Eva’s Play Pups

I use Eva’s to board my dog when I’m away and this place is just fantastic. If you are going away for more than a few days, you have the option of sending your dog to «the farm» in Pennsylvania for the same fee where they can roam freely and do all sorts of activities. Whether your dog stays in Brooklyn or goes to the farm in PA, they post photos on social media so if you are as obsessed with your little one as I am, you can see how they are doing while you’re away. These people are obsessed with top notch care and it shows.

Eva’s Play Pups has really saved my life. I work unpredictable hours and after Buddy’s told me my dog «barked too much and the neighbors complained» (I’ve never heard my dog bark except for when she feels threatened) and that I should not bring her as much, I decided to take her elsewhere. She LOVED Eva’s and comes home way happier. At one point, her harness broke and they happily gave me a new one. Their hours are great and their staff has been wonderful. Because of work, I sometimes have to board my dog on a whim and Eva’s has always been understanding. I don’t want to take my dog anywhere else!

It’s a shame the most I can give is five stars.
We’ve had our rescue dog for 5+ years, and we’ve always boarded him with Eva’s. They are so kind and sweet, and genuinely love animals. They go out of their way to post photos and videos, which is always fun and reassuring. Our dog isn’t the most social with other dogs, but Eva and Sofia bring out the best in him.
They also go out of their way to be accommodating, even fitting us in last minute. The most impressive was when my wife went into labor two weeks early. On the way to the hospital, I grabbed an extra set of keys to our apartment. I emailed Eva’s at 6 am asking if someone could come to the hospital, get the keys, go to our apartment, pick up the dog, and leave the keys. Within a few minutes, Sofia responded, despite the ungodly hour, that someone would do so. About an hour later, someone was there to pick up the keys.
I don’t know where I’d be without them.

I don’t like writing bad reviews but I wouldn’t want any other dog owner to subject their dog to what we experienced. My husband and I took our 8 month old puppy to Eva’s Play Pups for a «meeting» in advance of signing her up for day care sessions there. What we saw of the staff was so appalling that we walked out shortly, thankful that our dog had not been seriously injured.
The «meeting» consisted of a staff member putting our puppy in a room with two other dogs, one of which was quiet and submissive and the other one of which was aggressive. The aggressive one immediately began jumping on, pinning down and biting our puppy while the staff member looked on, occasionally saying vague things like «play nice» to the aggressive dog. My husband and I are both aware of how dogs play with each other so at first we were not overly concerned, but then the aggressive dog started not only nipping but growling more and more loudly at our dog. Since our dog was on her back at that point (completely submissive and exposed), the other dog was growling and nipping and staff member did absolutely nothing to intervene, I felt I needed to do something and — potentially putting myself at risk of a dog bite — quickly moved the other dog aside and picked my puppy up. We took out puppy to wonderful socialization classes in which the observant instructors ALWAYS intervened when play became too rough, so we had a very good idea of where the limits are.
Needless to say, we walked out immediately, completely horrified, never to return. We would absolutely never in a million years entrust our dog to someone who either knows or cares (or both) so little about the animals in her care. We were completely appalled. Please, please think twice or three times before ever allowing such obviously careless and unknowledgable people to take care of your beloved pet.

We sent our dog to Eva’s country camp for a week. They came back with kennel cough, an eye infection and two large cuts — one on their nose and one below their eye. No one contacted us to let us know our dog had been injured. Extremely unprofessional and disconcerting.
We understand that accidents can happen, but Eva should have her staff take the time to contact owners and let them know something has happened.
Please do yourself a favor and find alternate care for your dog. We will never use Eva’s again and we will tell all our friends to do the same.

