MetroPetDC

I have boarded my dog there a couple times… sometimes with my brother’s dog as well. It has been wonderful. They have a drop off and pick up service which just makes it easier. My dog also tried to go back to the car when he was dropped off so I am assuming he had fun while he was there! Overall great experiences.

I thought it was time to reemphasize how much we love Diedre and Metro pet! It has been 1 ½ years since we have started working with her and every time has been a great experience. So nice to know our dog and kitties are in a nice safe loving environment while we are away. She is always responsive via email or text and sends up photos of our «kids». So great. Thanks D!!!

When I first got my dog Brewster, I researched dog walkers, and met a few. My dog– who loves everyone– was very nervous around the other dog walkers. Luckily, we found Metro Pet and Aisha. She is great with our dog, and it gives me so much peace of mind knowing that Brew is in good hands.
Diedre is so responsive on email, and somehow can keep track of my many scheduling changes. My only minor issue is that sometimes the pet check technology can’t get a signal in my apartment, so I don’t know if the walker was there.
I have only had a great experience with Metro Pet, and I would recommend them to anyone.

My husband and I were overseas for Christmas and used MetroPets for the first time — we can’t say enough good things about Diedre, Aisha, and the peace of mind MetroPets provided us while we were away. Diedre kept in touch daily and was extremely responsive. We will definitely be using their services again!

We were in the DC area for Thanksgiving and needed to find boarding for our Boxer. We emailed a bunch of different places but some were full due to the holiday. Diedre was very responsive right from the start, and I was attracted to the «cage-​free» boarding. The dogs are boarded in her home and have their own dedicated room with a screened-​in porch and a fenced in backyard. We were very pleased with the cleanliness and professionalism of this place. Would definitely use again if we find ourselves in DC

I have used MetroPetDC for all of my pet care needs for almost the past 3 years. Diedre, the owner, has always been very attentive to both me and my dog! I have used the company regularly for Uncus and his mid day walks as well as for the cageless boarding services the company offers when I travel. I would highly recommend the company to anyone who is looking for true animal lovers to provide pet care.

I’ve been using MetroPetDC since ¹²⁄₂₀₁₁. Everything used to be fine, but over the past few months things have gone incredibly sour. I can stand the lost checks and 4 day turnaround times on email responses — but leaving my dog for almost 20 hours inside without letting him out/​feeding him was the last straw (especially given MPDC’s indifferent response). I’ve never experienced this level of distain for basic customer service — and I’ve used a number of other dog walking services in other cities.
As far as I can tell, the owner (Diedre), scheduler (Danielle), and walkers do not communicate with each other — and none of them respond to customers (without voluminous email prodding). The owner strictly refuses to talk to customers on the phone — the best you will ever get is a text message or email. Last weekend (Sept 13) my dog was left in my apartment for almost 20 hours with no walk — even though I had confirmed with the scheduling twice that a walk would occur the previous evening and that morning. When I called the owner to find out what was going on, she refused to answer her phone. She did email me, though, saying it wasn’t her problem and that I should talk to the walker — followed by the walker’s phone number. I called the walker — and she said it wasn’t her fault and wasn’t her problem either, it was the scheduler’s fault for agreeing to a schedule she couldn’t accommodate. So the scheduler was arbitrarily agreeing to walks that the walker couldn’t make — and the owner thought it wasn’t her problem. Then, the owner had the audacity to suggest I opt for their more expensive boarding option until they figured their scheduling out. Talk about an upsell — agree to walk my dog, then don’t walk him and claim it’s not your fault, then offer a much more expensive service.
My dog’s regularly scheduled walks used to occur on time (at least I think they did) — but once MetroPetDC started using an online system that records when the walks actually start and stop it became clear that the walker was operating on an entirely arbitrary schedule — rather than the one we agreed on. Once they set up the system — I started getting alerts long after the time we scheduled (5−8pm). The owner once emailed me at 9pm (an hour after the latest we agreed to) to let me know the walk wouldn’t occur until 10pm — due to the fact that the walker had started taking a class during that time. Rather than letting me know weeks in advance *before* the class started — I was let know after my walk had already supposed to have finished. It then made sense as to why 75% of the walks over the last month and a half had been about an hour late. Turns out the walker didn’t inform the scheduler of her new schedule until a few weeks *after* she started taking her class.
The first 7 months of service were fine — but the last 3 months became a nightmare when it came to making sure my dog is taken care of. It’s an easy choice for me to drop this service and find another.

