A year or so ago I highly recommended Karen, and I need to provide another review. We were going…read moreback East for a 10-day trip and had dropped our Frenchie off with Karen. By the second day our dog was having stomach issues (she had been fine when we left and was still eating/drinking and enjoying Karen's hikes), but Karen immediately recognized that it wasn't just a nervous stomach. She took her to an ER Vet who found a large mass on our dog's spleen, and they had to perform an emergency splenectomy. This came out of nowhere! Karen spent hours at the vet with her before and after surgery. Long story short, the mass was benign and 1.5 months later she is doing great! We could not immediately return back to the Bay Area because we were back East for a family memorial service, but Karen nursed her back to health. I don't trust anyone more than Karen with our dog now - she is so experienced and caring and without her quick action our dog may have died of a burst spleen. I am so thankful our Frenchie was with with Karen. She is a smart, trusted, and super fun caregiver who dogs love and parents can truly trust with their dogs' lives!

We are very thankful for Karen and Piedmont Pet! We have entrusted our animals to Karen for…read moreseveral years and have only ever had great experiences. Piedmont Pet is an excellent in-home boarding and daycare provider for small dogs. Nervous pet owners like me will appreciate the genuine care, attention to detail, and communication Karen brings to every pet care interaction. Our little 17-lb terrier mix has a few health issues and is on a special diet and meds, and needs to be in an environment where he will be handled gently. We never, ever worry with Karen! She was extremely thorough when we first started working with her, making time to ask lots of good questions and answer all of ours. She is a confident and very experienced animal lover who organizes and handles small-dog pack walks like the pro she is. We get daily photos of his adventures when our dog is with Piedmont Pet which we really, really appreciate. Karen takes care of him like one of her own (little sweaters in the winter, no-pull harnesses, comfy beds and blankets, etc.), and we can tell he feels secure and comfortable with her and his "vacation pack". His time there is a great mix of snuggles and downtime and walks and enrichment time. Karen also provides drop-in visits for our cat when we're away which we really appreciate. Our cat doesn't like anyone and she actually plays with Karen and allows pets (we get pics and videos of this too)! We feel secure knowing our sweet little dog buddy is in great hands and our less-sweet but still loved cat buddy is getting wet food and playtime when we can't be there. Strongly recommend Piedmont Pet, especially to anyone with small dogs in the East Bay in search of secure, loving home boarding or daycare!

Hands down, Christi is the best dog walker in the East Bay. She is a first a dog lover, who is…read moreconscientious, organized, and thoughtful. Her pack walks exhaust the dogs while being safe and exciting for them. Her dog sitting sets my mind at ease as she knows dogs, her level head and knowledge ensure peace of mind while we are away.

this is also a long overdue review, I have used BARK AROUND THE BLOCK for many years. and…read more her staff are excellent. my dog; Rommel, a French bulldog he absolutely loves walking with her. She socializes the dogs with the group walks offered in the afternoons or morning walk. during the ongoing months The scheduling and communication is excellent ! My dog has improved greatly in all aspects of his socialization as well as his obedienc. Believe it or not for his breed he is so chill now. He loves his group walks! The trails are varied which is fabulous and keeps it interesting for the dogs. I have been extremely pleased with the excellent level of service provided by Bark Around the Block She is deserving of the Best Dog Walker of Alameda for the consecutive years, it has been awarded to her Company!

So grateful for Winter and the rest of the FDW staff. Our dog has been going to multiple playdates…read morea week for several years and she (and US) love it.

My dog was a puppy when she started going to Family Dog Walkers for play dates twice a week. The…read morepandemic was raging and we wanted her to have a social life, even though our own was curtailed. She adores her time there: she shrieks with excitement in the back seat on the drive over, and bursts through the gate to race around the front yard when we arrive. She wags her whole body when she sees her beloved Jessamyn, Mia, and Winter. I can't say enough about how happy that makes me. The facility, a large home in Montclair, has plenty of space indoors and out for dogs to romp or snooze. The "Littles" have their special time and so do the bigger dogs. Winter does boarding as well, which is great.

At 3 1/2 weeks an adorable tiny mutt fell into our laps. Fast forward 7 months and our small pup…read morehad become an 65 pound ball of energy who needs lots of exercise and training. We saw Nick and his pack on the trails several times and we were always so impressed with how responsive his dogs were and how much obvious fun they were having. Nick has been taking our guy out for hikes now for about 4 months and we feel so, so lucky to have Nick in our lives. Louie, our now giant 80 lb 1 year old, always comes back exhausted and happy. Nick goes above and beyond getting his pack out, getting exercise and having fun. A fringe benefit is some great auxiliary training for Lou. Nick also makes sure Lou is dried off (if needed) and often brushed upon returning home. An added bonus are the great videos Nick posts on Barking Buddhas' Instagram account. So much fun to see your pup living his best life with the pack and Nick : ) I always tell Louie he's my best friend but I don't kid myself about who HIS best friend is--100% Nick. Best dog walker/human being out there!!!

Nick is high energy and caring guy and it shows when being around Sheba. He has been walking Sheba…read morefor over 4 months now and he gives her plenty of love and attention, plus he tires her out big time so that when she gets home all she wants to do is eat and sleep. He takes her plus the other dogs to various locations to really work her. From just playing fetch at a field to long hikes in the Redwoods. If your looking for a great dog walker but also a great person Nick and Barking Buddhas Dog Walking is the place to take your furry family member because they will continue to be treated like family with Nick.

