Our Vet recommended that we get our border collie groomed and I was reluctant because I have heard horror stories of groomers not doing good jobs with Border Collies. James was recommended by a person on west coast border collies and I booked an appointment. I am so happy that I did! Our boy looks amazing and James did a wonderful job! Will definitely be coming back! He got all of our dogs undercoat off and all the mats out without shaving him! Can't say enough about how happy we are. read more

Stanley Bark - Pet Sitting Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Stanley Bark is a dog store on Alberni that provides daycare and grooming services. The service is good and the store is small yet stylish. All the dogs seem to be content. The prices are reasonable considering their location, but still a bit too rich for my blood. If I could let my dog stay at daycare all the time, I would. But for now, it will be once in a while. Full Day ($30.00) Package of 10 full days ($26.00 per day) Package of 20 full days ($23.00 per day) Bath & Blow Dry - Grooming varies with request read more

Can't say enough good about this place. I've used 3 other groomers none come close to the precision of the cut my dog received. I highly recommend supporting this wonderful local business read more

We found this doggy day care on line and would highly recommend them. We needed to board our Lucy when we went to Whistler. We visited Vancouver for few days and didn't have chance to personally check out any place. We were a bit nervous leaving her in the new place overnight. When we picked her up next day she was fine. I don't think she missed us. If we ever come back to Vancouver we would use Stanley Bark Dog daycare again. read more

I been looking at this place for awhile and finally got an appointment with them for teeth cleaning. I like that my dog would not be put under anesthesia and the price is good. My dog does not have a lot of teeth. Going to the vet will cost between $300 - $600. This place only charges me $175 for first time and then $125 afterward. Which is what my dog needs - regular maintenance. I am giving this a five stars because there is not a lot of doggy day care place that offers this service and my dog was happy when my sister pick him up. She told me he was fine and normal. When I have dropped him off the vet for teeth cleaning and picked him afterward, he was always shaken. His teeth were cleaned up nicely and I like how they provided a dental report card. The report provide detailed information on his teeth health status and what to do to improve his condition. It also provided the name of the person who cleaned him, the date, and his estimated next clean up. Very professional. I also like that this place is near Stanley Park and near my office and sister's office. My dog can have nice walk around the park and it is convenient to drop/pick him up. read more

We were at a doggie meet up at the park yesterday and one of the pet owners commented on how distressed their puppy was at having to get groomed at this facility. We were mortified by what we all heard about your place. And felt we should let the owner know that none of us felt comfortable with the story. The puppy was so overwhelmed that the groomer didn't know how to handle him and the more the groomer lacked sensitivity the more that puppy became distressed. We heard that the puppy was over the top in fear. Then, to add insult to reason, the owners charged the family $50 more for the groomers distress explaining that they had to charge more because they couldn't calm the puppy down. What is that all about? Not only did they make this family pay for an event that distressed everyone, they had a "groomer distress fee" on top of that. If there are any consumer advocates out there, please chime in as none of us at our dog group want to go to this place. And if this pup was a one off, then, they should have treated it as such. Not all hair stylists get it right the first time either and if they botch it, they make ammends....they don't charge MORE!!!! read more

This is an amazing daycare for small dogs! I used to take my dog Oscar when it was the previous owner, and they were great, but the new owner James is really wonderful. We left our 7 month old puppy Violet with him for a day and a sleepover, and I was so impressed with how great he was with her, and how much he put us at ease. He sent us tons of great pics of her, he's also an amazing photographer! It's a small place, but with the daily walks they give the dogs, it's a good setup. Also, so much cleaner than many other places, she didn't come home dirty as she does from other daycares. Also, she was happy and tired, and that says a lot! read more

For months my dog seemed mopey and disinterested in everything. I brought him to other daycares several times before but then he came home smelling like urine... Luckily, discovered this place! I actually live in Coquitlam but drive out to this place because I don't trust those sketchy looking places where customers can't even see the dogs while they're in daycare.. LOVE the service and how they actually play with the dogs too! And I'm happy my little guy seems more cheerful these days. Service is incredible, I really like Kylie in particular! Thanks for everything you guys!! read more

