Applewood Pet Resort

Normally, I wait for awhile before I give a review, but considering the remarkable turnaround our boys have experienced since starting daycare at Applewood, I felt compelling to write now.
We just moved to Scottsdale from New Hampshire and are living in temp housing while we search for a home. We began taking two of our cocker spaniels to another daycare facility that was close to my work and over the course of a few weeks, I noticed a distinct change in their personalities. They were withdrawn and would hide, not wanting to go to daycare or even get in the car. They were not happy. After learning more about the environment of the other facility, we decided that it was not for them and immediately brought them to Applewood where we felt welcomed from the very first phone call.
Since coming to Applewood, the boys have returned to the merry little spaniels they have always been with lots of smiles and tail wags. They enjoy structure in a safe and clean environment with a loving, caring team looking after them. When I pick them up at the end of the day, they are tired, but prancing and happy to return.
Thank you Applewood for helping our boys get back to their normal wigglebutt selves. We are proud to call them Applewood Kids!
I recommend Applewood to any pet parent looking for a top notch doggie daycare. They truly are the best. You will not regret your choice.

This place is the Rolls Royce of Dog Grooming! The grounds are impeccably maintained and when you drive into the covered entryway you are greeted by a smiling, amicable dog handler who assists you in removing your Fur Baby from your car. Before you even enter the doors there is a Silver bowl of bottled waters on ice at your disposal (Great touch by the way!!!). The front desk is very skilled in handling all personality types. (I have personally seen them diffuse difficult situations with ease.) My dogs are always handled with care and lots of TLC by the talented groomers. I HIGHLY recommend Applewood for all your boarding and grooming needs, and you don’t even have to drive a Bentley !!! :)

I cannot say enough good things about Applewood Pet Resort!!! I take my dog there for doggy daycare and overnight stays. The facility is immaculate– if your dog lives better than you do than this is the place to be! The prices are very reasonable and you know your pet will be in good hands! My dog had never spent the night without me and when looking at places to onboard him for the night I made the right decision by choosing applewood. The minimal overnight price is comparable to petsmart however you get overnight care and attention! I had to bring my dog in for daycare when I was working a few times and now I CHOOSE to bring him in for socialization and because of how much fun he has!!! He is very attached to me as his owner but sprints inside for daycare with his friends! I knew I made the right choice when the front staff started welcoming my dog by his name– weeks after his last visit! For a great price and even better service Applewood Pet Resort is the right choice to make!

Our doggies look so beautiful after their haircuts :)

I have been taking my dog there for seven years but never again. We left him for a weekend and within 24 hrs of picking him up he was very ill. He is a raw food doggie and I’m sure they mishandled his food. He had just been given a clean bill of health by the vet after a «touch» of kennel cough from the prior visit in March. This dog has never been sick! The bath and brush was equally bad — I think they hosed him off and got water in his ear and left some soap in one of his jowls because he also has an ear infection and a skin issue.
It used to be very quiet there and orderly with the same people but now it is at times chaotic. There are young people manning the desk who don’t seem to pay the same amount of attention to the animals when checking in. If the phone rings while you are talking to them, forget about it. When we left, the bag of little treats I took for him had barely been touched which tells me that he probably didn’t get the extra play times I paid for, if any attention at all. I am so sorry that he had to go through this and that I have to find a new place for the dog, but after $ 400 in vet bills, I wouldn’t ever go back or recommend them to anyone.

Update– one of my dogs had a severe bacteria infection once we got home that I noticed a few days later. I’m starting to wonder if they paid ANY attention to my dogs whatsoever. I am SO disappointed in my experience here. I was told this infection «probably» didn’t come from here. I have never known a dog to get a bacteria infection like this. It is absolutely disgusting and so sad to treat animals this way.

We chose Applewood for boarding because past experience has been reasonably reliable. My dogs spent 3 nights at this place recently only to return to us full of fleas & ticks. I know for a fact they did not arrive that way because we take the proper precautions, including monthly pest control treatments, to ensure our dogs would not have to suffer from infestation. And yes, we paid for the flea & tick treatment the Applewood staff require. I reported this unfortunate situation to the manager (after spending $ 150 at the vet for treatment) to which he responded that they recently switched to a more efficacious treatment regimen — obviously, they’ve had issues with parasites and the formula they were using and more obviously, my dogs did not receive this treatment. Thankfully, we have better options for future boarding needs.

