Friendly staff .. they love our dogs and our dogs love them. They send photos of playtime each day.

The folks there are great and since it's not big they take extra care.

My dog loves this place. The staff is friendly & welcoming too. They are very cautious with the pets (for example, making sure there are no pets on the loose before they even open the front door)! Yes... little things like this matter to a pet parent who is leaving their baby in someone else's care. I love the attentiveness of the staff! read more

I used to take my dog Toby to Pets at Play when we lived in Richmond for daycare and boarding. I miss it so much and have yet to find such exceptional service in our new city. The staff are friendly, professional, and efficient. The prices are great, and Toby would basically be busting down the door when I would drop him off; super excited to get inside and play with his buddies!Overall, a great place and would highly recommend to anyone looking for a doggie daycare. read more

If you have a social dog who likes to play in an open environment with other dogs, this may be a good place for you for doggie daycare. Many Church Hill residents love it...unfortunately, my German Shepherd wasn't a good candidate for the open-concept play room. read more

Was in town for the weekend and needed a daycare. It was fine for our dog for one day, and they sent photos of him playing. I was a little off-put by some comments made by the staff about reasons that they would welcome my dog back but that some of his "behavior" would need to be watched closely. My dog loves all people and other dogs and has never had any issues at any other daycare. The experience felt a little over-sensitive to how dogs behave in new environments and around unfamiliar people. read more

We have been totally thrilled with Pets at Play in home care. We were originally in a pinch for a pet sitter and Pets at Play came through for us and they have been extraordinary every time we have used them since. We get multiple pictures of our pet being played with when they visit while we are away that lets us know our pet is doing well and is being cared for and they have been nothing short of professional and courteous. I would highly recommend their in home care to anyone in the Church Hill area. read more

I could not have made a better choice of daycare for Mugsy when I moved here last June!! I popped in one day and was given a tour. The facility is spotless. Mugsy is a 10yr old Yorkie and is treated like gold. We have been to a lot of daycares and Pets at Play is top notch. The staff is second to none, and their commitment to the animals truly shows. They have a seamless drop off /pick up scenario that works very well, especially when everyone is trying to get to work on time! The business is well run, has amazing employees, and a great clientele. The daily pictures are a huge bonus as well! read more

I boarded my Labradoodle at a popular Richmond dog day care/boarding center and after each stay, she came home with intestinal issues that required trips to the vet, which were pricier than the boarding. I found Pets at Play via the web with lots of great reviews so I gave them a try. My dog has never come home with anything other than positive vibes; no stomach issues. The staff is very friendly and professional - even reminded me that my dog was due for her Bordatella vaccine before the vet sent me a reminder! They even email me pics daily of Scout while she's a guest. I've been taking her to Pets at Play for a few years now and highly recommend them to all of my friends looking for a safe and loving place to board their sweet pups! read more

Since my original review I have continued to take several of my dogs here to be groomed every couple of months. Service has definitely improved and I can definitely see how and where they have been working to get better as far as grooming is concerned (I have never had another incident since). read more

My dog was very happy to board at Pets at Play for 2 days and he was exhausted when he came home. The staff is friendly, courteous, and gets to know your dog as an individual. They were extremely friendly when I dropped him off and picked him up and even responded politely and affectionately to a "check-up" phone call. My only complaints are that it's a bit expensive for the area, they didn't feed him breakfast one day because they fed him too much the previous day and ran out, and they don't have a large outdoor play area. Otherwise, I think it is a clean, trustworthy place for boarding or daycare. read more