Where to begin... This place seems to have a lot of good reviews, so maybe I just happened to be experiencing everything on their employees' "off" days...? When I first called, I was asking for some more information as I was thinking of bringing my dog here, the girl on the phone was quite rude and dismissive. I was asking simple questions that most new customers would like to know, and all she kept saying was "just bring your dog in." That phone call was enough to deter me, but I thought I'd drop by to ask a few questions that I didn't get answered over the phone. (I live in Burnaby, but work downtown, so the whole idea is to drop my dog off before work, and pick her up after work.) As soon as I walked in, all the dogs came running and barking towards the front reception area, where the two employees at the time were on the computer, playing on their phones, and not keeping an eye on the dogs. I didn't really get a greeting from either of them (they both seemed rather bored and unenthusiastic). One of them kind of gave me a snooty up-and-down look (I work as an HVAC technician, so my clothes aren't the sparkliest). After an awkward few seconds of silence, I said the first "Hello." I talked to them about how my dog is trained, but gets nervous around other dogs and people, and if daycare would be a good place to start getting her to open up. One of the employees kept on insisting "Well your dog's probably not trained if she gets nervous." I assured her that she is trained, and goes to a very reputable training facility. And her response was "Well, they're probably not training her properly. None of our dogs here have that problem." At this point, I was starting to get a little irritated, not to mention one of the employees continued playing on her phone the whole time. So I asked if the owner is around, hoping to get a bit more information. The employee said, "no." And that's all she said. Like I said, maybe I'm just catching them on their "off" days, but simple courtesies like greeting a new customer should be a no-brainer. Unfortunately the first word that comes to mind when describing this place is "snooty." For what it's worth, their dogs seemed to get along pretty well. The place didn't seem to smell as bad as most daycares. Comparing to the other daycares, their prices are so-so (Burnaby daycares are $5-$10 cheaper per day.. which amounts to roughly $100-$200 a month. But let's face it. This is downtown.) They seem to do what they do well enough to have people give them all these 5-star ratings, but simply due to the lack of (and borderline offensive) customer service I personally experienced, I definitely will not be coming here. read more

James, the new owner, really made our day! Pepper, our pug, needed to be cared after for a 24 hour stay, with no notice. James was more then happy to accommodate! I dropped her off and picked her up the next day, she was so happy. She had her nails trimmed while there, and they even did a full undercoat brush-out for free. The price was great, and I felt confident in leaving my tiny girl behind knowing she was in good hands. I had the feeling I was leaving her with someone who was responsible, professional, friendly, kind and caring and certainly loves dogs! James went out of his way by feeding her raw food for me, because I didnt have time to defrost mine and bring it, I was about to buy some quickly at the store, but he said he was more then happy to help! The text update was really nice to get, I wasn't expecting it either! Oh, and before I left I saw there had been two more pictures taken that were amazing and are being sent to me as well :) I love the location, Definitely my new dog sitter! read more

Obviously they change owners every 8 months or so. 4 different owners in 3 years. Countless dif. employees - do you really trust 20 different people to watch your dog? . Most importantly, every time I've went in since new owner - the place stinks, just stinks, of cleaning products and/or essential oils. As an FYI - most essential oils are TOXIC to dogs. Their smell is 1000 x's stronger than ours. It may not make dogs sick immediately - but in ie. 6 months - expect problems. I spent 4 hours of my life researching the toxicity of oils when I rescued my dog....the research extensively showed most types are UNSAFE. A list out of 100 - proved 70 of them to be toxic. My dog - vomitted twice after being there for 5 minutes. I emailed the owner; he did NOT email back. If a business owners wants to defend themselves/express an opinion ie. "oils are safe" - then write back. In this case, no reply - means to me - that he only cares about the money. Fantastic owners 3 years ago. Nothing but problems since 2014. read more

We went into Stanley Bark the other day to get our pups nails clipped. James the owner remembered us, as we had been in there a year ago and were dissatisfied with grooming of our dogs. He not only remembered us, but went very much out of his way to make us feel appreciated as customers. I was very very impressed by the customer care attention and that is why I'm giving him a 5 star. read more

Visited Vancouver for a few days and decided to book their day care service when we went to Whistler for a day trip. I booked same day and even though we were just visiting they were able to fit us in. Of course, vaccination docs were required for safety. The staff was friendly, the place was clean and my fur baby enjoyed his stay. Definitely recommend this place. read more

