This is the first time I left my cat Sofia in a cattery, I was nervous that my cat will have anxiety separation, Shantell and John where really nice and loving whith my cat they send me pictures to make sure she was fine, they pet her and also make sure she was safe and happy. I had a great experiences with then I am very glad I found Northgate Kennels and I strongly recommend read more

Northgate Kennels & Cattery - this is Sofia - Pet Boarding Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

At 3 years of age, our dear pug needed to be boarded while we went on a family trip with the kids and he had never been boarded before. We started searching around for different boarding locations when my coworker recommended Northgate to us. Her sister said she had great experiences boarding her dog there in the past. We called to get a quote and decided to go with Northgate for his boarding. The prices are incredibly affordable and they do depend on dog weight. Also, they are pretty flexible with pick-up and drop-off times. Dropping our pug off for the first time ever was quite difficult, more for myself than for my pug. I did not realize how bad my separation anxiety would be. I started tearing up while dropping him off, but the staff at Northgate were incredibly friendly and eased any concerns I had and let me know I could contact them any time to check on him. Kristin, in particular, was extremely helpful and friendly. She sent us photos of our pug when we called to check in on him. Upon picking our pug up from Northgate, he is always freshly bathed and happy so we do highly recommend using Northgate for your boarding needs! read more

Northgate Kennels & Cattery - Kristin sent us this photo grid of Pucky to ease our worries after boarding him for the first time. We really appreciated this! - Pet Boarding Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

EXCELLENT for boarding my cat!! Each cat has a lot of space - see picture of cat room. My cat has special needs, which were nicely accommodated. They allowed me to bring her special litter box and her own litter. I was able to bring all her cushions, feeding plates, food, treats etc. She had a view out a window, which is very important to her because she sits in my yard all day. After more than a week away she came home as happy as could be - she was OK with all her items I brought back - further, emphasizing that she was very happy and well taken care of here!! I highly recommend boarding your cat here!! read more

Just read the horrific attack on a dog that was viciously attacked by another dog this past Friday 12/29/17. The dog that was attacked suffered severe and permanent damage and the owners were not notified for two whole days! Don't bring your pets to this place! They have no heart or compassion for what happened. No sympathy and a clear disregard for the safety of our pets! read more

Even if there are under a new management and making changes Went to check out the facility to board my dog and I was so blown away of how run down this place looks like the smell so bad when you walk in specially where they keep the little dogs And outside to the right they had some poor dogs inside with country music blaring and when you walk in my eyes burned so bad wiht the smell of dog urine so strong being blown around with a small floor fan how can they keep the poor dogs in there to breathing that smell Won't even let me see what the place looks like where they run and play around I will never leave my dog in such a place like that I don't care of all the good stars you give them it does not impress at all!! just sayin read more

Had to take our dog to the pet hospital the day we picked him up from this kennel. Our poor dog was visibly shaking and skinny when we picked him up. When we got him home he threw up. He was severely dehydrated, and had lost 15% of his body weight - needed to stay a night in the pet hospital to bounce back. Our dog has diabetes and had missed one shot on the final night at the kennel, which is the excuse the kennel gave when I approached them about a refund for our stay. All I asked from them was a refund of the $300+ for our dog's stay - not the $2,000 hospital bill. The kennel got immediately defensive and blamed the lost shot of insulin. (Anyone with a diabetic dog knows this can happen from time to time and it doesn't end up resulting in an emergency vet visit). I asked if our dog had stopped eating during his stay, and then they mentioned he began not wanting his food 4 days before we picked him up. No communication on this, just one call the day before we got home to pick him up letting us know he's going to run out of insulin. I'll never trust this kennel again, and highly suggest you look elsewhere. read more

Northgate Kennels & Cattery - Our dog lost a great amount of weight at this kennel. Was shaking when we picked him up. - Pet Boarding Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

I haven't left my two dogs at a kennel in over three years and the youngest is a very timid rescue dog. I called for information and they were so warm and friendly at this place. Their prices are very reasonable and the hours are convenient, since I was able to pick up my pups on Sunday rather than waiting and paying for a whole other day like some places. When I got there even our little rescue was happy and being very friendly to the gentleman! That has never happened- she's afraid of all strangers- especially men!!! This is my go to place now! Thank you read more

Have taken my dog twice, both times he has come back without issue and happy. Prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly. If you call and make a appointment it's a pretty painless process. read more

We love Northgate Kennels. Tina and John are the best. The are always available on short notice and my doodle loves them both, especially "Auntie Tina". They treat my beloved pup as family and she is always so excited to see them. We just love them! read more

