Update 3: I filed a BBB complaint. The business responded with false claims that I harassed the owner on social media and LinkedIn and cited an employer I have never worked for. They are now threatening legal action. I stand by my posts and have not made any false statements. TO THE OWNERS RESPONSE. Don't be sad about my review--be disappointed in yourselves as business owners. Do better. Everything written in your response directly contradicts what I was told in person. You stated that multiple attempts were made to contact me regarding this incident. That is false. No one contacted me at any point. Management only became aware of the issue after I reached out. You also claim my dog was properly cleaned and reference video footage. If such footage exists, please share it--you have my email. His condition upon pickup clearly indicated otherwise, as I spent 45 minutes cleaning feces from his paws once we got home. There is also no reasonable way this could have been "missed." My dog was wearing a large winter jacket that required staff to handle and touch all four of his paws in order to put it on. Staff were taking an extended amount of time before bringing him out, and another employee stepped in to assist with getting him ready. Given that level of handling, it is not credible that feces covering his paws went unnoticed by anyone who was paying attention. Regarding the padding, two staff members explicitly stated it was part of his care due to concerns about him falling as a senior dog. That representation was a key factor in my decision to purchase the Pawdemics service. Lastly, I appreciate the advice suggesting veterinary boarding. However, that recommendation could have been communicated during intake, during follow-up calls, or after I paid for an evaluation. At no point was this raised as a concern. You had no issue accepting my dog despite him being partially blind, deaf, and showing signs of dementia--until after something went wrong. Your response continues to contradict what was communicated to me in person. Again, if you have additional information or footage, please provide it via email. I am absolutely disgusted with this facility and my experience here. I was convinced to place my dog, Tito, in their "Pawdemics" service after being told he would receive constant surveillance and that it would be best for him as a senior dog. I was also promised a padded room for his comfort and safety. None of this was true. The room they described to me is apparently under construction, and instead my dog was kept in a cage with no padding anywhere on site. When I picked him up today, his paws were filled with chunks of feces. I was told he had an accident and that staff had cleaned him up -- clearly, that did not happen. I spent 45 minutes cleaning him myself once we got home. I don't understand how something like this could be "missed." When I raised my concerns, the general manager repeatedly stated that they have other dogs and cannot watch him consistently. If that's the case, why am I paying extra for a service that was sold to me as individualized, specialized care tailored to my senior dog? The explanation directly contradicts how this service was marketed. I asked to speak with someone above the general manager and was told there is no one -- that the owner does not interact with clients. That response alone speaks volumes. This was a complete misrepresentation of services and a very upsetting experience for both me and my dog. I would strongly caution anyone considering this place, especially if you are trusting them with a senior or special-needs pet. read more

DePAW Pet Resort - The company is making false claims. I have only posted reviews, which is my right. - Pet Groomers Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

Within just a handful of times of using the daycare service at DePAW (after 4+ years using a different doggy day care, weekly, without incident), our dog got bit and injured by another dog while under the care of DePAW, a bite that tore her ear, damaged tissue and wound up requiring her to be sedated and given stitches. When they called us to tell us about the incident, DePAW told us that another dog had 'overcorrected' ours, when she tried to play with a dog that didn't want to play with her. A professional dog daycare service needs to have the experience and knowledge to separate dogs before this happens - most often bites happen with uncomfortable dogs, not aggressive ones. It's clear that the other dog was uncomfortable in the situation they had the dogs in, and our dog got the worst of it. We feel this was a preventable accident and likely a result of either staff not recognizing the energies of the dogs under their care, or them taking on more dogs than they can handle at one time. A dog who is uncomfortable enough to seriously bite and injure another dog should not be in the same room as a playful dog who wants to initiate play with others. Perhaps even more disappointing on a personal level was the conduct of DePAW in the aftermath, and how transactional and impersonal our interactions with them have felt. When calling us to tell us what happened they never apologized for our dog getting hurt there (I am sure this is a liability thing they are trained to do) and they did not follow up afterwards to see how our dog was doing. We only heard from them after we sent an email expressing disappointment a week later - we did hear an apology then, to their credit. I'm sure we've signed a waiver giving away all of our rights in terms of compensation and vet bills, so we didn't even try to ask DePAW for help with the hundreds of dollars of medical bills we have incurred due to this incident, but they didn't even waive the $35 daycare charge for the day she got hurt. I guess a dollar is a dollar. I don't think I've ever taken the time to write a negative Yelp review when we've had a bad experience, particularly with local businesses, but given this experience I don't feel like DePAW is necessarily a safe or caring place to leave your dog and so for that reason I feel that people should hear our experience. Again, we've taken both our dogs to a different doggy day care for 4+ years on a weekly basis and always felt they were safe and well taken care of by people who were attentive and cared for the wellbeing of our pups. That's not at all how I've felt interacting with DePAW - it feels very much like they care about your dollars, not your dogs. I can't speak to their other services, and I'm sure there are people working here who truly love dogs, but I'd strongly recommend you look elsewhere for safer, more caring and less transactional daycare options. read more

