We have been boarding our dogs at Palmer Kennels for 15 years. It's been four dogs so far. They are dog-first, which i respect. When our first dog got old, there was a point when they recommended we don't board her. We ended up changing our vacation to bring her with us instead. Not only did we get more quality time with her, but we gained the confidence that our kennel cared about her. Over the years they have reliably fed special diets, medications, and dealt with psychological quirks that a couple of our rescued dogs have had. Our dogs go in happily and come back happily. They have always been healthy in return, which i credit to their strict vaccination policy and quality kibble. - photo is not from the kennel, just dog tax :) read more

Palmer Kennels - These are our current two Palmer Kennels customers (photo not taken at the kennel) - Pet Sitting Near Me - Acton, Massachusetts

I've been meaning to leave this review for quite some time. I urge any pet owner to refrain from boarding at this kennel. We were boarding our morkie here for nearly 12 years due to its close proximity. Despite the staff being extremely rude and unfriendly, our dog appeared generally happy during short 2-3 day stays. However, we noticed that during longer stays, her feet were usually soiled and hair was matted with a foul odor. We immediately moved her to a more cleanly kennel for long periods of boarding. Additionally, when she was about 14.5 years old, the owner abruptly refused to continue boarding her for short stays simply stating in a very crass manner that she was too old without providing any explanation for this conclusion. Overall, the staff are extremely unprofessional and have little care for their boarders. read more

I suggest you do not use Palmer Kennels' services for several reasons. We did board my dog here for several years despite the poor treatment of customers and pets, because my dog did not do well with change as she got older. I finally am writing this review as the front desk man deemed my dog too old to stay there anymore and was extremely rude over the phone when asked what about her behavior led to this conclusion. As a result, we use a different service but I wish I could go back and never start with this business in the first place. Throughout the years, the staff were very unfriendly and rude when communicating. They do not allow customers to provide anything else for their dog such as toys or their beloved bed, even though some dogs find it very stressful to stay somewhere other than their usual home. Overall, I find the owners/management to be fully profit driven and inconsiderate about others (humans and dogs). read more

Palmer Kennels in Acton Great family owned Kennel. They have boarded my dogs for the last 25 years. I have been happy with the my dogs staying there. I have recommended them to my friends and clients. read more

Was considering them for a longer stay and did one overnight to get a trial in. It was cold and since the kennels are separate by just a plastic doggy door from the outside, it felt cold during the day inside the kennel. I left my dog's bed there and asked the staff if they could provide an extra blanket so she could be warm. At pick up the bed was returned to me soaking wet and the staff basically yelled at me for dropping off the bed, saying they don't allow bed's to be left there and it was "what you get for leaving your own bed". Also, questions about how their fee structure works were answered with a lot of yelling and annoyance. Will be continuing to board my dog at the local place in Boston area. More expensive but better service and cozier conditions for the dogs. read more

When we picked up our golden, his feet were soiled and have to take him to clean right away. Coming back the dog started having diarrhea and throwing up all over the house. When I called checking what has happened, they blamed the food that we brought over. Though such things have never happened before when we left him with other kennels in the area with the same kind of food. And the golden also starts to soil the house at nighttime and sleep on it for the first couple of nights after coming back. He has never done that in the past 10 years. All these are the facts we saw from our golden after 5 days of staying at this place. read more