My favorite place to leave my sweet kitty while we are on vacation they take very good care of her and they are very much a mom and pop kind of place I feel like I'm leaving my kitten with family read more

High Marks Across the Board !! Left my cat for the first time. Oh man, it was hard. I was worried, had a laundry list of questions and concerns. Thankfully, found Northgate and all worked itself out beautifully. All my questions (including texts during my travels) were answered. Kitty condo was furnished with items from home and Cattery was well-managed. Arranged for a friend to visit occasionally and she reported a happy and affectionate cat. Had to adjust schedule twice and was accommodated. Northgate Cattery gets two thumbs and four paws up !! read more

Our Aussie has been quite happy boarding at NG for over 5 years now, and we appreciate the good value! The competitive advantage Northgate Kennels has over our former kennel is the group playtime (by temperament)/frisbee sessions 2-3 times a day, which keeps her quite active and happy. In all the years she's been boarded at NG, I've only found one foxtail on her upon pick-up, and she had one tiny nick on her nose, easily healed. The staff seem like they really enjoy dogs (and cats, too!) Thank you, Northgate, for taking such good care of our girl! read more

Northgate Kennels & Cattery - Pet Boarding Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

We have taken all of our dogs to Northgate Kennels and Cattery over the years and had our Aussie stay there just this week and as usual, he received excellent care. He is so happy and excited to see Kristen and staff. Pickups and drop offs are by appt only and well distanced due to CoVid. Over the years Northgate has been a second home and they have treated our dogs as family. Highly recommend! read more

I'm always nervous about taking my dog to kennels because she is a handful. But she came back so happy and clean and smelling great. The manager asked about her preferences and behavior when I dropped her off and gave me feedback on her stay when I picked her up. Will definitely return. read more

Northgate Kennels & Cattery - Pet Boarding Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Took my dog and cat there months ago... just getting around to reviews. The process to make an appointment was somewhat difficult. I left a voicemail and no one contacted me until the second voicemail. I booked an appointment for 2 week boarding..I never got a confirmation or reminder, so when I called to double check the booking the gentleman that answered the phone didn't know how to find the information or tell me the total price. Dropping off my little ones was easy enough. I picked them up and they were happy and seemed to be well taken care of. My dog did come home with an ear infection and black stuff around his ear, although I was told he was bathed. read more

Everyone that I have worked with there is super freinly and helpful. They were very nice and accommodating when I had to make last minute changes to my reservation. read more

I have been to this kennel various times and picked up my pups in good shape (there have been times in other places where she looked horrible. Super tired, skinny, etc) and happy. They take good care and are super friendly. It's my go to kennel for most of my boarding needs. They are also open on Sunday's but will charge you for Sunday night even if you pick up on Sunday... my only complaint is that they up charge for my dog being a pit. She would fall under the medium dog side but is charged for a large dog when I asked I was told because of her breed which I think is weird. read more

I decided to make a visit before dropping my cat off for a week. This place looks like someone converted their house to a kennel without a lot of forethought. Prices were good ($15/day) but the place stinks and is FILTHY. The cat shelter area was unkept and food all over the floor, plus there was some dog(?) excrement in the walkway by the cages for the cats. There is very little light for the cats to see outside. I would be afraid my catch will catch some disease from this place. I know animals are messy and can smell, but this place goes way beyond that. Two stars instead of one only because rate is decent. Otherwise, pass ... read more

I left my dog here for 9 days over the Thanksgiving week. When I picked her up, she smelled awful. This is somewhat to be expected as she is a 65 lb dog that I allowed to play with others. What I wasn't expecting is the illness that my dog has come home with. Within 3 days of cominng home, she has severe diarrehea and I will be taking her to the vet tomorrow to get her stool tested as they think she has a parasite. My dog is an indoor 8 mos old puppy there is no other place other than the kennel. Again, things can happen but if she does have this parasite, it is in my opinion from the kennel. On another note, the staff was less than caring when I picked up my dog to give me any sort of report on her, gave me none of her food back that I brought for her to eat. 9 days with my dog and I received no feedback and when asked I got, she did fine. I will not go here again regardless of my vet outcome. First time I've kenneled and not a good experience. I gave one start because I have to give something. read more