We have been bringing our Aussie here for two years because we love Ginny, our groomer, but when they recently more than doubled the price to $140 (before the tip) for a 42 pound Aussie, that was it. I feel bad for the groomers also being a victim of this corporate greed. read more

DePAW has been nothing but awesome since we got our new puppy a few months ago! We'll continue to use them for all our training and boarding needs. read more

Took my pup in for a wash. $27 Nails filed. $10 Anal glands expressed. $15 Total. $52 I was surprised by how much anal cost... will not being doing that again. Overall dog looks and smells great. Super happy with the wash. read more

DePAW Pet Resort - Pet Groomers Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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TL;DR: No longer a trustworthy business, in my experience. I have used Depaw for years and was happy with them, but as they've grown and staff has changed, they have begun to make policy changes (without notifying existing clients) that seem designed to get the most money possible while ruining client relationships. My most recent boarding experience has made me decide to look elsewhere for a boarding and daycare facility for my dog in the future. This past boarding stay, I was not notified that there is a new policy until I was dropping my dog off. Every four months, you have to pay $30 dollars to get your dog re-evaluated as to whether their temperament is suitable for daycare during their stay. Despite my dog having been boarded in May 2023, I was charged this fee for boarding in September 2023 (barely missed the 4 month deadline) but was not notified of this required charge until I was handing my dog over to the woman at the front desk. I had even spoken to a staff member Alex the day before and asked for a full quote of all charges for the stay, and this charge was not mentioned verbally, in the bill summary email i requested, or on my online client portal. I asked the manager Michelle to waive the fee since they had not been upfront about this charge despite multiple opportunities to tell me and given my dog barely missed the deadline. She refused. When I said I felt this was unfair given my long history of both boarding and daycare with them over the years, but she did not care. When we asked how much our dog's temper would have changed during the two weeks past the deadline, we were not given an answer. I have only ever gotten wonderful feedback about my dog during her play sessions and boarding visits. This was very poor management. Additionally, their staff do not seem to understand the policies either, because I get different versions of them each time I call. I was first told daycare was prorated for your first day of boarding, and I would not be charged a full day of daycare if I dropped my dog off in the evening (after all the day care sessions had ended). I planned my travel accordingly. This is not true. If you drop your dog off, no matter what time of day, you WILL be charged for that entire day of boarding even if your dog doesn't actually get to attend any play sessions. I found this out after talking with multiple different people throughout the booking process. I was also told that the silver package is two play sessions per day, 2-3 hours per session. Then, I was advised by another staff member it can be as little as 45 minutes per session. 4-6 hours versus 90 minutes for a whole day is a major difference of play time. I still don't know how long my dog got to play. And that is ridiculous. Which leads me to... The gold package is now the only boarding package that gives you pictures of your dog at daycare while being boarded. Otherwise, there is no evidence they are actually putting your dog in daycare for the entire time that you pay for it or putting them in it at all. You just have to trust that you are getting your full money's worth without any evidence. A picture seems like a basic thing to be included for all packages, but I guess not. With management this poor, I worry now about how my dog is being cared for. read more

