Boston Paws — Local services in Boston

35 reviews 1.0 star rating 12/9/2017 We were highly unsatisfied with our experience at Boston Paw. The dogs boarded there over Thanksgiving weekend, and the location came at the recommendation of a friend. I was a little anxious that they had a choice of multiple accomodations when literally every other kennel in the greater Boston area was booked solid weeks in advance.

When we arrived to pick our two dogs up the Saturday after Thanksgiving we were met outside with them on leash. I could smell them from 5 feet away, outside in fresh air. They smelled like urine and feces. I was so shocked at the smell that I just took custody of the dogs, and didn't say anything. The smell was so bad that we had to sleep with our windows open because it kept waking us up. We had to bathe them twice each the next morning.

Additionally, both beds were soaked in urine. I had to throw them both out, I couldn't even bring them in the house. When the employee handed me the beds, I held them up against my legs and my jeans were immediately soaked.

When I got home, I had recovered from my shock somewhat, and realized I had forgotten to ask if they had been given their medications. I called and politely asked if either of them had had accidents while at Boston Paw and was told: "Oh, yeah, the girl dog, a lot. She wouldn't come out for 24 hours, so we just left her in there and she peed all over everything."

I was also told there was blood in her urine.

Our female dog was very sick from the time we picked her up. She had explosive diarrhea for 3 days and was listless. Of greatest concern, she was extremely jumpy and shied from us when we tried to pet her.

I emailed the owner asking for some reassurance, an apology, an offer to pay for their new beds, anything....I didn't hear back for over a week. When I finally did, she left a giggly voicemail on my phone laughing about "your nervous girl" and how much fun they had with the boy dog. I returned her voicemail with an email 5 days ago asking to please let me know, in writing, if she had anything to offer in the way of an apology and never heard from her again.

AVOID at...

Update: as you can see, the owner has responded, and this is why I would never want to give feedback. I appreciate local, family-owned businesses, but it clearly turned into a lecture instead of an invite to communicate via phone or respond to what the concerns are. Again--I ask the owner NOT to respond in the platform, but it's turning into "attack on me" syndrome. Thank you for your support and professional courtesy not responding, and please take this in the spirit of constructive criticism--better yet, simply an area of concentrated improvement (let's take the criticism out to make it more digestible).

A Bit More Professional Response from the Owner?

I read Robert's review, and I was disheartened at the owner's response. I don't know Robert personally, and if, indeed, that is NOT his name, can you blame him? Look at the unprofessional, curt response of the Boston Paws owner. What happened to "Dear Robert. While we do not have a client on file by that name, we are sorry if this was your actual experience. We pride ourselves in . . . please contact us at so that we can discuss the incident, etc." Sometimes, companies get beyond themselves and become privileged when they get a stream of positive feedbacks, but wait a minute: there is always room to improve.

Well, our dog utilized Boston Paws doggie daycare service, and the experience was discouraging to us. While for some it may be good, we did NOT have a good experience. Now, I would request that the owner NOT respond to my review like that; in fact, do not respond at all if it is not going to be professional and respectful. Do not devalue a customer's experience to the point that you can't identify areas of improvement. I would not recommend someone to a place where the owner(s) take feedback or an experience personal to the point where they attack a reviewer publicly. #humblecustomerservice #respectforcustomers #donttakeitpersonal #betterservice...

Hi all, I've thought long and hard about posting this in here but ultimately my heart is saying it's necessary. Especially after speaking with other owners who have had a similar experience. I always condone supporting local business which is what I've always done - but in this case I would proceed with caution. After doing some research on local doggie daycares, I stumbled across Boston Paws. I spoke directly with the owner (prior to dropping my dog off) about what I was seeking and specifically what my dog would need. My dog is older and has a pinned knee so I wanted a place that would separate him with the smaller dogs and monitor him so he didn't become anxious or have a run in with larger more playful dogs. After being assured that this would be the case and he would be completely safe I decided to give them a try. Needless to say, without getting into all the details my dog was NEVER separated and his health and safety were put at risk. My dog could barely walk for three days and was in significant pain - he also came home with a dark marking under his neck...not sure if from another dog biting him or something being put around his neck. I was also overcharged twice with no apology or offer for reimbursement. When I requested to speak with the owner he refused to call me about my concerns. If you are an owner with an older dog please don't let your dog go here! In addition, this place does not limit dogs (unlike Lux Pet Resort which does) and there could be up to 100 dogs in that room at any given time which in my opinion is a safety risk. I felt that this information should be known and I'm happy to go into details if anyone wants to speak offline. From one owner to another please please do...