I had to share more. We're 9 months into having found Adie's new canine day care. In a roundabout way, this story is really about how great this facility and staff are for girl and how she communicates this to us. We make a drive of 30+ minutes to travel to Pender. We affectionately refer to it as Pender "Puppies" My dog excitedly kennels into the SUV and she patiently and quietly commutes with me. Once we reach the Willard Road exit, off of Route 28, the excitement begins. The canine in the back cargo hold begins noisily yelping and dancing with excitement. By the time we reach Upper Cub Run Drive it's a full on circus in the canine hold. (I think she's encouraging me to drive faster) Once we've parked the car and leashed up to enter the building, my worth is evident. I am the driver...my only worth is to drive her to Pender "Puppies" My 75lb GSD pulls and tugs on leash to get INTO the building. She reacts to Pender staff each morning like she responds to family after we've been away on travel. She tells us with her exuberance that going to Pender "Puppies" is almost as much fun as going to Grandma's house. read more

I have two beautiful and sweet great danes. Both rescues, one is 5 years old and the other is an 8 month old puppy. We boarded our boys at Pender Pet retreat for one week. Both went in at healthy weights, with specific feeding instructions. We picked up our pups on Sunday. Both had lost at least 10 pounds each, our 5 year old had lost 15. Both were dehydrated. The puppy, who normally pees without problem, was straining to urinate at least 6-10 times as soon as we walked out of the kennel. He would not drink water, which he usually guzzles throughout the day. After watching this for a few hours, i called my vet at Pender in chantilly, they had me bring him to the ER vet Sunday night. He had lost over 10 percent of his body weight, was dehydrated and had to be put on antibiotics and anti inflammatories. How dare a facility entrusted with the care and security of our beloved pets be so careless with these animals. How dare they do nothing when it is apparent the animal is losing weight at such a rapid pace. How dare the vet who evaluated them say nothing and do nothing. Speaking of the vet.....our dogs needed vaccinations required by Pender to board. A responsible facility would ensure these were a priority and done ASAP to prevent infection, right? Well, our dogs weren't even seen or vaccinated by the vet until their 6th day there. SIX DAYS OF BEING EXPOSED to germs and other dogs, without the required vaccinations. How dare you be so lax and careless with my pets. It was apparent the vet never even looked at the puppies Pender vet file. They diagnosed him with an eye condition that was clearly noted and diagnosed in his file, months prior to boarding. These people did nothing. I have since had to call the Facility manager myself to follow up. She told me all of these things were normal. That is a load of you know what. They immediatly paid the ER Vet visit, which tells me you in fact agree something was wrong. These poor dogs did not come out of that facility the way they went in. They were worse for ware, and something should have been done to intervene on the weight loss and dehydration. As a growing puppy, our younger dog should have put on weight not lost. And our poor 5 year old, 15 pounds lost. How do people let this happen to our animals? I am heartbroken and appalled that this is the kind of service these people offer. We will never go back to Pender Pet Retreat. And, based on the reviews everyone else has posted, there are many others with similarly horrifying experiences with this kennel. What a terrible experience. read more

We've stayed here three times. While my dogs always come home alive, I find this place to be completely frustrating. I board two dogs in the Executive Suites, which is no cheap stay. Every time we've stayed there have been problems, and when I'm paying for extra, I expect extra. The first two times the dogs stayed, the cameras were on the fritz. When the cameras did work, I noticed the puppy howling. So I called and told them she needed to go out. The girl who answered told me that dogs behave differently when they are boarded. I said that was fine, but please take her out (uh, I know my dogs). She said she'd get someone to them. Nope. My puppy took a big old dump on the floor, so I had to call them back and tell them to go clean it up. I've had to tell them to add the extra bedding that we pay for, and I've had to ask where their food goes. I bag my own food, put their names on each bag, as well as a date and whether it's breakfast or lunch. I always add an "extra" bag for each. Never has the "extra" bag come home. This time, I just bagged the food and put names on each bag (the dogs get fed different amounts). I did not bag an "extra" this time. Guess what? I got a call telling me the dogs ran out of food, and didn't have any breakfast before I was to pick them up. Twice they've missed their baths. After boarding for a week, I want them bathed. The first time they said they weren't expecting us so soon, and this time, it just wasn't in their system-- even though I called from Montana the day before and gave them my ETA, as well as a bathing reminder. It is frustrating that I have to even call while on vacation, and not only that, now I have to keep a log of all my calls for all the screw ups. To top it off, this being our third time staying here, when my husband dropped the dogs off this time, they had no information about our stay. I had called three days ahead and made sure all was well, since I hadn't received an email about our upcoming stay. Yep, we were there, I was assured. However, there was no paperwork on the dogs, even though they'd been there before. I even have a friend staying about the same time, whom I recommended Pender to. I am hoping she has better luck. The front desk staff are always nice, and I can only hope the dog handlers are as well. But, I have to say, all of this makes me wonder if the dogs really do get what we pay for-- all their walks and play times and treats and extra bedding, maybe a little scratch behind the ears. Or do they just assume we're not there, how would we know any different? It's very hard to be away from our pets, and all we can do is trust (or never travel), and I am frustrated that I am still on the hunt for a place for the dogs to stay. With one a rescue, I was hoping this could be a consistent gig--it would be nice for him to have somewhere stable, so he knows we're always coming back for him. read more

