Starcrest Boarding Kennels

Just used Starcrest again recently when I was out of town for a week. I called to check on my little dogs and see how they were doing, and the girl up front told me all about how my one dog wouldn’t eat his food unless she put it on a plate, then pressed it down with her finger so he could lick it. If a part fell off, he’d wait until she pressed it down again for him. Hahahaha! Being at the kennel is a little stressful for them, but I know they’re in good hands with staff who gives them treats and spoils them.

To the response to the owner:
Your response to my review is another shining example of how bad your customer skills are…

We dropped Frida, our problem child, off for a two week stay. It was our first time at Starcrest and our first time leaving her for such an extended period of time. The kennel was recommended by another friend who had a similarly wackadoodled dog who required some special handling. Our Frida is poorly disciplined and is a bit snappy around other dogs. Shes not mean – she just gets a kick out of making trouble. She is sweet as candy – but shes a handful. Which is why she has to be in her own kennel and why she needs/​requires/​demands a fair amount of exercise every day. When we have boarded her or had a dog sitter in the past – its been pretty obvious if they haven’t put the time or the effort into daily exercise (Im looking at you: I Dig My Dog). Not the case at Starcrest – we got back a tired, happy, clean and groomed (!) dog. Rita and Samantha made us feel good that they could handle our little pup and that she would be well cared for… and they delivered. We are so happy to know that Starcrest is there for us when we need a loving, caring, conscientious team of dog people to care for our little beast when we leave town. Thanks again for doing a great job!

We’ve boarded our dog many times at Starcrest and there’s no doubt the staff loves and cares deeply for they’re canine guests.

We have been taking our dog to this kennel for several years now. He loves the people there. especially the young lady at the front desk, and he is well taken care of. He is excited to see us when we pick him up, but it doesn’t take long for him to calm and settle back into his routine. The staff is very thorough in assessing his individual needs.

This place is a life saver! I had made arrangements with a different location to board my dog who is a 70 pound boxer, but at the last minute, I was told that there wasn’t any room for my dog. The location I had reserved had a total of 2 runs for larger dogs, and small stainless steel cages for smaller dogs. I was due to leave the following day, and was extremely stressed about finding a place to leave my dog, that I trust. I called Media City Animal Hospital in Burbank, and the gal who answered the phone referred me here. I called right away and spoke to Rita the owner, and she told me she had plenty of room for my dog Tyson. I rushed over there to take a quick tour, the location looks big, in a wooded, small farming like community. I saw grassy areas fenced in where the dogs can run around and play. Overall, I just got a good feeling in my gut. The following day, I dropped off my dog, and felt at ease. Tyson is a rescue dog that I had just gotten earlier that year and was still learning to trust me. Now just to give you a little insight on my dog, he hides behind me when people approach or runs away. He’s 70 pounds of turkey. So of course, I was a little anxious that my big guy was going to be able to relax. I had to leave him for 3 days. On the day I came to pick him up, I was beyond surprised when they brought out my dog, and he went straight to Rita and started smelling her hand. That was a side of Tyson I’ve only seen with me and my son. That right there, was the moment I realized how much care and attention they gave him. Tyson doesn’t trust easy, it takes time and patience to earn his trust. Rita is amazing! My dog can sense good people and he sense the goodness and kindness in Rita. Thank you! You give me such peace of mind when I have to leave my dog. Until our next adventure!

We boarded our fur child Chauncey over thanksgiving weekend. This was the first time we have boarded him, and since he’s a rescue we weren’t sure how this was going to turn out. We were referred by my aunt, who uses this kennel all the time. We are very happy with the results, and Chauncey is back to his old hyper self (when we first picked him up, he was a little dazed until he got adjusted) I was very relived that they don’t mix the dogs during playtime, and they don’t share sleeping quarters. Since, our baby is a Boston Terrier, he’s been known to talk dirty and attempt to pick fights and bully other doggies… big and small.

Our pets have always been happy to come here. Our dogs actually drag us IN instead of trying to run the other way like they do at the vet. They have a large yard that the dogs get to run in once a day, and the office staff is always very sweet when we call to get updates.