We have had the worst experience imaginable at this place!! Our poor dog was attacked by another dog and we were not even notified until 2 days later! They lied to us about when it happened and we learned the actual date of his attack from the vet who did his surgery! They provided no answers or explanation of how our dog was attacked and only said that it was a female pitbull who almost killed him. They refused to let us see the kennels and we have yet to hear from the owner of the business. Our poor dog is traumatized and in horrible shape and will require a lot of care. We are devastated and don't wish this on anyone! read more

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We worried about leaving our dog Cody (a Maltese), he has such separation anxiety. We took a tour of the facilities before we left him and the kennels were nice and open and they had a large grassy area where they would let the dogs run around a couple times a day. Cody loves the dog park, so this seemed perfect. We left him a week, and he did great. They even sent us texts as to how he was doing, which gave us peace of mind. The price was very reasonable and we will definitely use them again. read more

Our dog has stayed here many times in the last 2 years. The staff are always very friendly and our dog loves going. We've never had any concerns. I took a tour of the facility before we used them and it was clean. We have an Australian Shepherd who is very social and active and she's never been upset when we picked her back up. Actually, when we drive up to drop her off, she gets excited! We live in SF and I actually drive her out to Walnut Creek every time we leave just because we know she'll be happy. They let the dogs out into an outdoor grassy area twice a day for 30 min each time to play together. For us this is perfect because our dog gets some exercise and play time rather then staying the entire day in her crate or only getting a 10 min walk. Very reasonably priced. We'll continue to use them. read more

We also had issues with Northgate Kennels after boarding our Boxer there for a long stay. When booking and again when dropping off our dog we explained that she had special dietary needs as she was highly allergic to grains. We included a brand new bag of premium $60 dog food which would last her usually 2 months or so and they assured us she would be fed appropriately. When we picked up our dog she was not the lean, beautiful, healthy, happy dog we dropped off. She was fearful and shaking, all skin and bones, and had lost massive amounts of hair all over. They said she didn't want to play with other dogs so they kept her locked up most of the time. They also had no idea about her food, hadn't fed her what we delivered and didn't know where it was. Also, contrary to previous reviews, there was no flexibility on times. We arrived 30 minutes after closing so we had to pay for another full day. The owners were completely unresponsive to any of our calls to follow-up and weren't around when we picked up our dog. We took her to the vet immediately who had confirmed she was down 10% of her body weight and that the hair loss was from being fed food she was allergic too. It also gave her terrible intestinal trouble thereby compounding problems. It took weeks for her to get back to her normal personality and months to regain the weight and regrow her hair. When you consider the high cost of boarding, the "lost" bag of food, the vet bill and all of the follow-up this was an expensive and painful visit that traumatized our dog and us. I will never board here again and I discourage you from doing the same. read more

I've been going to North Gate 10 years now. I hate to kennel my german shepherd but sometimes it just makes sense. He always seems to be happy to go there. Most recently my dog got seriously ill while we were on vacation and unreachable by phone. They baby'd him as if he were their own. On my repeated thank-you's their response was simply "that's what we're here for." I truly feel indebted to them for the care they gave my dog - beyond the call of duty. From what I know, they are also one of the more inexpensive kennels around - worth the drive up North Gate Rd. Thank you North Gate Kennels! read more

FIRST AND FOREMOST, READ THE REVIEWS PRIOR TO THIS MAULING TO GET A SENSE IF ANYTHING HAS CHANGED ABOUT THIS SHABBY OPERATION: After seeing the most recent issue surrounding this "dog and cat concentration camp", I figured I'd write about an incident we encountered about 15 years ago. This will add/give credence to how these "folks" have run this horrible kennel and been allowed to stay in business for all these years. About 15 years ago, we brought our 7 year old healthy pooch to them for a 10 day trip we were taking. At about day 7, my parents, who were the emergency contacts were called with a message that: "...your son's dog doesn't look very good and you should come get him". Upon arrival, our guy was so sick and dehydrated that when his skin/fur near the nape of his neck was squeezed together, the pinch of skin continued to stand up on its own for minutes. We ended up spending several thousand dollars keeping him alive. About 2 weeks later he was released with a warning that whatever he caught was within the period he was being taken care of at "that place" and we should give thought to whether we were to ever entertain this location ever again. When we confronted the owners, they said it was impossible he contracted these horrible viruses from their kennels and to pay the bill and leave. There is no wonder they have one of the lowest Yelp review numbers of all kennels in the entire United States. Don't do it - your animal will pay the price....hopefully not the "ultimate price" that ours and likely many others have had to pay. Walnut Creek, why do you allow this shabby business to stay in business. SHUT THEM DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