Love this facility for boarding our energetic 8 month old puppy. He never minds going and is always happy once we pick him up. Would highly recommend to anyone in the area read more

Would only recommend if you want to be treated like garbage. After agreeing to spend a crazy amount of money, the manager projected attitude towards me about my veterinary records, which were all clearly detailed. I even had my veterinarian call the staff to verify vaccinations records, and he was met with attitude and no cooperation. The manager then kept giving me attitude (with her mask not covering her nose) and making us feel as our business was not important to them, until my husband and I were forced to walk out. I then called to speak to the general manager, who explained to me their vaccination policy, which I of course, rebutted with, I have everything you asked for, and the original girl who gave me terrible attitude, didn't even bother to scan in the information that had the veterinarian's name and information on it. When I was explaining to the GM that we have all of the information asked for, she then proceeded to tell me to find somewhere else to go. (Not that I would have given my business to them after all of this anyways). I would never trust my dog and my money to a business like this. read more

We occasionally take Miss E to DePaw University for daycare, as they open at 6:00 a.m. whereas our usual daycare facility, The Water Bowl, opens at 7:00 a.m. When I am making the early morning commute to work, I need to be on the road by 6:00 a.m., so this facility is the only one I can take her to. I have had no problems with the service provided at DePaw University at all. It seems as though they run an organized ship, and Miss E is typically excited when we walk in the door. However, because they open an hour earlier, they also close an hour earlier, at 6:00 p.m. For many people who work a nine-to-five, that can be a very difficult deadline to meet. Additionally, it bothers me that when we walk in the door, no one says hello to my dog, or recognizes her by name. When I pick her up and ask how she did, I receive a "fine" in response. You may be thinking that is typical for a doggie daycare, as they see hundreds of dogs each week, but by the second visit at The Water Bowl, the employees did know my dog by name. They still do, even though she cannot attend regularly. They also sent us a magnet with a picture of her playing at daycare, and everytime I pick Miss E up they tell me who she was playing with ("a boxer puppy" or "Sugar was back again today and they hit it off"). I feel much more confident leaving Miss E at the other daycare facility as a result. At DePaw University, I feel like she is just another number. So while I have no complaints about the daycare itself, it does not earn a higher rating in my book because I personally look for and expect more from a doggie daycare, having receiving it before. read more

I love this place so much! Not only do they accept my 3 year old unneutered 65 pound dog for day care, they are actively working with him to improve his social skills (very friendly, just doesn't know fellow dog body language and that can be very rude to other dogs!). I know they are definitely training him to be social because he is improving dramatically. They keep tabs on every individual dog that comes through the doors, and have a huge whiteboard with key notes about dogs that stay there with specific needs or behaviors (Fluffy is a poop eater, don't pet Fido on the left side, etc). I am confident that all their trainers know exactly what to do in any situation, and that they know how to prevent fights and other issues. Emily is also a fantastic trainer, I recommend this place to anyone! read more

We just started taking Pema our 10 month year old husky here and I cannot express how happy I am that I found this place. She loves being able to play with other dogs all day. And other husky owners will know it's so hard to exhaust a husky lol but when Pema comes home she's always exhausted which is amazing for us as she always sleeps through the night on days she goes to daycare! read more

Training here has saved our family. We thought we were going to have to euthanize our dog. Private lessons with Chad changed that. They are definitely losing money on their lifetime of training deal with our dog but we are externally grateful. read more

There are not enough words to describe how phenomenal this place is. The staff is excellent and really go the extra mile for their clients (human or fur baby) I feel comfortable leaving my dog with them and my dog loves it there. They provide a number of services, they have great retail products, they offer training programs. There is so much! If you are hesitant to try this place, please take the chance. It is worth it. I only wish there were more stars I could give this place because it exceeds in every way! read more

