Pet Paradise Columbia — Local services in Blythewood

We have used this location 3 times now. Once for doggy daycare and twice for boarding. Below is my overall opinon of our experience so far.

The first overnight boarding experience, our dog came back somewhat depressed and in a completely different mood than her usual post-boarding personality. We thought that maybe this had to do with her visiting a new facility. We had another visit planned for the following weekend, and realized why her behavior was different.

The second boarding experience started off poorly. My husband dropped her off and was told that during her previous visit, due to the length of her nails she was not allowed social play because she was jumping on other dogs and could potentially hurt/scratch them. Our dog is friendly, but does not seek out other dogs for interaction, if she is approached she backs away and prefers to not engage in play unless it is a game of chase. She is a bit of an anti-social creature that does not understand normal dog language, therefore in all of her 10 years she has never jumped on another dog. This is why we started taking her to doggie daycare so she would have more normal dog socialization. (Due to her hound breed she has large nails and gets her nails trimmed by the vet, which is scheduled for this week and is the only location that we will allow to trim her nails).

We were told that if we did not want her to be isolated we could pay for their nail trimming service, and she would be allowed to play during her scheduled play times. My husband was livid and we posted a review, which was promptly followed-up with a concerned call from the manager of the location.

She was wonderful and assured us that was not their policy, and that they do offer services for nail trimming but do not deny pets their playtimes if their nails are not trimmed. She was extremely professional and sincerely wanted to make this experience positive for us and told me she would make sure the staff all understood and communicated this appropriately. The end result was wonderful. This time, my dog came out with a completely different attitude upon pickup. She was happy, tail wagging and more like her normal self!

We are closer to Pet Paradise than her previous boarder, and I loved the facility and play areas. The disadvantages and reason for 3 stars are two main points. When paying for overnight boarding, the full day of doggie daycare should be included (as it is, at all the other boarders we have taken her). This is good for the dogs and staff as the dogs have more fun and are tuckered out, this location makes you pay for your dog to attend daycare during boarding.

The other factor is the reception area. Again, I am basing this off of previous boarding facilities and see this as a major drawback. When you arrive, instead of getting your pets name and quickly ushering them back, they will let you stand in line, with an over-excited pet, in a room of other over-excited pets for up to 20 minutes while they complete check-in for each pet in front of you. This creates an overstimulated, stressful experience that I personally dread. Most locations will take your pet back and then complete administrative duties after, for the safety and comfort of all guests, human and canine.

We will consider using Pet Paradise for two reasons. One, the manager did reach out and made a huge, timely effort to right a wrong that was reflected in my dog when I picked her up. The second, because the management exhibited a willingness to improve my experience it is my hope they will continue improving this facility to make it a better experience...

I had to board my dog at Pet Paradise in an emergency situation, thinking I was putting him in a safe and reliable place for just a day or two. Sadly, this turned into one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had with any boarding facility, and I feel other pet owners deserve to know. I was told I’d be able to check in on him through the cameras, but in reality, I only saw him once or twice for no more than a few minutes. When I asked why, I was told he was “overwhelmed.” My dog has stayed in multiple boarding facilities before, and this has never been an issue. That excuse felt more like a cover-up than the truth. Then, I found out I had been lied to about his feeding schedule. Staff reassured me that he was being fed and cared for as normal, but when I picked him up, it was obvious that wasn’t true. He was absolutely starving, gulping down water like he hadn’t been given enough the entire time. As a pet parent, that was heartbreaking and infuriating — you trust people to care for your animal, and to see him come back hungry, thirsty, and clearly neglected was unacceptable. To make matters even worse, he came home with kennel cough after just a short stay. So not only was he not properly cared for, but he also got sick because of the environment he was in. What should have been a place of safety and care turned into a stressful, unhealthy experience for my dog. This facility cost me peace of mind, money, and my dog’s well-being. I don’t normally write negative reviews, but this isn’t just about being disappointed — it’s about warning other pet owners. If you love your pet and expect honesty, proper care, and a safe environment, I strongly advise you to look elsewhere. I regret ever bringing my dog here, and I will never trust Pet Paradise...

I would absolutely give 0 stars to this place. Absolutely the worst place. I took my dog for a weekend boarding. Dropped off Friday morning and received a call from Alex the resort manager saying it was “non emergent” and that my dog had gotten some sores on her elbows and was “probably from getting up and down from the concrete” when I picked up my dog on Monday her elbows were inflamed and had discharge coming from them. I immediately took her to vet who said it was more than likely caused from being BURNED. I had to get my dog a steroid shot and antibiotics from the vet due to how bad her sores were as they were not only on her elbows but on her back paws and her pads were burned too. Whether the burns came from the turf(most likely) or the concrete they do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to “monitor” these conditions. The workers would rather play on their phones than monitor the animals or have common sense to think that it’s hot out maybe we should spray down the turf more than once a day. It took over a week for the resort manager to get back in touch with me after having to reach out to her myself on multiple occasions. I was also put in touch with the regional resort manager Alonso who also did absolutely nothing for the situation and suggested “using blankets or yoga mat” as padding in the kennel area to avoid this from happening again. I would NEVER go back to this place I’ve never had these issues at any of the other resorts I’ve had my dog stay at. ABSOLUTELY the WORST place and the lack of communication, professional and actual urgency from both the resort manager and the regional manager...