I've been taking my dog here for about a year now. She absolutely loves it. Bonnie is great and will open up after hours with no extra charge if needed. My dog gets to play with other dogs and I have never had any problems. When I pick her up I can tell she's been playing all day cause she's wiped out. I wish they took credit cards is my only complant but other than that it's GREAT. read more

I've been taking my older dog Shelby here for years now and love that I can leave town without worrying my pet is in good hands. She always seems happy to go and happy to see me when I return. This kennel provides a dog bed in a heated/air conditioned room, play time with other like sized and tempered dogs, food, and often she is even returned to be bathed without charge. This kennel is reasonably priced and locally operated. I will be a loyal customer for years to come. read more

Northgate Kennels & Cattery - Shelby - Pet Boarding Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

My 2 little wiener dogs LOVE coming here! No complaints ever from me or them! Kristen the manager is AWESOME! I don't know how this place ever got a negative response! Do not hesitate to take your fur babies here!!!! read more

We've been taking our dog here for about 2 years and have been extremely satisfied. Our dog seems really happy when we take him and pick him up. The manager picks him up and our dog rarely lets anyone do that...only family, so he likes her. The facility seems clean. They give our dog a bath and wash his bed, so it's not stinky when we bring it home. read more

We love this place. We have two rescue pups, and one is very nervous around most people. The staff is very patient with her, and even gets excited to see the progress she makes after each stay in their facility. I call the staff for advice with training and grooming tips, which they provide without hesitation or will refer me to a professional they have experience with. They take great care of our girls, and even have weekend pick-up times. That's what led us to try them in the first place, I can't stand the idea of having to wait an extra day to see our fur-babies because some place refuses to accommodate a weekend pick-up time. read more

I have been taking my dog to Northgate Kennels for over 5 years now and it has been a very pleasant experience. My dog is very fearful of most people so when I go away, I always bring him to this kennel because the staff knows how to handle him and he is not fearful towards them, which eases my mind. When he realizes where we are going, he gets all excited...he LOVES the manager and is happy when he sees her and she is just as excited to see him. When I pick him up after being away, he is all groomed, fluffy and happy and the manager makes it a point to come out and give him hugs and kisses goodbye before we leave...which, warms my heart and makes me very happy. I highly recommend this kennel. read more

I have been boarding my dog at Northgate Kennels for 6-7 years. I really liked that they are open on Sundays, and live right on the premises. However, I have had several incidents with them, and they always have excuses. 1. They lost one of my dogs toys, and never apologized or offered to replace it. The lady said, sometimes dogs carry their toys out in the yard and they get lost that way; my dog has never carried a toy outside with him. 2. One time when I dropped my dog off, I asked the woman that was putting the paper collar on him, "isn't that too big?"; she said it would be fine. After I picked him up and got him home, he was rubbed raw underneath one of his armpits, from where the collar had been rubbing him for days, because it was large enough for him to get his arm through. Besides him being sore and uncomfortable; it cost me 100.00 between the vet visit, ointment and inflatable collar. When I called and told them, they said, "sorry that happened". They never offered to reimburse me, or even give me a few days free. 3. I went back again, because my dog is now 12 and is used to Northgate Kennels, and I did not want to put him in a new environment at his age. But, when I picked him up yesterday, he reeked of urine!!! My dog has stomach problems and is on special food. I individually bagged enough for six meals (2x a day - Fri, Sat and Sun). When I got home, I noticed that that there were still four bags left. I called when I got home, and the girl was making excuses and said she would call me back because she was helping a customer and she never did. The woman I spoke to this morning told me that sometimes when dogs are dropped off, they go on a hunger strike, and don't always eat right away. I told her, he has been coming there for 7 years; he does not have hunger strikes. I will not be taking him back to Northgate, and will not continue to recommend Northgate to anyone. Our pets are our family, and I need to know that he is in an environment where he is being taken care of, being fed and not coming home reeking of urine. read more

