I am a bit of a "helicopter dog mom", and I could say again and again that I trust everyone at downtown dog with ease. I couldn't recommend them more. LOVE YOU DOWNTOWN DOG FAMILY read more

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My dog Vivianna spent Thanksgiving weekend here, and I was thoroughly impressed from the moment i walked in the door until the moment we left. Everyone was extremely helpful and friendly. Vivi was very nervous and scared when we first came in. She had never been away from home before and tends to be nervous around people. The 2 ladies at the desk were so welcoming and patient with her. They even gave Vivi a treat! This facility is so clean, and I really appreciated that it's next door to an animal hospital just in case anything were to happen. They carefully typed all the instructions for feeding her and giving her medications. And they answered all of my questions and addressed my concerns. When they went to get Vivi, she came out so nice and clean. I know she's a pain to bathe, so I really appreciated the fact they were so patient with her. I will definitely be bringing her back. What a wonderful experience! Thank you so much for all of your hard work and love for animals. I highly recommend this resort! read more

This is Louie's FAVORITE place...seriously, I'm old news when we pull up and he bolts out of the car. We do regular daycare and some overnights, and all the staff know him by name and greet him with open arms, it's comforting to know when I have to leave him. Super accommodating, super easy and very on top of it with hourly picture/video updates to see your pup playing (and SMILING!). Added bonus....he comes home wiped out and sleeps Wouldn't take him anywhere else - thanks Downtown! Louie and Mom read more

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If you love you dog, avoid this place. Our experience was horrible. The place is filthy and the staff are extremely incompetent. Pick up was a nightmare. My dog has scratches and rashes all over his legs that no one could tell me the cause. Do they not watch the animals?! Even worse, they could not tell me how much medication my dog received. That's just fundamental and unacceptable. The manager wanted to speak with my about my terrible experience and assured me she would call. She never did. This place is the worst. read more

Thansk to Daf for helping us blend two dog families to one . The training and most importantly the tools we learned to use at hoke have been invaluable. Can't say enough good things. Perfect fit for those who want to do the work for long term success read more

I hear great things about this place, enter living social deal and SCORE!!!! I was so very excited to see that I could try this place out for my Duchie at a discounted rate. The deal came with a wellness exam, pawdicure, bath, and day care. I wanted a grooming too, I mean why not, right? So I called to schedule my appointment, initially the gentleman tried to talk me out of the wellness exam...not sure why, I mean I did pay for it.... Next, I was told that there was one groomer who only worked on Mondays and that if I wanted the wellness exam I needed to schedule that with the vet and then schedule the appointment with the groomer. I guess a red flag should have been raised then. I wish I could have just talked to one person, to do this but it wasn't that easy. Oh yea I called the second week in May and was told that the first available grooming appointment wasn't until 6/11....I still scheduled the appointment and was told to come on in. ;o) Anywho, fast forward to my appointment day I got there when they opened (7A)and spoke to the receptionist who had no record of my appointment with the groomer!!! Grrr! Furthermore, there was no way for her to access the vets appointment book so there was no record of that either!!! Why me!? The receptionist was really helpful, she called the groomer who was able to squeeze Duchess in. YES!! All is well, everything is solved, right? WRONG Fast forward to 11A I received a phone call stating that the groomer would not be able to see my dog, I was asked if I would be willing to bring her back the following Monday as a "priority." Furthermore, I was asked if I would prefer to do the entire Living Social deal on another day because of the confusion. Nope, if I pick up my dog today, I will not be returning and will request a refund through Living Social. I thought it was kind of tacky that a lot of the blame was being placed on the gentleman that initially took my call. It was stressed to me that I should have called to confirm the appointment or that I should have called during specific times to ensure that things would have been scheduled properly. How would I know that? This was my first experience with this place. Overall, I was quite frustrated with this process. There was no communication between staff, and it just turned out to be a giant waste of time. I'm quite annoyed. I'll give it two stars for the cleanliness and the fact the staff seemed to enjoy their jobs and know the pets. Perhaps I'll return to try their boarding once my annoyance passes.. read more