When I first starting using MetroPet DC, they were great. Although Diedre never actually came to meet me (which I thought was a bit odd since I was a new client and thought I would need to sign paperwork, etc.), I was OK with it. She was responsive and friendly via email, and she was flexible about pricing which was great since I was in grad school at the time.
Unfortunately, over the past 4 – 6 months, the service really declined. There was this bizarre incident where I was told that a walker got in a car accident and everyone’s keys got stuck in the glovebox, and because the car was so totalled, the keys needed to be replaced (but the walker was OK). This was after at least a couple mid-​day cancellations (walker got sick on the way to work) or when a walker never actually showed up (mixup with the scheduling). Something was definitely off, and I’m still nervous that an upset employee might have taken off with the keys and that my place isn’t actually secure anymore…
Also, the email communication is a bit ridiculous. You email Diedre, and get a response from someone else (or Diedre, using a different name?) and then one day it’s Diedre’s assistant and the next day you’re asked to use a completely different email address that you didn’t even know existed, etc. Crazy. You ask a couple different questions, and only get a response to one question, so you end up asking the same thing over and over and wasting your time with a ton of emails.
I recently moved and switched dogwalkers, and never got any response about what happened to the walks on my plan that I never used (refund, credit, etc.?). I was so over it that I just let it go, but it is not the best business practice. I even recommended the service to a friend, and was embarrased when they had a bad experience and cancelled. Bottom line is that this service is probably fine if you’re just looking for an affordable service and don’t have the highest expectations, but you won’t get any TLC like other walkers that leave notes about the walk, take pictures of your pets, etc. I’m much happier with my new walker!

I am terminating services with Metopet due to various reasons related to the company’s lack of professionalism. One of the main issues includes the companies consistentlly disregarding and blatantly ignoring my emails/​texts/​voicemails.
I have had issues throughout the 4 months metropet has walked my dog. These have been my complaints just within the LAST 6 WEEKS:
The most recent example was when I asked for my dog to be walked to daycare on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (Also, the reason I looked into daycare was because when I sent an email asking if she could be walked to the dog park 4 blocks away, and how much that would cost, I did not receive a response)…
When my request for walks to daycare was met with a ‘I don’t know, I’ll get back to you,’ the next day (⁸⁄₁₆) I asked (through text and email) to be notified of the status of my request as I did need to find someone to take her on those days. Rather than providing me with this info, or stating when this info would be relayed to me, I was informed on the 21^st (the day my dog was scheduled to begin daycare) that the service could only be provided if I paid for a 45 minute walk, because the dog walker «said it would take him without stopping roughly 20 minutes.» So, I was asked to pay for a 45 minute walk, when Bronx would only be walked for 20?
Couple weeks prior to this, I asked repetitively to meet with the dog walker, as my concierge had notified me that different people had been showing up to walk my dog, which I obviously did not feel comfortable with. My concerns and requests were ignored. So when I asked again to meet the dog walker, I was notified I could meet the dog walker when they came to walk my dog. First, if I could be at home at that time I obviously wouldn’t need a dog walker. Second, I’m well aware I could meet the dog walker when they come to walk her. –When I stated I could not be there at that time, and the times when I would be available, I was not provided with a reply.
FURTHERMORE, after being notified that my dog was being walked around 3:45 (which I would have rather not even paid for since I could have done it myself about one hour later) I sent an email asking for her to be walked closer to noon. I did not get a reply, and she was not walked closer to noon.
It is essential that people are able to trust that their dog is being provided with the necessary amount of time they need for exercise, at the time needed (the services they paid for), that the walker is a person who treats dogs with care and respect, and that they feel secure with who is entering their home when they are not there. My attempts to develop this trust were disregarded and ignored, which left me feeling, on multiple multiple days, anxious, frustrated and concerned.