*UPDATE. Since i posted this review this location has contacted me twice, blocked the number and I received a threatening message on this app (who knew it had messaging) saying Karma will "get me for writing bad reviews with no basis" PLEASE AVOID Phone staff seemed lovely and pleasant but manager Maria something isn't! Had an appt for my three dogs booked two months ahead of time. Three days before I called to see if I could bring in all three dogs on the same day (had two on one day and another on next, too big for me to handle on my own) and the manager, while sighing kept saying "I'll see." In the end she was able to accommodate my request and just as I was wrapping up the call the young child who I was watching screamed that her video stopped playing, she's two aka toddler rage. The manager interrupted what I was saying and said "ma'am you seem busy, what with three dogs and a kid, so if you're going to cancel be kind enough to give us 24 hours notice" having this appt booked for two months cancelling never crossed my mind. I tried to call back to speak to a manager, aka Maria, but she called at times I wasn't available and left two voicemails that basically said "sorry but see you soon". Cancelled appts because if I was spoken to that way who knows how my dogs will be treated. The last thing I need is to worry about their well being at a supposedly trusted place. read more

This place is awesome! My fiancé and I have a rescue dog who is super uneasy and skittish around people. After a few times of bringing her to Pets at Play we saw her run right up to the staff members with her tail wagging high in the sky! Another bonus of bringing our dog to Pets at Play is that we get an e-mail with pictures of our dog while she's having a blast! All the dogs there seem very very happy :) read more

After posting my review, I received a personal call from Maria at Pets at Play. Maria spent the morning contacting all of her staff members in regards to my issue. We discovered the email sent through their online portal did not seem to be functioning and thus, they never heard my concerns. Maria was very genuine and apologized profusely. She did offer if there was anything she could do to rectify the situation. Based on my experience, I don't know that I feel comfortable sending my pup back to the daycare. But I will say, this was a good gesture and exactly the response I should've gotten from the business. I appreciate the personal outreach and the respect and kindness Maria treated me with. read more

I take my dog here for grooming and daycare and it's the best. My dog is one to have anxiety and not wanting to leave my side but now when I say the word "daycare" she so excited and starts jumping around. The first couple of times I brought her, they would have to carry her back and now when we walk in she runs back all by herself. The people who work here are great too, and I can tell they really care about the dogs and always remember my Georgia. I took her there on her birthday and they told me they threw her a little party, haha! Also, when you do daycare you get pics sent to you email of your dog playing throughout the day, which is the best! The groomer here is fantastic too, I have been getting so many compliments on my dog's cut still and it's been probably 6 weeks since her groom appt. read more

DO NOT BRING YOUR DOG HERE FOR GROOMING! 1. They will give you one quote on the phone so you come in, then they inspect and add more fees and then when you pick it up they blatantly slap on more $ they will rip you off. 2. My 8 lbs Poodle went from looking like a teddy bear to an ugly big mouse. I asked to TRIM and wash and take care of the bum. Angie the groomer seems to have no experience, my well bred dog looks like I got him off the street. He also cant stop licking his one paw, which tells me she hurt him either while clipping his claws or something is cut there. 3. When I called to ask why my dog is still not ready it has been 4 hours (I dropped him off at 9AM)...Nikki the receptionist told me that the groomer is working on several dogs at the same time? I told her that in 14 years that I've been grooming him it takes an hour no matter what condition he is in. Why did they make me bring him in at 9AM and how is she working on 5-8 dogs at the same time? 4. *******When I asked Nikki to go ask groomer what is taking so long I've never had this...Nikki didn't realize that SHE DIDN'T PRESS THE HOLD BUTTON ON TIME and I heard her *HUFF and PUFF* and say "Oh my God...." and then put me on hold. The customer is always right and if I am an unhappy one don't let me hear you say it. 5. My dog always comes out happy after grooming and jumping, after they brought him him out he was shivering with his tail under his bum. What the did they do to him in there for 5 hours? Do bring your pet for grooming here. Ever. read more

