based on 2 reviews
Neighbors say
- Dogs get to sleep outside of a kennel
Bark Park Inc.
Barry
840 Sweeney (off Woodside Rd. exit)
Redwood City, CA
94064
(650) 365-6521
http://www.barkparkinc.com
This Neighbor Says
- Dogs get to sleep outside of a kennel
By: Your Neighbor
Date: February, 2008
Larger dogs do sleep in "kennels", but they are so huge, they're like two bedrooms! They're not actually considered kennels to me, thus my response to your question. Very cute to see larger dogs sleeping together on futons, real kiddie beds, etc. Enough room for dogs to play well throughout boarding duration. Smaller dogs play outside grassy area entire day. At night they have option to sleep inside owner's office with other doggies if requested. Also, $10.00 doggie baths available! Very reasonably priced!
By: Your Neighbor
Date: February, 2008
As an Adoption Coordinator volunteer for severely abused & neglected dogs, I am very particular about finding the perfect doggie day care for our dogs in need of a safe, comfortable & fun environment while finding forever homes for them.
In my research, many places offered extravagant, elegant services, rooms, with all the fluff...with the extravagant prices to match. I just needed a doggie day care where they would have fun with the other dogs and felt loved thoughout the work day. Because of limited funds w/ the nonprofit animal rescue organization I work with, I also needed a place that was reasonably priced.
The previous owner passed & his family was ready to sell the business to a stranger/tear it down. Barry, a family friend came to the rescue because he didn't want these angels that they've come to love to be left in the lurch. He came out of retirement for the dogs, but coudn't afford to buy the entire property. He did what he could & kept a portion of the place so that these dogs would still have a reasonably priced doggie day care to play or board.
I was impressed with the size of the kennels. There is an indoor/outdoor portion & was big enough to fit several dogs w/ plenty of room to play. The inside portion had beds for several doggies slides, balls, etc.
A single kennel is larger than the entire doggie day camp play rooms at PetsHotels usually crammed w/ approx. 20 dogs at a time. They barely have room to move, much less play and/or run! Often PetsHotels are so crowded that dogs are rotated back into the small kennels while alternate dogs TRY to play. In addition, I've been told by PetsHotel that day camp dogs play until 5:00 p.m., but often I've returned before 4:00 p.m. only to find out they've been already returned to the small kennels because of clean-up duty.
At Bark Park, there are two grassy play areas for dogs in front of the main office. On our way to the office, it was so cute to see happy dogs greet us at the gate like a welcome committee. My dogs took to that immediately & started playing.
When meeting the owner, there also were dogs playing in his office welcoming us. Barry & another staff member hugged & petted dogs constantly. They had Barry wrapped around their paws & run of his office sitting/sleeping on the guest chairs, etc. He spoils them rotten and lets them have their way.
We had a nice chat while I told him what I did for animal rescue. I also told him that I would need to board the dogs for a week every so often so that I could rescue animals from third world countries. He was very compassionate about this cause and told me if there was anything he could do to help to let him know.
I left my dogs there for a day to see how they would like it. I was worried because they had been abused, scared, etc., and I felt like I was abandoning them! I was a mess, but Barry called me a couple times throughout the day to let me know how they were doing and reassured me they were fine. I also received report cards on their day's progress! But the real test was the dog's behavior and reaction by day's end. I don't need a webcam to find out.
When I picked them up, Tatiana, a staff member greeted me, informed me of their progress and how much she adored them. She even showed me a little video from her cell phone with them playing. My dogs were happy to see me, but they weren't ready to leave. They still wanted to play, and gave Tatiana a big kiss. It was another 20 minutes to get the dogs to go home with me willingly.
I decided to bring them back the next day and once they knew where we were headed, they couldn't wait to get out of the car! They started kissing me, as though to thank me for bringing them back. As soon as I let them out, they raced to the back office to greet Barry! Afterwards, they happily romped with the other dogs. A couple have overcome their shyness and are on their way to becoming adoptable now thanks in part to Bark Park.
I also bring my own dog there five days a week and he's in doggie heaven. In the summer, Barry will have the wading pool out for the dogs to play in the grassy area if they'd like.
They are constantly cleaning the premises, but I did notice & asked about the "doggie smell" when passing the kennels. Barry told me that he could easily use bleach to remove the smell, but it's harmful to the dogs, and he would rather that the dogs be safe. He does use "Simple Green" when cleaning and is researching a more effective disinfectant that isn't harmful to dogs.
Their rates are very reasonable, w/ flexible cancellation. Although Bark Park isn't fancy like other doggie day care facilities, the bottom line is at the end of the day, my dogs are happy, healthy, safe, content & TIRED!