I previously wrote a review about the awful experience I had with the Groomer here, but would like to clarify, while I had a very poor experience with this one individual there, I still bring my dogs there for baths and very much like all of the other employees there. When I had the initial concern the owner did call me to apologize and try to make things right which was very nice. While I would probably not ever let the one groomer work on my girls again, I very much love how the dog bather Rhianon bathes and handles my girls! I will continue to bring my dogs to the Downtown Pet Resort as long as she is there! read more

Thank you to Daft and staff, for caring for our beloved 2 fur kids! Sadie and Ace Boogie! They helped us in a difficult time, showing our dogs so much love and attention! Daft has trained our dogs to be well behaved and trained our family to continue using those same tools at home! The spa is a living environment where our dogs felt at home away from home! Thank you so much! I hope you guys know how much you are appreciated! The Reed family. read more

Took my dog here to board for 2 nights. I bathed my dog the day before his appointment. My dog was returned extremely dirty, wet, and smelly. It seems my dog was laying in pee and/or poop - for who knows how long. I paid extra for the one on one service so he can get outside more often. Not sure if that actually happened, but it took nearly an hr to bath him to get him clean from just 2 nights there. After sending an email, a manager called offered to groom him. No thank you! read more

I have two Italian Greyhounds who have been going to Downtown Dog Resort daycare and boarding for the past seven years. When they board they stay up in the littles room with smaller dogs. They always come home worn out from daycare and the staff takes great care of them (many of the team at the resort have been there since I began bringing my dogs here). read more

We had three days notice that we had to introduce a new untrained active 3 year old dog into our small home with our existing 5 and 7 year old pit mixes. Daf did an amazing job in only a few days getting this dog leash trained ( very important as we live in the city with no yard) and to understand basic commands of sit and stay. He also helped introduce the dogs at the daycare so they were familiar before the new dog entered the home. It was a smooth weekend and we look forward to getting her more training. Worth every penny !! Highly recommended ! read more

I have been taking my 3 dogs here for about a year. This is easily the best kennel/daycare that I have ever used. My dogs run to the front door and can't wait to get inside every time I get there. They take pictures of all of the dogs during daycare so you see what they did during the day. The staff is so friendly and accommodating and the drop off and pick up process is a piece of cake. read more

This place needs to be shut down. I took my dog here last month using the Groupon and it was the worst mistake ever. It smelled horrible - and I was always taught that people should not walk in your house and 'smell' your dogs. The dogs are obviously not walked enough for potty breaks. My dog was also dying of thirst, he looked like he had been to hell and back. He was clearly CAGED with larger dogs who had apparently drunk all the water up from him (I have a Yorkie). I started crying when I saw him because he looked just that bad. I asked them what happened to him and they said maybe he was rough-playing with other dogs. I don't care if they offer free boarding, I will never bring my dog back here. I also lodged a formal complaint with Mayor's Anti-Animal Abuse Advisory Commission. It looks like all the employees are just there for a paycheck and must live close by. I did not sense a genuine love or care for the animals. Staff was abrupt, aloof and condescending at best. This place needs to be shut down and I am convinced that all of the 'good' ratings are from their employees because no one in their right mind would ever leave their pet here. I beg you to please go see for yourself, spend 5 mins in this place and you will agree with me. I was given a refund after speaking with someone who said she was the manager. I threatened to file a lawsuit and my transaction was "canceled out" and I was given my money back. PS: I challenge the Management to install cameras and place the monitors near the front desk. We would love to see the area where our pets are kept. read more

