THE BEST KEPT SECRET DAYCARE AND BOARDING FOR SMALL DOGS!!!…read more
I have to admit, I've been selfishly gatekeeping this place because it is hands down, THE BEST daycare and boarding on the island and I didn't want my baby's spot to be taken up...sorry Aunty Carly! I know a lot of my fellow VIPaws pet parents are also keeping this place on the hush for the same reason. However, since I'm moving soon, I had to do right by its wonderful owner, Carly, and give her the recognition she deserves.
I've tried almost every daycare and boarding here, as my fur baby is our child and we want the very best for him. It was good to see what each place had to offer but let me tell you, you will not find another place that comes close to VIPaws. This is "the Punahou" of daycares.
They specialize in only taking small dogs 25 lbs and under, which is perfect since our baby is fearful of larger dogs.
The sign up process is organized and thorough, taking everything into account. We could tell she was on it and well prepared to care for him whenever we were away. This really put my mind at ease. All her policies/pricing are laid out and upfront so there's no surprises. If you don't read, that's on you.
Their reservation based setup makes it easy to drop off/pick up. I've been to places without this and had to wait a while to pick up my dog since there was no reserved time. At VIPaws, I book a set time to drop off/pick up my pup so I can be on my way. I appreciate that!
Carly does a tour of the setup on the first day and we were impressed by how clean and secure her home was. Multiple enclosures to ensure your dog's safety, lots of room to run and play, and comfy and clean with no smells at all. The energy there felt so calm and positive. All the pups looked so cute and happy!
We love that they're very selective with the dogs they agree to take in, not letting any of the riff raff in. It's like an exclusive private school! She's strict but very loving and we appreciated that vs many other places where they let dogs run wild, pee everywhere, bark their heads off, etc. Not only can your dog pick up bad habits but it also really stressed my baby out. This was a welcomed change of environment. We could tell from the tour that this was going to be an amazing experience for our pup.
VIPaws took excellent care of my baby every time he joined them for daycare/sleepovers. He can be a little nervous being away from us but it didn't take long for his nervous shakes to turn into tail wags. He would do excited tippy taps whenever we made the turn to her home, ecstatic about where he was about to go. He never did this for any of the other places we've tried! We ended up enrolling him in regular daycares because he would pout and get depressed when he didn't get to go. From a dog that had separation anxiety to this, there was no denying how much he loved it there.
At VIPaws, we really felt that he was more than just a number. She took the time to really get to know him and knew things about his personality, likes/dislikes and quirks that even my own Mom didn't know about him. We could tell he truly felt comfortable, willing to show her his true self and thriving in the environment they create. The level of care and commitment they take for each dog is outstanding.
In a short period of time, we could tell from his consistent daycare that he was not only loving his time there, but becoming a better behaved pup. Our baby learned manners and started coming home more balanced and well-behaved. Before VIPaws, he would get leash reactive on our neighborhood walks but since joining VIPaws, he got rid of that behavior right before our eyes...we were amazed! And she doesn't even charge for training, which in my opinion is a steal!! With everything you get, her prices are incredibly fair!
We loved her insights shared via daily text message/pics. He always looked so happy! She is extremely knowledgeable and her advice helped us to be the best parents. I loved her honesty, letting us know the good with the bad. It was helpful to know areas we could improve on and got us excited when those improvements started coming to life. We would much rather have that than the generic "he did great" responses we got from several other places we've tried. With VIPaws, I could trust they'd tell me the truth on how my dog really was doing.
VIPaws not only helped us care for our dog when we were away but also helped transform him into a confident, social, well balanced canine citizen. He has so many friends and we love seeing him live his best life! We've recommended them to our friends and they've raved about having the same experiences with their dogs.
We are so grateful for all the time and attention she invested in him. This place is truly magical and such a gem. Trust me, VIPAWS IS THE BEST!!! Thank you Aunty Carly and Uncle Billy for all you did for us! We won't forget you!