Been coming here for years. sadly not anymore.
Always has had a not so friendly vibe from staff when checking– thought It was just me, but friends& family have agreed. Lots of the staff are very old and grumpy and seem they would just be happier staying at home. They should– their frowns would turn upside down! Retire already!
So, in the past few visits in only a 2 month span– I have noticed a few not so fun issues.
1.) left a treat bag for my dogs stay. Came back and no treats were given. That shows neglect. 4.5 days and no snacks given. I also as normal paid for extra puppy icecream– I’m
Sure that’s a rip off and nothing was provided. I did speak to Roberto the manager about this– he did agree his staff needed to more on the ball with giving out treats. We did get a credit for a free night stay .
2.) Many times I have my boyfriend drop off our dogs for their boarding because I am a business professional & work gets in the way. My credit card is on file, and I call ahead of time of to make sure there is enough extra playtimes & potty breaks are scheduled for their visit. To avoid confusion, he just just drops off and is able to sign the health waiver .
The last visit, one of the staff members remark was «what do you care? You are not paying» sarcastic? Maybe. Rude and condescending? YES. It is no ones business on who pays for their stay. As long as the company gets their $$, why even make a comment like that ?! I did report this to Roberto the manager but he insisted it was a joke.
3.) We are allowed to bring 4 toys for boarding. When picking up– the staff member came back with two of their toys and someone else’s toy. I asked why would they have someone else’s toy & where the other two toys could of been. She was clueless and left for awhile. This really angered me. The reason I have been a customer for years is because they keep the dogs separate from others; that includes their toys that stay with them. So, she came back and claimed the other two toys were in the laundry room because they were soiled on & they were washed. Funny, they look dirtier than ever. I am going to assume they were with other dogs-​just as my two dogs had someone else’s toy. When I questioned the staff member, she really seemed very clueless and told me she could not find their 5^th toy– remember dumb dumb –company has only allowed us to bring in 4 total!
3 strikes and your out Applewood! There are many other places that seem to be happy, organized and grateful you chose them for boarding.
We have spent lots of $$ and we gave you our trust– shame on you! I hope this review helps others on picking their animal boarding.

I have a very timid rescue dog and when I moved out here almost 9 years ago I was referred to Applewood and have been going ever since. My dog used to be terrified to go — tail between her legs, shaking. Now when I drop her off for grooming she just knows where to go and her tail is wagging. She has seen Julia this whole time and I know Julia must treat her well to see this change in behavior in my dog. From scared to death to almost like she knows she is about to have a spa day.
As for boarding, having a rescue I hate to board but I just have to sometimes. It isn’t cheap but I do know she is 100% safe and I just make sure she gets a treat a day and I leave something with my smell (blanket or pillow) behind to help with her anxiousness. Every time I have picked her up she has been happy and has had nothing wrong… ever. I would rather take her somewhere where I know she is secure and doesn’t dread being dropped off versus a place where she could get out and be around other dogs which tend to scare her a bit.
Highly recommend this place if you think of your dogs as kiddos like I do!

I have been a customer of Applewood Pet Resort for over 15 years. Every year I spent over 10K to have my dogs boarded and groomed. After my last experience there I will never go back.
The owner has come in and fired everyone. They took a guy who was cleaning dog cages and turned him into a groomer. Im sorry but if I’m paying $ 100 for grooming per dog, I expect a PROFESSIONAL. Now days when you call in your just a number, the employees are there to get a check and leave. Before I would call in and the employees knew who I was and the name of my dogs. Its sad to see such a staple for upscale pet boarding and grooming to go to hell in a hand basket.
Never again will I spend one dime at Applewood again.

I have been taking my dog to this boarding facility for years. I’m particularly attracted to the large grassy area for him to run. However, the last two stays have been less than impressive. The first resulted in less than personable staff during both reservation and departure. My dog couldn’t get out of there fast enough, which seemed odd. I wanted to give this facility another try though because I’m rather picky about where I will take my dog. Sadly, the second stay was worse than the first as my dog split his tail on their kennels (confirmed by the vet) — something he’s never done before! What upset me the most was even though there was dried blood on his tail the staff failed to bring this to my attention. So, when his tail started bleeding all over my home again it came as quite a shock! While I was assured there hasn’t been a change in management lately, their services indicate otherwise. The only saving grace for two stars is the lovely older woman who has worked here for years — she shows genuine love and concern for the well-​being of your pet. Please go back to your old pleasant ways, Applewood!

Rates are comparable… but the cat cages reeked of urine… and those were the ‘clean’ cages. Whatever cleaning products they’re using or whatever method of cleaning they’re using is not sufficient to overcome the stench. There are many animal-​safe products on the market that eliminate pet odors so it makes me wonder if the problem isn’t their lack of attention to cleaning.