I took my dog (a border-collie/ lab) to James to get her nails trimmed and he was great. He was available right away (which was impressive since it was 7:30am) and managed my dog very well despite her nervousness and dislike of nail trimming. Highly recommended! read more

I'm so angry right now, I could scream loud enough to be heard on other continents. I'm surprised they didn't tattoo a swastika on our little dog, because they've managed to turn her into a skinhead. She had a couple of mats on her ears and at the base of her tail. We've had her groomed at other places and this has NEVER happened. Her long, silky coat and plume tail took THREE YEARS to grow from puppyhood. And now THIS ... just in time for winter too. Just because someone was too lazy and/or incompetent to do the job right. They didn't even call to ask if a total shave would be okay. The one star is only because they're giving us a refund ... which won't grow our dog's beautiful coat back. read more

NEVER AGAIN!! I dropped my albs and 12lbs dogs for grooming, 5.5 hours later, one of them was still not done. She did a horrible job (even she admitted she "didn't do her best"). The price?? Apparently a 5 pound Pomeranian cross would cost -$70 and a 12 pound Poodle cross would cost - $80. But because she "didn't do her best" as she stated, she charged me $55 each dog. I was late for work and now I have to go back there to try to fix one of my dogs. Interesting enough, my mom have taken both if my dogs there before and they charged the 5 pound dog $55 and the 12 pound poodle cross $65. She bumped up the price for me so she could charge me full price!!!! Here is what the website says for pricing: organic Full Dog Groom (organic bath, cut & style, ear clean, nail trim, paw tidy, sani-trim, blowdry & brushout) $45 - 55 for tiny dogs $55 - 65 for small dogs $65+ for medium/long-haired dogs *Additional de-matting on your dog's fur requires more time spent and may incur an additional $10 Prices vary with the size, coat, and temperament of your dog. Please call or drop by with your pooch to find your price range. AND SOME HOW A SMALL DOG WILL COST YOU $70 AND A SMALL-MEDIUM DOG - $80 DO NOT GO TO STANLEY RIP-OFF!! PART II: So I went back this morning, to drop off my dog to get her grooming fixed and this is how I was greeted at the door: Man: " I don't think what you wrote was fair". REAAAAALLY?? DO YOU THINK IT'S FAIR TO STRESS A DOG FOR THE SECOND TIME AROUND, WHEN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME? DO YOU THINK IT'S FAIR THAT I WAS LATE FOR WORK? DO YOU THINK IT'S FAIR THAT I HAVE TO TAKE TIME OFF TO GO BACK THERE AGAIN? DO YOU THINK IT'S FAIR TO CHARGE ONE PRICE AND THEN CHARGE HIGHER LATER? DO YOU THINK IT'S FAIR TO BLAME THE CUSTOMER??? THIS IS MY RIGHT!!!!!! YOUR JOB IS TO GROOM THE DOG, I'M NOT A DOG GROOMER, OTHERWISE I WOULD NOT HAVE GONE TO YOUR CRAPPY PLACE! WHATEVER HAPPENED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE?? I'M SO SORRY YOU HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE. LET ME MAKE IT UP TO YOU???? INSTEAD, I GET: " I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR WHAT YOU WROTE" UNBELIEVABLE!!! Ps: This happened in 2015, it's now 2017 and I get an apology?? Are you kidding me? Dashing Dawgs is MUCH BETTER and I'll stick with them but thanks! read more

My dog loved this place!! Free of worries... =)

My pup loves going to Stanley Bark and it gives him a chance to socialize in a happy and dog friendly environment. Living next door we pass Stanley Bark on our walks and he always runs up to the door which to me is a sure sign it is place he feels safe and secure. I would recommend to anyone that wants a clean, fun, professional and friendly place to drop their fuzzy friends with peace of mind. The only place for my little guy because...he deserves the best! read more

I brought another dog in when it was the old owners and was very disappointed but with the new owners I am confident in bringing my dog for daycare. Laura and Kylie are great workers and even boarded my dog with them. I like the fact that they recieve proper walks, not let out into a gated off area. I also bring my dog in for grooming and always get positive comments with his cut. Unfortunately, I have moved and it is inconvenient to bring my dog in but I appreciate the care and love he recieved. read more