I dropped my three dogs here to board for a week while I went on a cruise. I had spoken to management about my little Maltese. She is blind, almost deaf and was recently diagnosed with cancer. She can walk but is wobbly. They assured me she would be well cared for and I selected the deluxe kennel so she would have privacy. I paid $994 in advance and this included a bath on the morning I was to pick them up. That Sunday when I picked my baby up there was a spot on her face above her ear that looked like dried poop and when the man in charge saw it he offered to go clean her up. When he came back he said it was not poop but appeared to be an "old wound". He further stated that they had taken her to the vet on Wednesday because her "ears were very dirty". I was very confused but had a long ride to return my friend to her home in South Carolina. That evening I examined Gabby and gently wiped her ears with a wet cloth. There was a huge blood clot and the cloth turned red when I removed it. Her ears seemed relatively clear beneath the dried clot. On her face there was a scab with her hair growing through it. When I finally returned home the scab came off and under it there appeared to be a puncture wound. I called and spoke to the man who had tried to clean her up and his attitude was extremely defensive and downright accused me of attempted fraud since he said she must have had the wound when she was dropped off. I asked to speak to the vet and was transferred. She claimed that when Gabby was brought in to her she did not examine her because of her "age and condition". I maintain that had she done so she might have seen the BLOOD and questioned where it had come from. The man claimed she could have "run into a wall"...ludicrous since she can barely stand up! The vet said it was probably a "hot spot"! When I took her to my vet he said it was highly unlikely since she could not reach it to lick or scratch it but thank God she is healing. My complaint is the total lack of transparency and negligence because whatever happened THEY SHOULD HAVE NOTICED AND MY BABY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LYING THERE BLEEDING! Please don't trust your babies to these monsters. The MAN in charge is an angry belligerent, insulting bully who lacks compassion and should not be allowed anywhere near your precious pets. The vet did offer to treat my baby if I returned to Baltimore from New Jersey for free but there is no way in hell I could ever trust these people even if they lived next door. Disgraceful! And he threatened if I wrote a review he would respond and destroy me. I have pictures!!!! I am not intimidated!!!! read more

Downtown Dog Resort & Spa - My dog when the scab came off about a week after I picked her up from Downtown Dog spa - Pet Sitting Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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I registered a new dog to be boarded a week ago. I called the day of the reservation at 1pm to confirm what time I should drop him off. The woman was nice and confirmed his reservation and said to drop him at 7pm. I arrived promptly at 7pm with my dog and a tall Broad shouldered blonde man said he already closed his computer and would not accept my dog even though he knew of the reservation. I explained I called today to confirm and was told 7pm drop off, and I showed him my call history. He refused, I cried, and said I would take my money elsewhere. My boyfriend I walked away and he called after us "don't get smart with me" and we turned around for him unprompted to start cursing out my boyfriend and asking if he wanted to fight him in the parking lot. We kept walking as I wrote this review. Do NOT go here wow we were afraid he was going to chase after us with his car read more

On the advice of a few friends who have used there daycare services, we decided to try and kennel our dog there during a weekend in Philly as a trial run. Needless to say, we had a horrible experience and paid for extra services that were clearly not given. When we dropped off our dog on Friday I paid for a "run and fun" (which was described as a 10 minute walk), plus two run and funs on Saturday and one on Sunday (along with a "cuddle time" each day, so he got some extra interaction). When we called over the weekend to check up on him, we were assured he was doing well and was being taken on his walks (during our call Saturday night we were told he was on a walk when we called). When we picked our dog up on Sunday, around 1PM, he looked bloated, miserable, and had clearly been sitting/sleeping in his own urine. I asked the receptionist whether or not he had gotten his run and fun for the day, and she assured me earlier this morning he had. This was clearly a lie because the moment we went outside our dog pissed for literally 3 minutes. He then took 3 GIANT poops, one after another, and then took another very long piss. Our dog is extremely well trained, and knows not to go to the bathroom unless taken outside or walked. I don't believe on either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday he was taken on a walk, because otherwise he wouldn't have been so bloated, pooped and peed so much, and also slept in his own urine. He's been to other kennels or stayed in houses with multiple dogs and we have never had an experience like this. I would avoid this kennel at all costs. We paid for extra services and were lied to. Go somewhere else. We will definitely not be coming back. read more

My dog, Sparky, was among the first 'clientele' at the Downtown Dog Resort & Spa. We've been going there for just over two years now and we couldn't be happier. We use their daycare services 2-3 times per week. The daycare staff is SO friendly and attentive. They have taken in our dog as if he was their own. Sparky is something of a "special needs" dog. He's able to escape just about any kennel or enclosure you put him in. They worked with him until they found a solution that made him happy: his own private hang-out in the back office. Every time I drop him off, Sparky races to the front door, tail practically wagging off of his body, because he's just that happy to be there. Another plus: They have a fully operating vet office in house. We don't use them as our primary vet, but it's definitely good for your peace of mind. Sparky had a minor cut from daycare playtime one day, and the vet tended the wound, put him on antibiotics, and monitored him for 24 hours at no cost to us. It's also important to note that this place is run by true, dedicated dog lovers. They are very active in the community with dog rescues and fundraising. And what really won me over: my dog is part pitbull and they didn't discriminate against him. It can be hard to find places that take pits, and this place welcomed Sparky with open arms. read more

