My dog was a consistent client of another, very large doggy daycare facility when we lived in Harford county. Every time he went, he would shake and get very droolly and I really didn't feel comfortable leaving him there. Once we moved to Baltimore City, I was still in need of a daycare facility for him, but didn't want a repeat of the other situation. I came upon Barks and Blooms and have been taking him there for the last 2 1/2 years. He is not nervous or drooly when he goes and is happy when I pick him up. He has boarded there and done daycare at least once a week. Mary Frances, Colleen and Keith are all wonderful. I have never had any instances were anyone gave me a negative attitude or made me feel anything but comfortable. They are truly wonderful people who take excellent care of the animals in their charge. They even text you on vacation to send pictures and updates. Pros: They limit the number of dogs they take and have even instituted a reservation requirement due to volume. They do not use cages..ever. They allow you to bring your dogs bed and toys when boarded, which is great if you have a nervous dog like mine. They are super attentive to detail with feeding and allergies. They have low turnover for employees so you get to know people as you drop off. It is clean, but it is also a doggy daycare, not a hospital. Cons: Parking is kind of challenging during peak drop off/ pick up times. read more

This review pertains to B&B's dog walking service. I have never used their doggy daycare or pet boarding services. It's tough to find a good dogwalker that will visit a house in the burbs. I live in White Marsh and I can't tell you how many companies told me that it was out of their range. Too far south for Hartford County and too far north for Baltimore. I was relieved to find out that B&B has a dog walker in the area...and she is THE BEST. I'm fairly certain that my dog likes his walker, Kristina, more than he likes me. Although I do my best to schedule walks way in advance, Kristina has been very flexible when I've had emergencies and needed a short notice walk. Example: My dog had an infection that rendered him partially lame during the same week that my wife and I were at the hospital for the birth of our child. We didn't know how we were going to provide him the special treatment he needed. Kristina went to our house several times and helped him outside to use the bathroom and then spent time sitting with him to give him the human interaction he needed. We are very grateful! We have also had very good experiences with B&B's management (Colleen & Sandy). From Billing to setting up backup walkers when Kristina went on vacation, they have made customer service a priority. I plan to continue to use B&B as long as I live in the area. The company is well run from top to bottom! read more

I can not rave enough about Barks and Blooms, their owners, Mary Francis and Colleen and the person who does their assessments, Tiffany. I took my 6 month old puppy there and was given great feedback on how she behaved and things she needed to work on. My dog is a different dog 2 months later. From a tough wild little puppy to a better trained, very happy and well adjusted dog. She has learned so much from Tiffany ( now her dog trainer), the people who watch her there and through socializing with the other dogs. Before we get out of the car for drop off she wags her tail ferociously, paces back and forth in her seat and cries because she can't wait to see all of her friends! One last note- the people who watch and care for Zoey could not be kinder and more loving to her. I would not take her anywhere that was not top- notch... This place is awesome!!! And it's very clean as well. read more

We have used Barks and Blooms on a number of occasions to care for our two dogs and two cats. What a wonderfully professional organization! The caregivers are truly pet-lovers who treat your pets and home as if it is their own. We were late in leaving on one instance, and were still at home when she arrived to come and care for our pets. We were thrilled to see how excited the pets were to see her! The "report card" that is left, which reiterates what has happened while you are gone, is certainly a great way to communicate information, but the genuine joy our pets showed upon Barks and Blooms' arrival spoke volumes. Great care at a very reasonable price means you can be away from home and pets assured that both are cared for in a loving and professional manner. read more

We have used Barks and Blooms services for daily mid day walks for our 3 labs, and 1 special care mastiff for the last 6 months. They are RESPONSIBLE and CARING and THOROUGH! The are helping us to take care of our 115 pound Mastiff through multiple surgeries.... the last being a total hip replacement. They help assist him with walking and assist him up the steps... and give them all A LOT of Love. They exercise and play with our Boys.. and help tire them out... so that way they are not hyper when we get home. I trust them with my pets and my home. (Having had a bad experience in the past with another company... I trust Barks and Blooms with the care of my Boys!) They write notes everyday so I know the progress of my boys. They are WONDERFUL! read more

