Fetch Park O4W — Attraction in Atlanta

I’m going to preface this review by stating that I want this business to succeed. I lived in Old 4th Ward before it was cool, and I’m pleased to see businesses helping to revitalize the neighborhood. That being said, I was surprised and disappointed with my first visit to Fetch on Sunday, August 5th.

I was watching a friend’s Chow Chow, whom I’ve routinely watched on countless occasions over the past 4 years. I’ve taken her to many dog parks – all without incident. We headed to Fetch around 6:30 in the evening, and were greeted by a nice gentleman at the gate, who assisted with check-in. Everything went downhill from there.

I entered with the dog still leashed, and shortly thereafter, at least a half dozen dogs swarmed us. This isn’t cataclysmic at a dog park. However, several of the dogs were larger, and this, coupled with a thunder strike from an nearby storm, caused her to anxiously react. She pulled out of her collar - which was unknowingly loose from the groomer earlier that day – and the pack of dogs followed. I knew she was scared, so I got down to calm her down; meanwhile, other dog owners calmly ushered their dogs away. I then put her back on the leash until she acclimated. She’s socialized, but this was a series of spontaneous events that elicited an unfortunate, but manageable, response.

I got a drink from the bartender, who was pleasant, and I started chatting with friends. I had been there less than 10 minutes when a man, whom I was later told was the owner, gruffly approached and said, “Why is your dog on a leash?” I politely responded that I wasn’t aware leashes weren’t allowed. He curtly responded with, “You signed a form when you came in here agreeing that your dog was social and not aggressive.” I responded that she was social and not aggressive, but was anxious since it was her first time there. As I was about to explain further, he said, “This is the dog’s first time at a dog park!?” I said she had been to many dog parks, but this was her first time here and she was a bit anxious. He then said leashed dogs are not allowed. I then calmly responded, “I’ll guess we’ll leave then.” At this point, he could have taken several actions to rectify things – perhaps apologizing, offering a refund, or offering another compromise instead of abruptly leaving. Instead, he bizarrely said, “OK” and walked away.

At this point, everyone in the near vicinity was in disbelief, and several patrons apologized for his behavior. I don’t know if he was having a bad day, or if this is his first business venture dealing with customers. Regardless, everyone who witnessed the matter agreed he was unprofessional and aggressive. I began to leave, but my friends encouraged us to stay. By this point, the dog was acclimated, so I unleashed her and decided to move on from the incident. We stayed for an hour, during which time she did fine. Ironically, there were several minor spats between dogs during this time, which is to be expected – but none involving my dog.

As I was leaving, I was hoping the owner would make some effort to rectify things. He could have mustered up pretty much anything – perhaps apologizing for the misunderstanding, stating he was glad to see the dog enjoying herself, or mentioning that he’d hope we’d return. But he did absolutely nothing. We left, and we’ll never be back. Not because the facilities weren’t impressive, but because the ownership was wholly unprofessional, flagrantly inept, and sorely lacking rudimentary customer service skills. I wasn’t expecting a Kumbaya moment, but some semblance of civilized discourse and basic professional decency would have sufficed.

In the end, I think Bill Gates said it best: “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” Judging by existing reviews, I appear to be among Fetch’s first of hopefully few unhappy customers. That being said, I sincerely hope the ownership learns from this whole fiasco. They should know better and...

Terrible Experience with Fetch

I am extremely disappointed with the unprofessionalism, lack of accountability, and overall negligence shown by Fetch. I planned an event for December 14, 2024, and was in contact with both the manager and the event coordinator for over two months. Despite repeated in-person visits, text messages, and emails requesting a contract and confirmation, I was continuously assured that “the event is definitely happening.”

The event coordinator failed to provide the necessary contract or payment details, and on the day of the event, they canceled without any notice. To make matters worse, when I confronted them, the coordinator blatantly lied and claimed to have no knowledge of my event. This directly contradicted months of communication, including emails and text messages where they acknowledged the event.

Fetch’s negligence and lack of communication cost me hundreds of dollars in decorations, marketing, goodie bags, and treat-making—not to mention the labor and gas expenses incurred by my vendors. Even worse, they continue to ignore my attempts to address the issue, acting as if this situation never happened.

Beyond the unprofessionalism, Fetch’s disregard for basic safety measures makes it a dangerous environment for both humans and animals. Their staff’s inability to maintain proper communication and organization could lead to harmful situations in a venue where pets and people are supposed to coexist. With the lack of attention to detail I’ve experienced, I wouldn’t trust Fetch to ensure the safety or well-being of anyone, especially animals.

Fetch’s blatant disregard for their customers’ time, money, and safety is appalling. If you value professionalism, accountability, and a safe space for yourself and your pets, I strongly advise you to avoid Fetch. Their inability to take responsibility for their mistakes and address these concerns speaks volumes about how poorly they operate.

If I could give no...

Edit 2 (December 2021): I’ve been going to Fetch almost every day for the past year and a half, prior to canceling my membership last week. I was willing to endure unreliable wifi, $10+ drinks, and no bathrooms for so long because I really liked the atmosphere. Now, I can’t justify paying $40/month for expensive drinks, porta potties, and WiFi that rarely works.

The atmosphere is no longer friendly and relaxed, and I don’t recognize any of the staff. There are so many new/under-trained front desk people and bark rangers that it takes forever to check in and I feel like I am intervening on behalf of my dog more than ever before. Not sure if they are short-staffed or what, but it is not a relaxing, enjoyable experience where I can work or have a drink with friends and not worry about my dog. Not to mention that music selection has gone downhill, and parking is an absolute nightmare in the evenings and at anytime during the weekend, especially when they have events.

Another big complaint I have is the lack of communication… if you don’t regularly check Instagram, there’s really no other way of knowing when events are or when the park is closing early. They only post on Instagram stories for events and closings for inclement weather, which is also where they post cute dog pics, so it’s really easy to miss these announcements.

Edit (July 2021): DO NOT BRING TREATS!!! It is dangerous for both dogs and staff, and they can ban you for bringing treats. Please be respectful and do not bring food for people or dogs.

Original review posted April 2021: Always a good time at Fetch! Staff is super friendly and music selection definitely adds to the atmosphere. Love how they require all the shots and for the dogs to be fixed after a certain age so I know my dog is safe. I also appreciate how staff wears masks and how there is a maximum capacity to ensure proper...