This kennel has new ownership so I would urge you to not consider reviews written prior to June, 2010 because the quality of care has changed dramatically for the worse as demonstrated by what happened to my dog during my last usage of this kennel: When I arrived to pick up my perfectly healthy dog in August, 2010 he was brought to me unable to stand on his hind legs, covered in feces with a painfully swollen bladder. Although the teenager caring for my dog admitted he had known for hours that my dog was in severe distress no one got him any medical help or called my vet or my emergency contact number. Thank goodness I returned from vacation earlier than I had planned. After $3,500 in emergency care I discovered that my dog had suffered a very rare injury typically associated with a healthy dog falling from a height - usually resulting in permanent paralysis and euthanization. I always paid extra for my dogs to be kept in an enclosure placed on the floor so I couldn't imagine how my dog suffered such a fall. I called the kennel and was told "the dog did it to himself." The vet tech would not provide any details as to how my dog did this to himself while in the protected environment of the kennel. So I called the kenne's business manager and learned that although I had been promised and had paid extra for a floor level crate after learning upon checking in that the junior condo I had reserved in advance was not available, my dog had - against my express instructions - been kept in an upper level stacked cage. Now fully understanding how my dog could have suffered a fall from a high place while staying at the kennel I contacted the new owner seeking reimbursement of my $3,500 and was told that since my dog seemed to (miracuously) be recovering I wasn't entitled to reimbursement. I am in the proces of filing a complaint with the VA Dept of Agriculture and Consumer Services - the agency that oversees kennels. read more

Please do not take your pet here. I picked my dog up yesterday after 4 nights at Pender. She has stayed at other kennels several times in the past and while she doesn't love going, she has never had this reaction. She got into the car and laid on the floor with her face hiding between the center console and the back of my seat. Usually she'd have her head hanging out the window and be loving life. When we got home she was walking with her tail between her legs and kept cowering under our dining room table. She is usually the happiest girl and runs around wanting to play. I can't help but think that there was some mistreatment going on during her stay. It is definitely not the normal "I'm mad at you for abandoning me" behavior, she looks afraid. It is breaking my heart to see how she is acting. She hasn't touched her food and barely her water since we got home at noon yesterday. I had gotten a bad vibe when I dropped her off. I chose Pender b/c we use their vet services and really love the doctors and staff. But at the Pet Retreat it was just not the same. The girl at the front desk barely spoke and would answer my questions by nodding or shaking her head. I will absolutely NOT be trusting Pender Pet Retreat again. Of course I can't say for sure that they mistreated my dog, but all signs point to yes. My happy, tail wagging, tap dancing girl is the saddest thing ever now. I will be going home during my lunch break to check on her. read more

In two words, DOG FACTORY! These people could care less about your dog, as the teenage boy who led us through the "tour" of their facilities told us they house between 200-300 dogs at time for boarding. If we had more time before our trip we would have canceled our reservation at this place. They tell you if your dog has toys he/she likes to play with bring them, if they have treats you rather have them eat then ours bring them. Well they did NEITHER for ours. Her ziploc bag of treats were untouched and so were her toys. Our dog peed herself when she saw us, she has never done that. I would not recommend this place unless you do not like your dog. They are a dog factory and all they care about is the money, not your dog. I am at awe as to how anyone can say "enough good things about this kennel" unless they are friends of the owner or management. DO NOT TAKE YOUR DOG TO THIS PLACE! read more