Barks and Blooms is amazing! Our dog Bubba blew through many trainers who really couldn't address his behavioral issues, but Tiffany was able to help us get him in check at home, with in home training at first, then we worked up to a daycare tryout, and now he is happily attending doggy day care and getting alot of supervised dog play time and also learning from trainers how to be a socially appropriate little dude. We have recommended B&B to a neighbor who has had similar success with their dog training. Also another note, Mary Francis is absolutely professional and kind, and further works with you to do billing in a promt and straighforward manner. read more

Our neighbor ditched us at last minute before a our week long vacation and we would have had to cancel our plans if it were not for Barks & Blooms. Mary Frances responded very quickly and she came twice a day to feed the cats and put eye drops on one of them with an eye infection. She even braved my hissing cat who was not happy with a stranger putting drops in his eye, and when we came back the cats were happy, well fed and the eye was cured. Mary Frances took pictures of the cat and sent them to me, so I could follow the progress of his eye infection. Ah! And she picked up our mail too! I recommend this agency and in particular Mary Frances hands down read more

If you love your pet as much as I do, you will only want to use Barks and Blooms to take care of your pet while you are away, or just at work during the week!! Colleen and the rest of her walkers are so passionate about what they do! You see that instantaneously. You feel at ease leaving your pets in their care because you know they will receive so much love and attention. They are extremely professional and caring people who you can trust in your home and with your pets! It is such so nice to have the option of leaving your pets at home instead of taking them to the kennel. I would HIGHLY recommend Barks and Blooms!! read more

We started using Barks and Blooms in September 2010 for daily walks for our Westie. Our dog is happy, well-cared for and safe, and the feedback we get from our walker, Dawn, gives us a daily glimpse in to the midday life of our dog. When our regular walker had a planned few days off, she brought the substitute walker in days ahead to meet our dog and go through the routine. There was no change for the three days the sub cared for our dog. Colleen and her walkers are professional, organized, reliable and crazy about dogs - what more could you ask for?! read more

Barks and Blooms is awesome ! I have 2 dogs and a cat and one is a real problem. I had gone through several pet sitters and thought I would be forced to cancel several trips when I found Colleen and her great crew at Barks and Blooms. My sitter is Joan and she is a true professional. She spends quality time with my pet and writes a review each day that is always interesting to read. My neighbors have commented on the amount of time she spens at my home and that she is friendly and caring. I have found my solution for travel - - Barks and Blooms !! read more

I am a huge fan of Barks and Blooms! Colleen and her team are amazing and love what they do. I've had Barks and Blooms to our home on several occasions when we've had to be out of town to care for our two dogs. They are so wonderful with them and give them tons of love while we're out of town. My pets are more comfortable because they are in our home instead of a kennel. Colleen's team provides detailed notes of their visits, including food and walks and "business", and we know our pets have been well cared for. Keep up the great work! read more

We have used Barks and Blooms sitting services for our puppy for the last 8 months. We both work unpredictable hours and this service provides us such comfort that our little one is taken care of while we are gone. They are flexible, caring, professional and obviously love their jobs as evidenced by the detailed daily reports we receive on our pet's activities. We couldn't ask for greater peace of mind than knowing she is exercised, loved and toileted when we can't be there to take care of her ourselves. read more

Colleen started this business about 2 years ago, and she is a star. It is a pet sitting service which also does small chores for you when you are not home, such as bringing in the mail and paper, watering plants, etc. They are reasonably priced, reliable, and loving to my 2 dogs. It is such a relief to be gone all day and know that my dogs will be loved and walked while I am gone. read more

Our dog Wolfie, a high energy Wheaten Terrier, goes to Barks and Blooms 3 days a week. He absolutely loves it. Staff starting with Mary Frances take the time to do a smooth hand off when you drop your dog off. And when you pick up staff happily share how the day went. We recommend this program enthusiastically! read more