Very pleased with how tired my baby boy T. Rex was when I picked him up after his first day at daycare! They have open play all day which was a huge selling point for me because the other place I tried did not have that. The hours are great too, for those of us who work inconsistent schedules. We will definitely be making this our primary daycare center. read more

t's been a long time since I had a dog that was socially adjusted enough to go to daycare. Adopting a middle-aged dog, you just never know. But Roxy goes once a week to get worn out and to keep her social skills up. She never hesitates at the door and drags me in and gives me the "later lady" look as she runs to the back. So Roxy highly recommends. I wish they had a live cam. The photos they email are always crappy and out of focus. Thoughtful, but useless to reuse. Grooming is also very good at Pets at Play. Makes it easy, one-stop-shop. read more

Wow! That's some response! I guess I can appreciate the sleight of hand tactics utilized in your attempt to make this all about the "purported safety" of the dogs in your care, thus nullifying a very valid complaint: the fact that you had no intention of admitting my dog to your facility due to his breed, and consequently, never conducted an actual evaluation in the first place! I would venture to guess even Cesar Millan would spend more than 60 seconds determining a dog's suitability to be around other animals but apparently, you are somewhat of a savant in the realm of doggy daycare. Oh, and the link from 8 YEARS AGO regarding a heart-wrenching story about the facility I mentioned in my complaint (while said facility was actually under totally different management!) was a nice touch as well. Brillant CYA but a tad vicious wouldn't you agree, not to mention incredibly misleading! Either way, kudos for thinking on your feet. Totally understand from a business perspective your need to try and turn this around, but we both know this was not about my dog's suitability for doggy daycare, non-existent aggressive behavior or my inability to accept sub-par evaluation results! I had your number from our initial interaction and stand firmly behind the accuracy of my review. As far as I'm concerned, I dodged a bullet! Good Luck! read more

We are impressed as to how clean the facility is. No odors. We recently left our elderly cocker with Pets At Play for ten days. A few days into stay, he was "down" in the hind quarters - no pain. We got daily updates from them and we knew he was getting lots of love! Toward end of visit, he was doing better - up but not fully stable. He has improved gradually at home. Vet says he has "old dog disease." We felt our dog got the best care with lots of love! read more

My dog loves this place. I don't know what they do back there, but Marley is always excited to go play. I also never had trouble getting a day care or last minute boarding reservation. read more

Love this place! We've been taking our dogs here for daycare and boarding since 2010. After we moved we continued to drive out of our way to keep taking the dogs here. Our dogs are always so excited to be there and they greet the staff warmly (even our very shy dog!) I know they are well cared for when we are on vacation- they are always healthy and happy when we pick them up. I know the owner values quality and communication from her staff and it is evidenced by the care taken of our dogs everytime. read more

Just moved to RVA so finding a new spot for my boy Bento was a must. He was super comfy and happy with his home-away-from-home in PDX. Pets At Play delivered in all counts. Not only is it within walking distance from my home, they offer everything that we are used to getting and then some. Having an web app to monitor and manage my account is super convenient. Staff sending pictures gives me comfort that my boy is having a blast. On our days off, Bento takes me for a walk to Pets At Play! That's how I know my boy is happy here!!! read more

I regularly have Pets at Play walk my miniature schnauzer at lunchtime. I love that they email you a few pics of your dog at the conclusion of the visit. The staff has always been pleasant, and they're pretty reliable. (Although I haven't used their grooming or boarding services) read more

If you are looking for quality grooming services, Pets at Play is NOT the place you want to go to. Most of the reviews for Pets at Play is about their daycare/boarding services, but their grooming services are by far the worst place I've ever been to. The staff isn't well-informed on what services they offer because when booking the appointment, I was told "the works" grooming package included certain services from one employee, but then was told something completely different from the manager. The groomer left my dog's face uneven and choppy. She also left 5 matted areas on my dog's chest area because she said "she didn't know I wanted those cut off." My dog's ears were full of hair and she said she only cuts the hair out of the ears of gray schnauzers, not any other colors (which makes absolutely no sense). I complained and met with the groomer to express my concern of the services she provided, and she was extremely defensive and had an excuse for everything SHE did wrong - blaming everything and everyone under the sun. She said "I've been grooming for over 17 years..." "This is what a schnauzer cut looks like..." Although she did an AWFUL grooming job, I would have appreciated if she at least owned up to her mistakes and apologized for leaving my dog looking so ridiculous. So if you're looking to come to Pets at Play for grooming, don't waste your money. read more