After taking a long time selecting pet care for my week-long vacation I chose Pender. It was a mixed bag that ended up being very expensive and perhaps not worth the money they charge. My dog is a 10 year old rescue from Fairfax Co. I've had her two months. I was hospitalized part of that time, so she has had a difficult transition. Never the less, she is a dream. She is so full of love and desires human affection. I explained this when I checked in. All was yes, yes. I chose an executive suite for her so my family and I could see her on the web cam. We expected to see more people in her "room" giving her affection, but we only ever saw her asleep or when she was out on a walk while the room was getting clean. I called a few times and they picked up, but I was put on hold for so long I tended just to give up and call later. They claimed "they had been trying to" call me about a food issue but I had no record of more than one call. My dog came home happy, clean and relaxed but for the kind of money I spent I might do some better research into other facilities in the area. read more

Pender Pet Retreat is anything but. I bought the executive suite for my 4 year old black lab and I was appalled at the service. These people do not care about dogs at all. When i dropped off my dog, i left directions for how to care for her, as she had an ear infection and has food allergies. In the executive suite, there are camera where you can watch your pet. Despite the directions, I witnessed people cleaning the wrong ear, not using her harness, leaving her in the kennel for over an hour after feeding her. Additionally, the seal between the suites is broken, which means her suite was flooded with the water from the suite next door every day when they cleaned. Did they mop up the floor? No. They put her beds on top of the water and left her there. Her paws are now infected because they were wet for five days from laying on the soaking wet beds. When I picked her up, the beds were still soaking wet. They also refused to return her food to me (she is on a raw diet due to her allergies and the food is expensive) when I came to pick her up. I don't know if they even fed her any of this food since they refused to give me back the food and the container it came in. When I arrived to pick her up, I voiced my concerns to the acting manager (who is a larger male covered in tattoos and missing his front teeth) and he dismissed all of my concerns, saying that they had over 200 dogs and they couldn't care for her the way she needed. I personally don't judge any place on one bad online review, but this place has several. If you care about your dog, you will not leave her here. They do not care about how the animals are treated and cared for, even if they are injured. Please take your pet to Healthy Hounds, where they will be cared for and truly cared for. read more

Great care for animals and excellent staff. Pricing is a bit high and getting higher all the time.

Another fan of Dulles Gateway! I have tried another local kennel when DG didn't have a spot for me last minute (holiday weekend) I was not as pleased with the other place as I am whenever I take my dog to DG. Everyone is friendly, and she gets excited as we get closer. Last time she even ran to the front door to go in. I won't hesitate to take her there again and have not hesitated to recommend them either. read more

Pender is a great boarding place for our dog. We can travel without worries, knowing our dog is well cared and safe. We also use Pender for veterinarian services for our dog. read more

We have boarded our dogs here for a long time and I have to say I feel very confident with the facility and the caretakers. My dog always comes home happy and mrvet has that "boarding" smell. I would highly recommend them. read more

Pender is good. I have alternated between Pender and Old Towne and in each case my dog has come home clean and happy. Old Town has a little more gravy - we like the rooms that are less crate-like, but the nicer rooms are also available at Pender for a comparable price. The grounds at Pender are really nice and shaded and I have found the staff to be very thoughtful. Occasionally I bring my dog back for a nail clipping and they know her name straight away and fuss over her. I don't always feel like paying the ransom at Old Towne, so for longer trips I'll go with Pender. Just as a previous reviewer said, remember that your dog is going to be mostly crated during their stay. That just sucks no matter how you slice it. But, if you don't have a home arrangement for your puppy, this is the next best thing. Two of my neighbors are longtime users of Pender and speak very highly of it. read more

We have repeatedly boarded our two dogs at the Pet Retreat. The handlers know the dogs by name, and our dogs, who are VERY spoiled, go into the retreat and to the associates willingly. Our food and medication instructions were followed and the dogs are happy and healthy. We also like the fact that the facility has a vet on staff who can provide wellness and sick care (we have had shots updated there), as Pender is our regular vet as well. The staff goes out of their way to accommodate our and our dogs' needs, finding us space at a very busy time when I thought I had reserved space, but had not. We will continue to board our dogs here. read more

