Dangerously incompetent. I was leaving a condo building on Causeway Street and saw three dogs tied to a handrail by the entrance at the street. Two small brown dogs and a small, black pug-like dog. They were tied by their leashes to a handrail. Nobody in sight. They were a foot from the double-doors to the street. Anyone could have grabbed them when the doors opened. It would not have taken much for those three dogs to become bait at a dog fight. I waited to keep an eye on them. One of the dogs was barking incessantly. The building manager came from her back office, where she heard the barking, through the elevator lobby and into the foyer to the street where I was sitting on a chair watching the three dogs. Five minutes passed and a chipper young woman emerged from the elevator lobby with a fourth dog, Henry, a neighbor's french bull dog. She looked surprised when she saw the building manager and me. I asked her if those were her dogs. She said that she worked for DogParty and had left the three dogs unattended while she went up in the elevator to get Henry, the french bull dog. I told her I was concerned about the safety of the three dogs. The dog party woman stood smiling and blathering all sorts of platitudes and nonsense. Not once did she suggest that she would do anything differently. That's scary. I would not trust my dog with these people, they are dangerously incompetent. *note: here is my reply to Erin's comment here and a private message she sent to me asking me to remove the description of events, above. * * * * * Erin -- I appreciate your predicament, but am not at all happy with your defensive attitude and aggressive list of excuses and distractions. You make bold claims, such as, "I take this matter very seriously. The dogs safety and well-being is our top priority." Yet, the incident described occurred, and, to be honest, you cannot prevent it from happening again. I have used services similar to yours in the past and I have heard all sorts of promises and hyperbole regarding the level of service to be expected. I have also experienced the myriad of problems encountered when something as simple as a lack of common sense is the root cause. You mention that I am not a customer, so what? The event described still happened and still shows the risk the dogs were exposed to, regardless of your best intentions. Your intentions and your predicament are not correlating to the execution you manage in your business. Focus on that, not altering the truth. You write that you have taken steps to correct the problem, that's encouraging. Work on it. You do not mention firing the employee in question. Has she been fired? If not, why? What genuine 'corrective action' has been taken? I ask not for my sake, as I clearly would never trust my dog to your care, but for the sake of potential new customers who are considering your service. Will they be expected to trust their dog(s) to an employee with little or no common sense and a lack of responsibility? * * * * * HERE IS THE TYPE OF COMMUNICATION THAT FRIENDS OF DOG PARTY THINK HELPS. THIS IS THE COMPLETE TEXT OF A MESSAGE SENT BY MATT P. OF BOSTON ON 14-JUL-2011. MATT P. HAS WRITTEN A POSITIVE REVIEW OF DOG PARTY ON YELP.COM AND HE SENT ME THIS PRIVATE MESSAGE AS A COMPLIMENT, PRESUMABLY IN RESPONSE TO MY COMMENT ON DOG PARTY. (SOMEBODY AT YELP.COM SHOULD CHECK ON MR. MATT P. -- HE SEEMS A BIT OFF.) "You need to shut your mouth buddy.. You keep on making up stories and posting lies and you'll going to have to answer for it. Hope to see you soon." * * * * * IT TURNS OUT THAT MATT P. OF BOSTON WROTE A POSITIVE REVIEW OF DOG PARTY AND TRIES TO MALIGN ME AS AN AGENT OF ANOTHER DOG SERVICE (A LIE) THEN MISREPRESENTS THE FACTS. HERE IS WHAT HE WROTE IN HIS REVIEW. BEAR IN MIND, THE FOLLOWING QUOTE IS A FICTION WRITTEN BY MATT P. AND NOT MY OPINION. "First of all, I know the area in the lobby where the dogs are tied and it's 100% safe and secure with a video monitor and security woman watching while the dog walker walks the 2 minutes down the hall to pick up the other dogs." MATT P. MAY KNOW THE AREA IN THE STRADA LOBBY, HE CLAIMS TO LIVE THERE AND THREATENS ME WITH A CONFRONTATION IN HIS REVIEW, THEN HAS THE NERVE TO REFER TO ME AS A LOWLIFE. SHEESH! THE FACT IS THE AREA WHERE THE DOGS WERE TIED, RIGHT AT THE ENTRANCE DOORS, IS NOT SAFE. THE DOORS ARE LOCKED, BUT OPENED BY ANYONE AND EVERYONE FOR WHOMEVER SHOWS UP AND WANTS TO ENTER. THERE IS NO GOOD CONTROL OVER ENTRY. ALSO, THE TWO MINUTE WALK DOWN THE HALL TO PICK UP DOGS IS AN ABSOLUTE FICTION. THE FIRST SIX FLOORS OF THE BUILDING ARE OFFICE AND HAVE NOT DOGS. ANY DOG WALKER PICKING UP A DOG WOULD NEED TO ENTER A SECOND LOBBY, WAIT FOR AN ELEVATOR, GO TO AN APARTMENT ON 7 OR HIGHER, THAN RETURN. NOT TWO MINUTES BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION. I HAVE TO WONDER ABOUT MATT P.'s REVIEW AND OTHER POSITIVE REVIEWS OF DOG PARTY, GIVEN THE REAL FACTS. read more