After speaking to Jim, I heard the true sincerity in his voice as he was embarrassed by our experience. I have the confidence that he'll be able to turn the situation around for the better and hope to see improvements in the future. read more

Downtown Dog Resort and Spa has been my saving grace! I have been taking my dog Opie for over 6 months now. I take him at least 3 times a week for daycare and training with Daf, and board him on occasion when I have to go out of town. I was given a tour of the facilities without even a request, which are clean and spacious (not to mention the puppy pool! My pup loves to swim). Daf invited me on several occasions to come back and observe his training sessions so that I feel comfortable and understand his methods. It was of the utmost importance to him that I understand my dogs temperament and learn how to train him on my own in order to prevent giving him mixed signals. These actions spoke volumes to me and I feel confident leaving my dog in the care of the professionals here. When we pull up to the building, Opie could not be more thrilled to arrive. We are greeted by a friendly staff who knows us by name and Opie can hardly wait to be rid of me and taken back to the play room. In addition, the owner is almost always there and happy to answer any questions. He obviously appreciates that these pups are our babies and treats them as such. My ONLY reservation was when I first started training, there was a bit of confusion about payment methods and exact costs for Daf's services. However, I believe this was a misunderstanding on both ends and they were happy to work with me to avoid issues in the future. Opie has come a long way since working with Daf and coming home to a tired, happy puppy after a full day of training and fun is worth every penny. The rates and packages in general are much cheaper than any other you'll find in the area, and their weekend hours even allowed me to get him in daycare for special events and weekend shifts when I worked in a restaurant. I would suggest that they start to use webcam's as many other places do, but I certainly don't need them to know that Opie is being taken care of. I highly recommend all of their services, including their veterinary hospital. read more

I can only speak from our personal experience with Downtown Dog and it has been very positive. The facilities are clean and large. They have several runs (indoor and outdoor) and thus have the ability to divide the dogs depending on their energy level (i.e., crazy/hyper energy like my dog, normal and mellow) and play style - which is such a bonus and more than what most facilities in the city can accommodate. The other plus: the rescue that is associated with this facility and their mission to dogs. I would have given it a higher score if they consistently had videos of our dogs playing. I am guessing that the lower reviews were due to the business being slammed by a Groupon/LivingSocial offers. read more

Boarding- 5 stars. My dog seems happy and doesn't get upset when we pull up or when he's taken back into the kennel. The videos they post onto YouTube are an added bonus. I love looking for Nantucket to see what he did after I left. There's a new groomer and I had her groom Tuck today. He looks great! She said that he wasn't a problem and he was done in an hour and a half. read more

Left my dog, who went to the vet the day before being boarded here, and did not have what looks like mange, here. He came back, with what looks like mange, and his hair falling out. So. Like.... Ok. read more

Downtown Dog Resort always takes the BEST care of my babies, two 65-lb mixed breed dogs. We just picked them up from a 9 night stay in a luxury suite and they absolutely love spending time with Jim, Fawn, Daf and the rest of the crew who treats them like family. They've become family to us too in the almost four years we've been sending our dogs to DDR for boarding, camp, training and grooming!! read more

I have been taking my dog here for over a year now and have been very happy. My dog is very timid around a lot of dogs, so they made sure to make arrangements for her so she could rest assure. She comes home a very happy, very played out pup. Most of the staff knows her by name and always acts happy to see her, which of course makes me feel great. They also are more than willing to give me feedback how about how she did that day and give advice as they see fit. Thank you! read more

So i received (what i felt) grave disappointment from Joanne over at Good Doggie Daycare (she's 'interesting' on it's own LOL) when i tried to drop my very energetic boxer for a few days during my sister's wedding weeeknd (holiday weekend). She told me she was booked and i should go check Downtown Dog Resort, It was the best mistake she could make!!!! The staff were very welcoming (even though i was such a last minute new client (i mean really last minute!!! - 15 minutes). Luckily my mon amie (boxer) has had almost 3 years of doggie day care so she blended well. I even got picture text messages from the Jim during the weekend putting my mind to ease of how well she was doing... Pricing was way competitive to other places mon amie has been to (Best Freinds Furever & Good Doggie Day care) in the Baltimore/Maryland area. By the time i came to pick her up she was pooped (& a lil stinky... LOL). They do offer to bath her... I love this place!! the faciitly is HUGE!!! And they have a vet office right next door (not too sure of the pricing)!! I will say the whole staff was pleasant but Jim won my heart!! Thanks read more