UPDATE: The manager, Maria, immediately called me upon receiving this review and we had a nice talk and we each clarified some things. End result being mistakes do happen but an apology is a very worthwhile endeavor even if it doesn't fix what happened. Thank you and I realize mistakes happen but if you know someone cares about it, it lightens the nature of the wound. INITIAL REVIEW: I was disappointed actually. I was being bitten at home by some insect, possibly fleas (if there is just one in my home it will eat me alive) and brought my dog to be boarded and given a flea bath just in case.... I was very clear to the person doing the intake that I needed her bathed and explained why. I was attempting to hit it from both sides... bombing my home and getting her treated as well. I was also clear that I might be picking her up possibly Saturday, or more likely Sunday. I bombed my place while I was traveling and arrived back to pick her up on Sunday mid morning after being up for 24 hours and ready for bed... they had NOT treated her or bathed her to assist in my attempt to get rid of biting culprit (she had been boarded for a couple of days or so)... so the intent of my desire to rid myself of the pest was completely derailed by the lack of customer service. Why would you NOT treat a pet immediately when you are told they may have fleas and instead put them in with all the other pets without treatment and possibly cause another person's pet to be infected... let alone the plea of your customer going unheard and not acted upon. read more

My dog was supposedly chasing smaller dogs like they were pray. Never seen her do that, but OK. So she was kept in a cage for the ENTIRE duration of her stay there. She was not given so much as a walk. She got bathroom breaks, but that was it. Nobody called to notify me of the situation, either; I would have happily come and gotten her sooner, but I was assuming she was having a fun and stimulating experience and getting lots of exercise. But instead, I paid $63 to have her locked in a cage for 30 hours, and picked up a rambunctious dog that hadn't gotten any exercise in a full day. I would not recommend this place at all and am very upset about it. I have been trying to speak to the owner to express my upset but so far, no luck. read more

We used Pets at Play regularly when we lived in Richmond for our dog, Sydney. She sometimes stayed there for the day; other times for a week or two. She loved it. Maria forwarded pictures of our dog to us which were interesting enough that one of them remains hanging in our apartment years later. Sydney loved going to Pets at Play so much that she was excited to get in the car, into the door, and into the back. Even four years later, hands-down, my favorite dog care place. read more

I love Pets At Play! We started bringing our dog, Oscar, for daycare and boarding when he was a tiny puppy, and from day one they've treated him like their own. The staff are so warm and caring - they've immeasurably helped us adjust to life with a new puppy, and never fail to answer my millions of new dog mom questions. I always trust that Oscar is in safe and loving hands while he's at Pets at Play, and we know he loves it there so much because we can't walk by the place on walks without him begging to go in. Before our first time at PAP, I was nervous about whether other dogs would be rough with Oscar (he's a small breed, and also just a puppy, and more than once a large dog has seen him as "prey"), but there are separate rooms for small and large dogs, and the staff make dogs "try out" before they're allowed in. So, once I learned the safety precautions they take my worry vanished! It's so fabulous how we get pictures of him playing every afternoon via email. Their pricing is very reasonable, and I like that he gets maximum time to play (but also a good amount of time to rest!) for the cost. I've also really enjoyed their grooming services. It's so convenient to pick him up from daycare or boarding fresh and clean! read more