New Management - and what a difference!!!! Today was our dogs first day @ Stanley Bark, and I was happy to see the changes. The place looks great, clean and happy! Maggie and her team have done a great job!! Our pooch will definitely be going back!! read more

Two thumbs up! Very happy with their service for our precious little Maggie! I've brought Maggie here three times now and every time the gentleman working has assured me that they'll make her as comfortable as possible! Price is reasonable as well! read more

James and his staff are fantastic. They are very clean and care for their clients. One of the best places ever to drop off your small dog for personalized care and attention. Excellent grooming as well. read more

I heard about Stanley Bark while I was walking my dog Tori at Coal Harbour Park. I had some other daycare places approach me when walking my dog, but this was the owners mother scouting us so I figured this would be the right fit. Stanley Bark is in the perfect location off Alberni and Denman. Tori loved going there and I seriously never had any issues with the staff. Every time I picked her up Sonja was always holding her and giving a ton of attention. I even trusted them enough to board Tori there when I went on a weekend trip to Whistler. There was a last minute change and we found out the cabin that we were staying in was not pet friendly. I frantically called Sonja if she could take Tori with such notice and she was very reassuring that it was not a problem. It was the first time that I was ever separated from my dog for my than 8 hours so I was a wreck. Instead of leaving her at the daycare at night they brought her home with them. Tori was always happy after a day at Stanley Bark and most importantly she never got sick under their care. Sadly, I had to move back to California but if I ever return I would definitely bring my dog back here and highly recommend them. The staff was so friendly that they even emailed me to check in about our move and sent pictures of my dog at her last days at daycare. If you want a friendly atmosphere where they treat your dog like their own go here! read more

Stanley Bark is under new ownership and is amazing! Maggie and her team are great! Norman loves going there and has met so many friends. The place is clean and the staff are attentive. They take the dogs out frequently to do their business, which I love and if your dog is there for a full day they get a walk in Stanley Park. I always get great pictures of Norman and updates of his day. Whatever you've heard or read in the past is no longer applies. If you are looking for a great small dog daycare in downtown Vancouver this is the place! read more

James was awesome, super accommodating with my indecisiveness. Max had a great time with James and receiving daily pictures of my baby was very good too. read more

HI, my experience with James, the new owner, has been amazing. I am a new dog owner and he has given me so much great advice. I find him and his staff always helpful, nothing is too much trouble, they really go out of their way to help. My puppy had been to the doggy day care, had grooming and had 24 hour care as well. She is well loved and taken care off. When Skye is staying with James, he sends text and photos to give me updates and he gave her a good brush, Skye was well exercised as well. I have recommended Stanley Bark to my friends who have also used James for 24 hour care and they had a great experience too. I am so happy to have found James and Stanley Bark and I would recommend the company without hesitation. read more

This doggy day care is amazing. My dog loves playing with the other dogs and I know he gets two good walks. Their groomer is great, I wanted Teddy groomed a certain way and she advised against it and she was right! He's going back Thursday for another grooming.Their rates are more than reasonable and most importantly I know my dog will be safe. read more

I have left a couple of reviews about this place and will leave another one. First of all, my condolences to the groomer; I wish you a safe trip back from your home country and that your family may find peace soon. My puppy loves this place, still does, has grooming here, has had help from the people here reintegrating with doggies after a dog attack and likes the extra walking and fresh air in Van! This place is very clean (I like this). This I LOVE...there are a number of times where I have gone to pick up my doggie at the end of the day, and the owner is hanging on to her or she is sitting on a chair. :) All of the people here are very friendly and great watching the dogs interact with one another, which is important as my puppy stresses out easily. read more

I can't say enough good things about Stanley Bark. James, the owner is great. I just recently started taking my dog there. I had looked into three doggy daycare places and emailed two of them, one which was Stanley Bark. James responded immediately. His email tone was friendly, casual and professional. The other place didn't even respond. The website for one of the other places also had this endless list of finger-wagging rules and regulations. It was dizzying and rather a turn-off as a new customer looking for a great place to take my dog. Stanley Bark's website gives you what you want to see and what you want to know. Obviously if issues arise, James would have to take them up with the dog's parent(s) but I like that the relationship doesn't start off on that foot. I bring my dog in one day per week but there will be some weeks where I won't be able to and others where I might bring her in for two days in a week. I appreciate that Stanley Bark offers full flexibility that way. There's no "minimum order" as was the case with one of the other places that I looked at. So far I've met James and I've met Matt and I just know that my dog is in great hands with them. I also really appreciate the email updates and pics that they send. It's very reassuring. Top notch customer service and a just a great business overall. Highly recommended. Don't hesitate to bring your dog there. Thanks James and Matt. read more