Pender Pet Retreat has been wonderful for long term stays and daycare. A day after our dog had surgery, they didn't hesitate to let him participate in the individual daycare. They made sure he had a quiet place to rest during the day while he recovered and was still on medications. They were so patient with our dog (he tends to get nervous around new people) and understanding of our situation. We've also had great experiences in the past using their kennel services for long term stays. read more

It is somehow hard to review the place, when all the contact that you have with the service provided is the pick-up and drop off of your dog. So, this review is based solely on that: the pick-up, drop-off, and on the state of my dog afterwards. The facilities look professional and clean, and the staff is helpful and affable. I like the fact that your dog has to be up-to-date with the vaccinations, and that you're not allowed to bring the bed (to avoid fleas related issues). Some people might not like the former requirement, because if you're dog is not up-to-date, you'll have to pay to get the needed vaccines. However, in my case, my dog was up-to-date, and I feel that this is a good policy to avoid your beloved dog getting some disease from the population of the retreat. If you bring your dog here, you definitely have to understand that this is a kennel, and that you're dog is going to spend most of the time in a crate. Also, what you get is what you pay for. If you want more space, you'll have to pay more. So getting to the point. It is not cheap, we paid around $500 for a full week, for the second smallest crate and the "pampered puppy" program. When we picked up our dog, she was completely fine, and her behavior was completely normal. 2 days after being back home, there's no issue with her either health related of behavioral. She's her normal self... Well actually, she's behaving even better. She had had some obedience training before, and i think that the people working there might have been stricter than me, so she's very obedient at the moment. Let's see if that lasts. We'll be on long a vacation again later this year, and we'll definitely use the services of the retreat again. read more

What makes Dulles gateway retreat special is the fact that the staff are amazing. They are extremely hard working and attentive to the dogs in their care and they have superior customer service. I truly love this facility and their people. I also highly recommend the executive suites and cat boarding. Thank you!!! read more

I've come here a few times for my dog's vet appointments and haven't had any trouble signing in, but that day was a little ridiculous. I came in on time, talked to one of the front desk assistants and I thought she had checked us in for the appointment; apparently not. I guess the lady sort of brushed me off. I waited and wasted 45mins of my weekend time just to get one simple booster shot, which probably took about 8mins to do the whole process, holding the dog, evaluation and all. I guess she was too busy to help me out by answering phones, typing God knows what on the computer and talking to her co-workers. They need to work on physical contact with customer service better. I think I'll go back to the Fairfax vet office where they treat customers better. read more

We have two cats that we've boarded with Pender for almost four years. We are so happy with their services. Our cats came back home really happy after their last stay. We will be entrusting them to Pender's care in the future. It's a huge peace of mind to know that our beloved kitties are taken good care of. read more

Our dog spent last weekend at Pender's boarding site in Chantilly, where he's been before, with no problems. A few hours after bringing him home on Monday, however, he started a terrible, deep, incessant cough, accompanied by choking and spitting up. I suspected "kennel cough," but never having seen (or heard) it before, I wasn't sure. So I called Pender's emergency number in Fairfax around 4 pm, hoping he could be seen. I was told there was no ER vet on duty the rest of that day, or Monday night, but I could make an appointment for Wednesday! (Not sure what happened to Tuesday.) If I wanted an emergency visit, they recommended an outside vet. Tuesday morning, when our dog's condition was much worse, I did take him to another vet. He got meds, and I got a nearly $200 bill. I later learned that Pender's boarding facility had experienced some respiratory illnesses. I know they can't guarantee your dog won't contract something while there, but I did think it unprofessional of their Fairfax office not to agree to see our dog, who definitely caught his illness at their boarding site (since he had not been around any other dogs). To be clear, I am not unhappy with the boarding facility (which gets 4 stars), I'm unhappy with the Fairfax staff member's lack of concern once our dog contracted something at their boarding site. He's doing better, btw, which is the most important thing. read more

They did an excellent job taking care of my dog. She came home, happy, healthy, and clean. When I picked her up, they gave me a report card of how she was every day, which I really appreciated. They applied her medication to her eyes every day as instructed and she looked really good. read more