I made a reservation for my 14 year old beagle. I carefully explained to the woman who took the reservation that my dog was over 14 years old. When I was walking into the kennel to drop off my dog, I was met in the parking lot by a man saying, "You'd better leave me a lot of emergency numbers." Things only got worse from there. He kept telling me that old dogs die in kennels because they think they are abandoned.Even after I told him that she was under a vet's care and was doing well, he wouldn't stop berating me. He actually said to me that vets don't know everything. I told him more than once that I'd heard what he was saying and he could stop. On and on he went. I told him that I had to leave town to help my daughter. He kept berating me for leaving my elder dog. It was truly awful. I told him I had been upfront about her age when I made the reservation. I didn't know what to do because I had a very early flight to my daughter's the next morning. At that time I had no other alternative. The whole experience was so horrific. He essentially told me not to expect to see my beloved dog alive again. I got in my car and cried the whole way home. Fortunately, my dog was fine when we picked her up. Yes, I waited in the car while my husband went to get her. I don't ever want to see that man or Palmer's Kennels again. I was verbally berated by this kennel for posting the above review and my response is-- As I stated above, Palmer Kennels was properly advised of my dog's medical condition when the reservation was made. She is under a vet's care and according to our vets, is doing well on her meds. For this business to turn around and attack me for accurately stating the way I was treated by them is unconscionable and gives me an accurate picture of the way they value their customers, especially those who have the best interests of their pets in mind. Again, my statement is an accurate portrayal of my treatment at this kennel. Some times family emergencies arise and although we don't want to leave elderly pets, we must. To be treated in such a manner when I thought I was leaving my dog in the best possible place was eye-opening. I would never, under any conditions or for any reason, leave this pet or any other pet at this kennel. Their response indicates to me how little they value their clients, human and animal. read more

When I had to leave my 7 year old Golden, Max in a Kennel for the first time (no family members were available), I chose to leave him at Palmer Kennels. I did so because a friend recommended them to me. I was happy I did. I had read the reviews of the kennels that were recommended by my vet and was horrified by how some of the other kennels treat the dogs. I checked out the Palmer Kennels before leaving my dog there and the place was clean and inviting. The people who work there seemed very nice as well. They even offered to maintain a special diet for Max (his normal kibble) as long as I put each day in an individual Ziploc bag. Max seems to have enjoyed it as well. He was tired when he returned home but was very clean and he seemed very happy as well. For weekend stays, when family is unavailable to look after him, Max will stay with a dog-sitter (Gone With The Dogs), but that can get expensive for extended stays. It's nice to know there is a kennel I can trust to look after and care for my dog. I will definitely leave him at Palmer Kennels in the future and feel comfortable that he is being taken care of. read more

Used kennel for our 10 month old dog. First time dog had been kenneled. I asked at drop off if I could call to check in and was told I could call anytime. On day 2, it was apparent that calls were not welcome and I did not call again. Upon pick up my 27 year old son was asked if his mother is as worried about him as the dog. No report of stay was offered. Did my dog ever adjust, warm up to staff, eat a full meal, board with other dogs, etc. I had to call today, 6 days since pick up, as my dog has been non stop sneezing and needs to go to vet. Need to know how many dogs he may have been exposed to. Person who answered call did not seem to care. Overall, not a warm, pleasant kennel in my opinion. read more

This is a wonderful kennel and my two Boston's love it! They have great facilities and really care about your fur babies.

We had a very positive experience with our two, very anxious rescues. dogs. We did get a small break on the second dog, and supplied our own food. They were lovely folks. read more

I have been using Palmer Kennel for my dogs for over 15 years and have been very happy with the care they receive. My dogs are always excited to go in when we arrive. The staff and clearly devoted to caring for animals. read more

Family owned family run ~~ We hate to leave our baby period but our experience at Palmers dating back to the early 80s has always been positive. Clean, fairly priced and the dog goes in with her tail wagging and comes back out the same way. I would not hesitate to kennel your dog here. Very professional Yes they have rules and hours and some folks would like special treatment but ~~~The guidelines are spelled out and that carries over to the way the place is run and I like that read more

It's clean and spacious for the dogs. The staff is friendly and very knowledgeable of all sorts of breeds and their behaviors. One of my dogs is very shy, fearful and has separation anxiety. The staff at Palmer's always spends extra time with her to help ease her anxiety and develop trust. It has helped Ruby to become more and more comfortable while being away from our family. She knows the staff is safe and I couldn't be more set at ease for their caring attitude towards her. I wouldn't leave her any where else. read more