It is with great sadness that I write this review …
… because we have moved away from Brooklyn, and we can no longer avail ourselves of the loving care of Eva, Sophia, and their colleagues.
Phoebe always came back from countryside boarding happy and super-​tired — exactly what she needs as a high-​energy dog who loves running and playing with others. It was always super-​clear from the pictures and videos (extra bonus, by the way) that she was having the time of her life in the Endless Mountains.
We always knew that we went away on vacation, she was in good hands at Eva’s. The introductory discount for Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue dogs was simply a bonus.
So to Eva, Sophia, and the gang — thank you for taking such wonderful care of our Phoebe. She sends doggie kisses and boxer hugs all the way from her new home in San Diego.
And to everyone else reading this review — my spouse and I give Eva’s the highest of recommendations. Countryside boarding is truly doggy paradise.

I absolutely love Evas! They are super accommodating and care for your dog just as you would at home. They are really super nice and were super helpful in what would have been a very stressful situation. They stayed open 45 minutes late for me just so that I could pick up my dog instead of keeping him overnight again. When I arrived he was hanging out next to the front desk with the manager and was super happy. I was so happy with their service that I booked him for Labor Day and a two week stay in October.

The Farm is Heaven on Earth for Dogs!
I had the pleasure of spending 4 days on the farm where Eva has country boarding. I was so impressed with this facility. Eva has made a utopia for dogs and has created a place where dogs can just be dogs. Acres of land to run, a swimming pond, and hiking trails. I do not think it gets better for dogs than this. Eva and her staff are in love with their work and pay great attention to the animals that are boarding. I would highly recommend the farm for boarding. My dog will be staying there the next time I go on vacation. Loved this place!

To make a long story short — I would never, ever, ever board any dog here. EVER.
I emailed Eva about daycare and boarding for my dog Maggie, a 3 y/​o Maltese/​Yorkie mix. Eva seemed friendly enough in emails, and I had glanced at the Unilocal page prior to bringing Maggie in. I had an appointment for Maggie to meet the Eva’s staff, as an evaluation– all normal so far.
At 4pm on Saturday, our appointment time, I walked into Eva’s. The door was propped open, which wasn’t surprising, but I’ll get back to why this really upset me later. I introduced myself and said that my dog Maggie was here for an evaluation. The woman behind the desk said, «ok» and opened the door into the back room, where a large black dog was barking and jumping on the glass. Both my friend who was accompanying me and myself were a bit taken back by the unfriendliness of the woman. She had headphones in when we walked in, and seemed to be bothered that we were even stopping by.
There were TONS of dogs barking, but none in sight. The barking was so loud it was scaring my dog, and the woman from behind the counter moved the black dog into the back room, where there was more barking– and she yelled at the dogs multiple times. She told us to come sit in the room for the evaluation and to take off Maggie’s leash and harness.
As we sat on one of the three plastic couches in the playroom, she and another woman in the back spoke in Spanish for about 5 minutes, while not addressing me or my dog. Repeatedly, they yelled at dogs to quiet down. Eventually, I walked up and said «Excuse me, but is this where dogs are kept for daycare?» The woman replied, «Yeah.» That’s it– no more description. At that point, I informed her we were going to leave and asked for her name.
She then said, «well if you’re not going to stay here then I don’t need to give you my name.» At that point, she opened the door to the lobby area, and the main door was open– keep in mind, my dog was unleashed, and at this point overwhelmed by the loud barking. She stood holding open the door, and I asked her to please close it so that I could put my dogs leash on. She refused and said she’d close the other one.
Then, I asked for her name again. She once again refused, and told me that she did nothing wrong. I tried to explain that both my friend and I were uncomfortable with the way she had treated us so far, but she quickly started scolding us and telling us that we should leave.
Another woman from the back room walked out, and I asked if I could explain my concerns to her, as I was very upset. The main woman then began to yell at us, and stood in front of the door to block us from leaving until she was finished.
She told me that the other woman was her subordinate and she was the head manager, so if I had any «f*cking issues» I was addressing them at the wrong person, and that she didn’t care about my complaints. She once again refused to give me her name and told me that I should leave. The other woman, meanwhile, was silent as my dog was whimpering.
Maggie and I just moved to Brooklyn– and heard very, very mixed things about this place. I admit the farm looks fantastic, but I could not believe how rude there staff was. The fact that this woman was considered a «manager» shocks me.
I will never take my dog here, and am glad we walked out when we did. We went to Happy Dogs at McCarren park, where the staff was kind to my dog, answered all of my questions, and was beyond friendly.
Again, can’t stress enough how much I would never leave my dog– or any dog– at this place. There are plenty of other options around, I suggest trying somewhere else.