I’m not a fan of this place at all! The place is very uncomfortable, with a VERY impersonal staff. It feels like a very pretentious environment all around. This place made me so uncomfortable that I stopped taking my dog there after only 2 times. Also, this place is way OVERPRICED. I really really disliked this place. Even my fiancé, who is the MOST friendly guy and gives people and places the benefit of the doubt, felt the same exact way… which says A LOT!

I’ve been taking my dogs to Applewood for boarding for over 20 years. I went even before it was the current owners and it was just a small facility — which wasn’t great. When my house was up for sale I took them in for day care. When I leave my dogs at Applewood I have complete faith that they will be safe. That is my #1 priority. They don’t have group play which I’m happy about. The prices are a little high, and I could leave them somewhere else for less, but I would worry about them. However, there are a few other high end boarding facilities out there that are more expensive.
I would totally recommend Applewood for boarding. I have no idea about their grooming since I have short hair Chihuahuas that do not need grooming.

I love this place. I take my lil guy there all of the time when he needs grooming. Its a little pricey but not too bad. Only complaint I have is that they seem to do the best on the first job and then after that they dont seem to want to do as great as they did the first time. Dont get me wrong tho… they always do a very nice job they just seem to forget to clip one nail or they cut the hair on his face in a choppy way etc… I do love this place though and I wouldnt stop going to them.
They seem to also forget to call you to when your dog is done… thats boo! lol

Update after vet visit! My boy had bite marks all over his upper back! ! On top of the bloody diarrhea, we hadn’t noticed the injury until my husband went to scratch his back and he screamed in pain. I looked under his fur and saw dried blood and signs of infection. Took him immediately to emergency clinic and when they shaved his upper back, he had multiple bite marks! He’d been repeatedly bitten in the same area. He is now recovering on antibiotics for both! Oh, by the way he lost two pounds in 12 days! My little girl also lost two pounds! Terrible first experience for boarding my beloved dogs. Think I’m going to stick with in home pet sitters… at least they can’t evade blame.

Just dropped my pooch off for a two night stay at Applewood and when I got back everything was A-​OK! Nothing over the top spectacular but nothing bad to say either. Overall I’d say for the amenities you get here at that price point, it’s probably better than most other places that board dogs. Note, I’m not comparing the cageless boarders, because I can’t take my pup there because she’d eat the little ones alive but Applewood certainly sets the standard.

Applewood is expensive. You get what you pay for. We’ve used them for years and never had any kind of problem.
We decide to take our dog to another place this past 4^th of July weekend. Shiny & new, well closer to our house than Applewood and considerably less money. Great, except the fact that our little guy came home with a terrible stomach virus. No thanks. He goes back to Applewood from now on.

Applewood is not only one of the top dog grooming facilities in the city, it has some of the best groomers in the NATION working there. The owner was once a top dog handler and groomer… he is now a well recognized judge in the AKC.
I have used their grooming services before shows, have shown dogs with them, and have taken my dogs there for commercial kenneling when I had to leave town without them.
Do NOT go here if you want to get a cute haircut for your pet puppy. It is expensive because they have highly skilled groomers and apprentices who will hand groom to the AKC breed standard. You can get your terrier groomed with clippers, but they have the knowledge and talent to hand strip a terrier coat and show off the correct texture of their coat.
Best of all, the staff LOVE dogs. I had one dog who was so well liked that even though i would drop her off expecting her to sleep in a crate, i know one of the guys used to let her sleep in the living quarters on the foot of his bed.
You will probably pay for it, but there is no better facility for dogs anywhere in AZ.

This place is for the dogs.
…and cats…
I was hesitant to try this place for a couple of reasons. First, Winston, our dog-​son, has never stayed anywhere except with family. Second, the word «Resort» made me think EXPENSIVE. However, after doing some comparison shopping it’s pretty reasonably priced for someplace that looks so luxurious. Afterall, don’t we all really want the best for our little Fido’s of the world?
The staff were certainly friendly enough and the accomodations were spacious and clean. The grounds were gorgeous with a large area to play in and even a pool if your pooch likes to swim (of course, it costs extra for the swim). My husband took a private tour and was very impressed!
We booked Winston for a 5-​day stay and when we returned it was reported to us that our dog got a «bloody nose» while he was being groomed and my husband and I spent $ 400 between Vet bills and testing to determine there wasn’t anything wrong with our pooch. I can’t help but be suspicious with the resort and/​or the groomer — especially since Winston has never had a bloody nose before or since (his stay).
Bottom line: The resort has a great exterior, interior, and friendly staff. Just think twice before being distracted by the shiny object.