I have been going to the Best Friends for many years now. I have boarded my dog when she was younger here, but now that my dog is over 18 1/2 years old, I don't board her at any kennel. I do make use of the grooming services, and they are top notch at this. Kathryn is my groomer, and I try to not go to anyone else. Very important to note, you must have a relationship with a Vet professional that dispenses vaccinations for your pet. Best Friends are anal about this matter. So, make sure you're up to date on that part of your pet's health. Usually the vet will print out the vaccination status for them. Then you just bring it with you, and they will update their records on their end. Easy peasy. They have so many things that they do, and I only use a small tidbit of their services. But I'm satisfied enough to recommend them to you. My dog, Abby, loves Kathryn, so I'm sold on Best Friends. read more

Just wanted to add that after I left this review and sent a bunch of e-mails to people higher up in their org, I received a call from the "manager" who was based out of North Carolina. She was very nice, a "good listener", and repediatly told me that she was horrified by what I was reporting to her. At the end of our conversation she told me that she would "take my input into consideration". After it came to light that my dogs were straight up neglected while in their care, I was a bit shocked that she didn't up front offer a refund for the entire boarding stay. I stewed on it for several days, wrote another e-mail to their general corporate e-mail, and without anyone ever contacting me, they refunded my credit card and took me off of all of their mailing lists!!!! The people who run this kennel are horrible, and it is a terribly run business. I made the mistake of giving her a heads up that I was going to call animal control and report them to the state, so I'm sure they temporarily cleaned the place up so they wouldn't be caught off guard. IF YOU LOVE YOUR PETS, DO NOT BOARD HERE!!! read more

Not really impressed and won't use them again. Boarded my two cats for a few days for a family vacation and went two days before to supply them with vaccination info and intake forms. I had to have my vet supply them with the copies of the actual vaccine stickers because they never heard of feline panleukopenia as another name for distemper. If you clearly google it there it is. Even my vet didn't understand the issue. I marked on my intake forms that my cats couldn't stay in the same cage and they attempted to board them together but I disagreed. A family member also was boarding her two cats at the same time. The worker who checked me in said, "well your family member better be able to have her cats board together because I only have a certain amount of cages!" This wasn't a last minute reservation so I don't understand why they didn't have enough spots saved. Finding a better place with better customer service next time. read more

tl;dr - dogs are kenneled and alone for 14 hours every evening/night, location seems understaffed and there is no manager on site. Left my Belgian Malinois here after a good call with one of the front desk ladies, who assured me they were familiar with the breed and regularly boarded police dogs. Upon drop off, it seemed that they only had 3 staff members on site. When I picked him up 2 days later, the dog smelled terrible and I was told he had pooped in his kennel. My dog has not had an accident in 5 years - he is 9 years old. None of the staff members seemed concerned, which makes me think accidents like these may be a regular occurrence. They were not wiling to connect me with a manager, adding that they don't have a GM at the moment. They also told me that there is no one on premises and dogs are kenneled from 6PM until 8AM the next day - which is 14 hours in small kennels without attention. They told me dogs have pee pads in their kennels - which seems unsanitary to me unless the kennels are LARGE. read more

Absolutely avoid this place at all costs!! This place has gone severely downhill and is at the point of criminal animal neglect. They have terrible customer service and treat the animals awfully. We left our dog there for a weekend and when we came back she was caked in both dried and wet diarrhea. It was very clear no one had bothered to clean her or even check on her for at least a . We took her home and gave her a bath, but she would not eat or drink anything. She continued to have the worst diarrhea she's ever had and was vomiting so severely that her vomit was dark red with blood and we had to take her to the vet emergency room. When we tried to call the pet hotel to find out what happened and file a complaint for not receiving any information or updates during her stay, the woman on the other end of the call was extremely rude and hung up on us twice. We got only one update on our dog's status and it was to say how much "fun" she had. We would never bring any pet back here and would highly recommend that everyone who cares about animals to never come here. read more