Eva’s is simply the best. I hadn’t gone on a real vacation in 6 years because I didn’t want to leave my dog. I know, a little bit crazy, but I just didn’t trust any one. Then I met Eva! My dog just spent 12 days at her farm and it was fantastic! If you have a young pup that loves to play – they will put him/​her in a group of other young pups that like to play. If you have an older dog that just wants to lay around and soak up the sun, they have a group for that too. I couldn’t be happier to have a place that I know will take care of him just like I would.
They also post tons of photos and videos on their facebook page, so I knew he was having fun and getting lots of love and cuddles.
Thank you Eva and staff!

Love Eva’s! Not only are they involved in the local rescue community, they are committed to dogs having the best time! We sent our pup (yes puppy) to Eva’s countryside boarding for over a week. They posted awesome videos on their facebook page, even emailed one over to me! She had the best time ever. Our previous dog (now deceased) also went to Eva’s and loved it.
They are great on email, best way to reach them. Super responsive and forthcoming with information. You can really tell they’re dog people.
Willow now enjoys 1 – 2 days per week of daycare in addition to Dog-​E-​Dog daily walks. We like to mix it up.
I highly recommend Eva’s if you like sending your dog to daycare for playtime and socializing in a big space.

I hate using Unilocal to write negative reviews but this was bad. I don’t want people to go through this with their dogs.
First, the staff was impossible to reach to schedule a trial visit. I ended up just showing up after days of calls and e-​mails. Another dog owner there was there in the exact same boat. The weekend manager reluctantly did the evaluation and apologized for the lack of contact. no problem, if that’d been the end of it.
A few days later I boarded my dog for 4 days. Absolutely no contact from them the entire time. Not a deal-​breaker, but it certainly made me nervous. When I picked her up, my fears were validated; she wasn’t in the playroom, but crated in a back room by herself. Her voice was completely gone, presumably from howling in her crate. The whole point of boarding in daycare was so she wouldn’t be alone!
i included a small doggie bed when I dropped her off (was told I could do so) and it was still in the bag when I came back, as if they never gave it to her. Couldn’t even put the bedding in her crate? As far as I can tell, she was stressed out by the situation so they quarantined her, with no comforts at all. I was offered no explanation for the lost voice or why she wasn’t playing in the room. They rang me up impatiently.
I was so tired from traveling and so happy just to see my dog, that at the time I thought I was crazy. It took a drive home and some time with my dog to realize how upsetting it must’ve been for her. This is the worst I’ve seen her after boarding. I’ve never dealt with such a disinterested staff. Not going back and won’t recommend.

I have used Eva’s countryside boarding three times for my dog Freddie, and he LOVES it! They post pictures of the dogs running around and playing on the farm on facebook so you can see your pooch having fun while you’re away. I never feel guilty about boarding my baby at countryside boarding because I know he just loves it. I haven’t used the regular daycare for boarding before since countryside has always been an option when I’ve needed it, and my dog just can’t get enough of running around in the grass with other dogs.

I can’t say enough good things about Eva’s. We opted for country boarding during vacation for our 14 month old pup. I was extremely nervous since this was the first time he had been staying somewhere without friends or family looking after him but it was so nice to be able to see picture of him running and playing on the farm on facebook — it totally put my mind at ease. He had such a wonderful time — it was like vacation for him too! I would recommend Eva’s to anyone in a heartbeat, they took such good care of my dog and I can’t say enough about their customer service.