GREAT PLACE, friendly staff, dogs LOVE IT! I have been getting my dogs groomed here for years (2 yorkies & portugese water dog) ... Shauna is a FANTASTIC groomer, super friendly. The prices for grooming are very reasonable considering how good she is. Just started taking my Border collie mix in for day care, he LOVES IT. The staff is very attentive to the individual dogs, and placed mine in with the "smaller dogs" since he was a bit shy with the large ones. The price for 1/2 day (5hours) of day care is an affordable $16. There's always a staff member in with the dogs, so it's not like they're all placed in a big room and left alone. They also give an assessment at pick up, letting me know how my dog did. I highly recommend for boarding, grooming, training and simply day care! read more

Do not go here.if you want a reliable place to train your dog. Paid $300 for basic obedience classes, was told it was a for life program, we had to stop going after 2 classes because of work and school. We had planned on going back, but the trainer we were working with left and they have changed all of the classes. The new trainer had told us we need to do board and train which is around $2000 and we have 2 dogs. We were also told that if obedience classes didn't work for our dogs we could put the money paid towards board and train, but then told us when we came back that they wouldn't do that. Really wish we would have gone somewhere else as we have wasted $300 here and have gotten zero training. read more

Unethical owner. High turnover of employees. Making reliable service questionable. My dog came home with unexplained bruising and soreness. Definitely will never use again read more

Great place. We take our dog there multiple times a week and he really enjoys it. Staff is also nice and try to go above and beyond especially since we are there with our dog, Kirby so often! read more

I took my five month old puppy there for doggy daycare. When I called the week before I asked for a tour and they were very evasive and instead just made an appointment. When I took her in the first thing that I noticed was that it smelled and was filthy (dust and dog hair everywhere). My puppy is little and was scared. I asked the manager if I could see the facilities and she said no because they were "under construction". I said that I didn't care about the construction and I just wanted to see where my puppy would be inside and out. She said no and that I could look at photos online. I then asked her for the name of the owner and her phone number so that I could ask her. She was evasive again and just gave me her first name and the general email and said that they would "pass it on to her". I'm nearly sure that wouldn't happen. My last doggie daycare did a meet and greet, gave me a tour and had a full time person keeping it clean. I don't knew what this place has to hide but I can't understand why anyone would leave their pet at such a shady and filthy place. read more

2 Great Danes. They had other Great Danes which is always nice when they have experience with your breed. They have a pretty slick system to hold your dog before going into the play area instead of entering at 60mph, it gives them time to get used to the chaos. The dogs are segregated by size and temperaments evaluated. I think there were 3-4 employees with the dogs in the play area-very well supervised. They're very careful about shots and vet records. The place smells clean, not bleach clean, just clean clean. Overnight stay does not include half day or full day play time. Holiday stays have an extra surcharge. They are booked far in advance. (Must be good to be busy). Both dogs came home exhausted and well cared for. They got 4 stars because of price, but on the other hand-they're worth it and that's why they stay busy. I'd definitely use them again. read more

So....... anyone that knows me knows that Diesel, my emotionally challenged Pit Bull is a huge part of my life. He is about 10 years old and still suffers from a great deal of separation anxiety. This has made him very difficult to board when ever I leave town. He has an innate ability to open doors and latches which has made him unwelcome to some boarding facilities. He has even let all the dogs out of their runs at one of the facilities that led to all the dogs playing together in the play room in the middle of the night. (Some of these dogs may have been labeled as "Doesn't play well with others". With all that being said, I always end up going back to wonderful facility that trained Diesel his basic leash commands as a puppy. DePaw University, Canine Campus. http://depawk9campus.com/ It is a great feeling when I pull up to DePaw and Diesel is very excited to be there. When we walk in, he goes straight to the door that leads to the play area. He could not be happier to be there! The real proof is that when I pick him up, he is never in the car longer than a minute or two before he passes out! Geneva is a little bit of a commute for me, but is sure well worth it. They definitely come highly recommended from me, and even higher from Diesel!!! read more

just picked up my two dogs on Oct. 5 2019, after 2 days all the flea bites started to come about. took her to vet and he said it was fleas and the bites take up to 2 days to manifest into bumps and scabs. Please clean up your place or we won't be coming back! read more

