I was really excited to bring my 5-month-old golden retriever, Murphy, in for his trial day after…read morespeaking with a very kind staff member on the phone. They explained that the dogs play all day, have activities, are separated by temperament, and that puppies are carefully monitored. This gave me peace of mind since I had concerns about his joints, breaks, and being around larger dogs since he's just a baby.
When I dropped him off, the man at the desk was also professional and explained that Murphy would receive a temperament assessment around lunchtime, and I'd get a call afterward with an update. He said I could either pick Murphy up then or leave him longer depending on how things went. Unfortunately, I never received a call or text. When I finished work and called them, the woman who answered was short and unenthusiastic -- she simply said, "Oh yeah, we have Murphy. He's in with the dogs, he's fine." Her tone left me uneasy.
When I arrived, I found Murphy sitting off to the side in the large dog area, panting and looking unhappy. The dogs in the group were very large, and one was jumping excessively on top of other dogs (I'm talking like a kangaroo. 6ft in the air. The dog should be named jelly bean). Murphy, normally playful and confident, seemed timid and off. To make things worse, he was completely soaked -- his belly, legs, tail, everything. The floor of the play area was covered in large puddles of liquid, and while the staff member tried to tell me it was just "water from the hose," it was clearly urine. Once home, it was undeniable from the smell that he had been sitting and lying in urine (possibly mixed with feces).
I was told dogs are only walked once a day and use a grass area outside. From what I saw, the indoor space has no toys or stimulation, and the floors are left wet with urine throughout the day. This means the dogs are essentially playing and laying in filth for hours.
I left with Murphy timid, drenched in urine, and completely unlike his normal happy self. When I raised concerns, I was met with a dismissive response rather than care or reassurance.
While I was in the lobby, I actually asked other people dropping off their dogs if they would recommend this place, since I was so concerned. To my surprise, they said they would. So perhaps some dogs are less sensitive to the environment, need less enrichment, or hygiene isn't as much of a concern to their owners. It's possible I caught the facility on a bad day.
I am grateful this was a free trial because I would not have paid for such substandard care. Unfortunately, based on this experience, I will not be bringing Murphy back. I sincerely hope the facility improves its sanitation, communication, and oversight, because the way the dogs are kept now is unacceptable.
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I felt providing an update on this review is important for anyone considering bringing their pup to DogTown. After I picked Murphy up from daycare and wrote my initial review, he slept for hours and hours. When he finally woke up, he had developed a severe limp in his front leg. The limp worsened, and he ended up at the vet today.
Thankfully, there are no broken bones, but the vet believes it's either a soft tissue injury or a hairline fracture. This almost certainly came from the rough play that's allowed at Dog Town, as Murphy had no issues prior and had just been cleared at the vet the week before during routine vaccines. My poor 5-month-old puppy is now on pain medication and sedation so we can keep him practically on bed rest while we hope his injury heals on its own.
The vet also noticed a growth on his lip, which is canine papilloma virus. While I can't say with 100% certainty that it came from here, research shows it's commonly spread in dog daycare and boarding facilities, and the timing makes it very possible.
With both of these things, I truly wish I could rate this place negative five stars.