I can't say enough positive things about DDR! I use daycare weekly and always board my dogs here when I am away. My dog Tesla has been through the Training Boot Camp and is a happier and more well behaved dog because of it. I am so satisfied that Daf the trainer continues to work with Tesla during regular day care hours to reinforce his training. We are all greeted by name each time we enter the building. I can go to work or a function and know that my dogs are being well cared for as well as having a great time. The staff does such a great job pairing playgroups by size and personality. My dogs come come each night and sleep very well after a great day of play. You really need to check them out ! Always great Groupon offers too! Satisfied pet parent with two happy pups read more

Cannot say enough great things about this place! I find some of the other reviews a little sketchy as this place came highly recommended from two picky dog owners. I am also extremely picky and weird about where I take my dog as well. I found out about this place because my friend had two Great Danes who came here. One wasn't very good with other dogs and the staff was so great with him and we felt like he always had a safe place to go even with his behavioral issues. I started taking my 8 month old puppy here for daycare a few days a week about a month ago. She hadn't had much socialization with other dogs off leash yet and I was nervous about sending her since she was as a little timid. She absolutely loves coming here and I really can notice a difference in her confidence around other dogs- she even likes the dog park now. She gets excited and whines on the way there and then drags us in. The staff greets her by name and takes really good care of her. She comes home soooo tired. So thankful that we have a place like this so close to us! read more

My dogs have stayed here multiple times over the years when we travel and we have never had any major issues. There was some brief disorganization locating my dogs to return to me today as I read through other reviews that has happened a few times to others. Also in looking at other reviews my dogs have had to go to the bathroom as soon as we picked them up and have been thirsty but I hadn't had a pattern of this until today...I followed up and was told they had just been outside when we got them. Staff has always been very friendly helpful and even made recommendations for training my husky. read more

My 4.5 month puppy had his first experience at doggy day care last week. When my husband and I dropped off our pup, I expressed multiple times that our pup does not each lunch (as we have him on a 2x/day feeding schedule) and can only have the bag of treats that I brought in since he has been having stomach issues. The bag was a mix of dog food and treats (which I can see how this can get confusing) but I told the lady at the front desk multiple times that this was to be used as treats only and not to give the whole bag. Since this was our first time taking our pup to daycare, I expressed some uneasiness about leaving him. I was assured they would be posting pictures and I could call if I wanted to check in. Throughout the day, I checked on Facebook and out of the 239 pictures posted, not one was of our pup. When we picked him up, the lady at the front desk claimed she had not seen our dog, but would find out how he did during the day. Then when he was brought out, she claimed she did see him all day? And then proceeded to write out his report card. When I asked for his treat bag, no one knew where it was or if he ate it all. They then claimed he ate it, but his report card said he had no food given? It was very chaotic and strange. For being a first time customer and leaving my pup there for the day, I would have thought the management and employees would have given an extra second to make me feel like he was in good hands. I will say the manager did show us around after, but never once apologized for the miscommunication or our frustration. And the only good thing was that our pup was still wagging his tail when we picked him up. read more

My husband and I started taking our 13-week old puppy, Bianca, to Downtown Dog Resort the Monday after we picked her up from a PA rescue, and she absolutely loves it! The staff members are fabulous, the facility is great, and in only 2 weeks, Bianca has turned into a much more well socialized young lady. We have only used the daycare service so far, but I would certainly also trust them enough to board her there if we ever need to (and that's HUGE coming from me, because I have never let anyone except for my sister babysit my dogs in the past). Yes, it is more expensive than leaving your puppy home alone all day, but if you sign up for a daycare package, the price is very comparable to hiring a dog walker to stop by once a day. I'm personally not a fan of inviting strangers into my house while I'm at work, and I also think that socializing a puppy is very important, so this is well worth the cost! Thank you, Jim and everyone else at Downtown Doggie! Keep up the great work! read more