The kennel itself if fine, you pet will be fine, all will be fine. What you don't get is the option to have your dog exercised in any way. I offered to pay for a daily play session/walk and they won't even do it. Also, there is NO DEAL for two dogs from one owner staying in one run because they put all the dogs with another dog. Also, they are OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive. We drive out to Monson, MA to Camelot Kennel where you can pay for playtime each day, you get a discount for the second dog, (and in our case, cat too). So, yes, this kennel is fine, especially if you are in a pinch. read more

I have been taking my dog here for years now and haven't experienced any issues. It's a nice, clean, temp-controlled kennel with access inside and outside for the dogs. The staff is very friendly and caring. It's a reliable place to bring your pup when you're away. read more

We left our perfectly healthy dog here for 10 days over Xmas after recommendations from locals in Acton. Unfortunately, on return we picked up our dog with an eye infection, matted fur, nose damage and a bleeding foot (which we noticed in the car in the way home). His foot was badly infected and eye so clogged with mucous the eye was almost shut (that takes quite a few days to do and partly explains why he didn't recognize us when we greeted him). I doubt anyone looked at the dog the entire time he was there (other than to feed him). Never again! read more

I am more than happy with this kennel. I went away 2 months ago and boarded my Maltipoo elsewhere (at a highly recommended place with great reviews). He does not like other dogs so he needs to be boarded by himself. At the other boarding place, he didn't have access to the outside like he does at Palmer Kennel, so he had to be re-housetrained completely - and it took about a month to do so. He also wasn't his happy goofy self when I picked him up. I was afraid to have to go through all of this again 2 months later, but after staying at Palmer, my dog is still his happy self, and no need to be re-housetrained! Also, my dog always has accidents in my house - he can be a spiteful pooper, and I had talked to the employees about him having accidents there, and didn't have any issues at all like Scott C claimed. They actually explained it's normal, especially if they aren't used to the doggy door. Also, finding a place that boards dogs by themselves with outdoor access is really hard to find!! read more

***BEWARE OF THIS KENNEL*** Been meaning to post this review for awhile now and was reminded today by my groomer who had a customer complain about a similar experience. My issue actually happened twice and I dismissed it the first time as an anomaly. For reference, I have a 10 lb "meticulously" cared for Maltipoo. So, we dropped him off for our annual week long trip to the Bahamas. Upon picking him up, noticed something was not right (didn't think much about it). When I brought him home, let him outside to do his business - noticed he was struggling? A closer look and I was shocked to see (again!) a large amount of feces smoothly pressed up against his butt (blocking things up). I immediately called Palmer and the owner answered. His psychotic response was this: "Your dog is the most disgusting, dirty, nasty thing I have ever seen, messing in his kennel constantly, he must sh*t all over your house all day long!!" I proceeded to go off on him barking F'notes and he hung up on me. Never ever will go back. My takeaway is they were abusive to him, strong evidence (confirmed by others now) suggests they put a diaper on him so they did not want to clean after him. What type of person does this, or says this to a customer? He is a psycho! Stay away from this place! I never write bad reviews, but this one needs to be said. The 1 star is to highlight this review. read more

That is your average 3-stars kennel in a nice location - but I'll NEVER come back there because the owners are cheaters. They'll overcharge you by refusing to obey their own words. Watch out, you'll be robed and cursed there. At minimum, write down the terms of the agreement before you leave your dog and ask them to sign up: it may help at the time you're picking up your dog... unless, of course, they'll deny authentication of their signature :-( read more

It can be difficult to contemplate putting your beloved dog in a kennel, but sometimes it's necessary. Palmer Kennels is a very clean, well-run, reliable place with kind and competent staff. When I picked my dog up from a recent 3-day stay, she seemed in fine fettle. The only drawback is that you must pick your pet up by noon on Sunday or wait until Monday morning. I don't mind paying for the extra day, but at the end of a weekend away, it would be nice to be able to get the dog home on Sunday. I wish they had a window of an hour or two in the afternoon when you could pick up your animal. That's the sole reason I'm not giving it five stars, because Palmer is an excellent kennel. read more

