Pet Paradise Lakewood Ranch — Local services in Bradenton

Although I rate this pet resort very high, and I recommend it highly, I had one minor issue.

Our 2 year old Lab spent one day in Daycare. We could see her playing on the web cams any time we wished. No question, she had a ball in the pool, and playing with up to a dozen other dogs.

However, she injured her paws, front right, and rear left. One paw pad was scraped off a bit, and the other pad had a gash. We don't blame Pet Paradise for the wild running of our Lab, as several of the other dogs were running, at times, with abandon.

She seemed okay until she was got home, when she began to limp a bit. At first we thought she may have injured a ligament or something more serious. After extensive examination, all over, we observed the paw pads. We applied Neosporin on the paws, and, fortunately, we had some little doggie boots (she likes jumping up on people when she meets them, so, sometimes, we put them on the front paws, at first meeting).

She walked around in the boots for a couple days (too funny looking, lol) and the paws healed and she was herself, again. No harm done.

I noticed, the ground around the pool is cement, or some other material designed to prevent slipping, I suppose. Our pup may have received abrasions on that surface. Again, this certainly wouldn't be the fault of Pet Paradise staff, as pups love to run and play. I don't know if the pets can be tempered when running on this surface, although there is plenty grass they run on also. Next time, I will inquire about this.

The one issue I have, is I don't think we would like our pup running and playing all day long, which may lead to the paw issues. Perhaps for the future, we will arrange for an hour or so of play, and the remaining time, for daycare, more quiet time. Not sure if Pet Paradise accommodates this, but we do plan to use their services in the future. It's a marvelous facility with a great staff.

As an aside, this first day we used this resort was complimentary, which was a plus. The Webcams were high quality, allowing us to watch the dogs enjoy themselves,...

Changing my former 5 star review following an extremely poor experience that I feel is important to consider for anyone utilizing pet paradise Lakewood ranch:

We booked a 2 week boarding of our dog here after utilizing pet paradise in multiple locations across Florida. We trusted all locations because we had never had an issue and enjoyed the amenities offered to our pet. Unfortunately on this occasion there was an incident in which our dog was minorly injured in a manner that was unclear to the staff. Because it was small and the staff called promptly we were relatively at ease about the injury. We requested that we be kept updated on the injury and planned to track it with the report cards that we paid for in advance. However, the report cards that followed days after the injury did not show our dog’s injury. The area (nose) of the injury was clearly visible in the photo on our report card, yet it was not visible. In subsequent report cards, the injury was visible.

This situation is concerning because it suggests two things:

1. Activity and report card photos are not occurring when PPLR says they are being conducted, despite being a paid add-on. (Also, I enjoy reading the dog-voice notes on the report card, but when your dog has an injury while in boarding, that report card might be the most appropriate time to at least mention the status of said injury…)

2. No follow-up or response to our emails requesting information/explanation on the injury and timing of report cards not reflecting the injury status.

In all, we will no longer be utilizing PP Lakewood Ranch due to a lack of trust and communication during this stay. This boarding was 2 weeks, a lot of money, and the issue at hand did not receive the amount of attention it required from staff (which was almost none).

Initial Review: Very clean, friendly informed staff, and easy process. I was worried about leaving my bigger dog here but the staff all seemed well informed on him throughout, and made me feel at ease....

I would give a 0 if I could! Very disappointed in this location for boarding. I had used Pet Paradise by the JAX airport when I lived on Amelia Island. I was expecting the same quality at this location but was greatly disappointed. When I arrived to check in, there was one other person in the lobby and three people behind the desk. A. dog was brought out and the owner immediately stated "That is not my dog!" The employee then left to get the right dog. Another woman walked in frantic because she had just gotten a text that she had been charged and her dog had been picked up. Her dog was still there. As the three employees talked behind the desk, two additional customers came in and they were immediately served as the employees seemed to know them. The employees then kept talking and laughing about the dog mixups. I was still waiting with my dog. As the lobby was then empty, one of the employees finally looked up and asked if I had been helped. Of course not in the midst of the chaos. I then gave her my dog and a bag with premeasured food and typed feeding directions. Everything was marked. I got back from my trip a day earlier than anticipated and called to let Pet Paradise know I would be picking up my dog. I called multiple times during the afternoon and no one answered the phone. I finally just went and pick up my dog. When I arrived, I was given my dog and her bag. I had packed extra food packets because she was originally going to be there another day. When I got home, there was no food in the bag, and none of the treats had been given to the dog. In addition, my dog was very lethargic and had diarrhea all night. She must have eaten the wrong food. That is the only time she develops diarrhea. I have boarded her before at other facilities and have never had her get sick. This is the last time I will be taking my dog to...