We took our puppy there for training and the class was way too big. We found that we just sat on a chair & trying to control our puppy from going crazy with other puppies around us was hard. I didn't feel like we were learning much info, as we could hardly hear what the trainer was saying. So after maybe 3x we cancelled it & went elsewhere. read more

I love this place. First of all I have a pit bull mix which scares a lot of people, including groomers and boarding places. Not these guys. When I was calling around frantically trying to find a place to board my 85lb baby after the original place messed up my reservation DePaw was incredibly kind and had no breed discrimination. That was several months ago and I've since boarded him three times and am dropping him off tomorrow for a bath. Like I said, he's a giant baby and these people are wonderful to him. I'm very thankful for DePaw and highly recommend them to anyone that needs to board their pet and I would trust them for training too. read more

We take our girl there a couple of times a week for daycare and we use them for boarding her. They love her and she loves going there. I know she is happy by the butt wiggle when we walk in. She goes right to the door to go play. When boarding they make special accommodations by giving her ice cream with whipped cream (that I provide) at night and will give me updates on how she is doing when I call. read more

The excellent staff at Animal Medical Clinic in St Charles recommended DePaw University to us - and as always, they were spot on. The folks at DePaw are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Our guys Barney & Ben love it so much there, all we have to say is: "Do you want to go play with the puppies today?" and they zoom over to the door and wait impatiently to leave. We drop off the guys and they don't even look back. We really like DePaw because they have boarding (so awesome - you get a "report card" for each puppy at pick up), daycare AND training. We are signing up for the obedience course and can't wait. Very clean, reasonably priced and just so friendly. Your dogs will love it there. read more

We have brought our dog there a number of times for boarding. Outstanding service, very affordable rates, and just really kind people. They are usually pretty busy when we pickup or drop off (a testament to their excellence), so you might need to wait a few minutes during the rush hours. Otherwise, everything has always been very smooth and details well attended to. read more

We have been taking our two dogs to DePaw for the past 5 year's. One is a bit high maintenance (Wheaton) terrier that needs to be introduced slowly to others - the other is an attention hungry Giant Schnauzer - each very spoiled. We have worked with several other boarding facilities in the past, with these and other dogs, and have never found a service that offers such attention, care and communication as the team at DePaw. The level of communication is comforting both during and after their stay. The reports are similar to what you would receive from a child day-care. The night before one trip, our Giant was bitten by a coyote and left with a quarter sized open wound that needed to be tended to. He needed medication 3x a day (not very easy pill taker). DePaw took such good care of him during those two weeks that it was practically healed completely by the time we arrived home. I think they did a better job of it than we could have done ourselves! For peace of mind and comfort in knowing your dog is having as much fun as you are - we highly recommend DePaw! read more

We love Depaw! Our Cockapoo Linus has been going to doggie daycare here since Fall and we just recently boarded him too and that was a positive experience. The staff is very loving and helpful with the dogs - the groomer Shauna is excellent. They do have separate rooms for small and large dogs - They are very affordable, and do a terrific job with our beloved Linus:) read more

This is the only dog daycare I have been to, so I don't have much comparison but we love it. I 100% trust the staff at DePaw to take care of my dog. He always comes home tired. read more

We couldn't be more impressed with level of care and service that the staff at DePAW University have shown our pets. We have a 17 yro German Shepherd mix and a 3 yro Pointer, so the span of services we've leveraged has been great. We have used DePAW for boarding while on vacation, daycare, grooming and training (both individual and group). The team there takes extra care and treats our pets like their own - and it's not just our pets, you see them doing the same for others who are checking theirs in/out. Regarding the training on our 3yro Pointer, she had a lot of energy and with two small children at home, we needed to make sure that we had a family dog with good behavior and listening skills. DePAW not only achieved this with our dog, but more importantly, educated us on the right/wrong way to maintain the training. The result is a great family pet that is a good girl and friend. DePAW-U is more of a trusted friend, than a business. Thanks, guys! read more