I recently had a horrible experience at Palmer Kennel that left me wondering... if they treat people like this, how are they treating my dog? I was told on the phone that I could pick my dog up on Monday, a holiday. I asked the young woman on the phone to confirm as they are not typically open on a Monday holiday. She responded that yes, they would be open for pickup on Monday from 8-12. When I arrived Saturday to drop my dog off, there was a sign on the door indicating that they would not in fact be open on Monday. Had I known this, alternative arrangements would have been made. However, I am about to leave for a trip and didn't have that option. I walked inside to discuss this. I was told by the man at the desk that they are not responsible for what was quoted on the phone, that it is my responsibility as the customer to check the website. The man and woman at the desk were rude and obnoxious. The conversation escalated quickly and I told them that I had never seen such poor customer service. I was then told by a woman at the desk that my attitude was not appreciated and that my business was no longer welcome. The mistake was theirs and no effort was made to fix it and I was treated like a child. I've never dealt with such poor professionalism or customer service in my ife. I would not be comfortable leaving a living thing in the care of someone who would treat people in such a way. I have never heard of a company that would declare that they are not responsible for what their employees quote on the phone. As stated by another poster, there is no area for the dogs to exercise. They are kept in glorified crates for the length of their stay. read more

My dogs, Roscoe and Chappy, recently stayed at Palmer Kennel for a duration of ten days, while my family was away on vacation. Upon our return, we noticed that Chappy had lost a significant amount of weight. When he was picked up from the kennel, he appeared skeletal. At home, we weighed him and found that in the ten days he had been housed at Palmer Kennel he went from 75lbs. to 62.5lbs, Palmer Kennel did inform us that Roscoe had been stealing Chappy's food at the onset of their stay, so they began feeding them separately, but this amount of weight loss seemed severe to me. I wanted to ensure that I was not overreacting and scheduled a visit with our vet. Even after a week of extra feedings to increase his weight, our vet was still shocked at his condition. He had sores on his paws, had lost patches of fur, and was severely underweight. She advised that I reach out to the kennel to file a complaint. When I reached out to Palmer Kennel, the owner wrote me back explaining that Chappy had eaten normally throughout his stay and had behaved normally, as well. He also reported that Chappy was given extra meals, extra time at meals, and extra attention. I wrote back and explained that this could simply not be true, if he lost as much weight as he objectively had. I feel strongly that the kennel was negligent in their care of Chappy, and at least should have contacted me during my vacation to notify me of his downward turn. I do not believe that Chappy was given the extra care that Palmer Kennel's owner touted in his response to me. Since our return from vacation, Chappy has had to go to the vet twice due to the severity of his weight loss and the skin sores that have developed costing us extra time and money, as well as distress for our pup. We love our dogs and treat them like family. We will NEVER return to Palmer Kennel again!! read more

I have been using Palmer Kennels for about 10 years now. My parents and grandparents have used them as well. They have been in business for years. All of our dogs love going there. They jump right out of the car and into the Kennel. The staff is very welcoming. The kennels are always clean and my dogs ALWAYS come home exhausted! Which is always good when you come home from vacation. The price is very competitive and have checked around to other kennels in the same price range. I do wish they offered some out side time for the dogs though. Even though they come home exhausted, it would be nice to know that they would have another sort of exercise option for them. I would rate 5 stars if they offered a walking service :) I do reccommend to everyone I know that has a dog, too. read more

I have been using this kennel for more than ten years. I feel completely confident that the owners and staff really care about the dogs. One of my dogs is a rescue who wasn't always comfortable around men. They took the time and had the patience to allow my dog to approach them on her shedule. That showed me they cared about the dog's experience. I really like that they allow the dogs to be placed together for companionship, if that is ok with the owners. I always recommend this place. read more

I had to leave my lab puppy as I am a single man and the place was spotless and friendly service I felt very comfortable after my dog seemed happy and clean I'm definitely going to be a regular here highly recommend this place read more