Well, this has been quite the lesson in learning to trust your instincts about a business. The first time we used MetroPetDC, it seemed that they did a fine job when the sitters actually got there but just that they were busy and somewhat difficult to contact. I was annoyed by it but let it slide and asked them to come sit my cat again. WOW, that was a bad decision.
After sending them a request for another weekend of cat sitting including a few questions I needed answered, I received a reply of one line: Sure! What are your dates? I am beginning to believe that it is company policy that all e-​mails must be one sentence or less in length, because that was true of every single e-​mail I received from them. I tried calling several times, they never answered their phones AND the voicemail box was full. Bad sign again. I only received responses to about 50% of the e-​mails I sent them, and most of the time I had to send a second one with a new subject line with «please reply» in all caps. As a business, do I really need to ask you to reply to receive a response? Shouldn’t that just be a given? And even when they did answer, they would only half answer some my questions.
They also have a bizarre habit of asking the same question 2 – 3 times, which indicates to me that they keep little in the way of records of their clients or detailed schedules. If they did, then the first or at least second time I told them my dates, address, and phone number probably should have been sufficient.
They waited until the day before I was leaving to «finalize» plans with me, and while I was nervous that something would go wrong, at that point I had no real choice but to trust that they would do their job.
I came back three days later to find that they never came. At all. My cat was home alone without any human contact or food for three days. Luckily, she has a running water fountain or she wouldn’t have had clean water either. Needless to say, she was extremely upset, but (thank goodness) okay considering the circumstances when I got home to her yelling for attention.
I contacted them three times since I got back to ask what the hell happened, but as of yet they haven’t felt the need to give me any reply at all. Needless to say, I will never, ever, be using MetroPetDC again.

I moved to DC almost 2 years ago with my then 6 month old Lab Riley. I asked around and came upon MetroPetDC. I was very happy to find Diedre who could both walk Riley during the day and to take care of her when I traveled. I couldn’t have been happier with the service that I received for both. It was great to know when I was away that Riley was having fun playing with her firends at Diedre’s home. I hope that I can find someone someone in Dallas that will do as good of a job in caring for Riley that Diedre has.

My first Unilocal review is for Deidre and MetroPet DC! We can’t be more happy with her services!
The first time we needed to board our beloved dog Pancho, we wanted a cage-​free environment and a place where he would feel at home. We found MetroPet DC online and after reading other Unilocal reviews we contacted Deidre. We were very nervous about leaving him, since he was a puppy, but Deidre was very patient and answered all our questions. We even got a chance to visit her house before boarding him. That first experience was great, she kept us updated daily on how he was doing and even sent pictures! Since then, he has stayed with her several times so he can run around (she has a fenced backyard) and play with his dog friends. He’s always super happy to see her when she picks him up and gives her tons of kisses.
The price is super reasonable for the personal care your dog gets, and the pick-​up/​drop off service is a plus! Deidre really loves what she does and it shows. You will not be dissapointed with the care your dog gets. Thanks for taking such good care of our Pancho!

