Four Paws Playground-- Doggie Daycare, Crateless Boarding, Puppy Wednesday and Training — Local services in Greenwich Township

I want to preface this by saying I generally don’t write negative reviews, and I definitely wouldn’t be doing so for a family owned business if I didn’t feel it was necessary.

We started sending our dog as a puppy, as I travel a few times a month for work. The first few months were fine, but back in May he came home and threw up quite a bit of wood once he got home. We called them immediately, and at first they said there was no wood on premises. Upon further investigation, it turned out each kennel has a 2x4 on the swing door and somehow our dog consumed it without anyone noticing. We took him to the emergency vet because we didn’t know how much he ate, and it was ~$700 to do x-rays and induce vomiting. It seemed like a no-brainer that this would be something Four Paws would cover considering it happened at their facility, but it was a headache to get them to work with us. First they offered a credit, but we were no longer comfortable with taking him there so we asked if they could just reimburse us. They said they would need to go through insurance for that, and we waited for over 2 months for a response. I had to email/call them multiple times for an update before they finally said insurance wouldn’t cover it so they would reimburse us 80%. They said a check would go out on a certain week but we still waited for several weeks and had to follow up. I’m sure they’ve had more expensive vet bills to cover, so I’m not really sure what the hold up was.

We were already considering finding a new daycare before this happened, as we really questioned the safety of having such a large group of dogs running around together all day with little supervision. Our dog was often pictured with dogs much larger than him, and on busy days there seemed to be well over 10-15 dogs in an area at a time. If a fight were to break out (which I’m sure happens) I really doubt the couple of staff members supervising would be able to do much about it. It seemed like a glorified dog park, and our trainer (honestly most trainers, not just ours) really advised against a daycare set up like this for both safety and behavioral reasons. Please be careful sending your pups to a place that operates this way, the level of exhausted they are when you bring them home...

TLDR: Terrible experience. The worker was lazy tried to throw the dog in the pool as a bath, took the dog food and then yelled and blamed us. Do not recommend.

I never leave reviews but Four Paws is so terrible I felt I should save other pet owners the troubles of the horrible experience. Called two hours before the pickup because on their website it says there is a complimentary bathing for my dog. When I arrived two hours later, my dog smelled like urine and I was informed that she didn’t eat well, that she just “nibbled”. Upon hearing this I asked for the remaining dog food to which he replied there is none. I gave 4 days of dog food, because on their website they suggest you bring an extra day’s worth, my dog stayed 3 days, on the instructions I labeled to “feed her once in the morning and if she eats the food, once more in the evening”. I don’t know how there can be absolutely no food remaining, especially if my dog only “nibbled” on the food. About my dog’s smell he said that he put her in the pool. On their website it says a complimentary bathing when you call ahead. I don’t see how that is a bath. The worker then proceeded to blame us and tried to say that I didn’t ask for her to be bathed, but again that was the whole point on calling two hours ahead, it’s not needed else wise we could have just went and picked her up.

Edit: To their response I attached a photo of what they actually said and not the lies they typed. Also you can tell by the cold reply how they are. Everything will be your fault they take no responsibility, notice they mention nothing about putting my dog in the pool as a bath. Yet instead they blame us. Look at their response to the food, they clearly didn’t follow instructions. But according to their logic it’s my fault too. It’s clear they are lazy. Terrible service. Never ever going back. Save yourself and pet...

My dogs are my children and I would not trust them anywhere else but Four Paws! The moment I open the car when we arrive, they race to the front door and are greeted by the friendly staff who obviously love and care about them as if they were their own. It's clear from the pictures they post on Facebook as well as the fact that my babies sometimes don't want to leave that they are having a blast and being taken care of. I have a rescue dog that's so high energy that we didn't think we'd be able to keep him...until he started going to Four Paws. The very first day he came home, he was almost a different dog - calmer, happier, less-nervous, and finally ignoring the cat (his obsession, pre-daycare).

I never thought I'd be able to board my dogs until I found Four Paws. I am WAY too protective of them. But when I hear the staff coo and talk to my fur-kids as they check them in, it leaves me with a smile on my face and starts my day off with a fantastic feeling of joy. They are also quick to let me know if they think my pups are a bit off behaviorally or if they think they might not be feeling well, which tells me they do indeed keep a very close eye.

They've got adorable, safe play equipment to keep the babies entertained. On top of that, they've got in-ground heating for the winter months and air conditioning, kiddie pools, and shade for warmer temps. They are constantly improving the facility, which drives home the main reason I love them - they truly care about the dogs in their charge. The owners, Pat, & Myke, are extraordinarily knowledgeable in dog behavior and health and train their staff to be able to recognize even subtle signs of distress or discomfort and how to act accordingly.

In summary, Four Paws is the best. Their staff is top notch and their facilities are unmatched. Most importantly: they treat your fur-babies...