We have two boys, Keiko (pit bull, 6 yrs) and Mars (pit bull mix, 2 yrs) who spent about 7 days at the pet retreat. This was Keiko's second boarding experience but first with Pender Pet. His first experience a few years back at another location was not so great and we've since tried to keep him home with a family friend. This was however, Mar's first boarding experience and our major concern with leaving him, because he has major separation anxiety issues and we are still in the early stages of training for aggressive behavior due to the anxiety. Both boys were in the President Suite, which provided 5 or more walks and feedings throughout the day. I was able to check in on them by utilizing their webcam. I called and the staff provided very helpful, detailed and heart-warming feedback that brought me comfort and allowed us to thoroughly enjoy our trip. The facility is cleaned, the staff is trained for all breeds and sizes, it was very evident that they were able to handle our 80-lbs. boys and provided the much needed attention and care that fit their spoiled personalities! I plan to be a reoccurring customer and recommend this place for anyone who's had a bad experience but willing to try again. read more

$130 a night for a JAIL cell. I went to go visit my dogs and you can quite obviously tell that they have been soaking in their own urine. They claim to take them outside 5 times a day but I truly have hard time believing that. My dogs have clearly been neglected here. read more

Zero stars should be an option for companies like Pender. Save yourself money and stress-- avoid Pender. While they've gotten excellent reviews, our pet transport experience was awful. For those moving to Turkey, this review includes Sumerman- the local shipping broker that Pender coordinated with. Months after the fact, I am still baffled at how poorly they performed nearly every step of the way. As context, I have previously organized intercontinental pet transport for my dog- over much longer distances and to less-oft flown destinations (Washington to Mongolia, Mongolia to Seattle). Our trip, from Washington, D.C., to Turkey, should have been straightforward. YMMV, but be forewarned. The customer service was anemic. For example, at several points during the process, simple transit requirements and paperwork were not communicated in a timely fashion despite repeated follow-up inquiries. We asked Pender to confirm medical requirements for travel- they assured us that a rabies titer test was not needed (wrong). In the remaining days leading up to travel, as well after we'd physically arrived in Turkey, we received urgent and last-minute messages from Pender and the local shipper about customs and air carrier processes. What is the point of paying thousands of dollars to a company that fails to track and fill out simple paperwork? Among other snafus, they filled out the shipping manifest with the wrong name (which, of course, led to a frantic phone call when there were issues at customs). That's basic. Communications about pricing suffered from accuracy and transparency. The final bill was nearly twice what they'd quoted us originally. Nearly $1,580 was charged for the Istanbul to Ankara leg. The air flight was $245. While I understand that pet animal transport can be pricey, a 55-minute domestic transit of an animal should not be this expensive. Charges such as overtime and boarding appeared on the invoice- nevermind that the actual delivery dates and times for our pet did not align with what was communicated originally. Why are we paying for extra boarding and overtime when it's the shipper that failed to transport him on time because THEY messed up the paperwork? We dropped our dog off on a Sunday night and did not see him until the following Saturday night. There is zero reason why it should have taken this amount of time to transit from DC to Turkey. During all of this, Pender's customer service was non-existent, despite charging hundreds of dollars to "coordinate" with this local broker. For thousands of dollars, initiative and customer care should be a given. Beyond poorly coordinated logistics, our dog arrived in disturbing conditions. The interior of his crate was completely covered in urine. For a 55-minute flight, and for a dog that's flown much longer and more complex routing without any issue, this is inexcusable. I'd originally planned to transport my dog to Mongolia via Pender several years ago. A few weeks before our departure, Pender contacted me to inform me that they'd have to add costs and reroute him because they'd mistakenly flipped the winter and summer flight schedules to Mongolia. I should've taken that as a sign that the incompetence was no fluke. read more

I always know my dogs are in good hands when I leave them at Pender. My husband and I travel quite a bit, so it is extremely comforting to have a wonderful place to leave them at whenever we are out of town. From the report cards and photos we receive when we pick our dogs up, to the live video streaming we can watch of our dogs from any mobile device, Pender is hands down the best pet retreat in the area. I have been very happy with Pender for the past year or so that I have been a customer there, and my dogs are always super excited to arrive there each time I drop them off. I would absolutely recommend Pender to anyone looking for a great place to care for his or her pet. read more

We have taken our dogs here for years. Every time has been a great experience for both us and our dogs. All of our dogs over the years have been rescues, so they come they come with their own fears and reactions. Despite that, all have liked the people working there and we have always had confidence they are well taken care of. Further, we have relied on Pender Vet for years as well and it is comforting to know that if there ever was an issue, they have access to our vet and to our dog's medical records. Our current rescue was severely mistreated before we got her and is extremely skittish as a result. That she always runs into the office when we get there is quite telling about how she is treated when she is there. That might just say it all. read more