Kelly walks my pug, Theo, and is wonderful with him. Theo couldn't be happier (and fitter!). Kelly…read moreis responsible and always keeps me informed as to where Theo had his daily adventures. She is also very flexible, as my schedule has been somewhat erratic in the past year. Her rates are also really reasonable and totally worth it. I would HIGHLY recommend her. Update: As Theo and I are moving into the city, we can no longer have Kelly as a dog walker. This is very sad, as Kelly is a such a great walker and will be difficult for other walkers to match up to. If we could give her more than 5 stars, we would!

Kelly is amazing! She is really sweet and honest. She truly…read morecares about that dogs she takes on and looks out for the best interest of the dogs. I moved to Oakland from San Francisco with my pup, Cali, last November. When we lived in the city, Cali went on long hikes every day and it super important to me that my baby gets her outings and gets a chance to get all that energy out. I found Kelly on Yelp. When she come over to meet us, I told her all about my pup. The good, the bad, and the ugly. My Cali is super sweet, she loves people (and cats) but she definitely has her bad side.. She barks at runners and bikers and sometimes other dogs =/ Kelly took her on anyway. After a couple of week, Kelly informed me that Cali was beginning to be a bit overwhelming for her and her super mellow group of dogs. Cali was barking too much and messing with the dynamics of her group. Hearing this was super stressful but I really appreciated he honesty. She was also SUPER helpful with pointing me in the right direction to finding the perfect match for my loud, hyper, barky dog. We finally found a perfect match! Kelly is truly amazing and true to her word. She helped me and Cali every step of the way. If it wasn't for Kelly, our move to Oakland would have been a disaster! Thank you Kelly!

Coleen is the dog whisperer!…read more She's great with our dog. From the moment we met her, we knew we can trust her with our pup. She has a very soothing and kind voice and gentle approach with our dog. She has a key to our house and picks up our pup. Our cockapoo and maybe terrier rescue is almost a year old. We've had her for 4 months and she's still "in training". She adores Coleen. We all adore Coleen and her team! Coleen has special days where you can schedule spa treatments/grooming sessions for your pet. Another great service is when she picks up pet supplies for you and drops it off at your home. Coleen is fabulous and we all are very fortunate to have her in our lives!

Coleen is an amazing pet sitter and doggie outing extraordinaire! She had cared for my cats and dog…read morefor about 20 years. She is remarkably reliable and has bailed me out on short notice more times than I can remember. She is also a priceless resource when it comes to local vets, pet stores, proper nutrition and behavioral problems. She is kind and patient. She recently boarded my dog for almost 2 months during my move to Boston. She keeps you connected to your beloved pet with text pics. Best dog walker, cat sitter in the East Bay! As an update, Coleen continues to take care of my dog Lucy - she will be boarding Lucy over the Christmas break. Her rates are very reasonable and she never boards too many animals as safety and comfort of the pets in her care are her top priority.

Paula is such a patient lady and gives the dogs lots of love and attention. She makes sure that our…read moredogs get lots of exercise during the day.

Paula is the best. She took great care of my dogs when I was…read moreaway on a trip...she took the. To the park several times and even cooked them special foods. I would never trust anyone else with my canine babies but Paul..she truly is THE pal of the paw!

Two years ago, I decided to drive my cat, Margie, home to Southern California. Long story short, it…read morewas a nightmare, and I decided to find a trusted cat sitter. I did my research on various pet sitting agencies in the area before deciding on Rene. When I reached out, she was extremely responsive and came to meet me and Margie to get a sense of Margie's personality as well as to see where I kept Margie's food, litter, etc... Rene was great at engaging Margie and not a single claw was seen that day. Since then, I have asked Rene to take care of Margie during the holidays and occasionally when I am out of town at the same time as my roommate. Rene sends me updates with pictures everyday and even takes care to describe Margie's mood to me that day. She makes sure I've arrived home so Margie doesn't go hungry and keeps my space very tidy--I believe I once returned home to find my room cleaner than I left it. Rene has also been able to fit me in very last minute and is extremely flexible with her hours. She has been caring for Margie for over 2 years now and I deeply appreciate how reliable and consistent she is, often going the extra mile to make sure Margie is happy and healthy. I love that I have had Rene check in on Margie for the last two Christmases and Rene not only took great care of her, but left her a Christmas present both years. Little gestures like this only add to the list of reasons that make me confident in my choice of cat sitter and I am comfortable recommending Rene to anyone looking for a competent, trustworthy, and thoughtful cat sitter!

Rene has been looking after our cat since she was a kitten and we really now wouldn't want anyone…read moreelse! She is extremely caring, professional, reliable and organised. Always sends multiple pictures and updates so that we know all is well. Our cat was sick (not serious sick!) a little while ago but we didn't have to time to pick up meds from the vet so Rene went for us. I completely trust her and our cat loves her! We have had pet sitters in the past for our previous cat and we used the usual apps but I feel there's a bit if hit and miss and not as much real care. Rene is by far the best pet sitter we have had and I can't recommend her highly enough.