I don't know about the bad review but my experience here has been nothing but stellar!! Let me tell you, Erin has been walking my dog Bailey for just about a year and a half now. I have used other dog walkers in the past and none even come close to displaying the care and professionalism that Erin does. She is genuinely a great person and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a dog walker. Bailey loves the attention she receives from Erin and I couldn't ask for a better walker! Two thumbs way up. read more

Erin, the owner of Dog Party, is wonderful. When I first moved to Boston, she came over to my apartment on moving day to meet my dog, Lexi. Thereafter, she walked Lexi 5 days a week with her "senior group." Erin was very flexible and would do night time walks if I found out that I had to work late at the last minute. Lexi was diagnosed with cancer in the fall and Erin was unbelievably helpful -- she would give Lexi medicine while I was at work and would take her on very short walks or just let her outside briefly on days when she wasn't feeling well. Erin also communicated with me via email (sometimes on a daily basis) to let me know how Lexi was feeling each day. Erin is a wonderful dog walker and seemed very responsible. She showed up on time everyday and Lexi always enjoyed her walks. I would definitely recommend Dog Party. read more

I use ERIN for my dog walking. Her website is www.northenddogwalker.com . I was referred to her when I got a dog and she is very good. Feedback below. She is punctual and professional Priced fairly She lives in the area, so she can often accomodate last minute or emergency request. She looks out for the well being of the dog and will remind me when my dog needs to get nails cut or other maintenance. She knows alot about dogs, a great resource for first time pet owners Most of all, MY DOG LIKES HER..... read more

There could not be anyone else that I would trust to watch my dogs more than Erin. I simply think she is a great person and a great dog watcher. I do not like to kennel my dogs, and Erin has been great. She came to my home and met my dogs before the first walk. She left notes on how the dogs behaved and there have never been any issues. If you need a dog walker in Boston, call Dog Party. The owner is Erin and you will not be disappointed! read more

DogParty is topnotch! Erin, the owner is not only kindhearted and responsible, but she has a rare gift with dogs; even the craziest of them. My dog Walter is very protective and has scared away many potential dog walkers/sitters. I read about DogParty and thought, why not give them a chance, as many people were raving about Erin and her crew. I was wicked nervous for Erin to meet Mr. Walter because, mind you, he not only has an attitude problem, but is also on Prozac. However, from the second Erin walked in it was as if Walter and she had been friends for years. This had NEVER happened and from that moment on I knew DogParty was the one for Walter and me. Bottom Line: If you are in need of a professional, compassionate, trustworthy, true dog lover--DogParty is the company for YOU! read more

Erin, the owner of dog party, is amazing. I wrote a review a few years back and wanted to update it as she is still walking our pug pup Carmelo five years later - I cannot imagine trusting him with anyone else. He is so happy to see her everyday. She comes to our apt in the north end to get him and is always on time and professional. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a compassionate and responsible walker. Currently today there is a noreaster going on and off she went with my pup with his coat on and braved the elements with him. I always rest assured knowing that our first born, four legged son is in great hands. read more

I have been using Erin's services for the past seven years with two different dogs (Dash and Buster, both somewhat stubborn French Bulldogs). I have never had an issue with the service provided by Erin and her team. She is extremely reliable and professional. She sticks to her schedule and never misses a walk. I'm in a profession where I find myself unexpectedly in the office at night or on the weekends. I've been very impressed how Erin is able to accommodate last-minute requests for walking services. She can be a life-saver. Also, she goes above and beyond the normal walking services. For example, Buster is currently on medication and requires three pills a day. Erin has gladly given Buster his mid-day pills (despite his best efforts not to take them). When Buster was a puppy, he had a bad accident in the crate. Erin cleaned up the crate and Buster. She did not have to do that. This just shows that she goes that extra mile. It's clear how much Buster loves Erin. Every single time we see her on the street, Buster perks up and runs to her with all the joy in the world. That's all you need to know about her dog-walking services. I'd highly recommend DogParty. Your dog will love it. read more