I take my Frenchie, Duke, to Day Care when both of us need to work. The staff is awesome, super nice- happy smiling when we get there, and I can tell they love their job and take great care of my dog. Duke comes home tired - and a tired dog is a happy dog! They give him treats and take him on nature walks. We also get a report card and super cute pictures of him throughout the day. He is not yet neutered so I can't take him to all day cares. Pender has the Best Buddies program where they have another dog play with your dog just as long as they get along and being not neutered isn't an issue. read more

This review is only for the vet/medical care. All they see here is $$$$ they dont care about your dog. I know pender pushes a lot of unnecessary things but have found some good doctors in the mix at the main location in Fairfax. Do not bring your dog to the Chantilly location it's a joke. I'll stick to the Fairfax location for now...even though our fav doctor has relocated. read more

I have only ever had my dogs stay at the Pender Pet Retreat. I loved the private room that was nice and quiet with a bed and tv just like home=) I checked in morning, noon and night while out of state on a ski trip via the internet and saw the staff caring for my dogs and I could see my dogs were well taken care of. The only thing I would have liked better would be to add a night light to the room so I could see my dogs better at night. One time I called and made a request and could see them on the live web cam make the change! Also there is a WONDERFUL vet on staff and present in the facility which I found a plus just in case my dogs needed care. They were great! Five stars. P.S. This kennel does not have "stacked cages" so I don't know what the low level review was talking about. Pender Pet Retreat along with their free dog park is a great place for dogs! read more

Decided to visit the dog park there. Could be nice bit so small and poorly maintained equipment. So I went over to see the hounds and fox trails. Well their signage sucks I was walking around and was told not once but twice that it was for the borders and what not. Dude just wanted to argue with me. I guess he hasn't been around many grumpy woman. Wanted to continue to argue with me. Let it go!!! Customer is right.!!! I won't use that vet any way. Have heard of borders coming home in bad shape needing baths read more

Very pleased with Pender Pet Retreat for Bath, Grooming, and Removing Matted fur for a Rescued 7-8 mo. old St. Bernard Dog we recently Adopted. Groomer did a great job. read more

This review is only for the doggie daycare as we haven't used the boarding or veterinary services. We started bringing our puppy for 1/2 day daycare when she was 5 months old so she could play/socialize with other dogs and other humans since she had extreme "stranger danger" with humans. She is a smallish dog (maxed out at 30 lbs) and was considered by them to fit their weight rules to play in the small dog group. Unfortunately, she is super energetic and was always getting into time out in the small group because of her desire to want to energetically play and some of the small dogs did not appreciate that energy. The staff, particularly Ashley set up special session with larger dogs that she knew were even tempered and let her play with them to see how she did. It was such a success that they relaxed the weight rules and she now plays with the bigger dogs and has the best time ever. The staff really truly cares about the dogs and wants the best for each of them. I can't say enough great things about them. Our puppy has become so much more socialized and calm since she has been going to her play time there. read more

I truly feel comfortable leaving my family member here. I opt to not get the room with a Web cam because I feel my vacation would be ruined if I saw him just laying there or not having fun. In my mind, he is in the best place (besides being with us). It is extremely clean, the rooms are a great size, he gets to go for nature walks and have puppy play time. I bring his blanket and toys and always get then back. He is bathed each time I pick him up and I receive a report card as well as a picture of him with a team member. The only reason I am leaving 4 stars instead of 5 is because he came back hoarse which to me means he was a bit stressed and was barking a tremendous amount. read more