I only have great things to say about Eva’s. I been using them for about 9 months now for weekday walks and have boarded my dog at the farm in PA twice.
The walkers have been great and patient with my shy beagle, leave good notes and are good at communicating– sending out notices around holidays so you are sure to have a walker if you need it, etc. They really helped me out when I first got my dog and he had anxiety walking in the city. They did an evaluation, told me things I could do to help and recommended some trainers. When my dog has made some «mistakes» in my apartment — they have even tried their best to clean them up! I’ve found them to be really caring.
Boarding at the farm is great– really a wonderful place for dogs. Eva and her crew understand dogs and all their different needs. My good friend used to board her big old Rotty-​mix at Eva’s and remembers how great she was during his storm anxiety. My beagle has had a great time and had plenty of space to play or get away. Eva now even posts pictures and videos of the dogs on the farm so you can see how they are doing. My dog has always come home from boarding clean, happy and a little trimmer from all the running around all day with other dogs. (Eva reminds owners to send extra food with the pups to the farms since they run around so much.)
I am surprised to see any negative reviews of Evas. I know they are careful to make sure all dogs are up to date on their shots before they can board and the people I have dealt with have been great. They love dogs.

Great staff, hands-​on boss,
Eva’s loves and rescues dogs!
Support the small biz

Eva’s Countryside Boarding Service is amazing and the best boarding service I’ve ever used. Dropoff and pickup in Williamsburg, and then transport to/​from Eva’s farm in Pennsylvania where the dogs run around in a 5 acre enclosed field, and get walked through the woods on a daily basis. In the summer months, there’s even swimming in the onsite lake.
The dogs sleep in Eva’s house (not crated, not kenneled), and almost daily photos and videos are posted to their Facebook page so while you’re on vacation, you get the peace of mind that your pooch is having a terrific time.
I’ve been using Eva’s for six years, both Brooklyn and Countryside boarding and highly recommend it – especially the Countryside Boarding.

Our dog came back smelling of urine, absolutely filthy and had clearly been in a fight (she had scratches all over her nose). She has never been in a fight before.
I had called several times while we were away to find out if everything was okay. What really got me upset was that they never mentioned that she had been in a fight and when I asked them about it, they shrugged it off.
Sadie came home and slept, literally, for two days. I’ve never seen her so overwhelmed. We won’t go back.

Where to start?
First of all, I paid for 30 minute walks, and the few times I was around when the walker came, she barely took my dog out for 5. What’s worse, on the little note the walker would leave, she would lie about how long she was out for. Even when I was sitting right there!
With the same walker, my dog ate a corn cob that got lodged in her intestines. Granted, Eva’s insurance paid for the surgery, my dog still had to get surgery because of these people. As this has never happened before or since, I can only assume it was due to poor supervision during the walk.
Obviously, I discontinued using their services. And, for the icing on the cake, as opposed to returning my spare keys, they got rid of them. Seriously unbelievable.
They maybe be a few dollars cheaper than other places in the neighborhood, but I recommend you look elsewhere.

I really like Eva’s — Eva, Sofia, and their staff are always courteous and accommodating. I can arrange a bath or schedule change through email, and I’m the worst about last-​minute changes.
My two dogs have a walker three days a week and go to daycare twice a week. They LOVE their walker, Daniel, and he’s really good with them despite the fact that they’re both insane puppies. He leaves little notes every day after they get back from their walk.
Daycare — oh, how I love daycare. The pups have a nice long day and are able to run and play until they come home tired. Once one of my dogs got overly excited and scratched my other dog; Eva’s emailed me to let me know what had happened. I really appreciate that kind of attention. My dogs have also been boarded with Eva’s; I love knowing that they can sleep out on couches and that there’s someone with them ²⁴⁄₇. They’re always happy when I see them after boarding.
Eva’s is also really great about correcting a mistake. One time they mixed up my walker’s schedule and my dogs didn’t get walked. I emailed them and they responded almost immediately, apologized, and gave me the next walk free. So easy, so courteous — they obviously care about their customers.
My only issue with Eva’s is that it’s been up to me to ask how my dogs are doing on walks, how they’re getting along with other dogs at daycare, etc. I’m used to smaller places that provide that information on a regular basis. This is a personal preference, of course, and they’re always happy to give me updates. Overall, I’m really enjoying having happy, well cared for puppies, with many thanks to Eva’s.