Pets at Play does a fantastic job with their in-home cat sitting services, which I have used them for 10 day week vacations, weekends out of town, xmas holidays, etc. They quickly get back to me with price quotes and availability, and they deliver as promised. When we are away we get frequent updates (emails and PHOTOS) of what our furball is up to, and when we return home we find these amazingly entertaining notes detailing when they stopped by or stayed over, and details of what they did with our kitty. In addition to the relief that our kitty has company to cuddle up and play with while we are out of town, I like having people come in and grab mail and packages, turn lights on, and generally make our home look occupied. All the staff is extremely courteous and professional. It is obvious they all care about animals, and especially our little furball! Worth every penny! read more

Disclaimer: I don't have a dog. I do however get the opportunity to drop in on Pets at Play for business reasons now and then. What I find is: friendly workers who love dogs, happy customers, and most important, happy dogs. I'm happy to recommend this business to my friends who need boarding, help with dog walking and the other services Pets at Play offers. read more

I was really disappointed in the quality of the care and the facility considering how much they charge. They must think they're running some upscale doggie boutique! I don't think so...it's kinda small and dumpy. read more

I saw a review about someone being new to the area...I am also new, and found one of the staff members to be particularly rude and hateful. They have a policy that you are not to show up even a few minutes early to pick up your dog. I made the mistake of showing up 10 minutes early, which at other facilities is appreciated, but I was given a verbal thrashing about never being early. Makes me wonder why, and what they are doing to the dogs in the back room! Apparently, this is only a respected place if you've lived in the neighborhood a while. Newcomers are not welcome. read more

I would hate for this review to get filtered just because I gave it five stars so I gave it four so it will be read actually. This is a five star place though. I have two dogs and sometimes pet sit for my mom. When I work 12 hour days, I bring them all here. One dog has IBD, one dog is blind in one eye and has the typical ACD aversion to strangers and my moms dog is geriatric. All three are tired and happy when they get picked up and are excited to go there in the am. My dog with IBD never has flare ups after being here, they know his medical needs and my ACD really enjoys himself. It is rare to find animal people who are so good at listening to an owners needs and not insisting they know best. I have no reservations bringing my pets here and totally recommend this place. read more

Pets at Play was a god send for my pup. My dog is used to lots of attention and company, as my husband used to work from home. My dog is almost 10 years old, so he can't (and isn't interested in) keeping up with the younger crowd. I brought him mostly for the mental stimulation of being around new people and dogs, and I think he thrived on all the attention from the staff more than anything else. In the morning, he would get very excited as soon as he realized it was a day care day, and he was wiped out when we got home in the evening. The staff got to know him very well, and it was comforting for me to hear that he acted the same way at day care as he does goofing around at home. read more

I have been taking my large breed friendly dogs to Pets At Play for about 4 months. We had not experienced any issues in the time we used them at all. We always received great photos of our dogs having a great time there. During the Christmas vacation (the reason we started to board the dogs in the first place), we dropped our dogs off on Christmas Eve and picked them up the Friday afterwards. We were told that the oldest of our two pups would not be allowed to come back because he was "putting his head on other dogs" when we inquired if he was showing any aggression (showing teeth, growling, biting, barking) the owner advised that he was not. She only kept repeating that he was "putting his head on other dogs" he had been there the week prior and was boarded a few weeks before that with great reports. The owner advised us that no amount of money would let her continue to have our dogs there because she didn't want any dogs to get hurt. The only report that we have ever received from them in regards to our dog is that "he licks too much." We just laughed and responded that he is a very affectionate dog, it is in the breed. She also kept advising that the dogs did nothing wrong. He is a very well socialized pup and goes to play with other dogs at the dog park every weekend. Basically, the employees at Pets at Play are not professional dog handlers. And with larger breeds they are not confident and in turn would rather you not bring them there. Our dogs did love going to Pets at Play and will surely miss seeing their friends from the dog park and P@P but we would never leave our pets in such incable hands. read more

this is definitely not a great place for dogs to stay. its very small, overcrowded, and no outdoor space...unless you consider a 5x5 plot of grass adequate for 30 dogs. its way over-priced for the conditions. cages with rubber mats are what they put the dogs in. its awful. read more