We are beyond thrilled with the service we receive from MetroPetDC for our dog, Charlie. We had used two different dog walkers/​services in DC, and with both we’d had some rather unpleasant services with multiple missed walks and unprofessional service that was disconcerting.
With MetroPetDC I assumed we’d encounter similar problems, but we’ve been nothing but happy. My schedule changes frequently so we’ll go months needing walks 5 days and week and then randomly not need a walk one day. Diedre is extremely responsive via text and email when a change occurs. I’ve met our walker who seems wonderful and really loves our dog, and people in our building have even reported seeing our dog out on walks and that he’s incredibly focused and behaved with the walker.
Another amazing benefit of MetroPet is their cageless boarding. Our dog has a lot of separation anxiety so we want to avoid sending him to a traditional kennel but feel guilty asking friends to take care of him on long trips. Diedre’s cageless boarding means that Charlie can go play, sleep, eat and enjoy time with other dogs in a home as well as playing in a big, fenced in yard. He returns happy and exhausted and falls right back into his normal routine again. They also will pick up and drop off so you don’t have to worry about rushing to drop off your pet before a vacation. I was there the last time Diedre came to get him for boarding, and he was beyond excited, barking and jumping to give her kisses. He didn’t even look back when they left. He couldn’t wait to return to her home!
Diedre has texted and sent pictures when Charlie stays. Its nice to receive updates and know that he’s in good hands.
Give MetroPetDC a try for walks, boarding or their other services. You can tell they truly care about your pet!

We used MetroPet for cat sitting over the holidays for the first time and were very satisfied. Diedre is great about communications, and all of our instructions about caring for our pets were followed (not that cat sitting is rocket science or anything, but still!). We will certainly use them in the future, it’s good to know that we can go away and be confident that our pets are being well taken care of. Very inexpensive compared to some other places we looked into also.

Ultra reliable, great prices, never let’s us down. Samson loves the walkers.

Following the other Unilocalers here I gave MPDC a try. I will say that Dierdre is very responsive and deserves kudos, but we felt the competence of our walker was average at best. More importantly, we arranged with Dierdre to meet our dog before starting the service and she sent the walker who had no idea about any of the other logistics (e.g. payment, insurance, etc.), which would normally be fine except that we were led to believe that we would be meeting Dierdre.
I recognize their prices are cheaper, but price isn’t everything when it comes to raising a puppy. There are better providers of this service and we have found one.

I have been using MetroPet for about 6 months and so far nothing but great service! They charge you for the actual visits (unless you have a last minute cancellation) which is so hard to come by with other services in the DC area. Definitely recommend!

We have been very pleased with MetroPetDC! After a HORRENDOUS experience at Wagtime, I was extremely nervous to trust another service with our two beloved dogs. We met with Deidre and were both impressed with her and have not been disappointed.
We have used them for dog walking and dog sitting and are so thankful we found them! The prices cannot be beat in DC and you can tell Deidre really loves what she does. She is extremely good at getting back to you ASAP and even sends pictures of the dogs while we were on vacation which I appreciated. it’s also cageless so they hang out at her house as they would their own. Deidre also has you provide their schedule beforehand so she can keep them on their regular routines, which helps a TON when you get them back home! She has been extremely helpful and available to us in last minute jams when our friends couldn’t watch them for us. They come home happy, normal, and uninjured (again, Wagtime is awful).
I would HIGHLY recommend and have recommended Deidre to friends who are looking for a trustworthy service to trust your beloved furry family members to. Your mind will be at ease, and you can truly enjoy your vacation knowing your dogs are enjoying theirs too!!!

We’ve always been able to find friends to pet-​sit, but found ourselves in a jam last weekend. With some trepidation, we looked into boarding, and were so happy to find «cageless boarding» at MetroPetDC! Instead of going to a kennel, our dogs had basically a three-​day sleepover with Diedre (who took such nice care of them) and her own pets (who, apparently, are big-​time snugglers, just like ours).
If we can’t take them with us or have a friend hang out with them at our place, this seems like the next best solution… and for a really reasonable price! Terrific!

They are the best! walks are $ 10/​walk which is the most reasonable price i have found in the city and they often include the dog park in the walk! I also had to board my puppy for 7 nights which i was uneasy about but Deidre took her in for $ 35/​night at her home in cageless boarding (no additional costs for walks/​exercise– which almost every reasonable place does and i think its absurd), i completely trust them and would recommend to anyone! also Deidre is awesome with email/​texts and will respond back almost immediately allowing me to schedule walks at a late notice if i need to!