I had a catastrophe at my home, and while it’s being torn apart, I have to board my three rescue dogs. I was recommended to Starcrest, so I called them first.
The catastrophe destroyed everything from my photos and tax records to receipts and of course — pet vet records. I had just renewed their registrations though, which I still had in my car.
On my first call, the young lady I spoke with said this record would be enough, as they were all adopted from shelters and the required vaccines for boarding would have been handled with the recent, valid registration. Cool… I’ll bring those, and we’re in business.
Next, my insurance company asked for an estimate of charges from Starcrest so they can pay me back the $ 83/​day. I called again, and this time the call went south, as the lady on the line, who I would come to know as the owner, Rita, told me «no» she couldn’t provide anything like that. I printed a page from their website, but State Farm REALLY wanted to see dates, and proof that the dogs were being boarded. Rita cannot, will not provide. So there’s one strike, but I’m desperate, because the walls are coming down in the house, I’m headed to a hotel, and the dogs need a safe place to stay.
We load up three rambunctious dogs, their bedding, their food and their bowls and drive from Van Nuys to Sun Valley where Rita smiles at me as she turns us away because I have no proof that my dogs have been vaccinated.
Okay, I know that I don’t have a nice folder filled with vet records, but my house is flooded, I have lost everything that means anything, my dogs are homeless, and I am bringing them proof of vaccine/​registration that I was told would be good enough just the day prior.
Perhaps the records weren’t good enough — please tell me on the phone before I plan around taking another day off of work, please tell me before I put my dogs into the car and schlepp over there, and then have to schlepp them back into a house that is half demolished. And please don’t smugly smile at me as you give me the bad news. That’s just beyond infuriating.
I called Barton’s. They told me up front, «no, that’s not enough, we’re SOOO sorry.» And they gave me all of the information I needed to get my dogs vet records sorted out, which is a pain-​in-​the-​rear while I am sorting out so much else, but at least they apologized, were up-​front, and clear. Also, they provide documentation for my insurance so I can be reimbursed, which means a great deal.

This is the only kennel I feel comfortable taking my pets. They take good care of my dogs here. The staff is always friendly and the owner Rita is great. Rita truly has a compassion for animals. My dogs are always happy when I take them here. I highly recommend this kennel.

This place may have been ok 20 years ago, but the owner has not kept it up and it is run down. The employees seem to not care about much and it shows. I would not leave my pet here as I would be afraid of what treatment he might receive behind closed doors.

I adopted two sick doberman puppies from Starcrest about 5 years ago. They are the loves of our lives and we couldn’t be happier. They are terrific dogs and it was fortuitous that we happened upon Starcrest when we did.
My experience with Rita, the owner is that she has very challenged people skills (as noted in a number of other reviews here). She is very well meaning but doesn’t seem to fully understand how her behavior can be abrasive to people — or maybe she does but doesn’t care.
That said, thank goodness she is as dedicated to the Doberman’s as she is. They are a magnificent and sensitive breed that deserve to be helped. For those who really want to rescue a dobie, just overlook her behavior and know she is really looking out for the animals. At the end of the day that is what really matters.

I came by for a visit of Starcrest Kennels to checkout the facility before I board my dogs here. It was Saturday afternoon and didn’t realize they close at 3pm. It looked like no one was on the property. I thought to myself who is taking care of the dogs? As I was sitting in my car across the street, I see this mid-​sized brown beagel looking dog that had tried to climb over a wood picket fence. His body was stuck half over the fence and he couldn’t go forward or back the other way. I tried desperately to call the main number but no one answered and the mail box was full. I tried a cell number that is provided on the website, same thing, no answer and mail box full. Don’t they have an emergency number? I sent them an email informing them about dog. I was worried about the dog being left in that condition. How long would it be before someone noticed? The property is fenced all the way around otherwise I would have rescued the dog myself. I drove home and called the number one more time and a woman answered the phone and said, not too friendly, thanks, I’ll check it out. After seeing this, no way in heck am I going to board my dogs here.