Wish I could give zero stars!! My dog went in healthy and came home skinny lost a ridiculous amount of weight, was very sick, also smelling terrible with poo stuck to his fur. We called and talked to them and they were nasty about it denied everything. Very rude people especially the lawyer Barry when we tried to explain what happened he cut us off was yelling at us saying we were not cooperating even though he didn't let us speak after he cut us off also said we could not prove it after only a day and a half of having our animal and had taken him to the vet. Don't take your Animals there after my experience and speaking with a few past employees I understand that there only about money and will not treat your animals properly! My boy is scared ! Not acting like his happy normal sweet self! He growls at everyone and runs to his crate now ! These people are horrible to deal with! PICK A DIFFERENT FACILITY! read more

My five month old puppy stayed at Downtown Dog Resort over Christmas, and went to day care every day. While he was there I called every day to see how he was doing and was told he was "doing great!", and "making lots of friends". When we picked him up I immediately knew something was wrong. He was visibly thinner, filthy, and appeared very lethargic, laying down on my feet regularly. We immediately took him to our vet and discovered a severe infection in his paws and discovered he had lost seven pounds in a week. When we confronted Downtown Dog Resort they explained that the stones in the day care facility can irritate and cut the dog's feet, especially puppies who had not been there before. So, not only were we lied to daily by staff about his condition (it would be impossible to not notice his weight loss), but the staff knew there was a risk of the facility hurting our dog and did not warn us, did not check him for injuries they could reasonably expect him to have, or pay attention to the warning signs he wasn't doing well. We dropped off a happy, rambunctious five month old puppy and got back a very sick animal. Murphy now has bandages on his feet, an e-collar, and is on several different medications to curb the infection and help with his pain. Naturally, his disposition has significantly changed as well. We have received a full refund for his boarding and day care costs, but it is obviously of very little consolation when our puppy is so miserable. DO NOT BRING YOUR PET TO THIS PLACE. read more

0 stars if I could. We learned that unless you pay extra for "play time" they DO NOT LET YOUR DOG OUT FOR RELIEF. As if that wasn't bad enough, no where do they say it or even willingly admit it. Our dog always hated it there whenever we took him and I thought it was just because he hated us leaving. But then I found out that they stick him in a tiny cage connected to other tiny cages with other poor dogs and left in there until I return for him. The dogs pee and poop right in their cages, and the people hose the whole room down with the dogs inside. So my dog not only has to deal with his psychological issue of being house trained and going "in the house," but he's also bathed with the feces of other dogs as it rolls by him. No wonder he is so happy to see us. When we would pick him up, he would pee for five minutes straight. He'd obviously been holding it. Never. Again. read more

Can't begin to describe how disappointed I am with this experience. I'm furious. I got a Groupon because I thought I would support a local business and it was near to my house. I brought my dog in this past weekend since I was going out of town, and picked him up early Monday morning before heading into the office. Since I was running late, I put him in the car quickly without really checking him. Halfway home the car started to smell disgusting...like multiple dogs had peed in it. It was nauseating. I get home and check him and he reeks. His paws and tummy (which are usually white) were completely yellow and covered in pee. Not like he had just stepped in a little pee...he must have been laying in it and his paws were soaked. It was dried and crusted into his stomach fur so I can only assume he'd been like that for a really long time! I was really horrified and didn't even have time to wash him before going to work so now my carpets and his dog bed smell like it as well. When I called to complain, I got the woman who had handed him to me that morning and she claimed she thought he was clean when he was handed over. She wasn't all that sympathetic and actually asked me why I hadn't scheduled him a bath before pick-up....are you kidding me?? He shouldn't NEED a bath before pick-up if the facility is actually clean. She was trying to shift the blame saying that was something they recommend. I washed him before drop-off so the point was entirely unnecessary. Their only offer was to have me bring him back in for a bath and that was it. I'm never bringing him back there again. Needless to say I'm furious and would never recommend this place to anyone I know. P.S. do not get your dog's shots there either. I asked for a price quote since he was missing his flu shot and they said $30. I return from the weekend to find that they've charged me $73.50 and then say he needs to come in AGAIN for a second one for another $73.50 within 2 weeks. My sister works in a vet clinic and she says this is just complete robbery and most clinics will do this for a major fraction of that. Also....when someone asks for a quote...be honest. $30 and $147 are VERY different prices. Poor business practices. read more