February 4th, 2014 I retried Stanley Bark. They are under new ownership and have spiffed the place up. I had my poodle mix groomed by Jody. Jody gave my dog one of the best grooms she's ever had! There were many small dogs there that all appeared very happy. My dog was very happy and at ease. The staff is very nice. The price of the groom was $65.00 which is right in the ball park of other grooming services I've used. I am definitely a new customer and will retry the daycare services as well. read more

I have a nervous little Yorkie dog, he's always been that way. One day I was running errands all day and didn't want to leave him at home by himself. Yelp pointed me to Stanley Bark and I'm so glad I came here! I phoned first to make sure they took walk-ins, she said they did and I told her about Chewie's nervousness, especially around other dogs. She assured me that they get all types and personalities of dogs. As soon as I came in it was the same girl at the desk (Australian accent?) who immediately took Chewie started gently introducing him to all the other little dogs there. It was very reassuring! I only needed a half day but I thought why not get him socialized a bit since he seems to be in safe environment so i left him there for about 8hrs. Normally, when I leave him anywhere with strangers, he comes back super stressed out (you can tell when they're sad and stressed). When I picked him up, he came trotting out, energetic and happy as can be!! To top off the whole experience, I got a report card!! I loved it. I think it's such a great idea, for me... that was the icing on the cake. You always wonder how your dog did, for an owner of a dog who hates dogs, to get just a few comments about which dog he made friends with, made me soooo happy, and I can't wait to bring him back here! Made my day to know my dog was having a good time :) read more

My friend referred me to this place and I have to say it was was a great recommendation. At the last minute, I needed to board my dog over the weekend for one night I contacted them and they were so accommodating. Everything was so easy. I dropped off my bulldog and was on my way. During my weekend away, I even received a beautiful digital portrait of my dog! He looked like he was having a great time. Thanks again and will definitely be back. read more

We took our 7 month old pups here to be groomed. When we went to pick them up the girl at the counter started telling us that our dogs had phycological problems and that they could not groom them as they were too afraid of the process. We wash the pups and brush them out all the time. I would suggest the problem lies with their process. The staff seem completely incompetent and our dogs were cowering in a corner when we picked them up. all that they had done was wash them and cut around their face. They however had no problem charging us $100 for doing essentially nothing. I would suggest that any place could do a better job that Stanley Bark and highly encourage prospective clients to look elsewhere. read more

I am so glad to have encountered the people at Stanley Bark. There are new owners there. They have changed and cleaned up the inside of the day care. Maggie the owner is very friendly and helpful. The staff were professional and our dog seems relaxed and happy. Not like some other places we've tried where our dog is practically screeching at us to get out of there. It's easy and convenient and I love that my dog gets to go for walks in that area. read more

I will never take my dog back to this groomer. They squeezed my dog into the day with too many other appointments booked in, and as a result they rushed through my dogs groom. He didn't come out with an even trim, and they failed to bathe him. Little hairs stuck to my face when I picked him up, and he felt like powder. I think all they did was pour powder on him to make him smell nice. I had to bathe him myself at home. Not to mention the entire night he was shaking, quivering and just wasn't active or being himself and I had to go to the vet the next day. Turns out they cut his skin and didn't tell me! He was traumatized at this facility! They charged me the entire price of the groom too, even though I clearly told them I didn't like his groom and I doubted he was bathed (I didn't know at that time he also had a cut in his armpit). I called and talk to the main lady as well as the groomer, and all they did was deny that they cut him or that anything bad happened to him. Such, such a horrible place. I always warn my friends not to go to this place, and I certainly will not be returning. read more

My frenchie Sophie LOVES Stanley Bark. She's been going there for over a year, and likes it so much she knows the exact route to get there. She comes home very tired and happy at the end of the day. The staff are always very friendly and helpful. I've also used their grooming and boarding services, both were great. read more

