Smitty’s Kennels

I have boarded my dog here 3x, the last with an extended stay of 4 days. I am very pleased with their service and the care of my dog. I have a very nervous dog, who does not like to be boarded. The facility is clean and is a convenient location for me as well. The operating hours 7 days a week work with our schedule and make it easy to drop my dog off and pick him up. We will be using Smitty’s again !

Our dogs have stayed with Smitty on at least four occasions now, sometimes for as much as a week. They are always well cared for. Every kennel requires that vaccinations be up to date, but Smitty is a stickler for three things 1) you must arrive between the specific times they are open (7 – 11 AM and 5 – 7 PM only). 2) dogs must be up to date with vaccinations– bordatella must be every six months. (He will administer the bordatella for $ 25 if desired) and 3) No fleas (dogs must be treated in advance). If you follow his specific requirements, everything will go swimmingly.

I boarded my two dogs at Smitty’s kennels for 9 days and I won’t be using their services again, nor would I recommend them to a friend. As a pet service provider myself, I would be highly surprised if these people have a high client retention rate.
My dogs came back to me in one piece, albeit looking a little on the thinner side, but that could have just been from the stress of being boarded. However, I had zero peace of mind while I was away. Here’s why; when I first arrived I left my dogs in the car figuring there would be paperwork to fill out, and when I walked in, Sandy, one of the owners, asked if I was there to drop off or if I was there for a tour. I explained I was dropping off, but would take a tour as well if she didn’t mind. She said she would give me the tour after the necessary paperwork had been filled out. Yada, yada, yada I go out and get my dogs and bring them in. She then takes me, my boyfriend and dogs in the back for the grand tour, which included walking our dogs to the first run in the kennel and then pointing down the hallway explaining that the outdoor play area was that way, followed by «have a nice trip!» Um… thanks for the tour? I then asked if I could call mid-​week and check up on my dogs to which her reply was «Sure, you can call, but I’ll just tell you that they’re fine, because that’s what they are unless I’ve called you.» AKA, no, please don’t call. I’m pretty sure if I ever told one of my pet parents that, I would be out of a job. If I hadn’t been leaving on a plane in 4 hours, I would have pulled my dogs immediately and found a different boarding facility, but instead I had to spend the rest of my trip hoping that my dogs were just a little bit better than «fine.»
Moral of this story, if you’re the type of person that has no qualms about leaving your dog in a complete strangers hands, then Smitty’s will work great for you. However, if you view your dogs more as fur kids as I do, then I suggest finding a different facility. In the future I’ll be keeping my dogs at the Dog Spa in the city, which is twice as expensive as Smitty’s, but at least I’ll be paying for peace of mind during my vacation.
IN RESPONSE TO THE OWNER, SMITTY: I’m sorry that I cannot attest to the quality of your kennels, because as I said, I did not see more than the first run. Furthermore, as I also said, I am a pet care provider myself in the city, meaning I also deal with other dog owners. I realize my dogs are just DOGS, as you put it, but please keep in mind that I (THE OWNER) am paying for your service, so you’re catering to me as well. Asking if I can call for a check-​in mid week does not make me an over-​bearing pet owner.
So, let me reiterate, as someone who provides the same services as you do, you failed on every level besides keeping my dogs alive for one week. And yes, you’re absolutely right, dogs are way cooler than people. However, belittling people who leave a negative review for your facility isn’t great business, either.