We boarded our dog there twice. Both times were a really bad experience. When we were waiting to sign in, the person at the front desk was talking to her boyfriend and completely ignored us for about 5 minutes, we had to interrupt her conversation because we had to catch a flight to Europe. When we finally got checked in, we told her that our dog is a female numerous times,never the less, she apparently wrote in the paper work that our dog was a male. We also told her that our dog was not spayed and she couldn't play with other dogs or be in the general area where they take the dogs out to play. We left hoping that our dog will be okay. We looked at pictures in Downtown Dog Resort Facebook page during our trip and they posted pictures of her outside with other dogs. That was really upsetting to us, because we specifically told them not to do that. Wen we picked up our dog she looked like she lost weight, she was sun burned and they still thought she was a boy. They were also supposed to give my dog vaccines, but my vet said that there was no proof that they were actually given to her, because they didn't give me a certificate or a rabies tag. I will never go back to this place and I will recommend you not wasting your money boarding your dog there. The people who work there are careless. read more

For the most part, my experience with The Downtown Dog Resort & Spa has been ok. The front desk staff is always very friendly and most that work there seem to genuinely care about the dogs. My dog is small and I most often board him in the 'mini dog' suites as I find that it's a little quieter there and less chaotic for him. I also like that it includes the half day of group play which is nice. It is, however, fairly expensive. Honestly, i hate to board him at all, and try to avoid it. I've been taking him here for a few years on those occasions when i do need to board him, and truthfully have been becoming less pleased with the services provided. As I mentioned before, it's often quite chaotic when I'm checking him in, which may be fine for some but i find that this stresses my dog out. He's become more anxious and clingy now anytime we pull in the lot there, and this makes me less comfortable leaving him. Perhaps i'm just a crazy 'pet parent' but when I take him to the groomers or my vet, he is excited and runs inside and wants to go there but he does not act that way here. The most recent time I boarded him, I had purchased a groupon which was supposed to be good for three nights of boarding for dogs up to 100 lbs. I carefully read the fine print to make sure that i could use the groupon as an existing customer and that there was nothing that would prevent me from taking advantage of what appeared to be a great deal. However, when i attempted to redeem the groupon, they would not honor it because he was staying in the mini-suites. It did not say anywhere on the groupon that boarding him on the small dog side was excluded- it just said three nights of boarding. When i questioned why they would not let me redeem it, I was told that they were just doing what their manager had told them to do. I understand that this was not the choice of the people at the front desk, but the manager was there and did not come out to speak with me about it, instead choosing to stay in the back office. Essentially they took the value i paid for the groupon off what i would have to pay for the three nights. Which was not any kind of compromise as that was money i would have had to pay regardless. The unwillingness to work with me on it or speak to me about it was not appreciated. I followed up with Groupon and after investigating they reimbursed me my money and acknowledged the frustrating experience I'd had in this particular incidence. In the future, if Downtown Dog should do this groupon i would recommend that they include in the fine print that this excludes the small dog side if they are not going to honor it for that particular boarding area. It will lead to less frustrations for their customers. I've heard good things about just the doggie daycare options and the facility is kept clean (at least the parts I've seen). I'm just a little hesitant to take him back for boarding again based on some of my more recent experiences with them. read more

I would choose zero if that's an option for this place. Be careful trusting your dog to this place - especially a small dog. My dog got kennel cough during her 1-week stay. She lost 10% of her body weight during her stay, and I had to take her to the Emergency Animal Hospital days after picking her up (a $628 visit). Although I was very clear that my dog needed to stay very warm, they refused to let me leave her warm bed for her to sleep in - even though I said she gets cold very easily. I'm sure she was cold and scared, and this contributed to her getting sick. They also refuse to let us see the area my dog was staying, I'm also not convinced that they fed her the (home-cooked) food that I left with them, because they could not produce the Tupperware container or extra packets of food when I picked her up. The staff were very disorganized and could not even keep straight which pet carrier was hers. They were also unfriendly and seemed more interested in quoting their policies than in taking good care of my dog. For example, I would never leave a small dog here again. This place cannot be trusted to take good care of your pet, and now I just hope that my dog recovers from the cough, diarrhea, and weight loss following her stay here. Extremely disappointed.... read more