If you need a dog walker call Erin at Dog Party ! I am a new dog owner and I tried a couple different services before I found her. Erin (and her cousin Sam) are both fabulous dog walkers...they are reliable , trustworthy , flexible, sweet and very consistent ....and my dog would stay out all day with them if she could ;) Its really hard to find someone you trust with your dog ..call Erin. She will stop by to meet your dog at your convenience ... you won't be disappointed. read more

Erin has been walking our pug puppy for just about 3 months now, and she has done such a great job! Not only is she professional and quick to respond to emails/texts/calls, she is friendly and really seems to care about dogs. She has also managed to calm me down after the occasional new dog owner freak-outs. We have had absolutely no incidents so far and I very highly recommend her to anyone who needs a walker! read more

I have had Erin walking my Stafforshire Terrier for about a year now in Charlestown (have not updated my address on Yelp). He is true to his breed and a good dog, but can be a handful sometimes with all his excitement. He likes to be walked alone, so he gets solo walks each day. Erin has been professional and Brodie (my dog) has been walked consistently with no problem. To the best of my knowledge he bascially has two walkers in Craig (Erin's employee) and Erin, which is nice. On more then one occasion I have gotten out of work early and forgot to notify them and got a chance to see Brodie's honest reaction to Craig when he came into the house -- he was so happy that he was running around in circles. That's all I needed to know. read more

Awesome service and even better owner! Erin is as professional as it gets. Before signing on with her, she comes to your home to meet your dog. She takes great care in her work, and will let you know if she notices any issues while out on walks. She makes a point to get your dog walked when supposed to, rain or shine (including Boston snow). She's also just a great person which makes me trust her even more. read more

Erin, the owner of Dog Party, walked our mini schnauzer pup, Barley, while we lived in the North End for a year and a half. Erin's services were outstanding!! She was professional, flexible, and extremely reliable. Barley loved her walks with her and her pack! We miss you Erin! read more

So thankful to Erin and her crew for a wonderful experience with DogParty. I would recommend this dog walking company to anyone currently living or moving to the North End. I'll never forget DogParty walking my dog during the Nemo storm which accumulated feet and feet of snow. Forever grateful! Thank you Erin! read more

Erin took care of walking our big stubborn bulldog for more than two years. We are so impressed by her reliability, an attribute we have not found in any other dog care service. Besides her dependability and consistency, Erin was friendly and courteous, espcially when we needed to arrange for last minute scheduling changes. She was organized in her planning of holiday coverage for our dog's walks. Overall she provided excellent service and we highly recommend her. We moved away and hope that we can find a new walker we like as much in our new neighborhood. read more

After much research and a bad experience with the Dogfather we tried on luck on Erin and could not be happier! She is super organized and great to work with. I can tell our dog loves his playgroups as when I come home his dog bed and toys are all over the place from coming back full of energy and running around. My neighbors tell me they see our pup out and about with the walker and he looks like he is having a good time. She and her walkers even bring in our packages from outside! Highly recommend her! read more

Dog Party is the best. Erin has been walking my dog since he was a litle puppy and she has been wonderful. She really took the time to get to know him and he really loves her. She leaves notes and emails me stories about how he is acting. Erin has never once cancelled or been late. She has also helped in a pinch with night walks. I highly recommend her. read more

While the name says DogParty, they take care of cats too! I actually found out about them through a referral from a cat sitting service that no longer serviced the North End. I've been using this service for the past 6 months now and have been very happy with how they've cared for my cats. I feel really confident leaving my cats in their care. Erin is lovely, she is very responsive, and she really seems to love what she does. I've also worked with Lance and he was great too. My experience has been really positive and I highly recommend them. It's great to have them in the hood! read more

I have used Erin and Dog Party for several years and could not be happier with the service. Erin was always very responsive, professional and friendly. I was convinced at first that my maltese Oliver would need private walks as he is not always the best around other dogs but Erin was able to integrate him into the dog walking "pack" comfortably and I was happy knowing that he was getting socialization with other dogs. Oliver was always clean, happy and tired by the time I came home from work and I know he enjoyed his time with Erin. Whenever I asked Erin for an evening or Saturday walk she was always able to accomodate. I would highly recommend Erin to anyone in the area that is looking for a reliable, professional, caring dog walker. read more