This was the first time I used the kennel because it was highly recommended by a family member. I could tell that the staff have a real compassionate feeling for animals. My two shepherd mixes were shelter rescues and I was concerned if they might feel abandoned again when left at the kennel. When I picked them up, they had their same demeanor and had no issues while they were there. I will definitely use them again without any hesitation.

I had previously had a not so good experience with this kennel — One dog had a wound near her tail (which they informed me about), and the other had a cauliflower ear which they didn’t inform me about. They gave my three dogs a free bath, but it didn’t compensate for the poor condition that my dogs were in. I thought that maybe the dogs fought in the close quarters, so I decided to give the kennel one more try. Bad decision! I ordered baths for all three dogs before pick up this morning.
When I went there, the girl at the desk said she would check if they had had their baths. She assured me that they had, and then gave them to me after I paid. I know that they didn’t get their baths, because I wiped them down in the garage before letting them in the house, and the wipes all came up black with dirt. I left a message at the kennel, but they have not called me back. I feel ripped off. I am washing them myself this afternoon. Don’t use this kennel!
FOLLOW UP:
The owner did call me back after I made the above review. She insisted that the dogs received baths, but that they were let out in the yard before I picked them up, so they got dusty. She offered to refund the bath fees, which I just received in the mail.
From, my viewpoint, the kennel tried to improve the situation by refunding the fees. However, the owner has since called me back at least three times to argue about the complaint I filed with the BBB, and the above review. On of the calls was at 7:45a.m. I am also still not convinced that the dogs were ever bathed, since they were SO dirty when I washed them on the day I got them back. Overall, I still cannot recommend this kennel.

I’ve been bringing my 2 large dogs here for years and love this kennel. We’ve tried other kennels and found that they tend to nickel and dime you with extra charges for exercise sessions, meds, and feeding more than once a day. All of this is included in the daily fee at Starcrest. The owner really loves animals and takes in numerous rescue animals.

We have boarded our dog Roxy here over the years and she is always well cared for and happy. (although we would like to believe no one can make her happy but us… of course the dog humors us on this point!).
The premises are clean and the owner is wonderful; we picked up our dog again today and she’s clean and happy. Now, if I could just say the same about us after spending a week in New York!
I highly recommend this business, it’s the best facility we’ve ever used.

You can tell the owner really loves her four-​legged visitors!
My wife and I hate boarding our little maltese and yorkie, but we dropped them off at Starcrest and felt very at ease when we left. They ask you lots of questions about your pooch, and seem to cover all the little details you want them to know about.
Big grassy exercise areas for dogs of all sizes, and they get to hang out in big individual runs during the day. There’s no way of knowing how often your pups get out, but they say each dog gets to run around 3x a day.
The owner cooks chicken and other treats for the dogs, and also runs a dog rescue program on the premises. You can tell that Starcrest is a very caring and kind operation!
The price is extremely reasonable, and the location (La Tuna Canyon) is really pretty and serene. Of course this isn’t like the trendy $ 90/​night places in LA, but I have a feeling it’s just as good of a value!

Man, I cannot say enough about Starcrest and their caring owners and employees. I have been taking my dogs here for years. They always come home tired but happy. The owners are so invested in their clients, one of them cried when I told her about the demise of my dear dear Daisy the dane. Your animals will play hard here in their big open field, so remember to ask for a grooming on the day you pick up so your hound comes home smelling sweet and lovely.

I’ve visited probably upwards of 50 (or more) dog boarding places in the metro area, from as far west as malibu and simi valley to as far east as arcadia, and as far north as canyon country to as far south as torrance.
I’ve left my two dogs (90 lbs & 45 lbs) at upscale expensive places (in topanga) and mid-​range places (Cypress Park) where they got to socialize with other dogs. But, the place I settled on was Starcrest Kennels in Sun Valley (
).
The place is air conditioned, it’s clean, they have large dog kennels/​runs, they have a large field for your dog to run around ALONE (my little dog got really sick from her stay at the frou frou place in Topanga), and my dogs seemed content after their stay at this kennel. Not to mention, it’s affordably priced.
the woman who owns the facility seems quite shy with people, but i think she treats my dogs well, and that’s all that counts!