I can not say enough good things about the staff and accommodations at Pender Pet Retreat at Chantilly, VA. I have been bringing my German Shepherd Dog Pushkin to Pender Pet Retreat since May 2013. I travel extensively for work and I board Pushkin at Pender during my travels. My travels are sometimes long and I have boarded Pushkin for up to 30 days at a time. I also bring him for day care five days a week when I am not on travel. Pushkin is happy to see all of them every morning when I drop him for day camp. I am very impressed with the report card that Pushkin gets after every overnight stay and I love the pictures he gets everyday. Pushkin loves all the staff members. When I drop him off in the mornings, even though he does not want to leave me he is happy to see the Pender staff member he knows. The reason I started bringing Pushkin to day camp in the first place was to let him get over the severe depression he suffered when his littermate Shakespeare died unexpectedly of cardiac arrhythmia when they both were 27 weeks old. I tried the Petsmart day camp but was not happy there, as they did not provide the personal care that he is getting at Pender. Also since the dogs were all kept inside all the time, Pushkin started getting sick and kept getting Giardia. I did not know what to do and it was at this time that a friend recommended I try Pender. Thanks to the excellent staff members at Pender he is now a well-adjusted and happy dog. I have also recommended Pender to all my colleagues and I know quite a few of them bring their dogs to Pender and all of them are very happy with the personal service the Staff at Pender provides to their dogs. I have also dropped Pushkin off for day camp on days he was not feeling well and Mike and Eric had arranged for Pushkin to be seen by the Vet during the day. If you love your dog, rest assured he/she will be very happy at Pender. I highly recommend Pender Pet Retreat to all animal lovers. read more

I previously posted a negative review because of the bad care they provided to my dogs. I was contacted by the manager and they sincerely apologized, gave me a refund, and offered to bathe our dogs. I have used pender for a few years now and have never had this issue before and hope that it doesn't happen again. I'm very grateful for their kind apology and trying to resolve the issue. read more

I have to start off this review by saying that my boyfriend and I are first time dog owners. This was our first boarding experience, since we had to go away for a wedding, and we will never go back to Pender. (Note: I apologize in advance if this gets lengthy!) Our dog is a rescue, and we were concerned with boarding him in the first place. We went with Pender Pet Retreat because it was affiliated with our vet, so we felt confident that this was a safe choice. They took our dog from us right away, without really giving us a chance to say goodbye. We found out that they had approximately 275 dogs there for the weekend, and around 15 staff members. It was too late to change our minds, but I wish we would/could have. We signed him up for additional services- multiple potty breaks, nature walks, one-on-one play time, snacks, etc. He's a chow, and he won't go to the bathroom in his kennel, which we told them specifically, explaining this was why we were paying extra for the services we chose. They said they'd take good care of him. We dropped him off around 3pm on Friday, and picked him up around 2pm on Sunday. We left him with his own food, treats, and toys. When our pup came out to us, he was skittish and all over the place. We paid for his stay, and went outside. He PULLED with all his might to get the grass, and proceeded to urinate multiple times; his urine was bright yellow. It was obvious he hadn't had enough to drink, and hadn't been taken out near enough. What happened next was even worse. He started to have bowel movements... 7 in a row. SEVEN. There was blood on his stool. He's very regular normally, about 90 minutes after he eats. It was obvious that he was never taken out, and/or completely overfed. We rushed back inside horrified, and absolutely upset. I questioned the "report card" they gave us, which stated his bowel movements were normal and timely. There's NO way that could have been true. They called ahead to the vet for us, and said a manager would call us (I possibly sternly demanded this). We took him to the vet, and we were told to monitor him for a few days. Interestingly enough, Pender Pet Retreat told the vet they were paying the bill... which seems sort of incriminating to me-- why pay for something like that if you feel you did nothing wrong? (Maybe I'm being cynical.) Furthermore, no one from the retreat has contacted us as we were told they would. Our furbaby is finally bouncing back to normal, but he was sad, sick and stressed for a good while. Also worth noting is that we had to go back to the kennel after the vet, because they failed to give us back all of his belongings (toys were missing). We will never return to Pender Pet Retreat. With the sheer volume of pets, there's no way they can do an animal justice. Ours just happened to be particularly neglected, I guess. Better options have to be out there- save yourself the stress and find a better, safer place for your pet to stay. read more

I am commenting on the air shipment service. Recently my family moved overseas and we brought our dog. The reviews looked good and I was happy that they would take care of everything for me. PenderAir advertises that they will do just that. However, this is not what they did for me. Lori, I am sure did her best, but it was not sufficient. She is a nice person but very busy and waited for me to tell her the requirements for shipping my dog overseas. Isn't that what I was paying her for? Also, she contacted me with URGENT messages while I was already overseas telling me that I needed to contact the air carrier and local customs to approve the shipment of my dog....again why am I working for you? Isn't this something that I am also paying PenderAir for? Finally, the most frustrating part of this whole ordeal is that, I genuinely want to hear from PenderAir and why certain actions took place. But when I ask the tough questions, I get no response from Lori or anyone at PenderAir. When I ask why am I being billed for multiple trips to airport. (even though I contest the charges because it is not my fault the air carrier is not ready to receive my pet yet) A simple answer will do, but nothing. If I could do it all over again, I certainly would not use PenderAir. read more