I've been looking for a daycare for quite sometime for my 7 month old Sheltie. We visited a couple so I know what the others offer. When we went to visit Stanley Bank, the man at the front desk made no effort at all. He handed me a pamphlet which was really a couple pieces of printer paper and didn't even try to make small talk let alone explain the services to me. Didn't offer to show me the facility or anything. After looking at the packages and prices I mentioned that I saw a monthly unlimited pass on the website for $400. He then informed me that he took over the business March of last year and got rid of that package and said he should probably update the website. No kidding! 10 Months later he still hasn't updated the website! Now you must buy 20 day packages, which cost $140 MORE THAN THE MONTHLY UNLIMITED! It is now $540 instead of $400 for one month. That's a big price hike to not find out about until you are in the store! Pet Shop Boys will train your dog, have one on one time with them, and every employee is trained in pet first aid for the same price as this shack. The Doghouse will bring your dog on three walks a day (Stanley Bark only does 2) and feed your dog at whatever time you want, for the same price. I came home and had no intention of bringing my dog back there but my husband insisted we do because this is the only place that doesn't have a wait list. I arrived at the store 7:30am Monday which is when they were supposed to open. There were no lights on and no one inside. I waited around for 10 minutes and nothing! So I left. I start work at 8 so I thought 7:30 was cutting it close but if I was waiting there for when they opened it would be OK, but not when they can't even bother to show up on time. This was the last straw, especially since all other daycare's open at 7. Even considering this place was such a waste of my time! If you don't mind throwing your money away when there are other places that provide better care, this place is for you. And if you don't mind waiting around for people to show up, this place is also for you. read more

Unfortunately the review I am writing isn't a positive one, as I had hoped it would be. I bought my rescue dog here, when she was roughly 7 months old, and with the old owners there was never a problem, at least nothing they had ever brought up to me. My dog LOVED the girls there and was always excited to see them. Unfortunately the new owners weren't as friendly and, it seemed to us, that they werent experienced handling and caring for dogs. The one owner was consistently snippy with us from day one and on multiple occasions I witnessed him literally yank my dog by the collar to bring her into the facility - he doesn't even know how to pick up a dog to hand her over the fence. This is never the case at other dog care facilities. During our final days of taking our dog to Stanley Bark I would find her locked behind a fence in the back room with some other dogs when I would go to pick her up. There was a problem with my dog going to the bathroom in the facility and we made sure to always take her for a walk in the morning before dropping her off and always ensured that she had gone to the bathroom before we left her at the daycare as they requested. Only after parting ways with Stanley Bark did I find out that they only walk dogs twice a day! Once at 10 and again at 2! Which is crazy, especially for little dogs who need to be taken out more especially on those days when we can't get out of work and back downtown in until 630pm! I pay $33 a day for them to sit there and then only walk the dogs twice? Especially since there isn't an outdoor area for the dogs to play in like a lot of other doggy daycares. They told me my dog couldn't come back, without any warning! Not only that but my dog has contracted a virus, which could have been from that facility and no wonder she had a problem with going to the bathroom in the facility the poor thing was sick! Now looking at other daycares there are so many options with big outdoor play areas and more walking opportunities so my dog isn't stuck in a small space with very little exercise. This may not be everyone's experience but if you would like your dog to be properly cared for during the day then I would highly suggest you find another place to do so. Somewhere with friendly staff who will make sure that your dog comes home happy and healthy. read more

5 STARS! What a wonderful location (couple blocks away from Stanley Park) and great daycare to take your beloved furry friend to. I live and work D/T and came across this daycare one day walking by during my lunch break. I noticed the beautiful Christmas decor and decided to stop in to chit chat with the owner who was playing with the dogs in the main area. He greeted me with a warm smile. Just by the excitement in his voice when talking about dogs, I knew my dog would love it there. I was right! They took my dog out for 2 walks a day, one in the morning and another walk in the afternoon. It was the perfect way to train him to do his business twice a day outside and one last time at home just before he goes to bed. I also brought my dog during the holidays for 12 days of home boarding. The owner emailed beautiful photos of him and provided me with updates on how he was doing. I would not hesitate to recommend this place for anyone who's looking for doggie daycare or home boarding. Definitely a home away from home for your doggie! Thanks! read more