My wife and I have been boarding our dogs at Best Friends in Bethany since 2015 when we moved here from NC. I wouldn't take our pups anywhere else. With the ice storm this past weekend we were in Florida and due to the power outage they moved our pup, Lulu, to their location in Rocky Hill. It meant a lot that they did this to protect the pups due to the sub zero temps. We never worry when we travel and Lulu is at Best Friends in Bethany as they know and love her and she has a blast. Renee and company there are always so nice. read more

I have been using them for over a decade. They are always great. I take my standard schnauzer for grooming (passing 4 other salons) because they make him look incredible!. Always friendly. They also take the time to call me when he is done, so I can pick him up early (I miss having him around during the day) Although I have not boarded him in a while (we just don't travel as much as we used to) I know that they have always taken great care of him( and my 2 previous dogs) when I have had to travel. I know they are well cared for while I'm not there. The doggie day care is also a plus so while being boarded he has other dogs to play with during the day It is worth the 20 minute car ride each way....to know he will be well cared for read more

I've boarded my dog here several times over the past few years and it's always been a good experience. However a few months ago there was a change in staff and management and it's gone downhill. This past weekend I boarded my dog and when I picked her up she smelled bad. They couldn't find her bed either so that told me the bed hadn't been with her. I knew the smell was because she had either been hot, stressed out or both. After we got in the car and drove away she started whimpering and panting. I stopped and gave her some water. She drank 2 bowls and she was ok. When we got home she acted like she was starving and couldn't get enough to eat. I will NEVER take my dog here again. I don't believe she was fed or watered and I'm afraid she had to sleep on the concrete floor. Avoid this place! read more

I was excited to try Doggie Day care for my dog. I was visiting someone in the area and decided to stop by with my dog this morning to see it. I didn't think there was enough room for all those dogs to be playing, but regardless, I wanted to see what it's like and consider taking my dog. When I pulled up, there was no designated area for doggie day care..I saw grooming and the daycare place but there was no parking, so I kind of guessed and decided I'll just ask where to park and move. There was a fenced outdoor area for the dogs, connected to do an indoor area and an office. When I went in the office, there were two young ladies in there, who kind of looked at me funny for walking in, so I told them, hello I just wanted to stop by and say hello, maybe ask a few questions and see the place, who can I talk to? They told me the office of the grooming place up the hill and that I couldn't park there and that usually "people" couldn't go in that area. I asked if I could just take a look and see where he'd be staying and they told me no. I would've gone to the office and talked to whoever was there, but to be honest, I felt like the girl talking to me was being really rude. She seemed kind of mean, and I didn't want her caring for my precious friend (my dog.) It didn't seem like they were really watching them, then again I didn't see much. I can't comment on the other girl there because she was quiet, but neither were very welcoming, or helpful, whatsoever. I did not feel encouraged to go and speak to whomever was in the office, so I left. I was really dissatisfied with the way I was treated when I stopped by to visit and I'm uncomfortable leaving my pup with that lady, I was already really nervous having in someone else's care because he's 6 months old and I did NOT feel at ease, So i'll be looking at other options. I just hope staff sees this and starts being more kind to people who walk in. They also don't really have clear info on the daycare on their website. read more

I have been using Best Friends in Bethany for around three years now and am continually impressed with the level of care they give both of my dogs, not only when they board or get groomed, but while attending camp. I also really appreciate how understanding, friendly, and kind they are to me and my husband, answering any questions we might have. My dog who attends camp has severe separation anxiety, which I have struggled with treating for years (behaviorists, medication, training, etc.) and in this regard, Best Friends has been invaluable. The services provided at Best Friends have not only helped him socialize with other dogs, but have given him structure and company, which allows me to work. One of my most treasured possessions is a paw print mold that they helped each dog create for Mother's Day a few years back. The activities and pictures they provide are awesome. I want to particularly thank Janet, who is an incredible trainer who has recently started to work closely with my dog during camp. She has gone above and beyond, taking time out of her day to correct behaviors and really care about making his time at camp as successful as it could be. I am truly moved by her dedication. This goes far beyond my expectations, but that is how Best Friends Bethany operates --they are always reassuring and helpful, and my dogs love going there! I recommend Best Friends to every new dog owner I know. Thanks so much to Renee, Kathryn, and literally all the staff (they're all amazing!) :) read more

