Serious Supervision, Safety, and Transparency Concerns
I boarded my two dogs at Molly's Dog Care (Walter Reed location) from 12/19 - 12/27 over the Christmas holiday. This was my first time using the facility since it transitioned from District Dogs. Unfortunately, what I observed through the live webcams, combined with gaps between what is advertised and what actually occurred, left me extremely concerned about my dogs' safety and care.
Issues observed repeatedly across multiple days (12/20-12/27):
* A staff member lying down while supervising dogs, including using the only raised structure in the playroom as a place to rest rather than for dogs.
* Inadequate supervision across enclosures: nearly 20 dogs per enclosure, with typically one person overseeing multiple enclosures, meaning some enclosures were not being actively or closely monitored.
* Employees frequently on phones, including in one case a prolonged FaceTime call lasting 30-60 minutes.
* Employees wearing headphones while inside dog enclosures, including while cleaning.
* Lack of appropriate resting areas in at least one playroom, meaning dogs had nowhere to comfortably sit or lie down.
* Large and small dogs mixed together, despite website claims of size- and age-specific playrooms.
* Delayed, missing, or inconsistent report cards, despite these being advertised as part of the service.
After I raised concerns early in the stay, the owner acknowledged the issues and promised corrective action. There was a brief improvement, but the same problems repeatedly reappeared over subsequent days.
The most troubling incident occurred on 12/26. I logged into the webcam around 3:00 p.m. and saw one of my dog's visibly limping. Shortly before that, I had observed him being humped by a much larger dog, while he was placed in the large-dog enclosure. I immediately called the facility; staff confirmed he was limping (after they put me on hold and went to verify my observation) but stated there had been "no altercation" and speculated he must have injured himself jumping.
This explanation is concerning, as there was not a staff member continuously observing that enclosure, making it impossible to say with certainty what caused the injury or whether it could have been prevented. He was later moved back to the small-dog group.
Despite this incident, I received a daily report card that same day that made absolutely no mention of the injury or limping at all, which was a major red flag. In fact, once report cards did begin coming through, many appeared to be generic or canned write-ups, often lacking details specific to my dogs' actual day or condition.
As of today, he is still limping, and I now have to take him to the vet on 12/29 to assess a possible leg or hip injury, something I should never have to worry about after boarding at a facility advertising "fully supervised" care.
While the owner was responsive and courteous in communication and cited unexpected holiday staffing challenges, the facility's website clearly states:
* "We group our guests by size, age, and temperament."
* "Fully-supervised size- and age-specific playrooms."
* "Trained staff supervise every group, all day long."
What I observed directly through the webcams over multiple days did not align with these claims.
On pickup day (12/27), I again observed an employee working in an enclosure while wearing headphones. Additionally, the front desk manager appeared to be hosting a personal guest in the lobby during business hours.
I appreciate the owner's willingness to engage, but responsiveness after the fact does not offset repeated supervision lapses, safety risks, or misleading service representations, especially when customers are out of town and relying entirely on the facility to provide appropriate care.
I cannot recommend this location and strongly urge prospective clients to monitor the webcams closely, ask detailed questions about staff-to-dog ratios, and clarify how supervision is actually handled -- not just how it's advertised. read more