Wow!!! I can not say enough good things about this kennel! The people are so wonderful with the animals. They were so genuine and friendly. They truly love pets and it really shows. The establishment is pristine! And if you have any concerns about leaving your pet there at all, they will take you on a tour of all of the kennels. There is a dog park for your pet to use anytime, free of charge, and while your pet is staying with them, they have tons of different programs for your pet to take part in. I signed my dog Daphne up for nature trail hike. They also offer a variety of services. They aren't just a kennel, OH NO, they also offer pet grooming and if needed they will take your pet to the Vet. When I picked Daphne up today, she was so happy. You could tell she had been taken really good care of. They give you a list of everything that happened, like their temperament for each day, if they ate well, their poops, etc... It was so cute to get Daphne's report card today, and to find a picture of her playing with one of the people that work there. Also, they put a little handkerchief on her from the grooming. Overall, if I could give this place more stars, I would totally do it. If you are going out of town and need to kennel your pet, this is the place to do it. read more

Good Experience, but still better in theory than in practice The proposed set of services offered by Pender Pet Retreat at Dulles Gateway is very good. The execution, however, has been known to fall short. It must be difficult to find the sizable number of entry level employees required, who have the necessary canine aptitude and language skills. As a business owner, I understand the pressing need to make a profit, but it's important not to promise more than you can deliver. At our most recent visit, there was good news and bad news. The dogs were happy to go in. They came out wagging, happy and decently clean, with no signs of foul play and no yucky odors. We tried to use the remote web cam feature, but that was useless after sunset. The front desk staff was superb. Very professional and polite, even when under pressure of being very busy. Having access to our pets' vet records is a big plus, as is having some vets at the facility for a few hours a day. The people who come to get the dogs and/or bring them out to go home mostly do not have a clue and usually have zero "dog sense". I apologize, in advance, to the handful we've dealt who were really good with animals, but the truth is, most are well-intentioned and that's about it. It's awesome that Pender Pet Resort clients are welcome to use the nicely fenced dog park during daylight hours. We use the park all the time and the dogs love it. We've also met lots of other customers, which is how we know our concerns and complaints are pretty common. Speaking of the dog park, it would be great if a simple sign could be mounted to clearly show how to easily open and secure the dog park gate. It's very easy to do, but first visitors have to understand where the mechanism is located and how it works. We've seen people despair of ever getting in and start to leave. We've also talked to people who say they gave up hope of every figuring it out. We tried telling this to staff we saw outside, but were blown off in no uncertain terms. The cost is very high. Our last visit cost us more than our hotel rooms on the ocean, but our dogs appeared to be well-cared for and decently exercised, though there is no way to know if the many things we paid for were actually done. Pet Peeve: The online reservation process is agonizingly complicated and time-consuming. We did it once and never again. It's 10,000 times easier to call and get a reservation over the phone. It costs nothing, unlike the website reservation. Why doing something digitally has to be more expensive, intrusive and difficult, is hard to understand. We noticed no one reminds you when you call that your dogs must have proof of current rabies and bordatello vaccinations. Those are a must, of course, but waiting until customers are there to drop off animals is too late and causes problems at the check-in desk. I understand forgetting those details, which suggests a checklist might help, but I've never had anyone mention it when I called to reserve spots for our dog read more

I took my dog in the Friday before Memorial Day. I picked her up on Tuesday morning. She has a case of bloody diarhea that I noticed right outside of Dulles Gateway Pet Retreat. All they would say was that she was fine before I picked her up. Really??? I just showed up at 7am to get my dog & she only got sick in the 10 seconds it took us to walk outside. She smelled extremely foul and had stool in her hair. We wound up at the vet - $400 for an IV, blood tests, stool tests, medication. She lost 5 pounds Friday-Tuesday. Five pounds on a 14 pound mini Schnauzer!!! Never did they offer any explanation or recourse. I took in a perfectly healthy dog (she had been to the vet for a checkup 2 days before) and got back a very sick dog. Be warned, for your pet's health. read more