We had a good experience. We boarded our eight month old dog for the first time We liked the outside play with the other dogs. We would not have been happy if he was inside his kennel all day alone. We were able to get a picture of our dog and how well he did during his stay during his evaluation. We brought him on recommendation and were mostly pleased with the experience. We were told there was new staff that had confused a few things about play time and we were not told about treats and such, but the website is very clear of all the services. He smelled great when we picked him up from his bath. He seemed happy to see us and then took a long nap! read more

I am extremely disappointed at this company. First of all because they use your pet as your vulnerable spot. How can "Best Friends Bethany" say your pet did awesome on "evaluation" day. When on this same day they drain your pet so when he/she gets home you can be convinced to bring him/her back. It was all a scam, I come to find out that my pet was in a kennel for more than 10 hours per day with only a 15 minute outdoor break. Mind you, this kennel is possibly three feet long, if even that. And they have the nerve to say "but he/she went outside". Sorry, but I am not the type of owner that keeps their pet(s) locked up all day in a kennel. Absolutely against that, they should be free to roam around the home. If not, then you shouldn't be a pet owner. That is just my opinion. I was mislead, misinformed, and most certainly taken advantage of. I should of went with my initial gut but because it wasn't so far from me and the price was more affordable I took the chance. Not to mention, they are not clean at all, from the lobby to inside where the pets are. (Ask for a tour and see it for yourself) My pet is not just my pet but my child and I certainly did not appreciate the treatment he/she received after what was told he/she was going to get. Otherwise, if that was the case. I would of NEVER moved forward. Definitely would not refer or recommend anyone to this facility or overall to this company who has many locations. read more

My son left his 2 Wheaton terriers at Best Friends for a 2 night boarding stay. When I picked them up on Sunday, I was appalled at how they smelled. The odor from their bodies was disgusting. There was some fecal matter on their hind quarters. It made me wonder where the poor girls had to sleep. Never Again will they stay there! read more

I would avoid this establishment at all costs. My cat was boarded there for six days and also had a bath before she left. After the bath she was placed in a dryer unattended for at least five minutes. During that time she was so frightened that she completely ripped out her right du claw and has only a stub on the left trying to claw her way out of the dryer. During my vacation I received a call that this had happened, that she was bleeding "a little bit" but that they "cleaned up the blood and put a little antibiotic ointment on the sites." It makes me cry now to think of the terror that she felt left alone, she must have been right otherwise the staff would have removed her when she started to struggle, and the pain that she endured when the claws were ripped out of her body. She also came home sneezing which the vet said is probably just allergies as she has no discharge from her nose. Either way she required a shot of antibiotics since a cat's paws are in litter and that could get embedded in the claw area. I am in the process now of trying to get the vet bill paid with the 7.00 that I paid for pet insurance, but I still paid for a traumatic bath and unsanitary boarding. I only used the business because a friend gave me a coupon, I have used Oronoke Kennel in Derby and the Pet Spa in Chesire with NO problems. PLEASE IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR PET STAY AWAY..... read more

I agree that Best Friends is a "class act." We have been sending our dog Zephyr there for a couple of years, for both boarding and daycare. A few weeks ago, we boarded Zephyr and had a less wonderful experience than usual at drop-off, due mostly to the construction that happened to be going on. In my online survey following Zephyr's visit, I mentioned this. The manager called AND wrote a letter to clear up the situation. They really do care about the pets, and about customer service. When I call to make a reservation, the employee on the other line knows my dog by name, and he is always excited to see his friends there. We feel comfortable knowing he is in such good hands. The "play and stay" option is a great deal. read more