My boxer loves DePaw! We have started taking him for day care on Fridays so he's more mellow (and well behaved) on the weekends! On Friday morning I ask him if he's ready to go to "school", and he starts leaping around, wagging his tail and giving lots of kisses. If that isn't a testament to DePaw, I don't know what is! When we get there he knows right where to go and can't wait to play. I agree with the other reviewer that it gets busy around drop off/pick up time, but everyone seems to be very nice, and their prices are the best I've found ($23 a day). I also love that they post pictures on their Facebook page so we get to see the dogs playing and having a good time! read more

This place is a lifesaver. I always thought doggy daycare would cost a fortune but this place is the real deal. The people are so friendly and helpful and my dog is asleep minutes after being picked up. During this harsh winter our dog gets all the excercise he needs from DEPAW. I would give it ten stars if I could. Thanks Amy and Kim, Winston loves you. read more

This will be our first time boarding our dog. She is a 100lb lab but she is the sweetest dog I ever had. I was very much concerned about leaving her since of course our pets are always much more comfy at home than anywhere else. But I have to say that with the staff at DePaw and a very nice lady I ran into at the faciltiy I was put at ease and felt so comfortable leaving her. The facility is so clean and you can tell the moment you walk in. Before making our decision as to where to board my pet we had visited other locations and with the mere smell of some these places it was a big turn off. I highly recommend anyone to feel that their pets are very well taken care at that the staff does care as much as you do! read more

This facility is top notch. They boarded my dog for almost 8 months while my husband and I were between houses. They treated my Indie girl like their own. The owner Stephanie is the best, always accommodating to your pet's own specific needs.I love the staff too, especially Amy and Courtney!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

My husband and I were so very disappointed at the overall service of Depaw University. Despite our dog was a regular guest for daycare, the staff could never remember her name. Additionally, since we view our dog as a major part of the family, we often would ask how are dog did while in daycare, the staff would always respond with, "good". We would have loved to have known more about who she had played with, or something a bit more personal than such a bland response. The real issue didn't happen until we boarded her there for a week. We specifically paid for certain extras to be added to make our dog more comfortable, but we later discovered that they had not complied with our requests. While I choose not to bore this review with the specifics, I will summarize it by saying that the staff does the very minimum when it comes to caring for the animals that are boarded there. Furthermore, we requested our dog receive a bath a few hours before we picked her up (of course, we had booked this well in advance). They chose to bathe her the day before we picked her up (defeated the purpose, as she was playing with the other dogs for a day and a half) and then charged us for a full grooming...which she had not received. We were very upset with the way that was handled as well. The desk staff are all flippant and snotty. Overall, if you can avoid using this facility, do it. There are many other dog daycare/boarding facilities in Geneva, and we certainly found one (The Water Bowl). read more

I really feel good about leaving our pup with DePaw when needed. He has been an overnight guest on more than a few occasions and he seems to love it! MK read more

My husband and I have three dogs, two are well behaved and one is a recent rescue and a bit of an unknown to us as far as her behavior. The staff at DePaw was fantastic in assessing her needs and working with her. We felt the entire staff was knowledgeable and courteous. We had the opportunity to speak with the trainer regarding the behavior of each of the dogs and got his thoughts on how he would work with each animal while they are in daycare. We have switched our dogs from our last kennel, not because the other kennel was bad in any way, but because this one is so good! read more

Stephanie was great to work with. As soon as I met her she was so kind and happy to look after my dog Jenna. I had no worries my dog was in great hands. Thank you!! read more

We bring our dog in every week and she leaves beyond happy and exhausted. Such a good place where they take great care of the dogs and are extremely affordable! Have also used the boarding service which includes the daycare for the days they are there. Nothing like dropping of a beyond excited dog and picking up an extremely exhausted and excited dog!!! Can't say enough. read more

I love DePAW University. My dog can be a challenge when he is paired with other small dogs and DePAW's worked with him so that he could enjoy daycare. He doesn't get as nervous when we drop him off as he did at other day cares. It is clear that the staff at DePAW honestly enjoy working with animals. read more