First off, I would like to start off this review by saying that I have chosen to board my dog here multiple times (I believe that my previous visit would be the fourth and LAST visit for my little dog). Sorry for the long review, but it's based on several visits and issues. I first brought my dog to North Gate Kennels about 1 year ago. The kennel seemed decent, and the people on charge asked for vaccine records and everyone seemed competent. I boarded my dog twice last year (in February and March), and I would say that I was satisfied with the care that my little dog received during her stay. I felt comfortable leaving my dog with them. I started having problems with this place the last 2 visits which were in February and March. During my visit in February, the older man who stays on the premises was holding my small dog who weighs about 5 pounds over a half-door (like a barn door) and was about to drop her on the ground before the receptionist grabbed her from him and brought her to me. I was mortified, so I paid the bill quickly so I could get out. I received a call the next day saying that I was overcharged, and I would be receiving a refund. My most recent and LAST visit was just a couple of weeks ago. I needed to board my cat and my dog for this visit. Although I had reservations, when I arrived, they said that they did not have me on the books at all. The place reeked of urine, even more so than my last visit. When I called in to check up on my pets the day before I picked them up, I was given attitude and was told they were fine, but felt as though my call was unwelcome. When I picked up my pets at 3PM sharp when the place where reopened after lunch, I was told that I would be paying for another night. This was never communicated to me on the phone, nor was this an issue during previous visits. In addition, my cat came home very oily and stressed, while my dog came home smelling like urine. My pets feeding instructions were not followed, as my cat came home with 2 extra cans of food, when there should have been none left. I was very unhappy to discover this when I got home. In short, I would recommend avoiding this place as it is clear to me that they do not properly maintain the facility, they don't follow directions, and they come with a bad attitude. Also, their staff changes often. read more

Reviews were very high for this kennel which surprised me at how bad the experience for us was. First we were told to drop our dog off on a day the kennel was closed, Easter Sunday. Thankfully, someone lives on premises who took our dog in. Had she not been there we would not have been able to leave for vacation. When we picked up our dog his rear quarter was mated with feces. His nose was cut in multiple places which tells me he received zero attention and was trying to get out of the enclosure. Will not board here again. read more

My dog came home from here shaking and terrified for several days (and she is very used to kennels). Not only that, her personal belongings (blanket, etc.) were not ready when I arrived there were several items missing. I had to go back once to retrieve something and one blanket was lost permanently. No offer was made to reimburse or replace it and in fact my phone calls were not returned. This is the worst boarding experience we have ever had and I would urge everyone NOT to go here. read more

I have ben Several times in the pass year @north gate kennel in my dog coqueta is always gets excited .wen we pull in to the kennel in see the manager krestine read more

This place is great. Kristen was so amazing. We were leaving our 5 month old puppy for the first time and I was pretty nervous. She kept me at ease by being in contact while we were away, sending texts and photos. She's an animal person. You can tell she does this because she loves animals, not just for a job. Our puppy is a little needy (she has separation anxiety and is afraid of other dogs, among other things.) Kristen allowed our puppy out to do her business without the other dogs around, which made me feel good. I don't have a bad thing to say. Kristen also gave us a nice gift ...a little puppy outfit. Not sure if that's typical but it was very sweet. They seem very organized, everything is ship shape at this place. And my puppy, although very happy to be home, was 100% happy when we picked her up and everything seems just fine! Oh, they also bathed her before we picked her up. Thanks Kristen! read more

I brought my dog, ruff, in to stay for almost 2 weeks because I went on vacation. As soon as I got there I noticed the outside and the office was very clean. I took a tour through the kennel and it was kept up and clean. My dog loves people and other dogs. The staff was very friendly and upbeat, it's clear that they enjoy being around animals. The check in process was quick but they made sure to ask if I brought anything extra for him and made sure he was comfortable. I knew leaving that he was in good hands! When I went to pick him up he was clean and brushed. He was very happy to be leaving but kept going back to the staff. It was clear he really liked them. I was given back all his stuff and he had eaten all his food. The staff again were very friendly and I know he enjoyed being there. I was told he loved playing with the dogs, so I was happy to hear that. I recommend anyone who wants to make sure their dogs are comfortable and happy while they are away, to leave them in northgates care. It was a great experience for me and my dog and I will be coming back. read more

Northgate Kennels & Cattery - Ruff is all clean and happy after staying in the great care of northgates staff :) - Pet Boarding Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Major upgrade from the evil Wunderbar down the street!! These people genuinely care about the animals, and not the money. They let cats out 3 times a day and don't charge extra if they need to take meds. I actually felt good and comfortable about leaving my cat with them while I was away. They are very laid back, in a good way. Not uptight business people (like Wunderbar) who are just using your pet to make money. I dont know what the dog kennels are like, but if you have a cat I HIGHLY recommend going here. read more

Horrible Place, never going there again. My dog came back with severe anxiety shaking, with bruises and scratches. I don't know what they did with her but she was so scared when she came home. She was so scared she chewed her own metal bowl in the kennel. I don't know what happened but she is a amstaf and i think she was teated differently and abused. Please do not go here and i will never ever leave my dog in this horrible place. read more