front office staff were nice and the groomer did a great job with our 100 lb Landseer. using the app to make the appointment didn't work well at all. I ended up calling to schedule. read more

Bo is my second dog to board at Rivermist. My first dog Lucky was an abused rescue dog, and he was treated so well at Rivermist that I now travel to Rivermist from Delaware when I have to board Bo, my 2 yr old papillon/miniature border collie. Still get great care! Beautiful setting and wonderful staff! Thanks. read more

Friendly employees. You can tell they love animals. The new groomer is exceptional!. I was trying to groom my dog myself but she put my work to shame read more

The staff is always friendly and professional, but best of all, my two Australian Shepherds love it there! It looks and smells clean and well run when you go in, and I've always had a positive experience !! read more

Excellent staff . I trust them to take good care of my grumpy and feisty chihuahua. Ozzie isn't so easy, but they know how to win him over. I give them 4 stars out of 5 **** read more

Rivermist staff always takes very good care of our Toby. The staff is very pleasant and always ready to help. Toby is happy when he visits and is always excited to see the staff. We love getting pictures of him and always appreciate them keeping us updated with how he's doing. I have been using Rivermist for almost 5 years now and I am always impressed by their willingness to properly take care of our Toby. Thank you Rivermist! read more

Friendly and caring staff. We use Rivermist for boarding and day care, and are happy will their services. Especially like the dog cam so we can check on our dog during the day. read more

My dog loves this place and has fun every time she visits! The staff is friendly and their facility is very clean.

The staff is kind and responsive! Most importantly, my dog loves going there! I also use the grok er there who is wonderful!

My dog loves River Mist - he is so happy to stay. The staff is kind and friendly. We get the packages with the report card so know how he is doing. We love the care the staff takes with our Cocoa read more

Our pup has stayed (boarded) at Rivermist for many weeks. They are fantastic. He has a lot of energy and the staff knows how to deal with him and they keep him very happy while he is there. Rivermist is wonderful and they always provide updates on how his stay is going. Highly recommended. read more

All staff leaves by 6:30pm (earlier on weekends) and pets are left unsupervised until 7:00am the next morning. They have motion sensors and temperature sensors that supposedly alerts a manager if there is any major changes. They claim to have cameras on the animals but do not give access to you. They told me that no one is watching the cameras all night but if there is an incident they can look back at the camera to see what happened. My 60lb puppies shared a medium sized room. One of them peed in there overnight. This was discovered in the morning. They did not bathe my puppies for laying in their own pee all night. I know that my puppies did not sleep because they can't sleep in their own urine and the room was too small to move away from it. These are 1.5 year old puppies left for at least 13 hours without supervision or a potty break. They can not hold their bladders that long. Also, why are we paying $40/night for a cage with absolutely no supervision and pet care? We board them so they do not need to be left alone at home. Most people I mentioned this to did not realize that Rivermist leaves the dogs without supervision and that it is for such a long time so I figured I would write a review so others could be aware of this too. We cut our vacation short and picked up our dogs early. Luckily we were within driving distance. read more

The staff is friendly. Max is happy playing with the other dogs (I see him interacting sometimes when I pick him up). They also have fun activities periodi read more

Unfortunately my past couple interactions have been less than stellar. I was going to give this place one more try before making a final decision but since figuring out that the manager, Emily, LIED to cover their a$$, I'm done. The last visit my 2 yorkie puppies had was June 1st, and I booked both of them for pawdicures (ear cleaning and nail trim) with their daycare visit. When I went to pick them up the girl at the desk stated that she needed to confirm if Crystal (4 month old puppy)received a pawdicure. I stated "she was supposed to" and her response was "oh, then she did" without even checking with anyone. When I went to pay the bill, I saw they did not charge me for a 2nd pawdicure so I wasn't going to make a big deal about it and figured we would be back soon enough for Crystal to get it done during the next visit. I called a couple weeks prior to that visit to get a quote for boarding my dogs for 3 days, 2 nights to take a trip but never confirmed a booking and found another option. The day before my trip (June 5) I get a voicemail about my dogs stay and lodging and I went into to full panic mode wondering why I was getting a call about a booking I never made. I called and asked to speak with a manager. At first the girl who answered the phone told me all the managers were busy and couldn't transfer me and then when I stated I was going to update my review and she was quick to transfer me to a manager. I spoke with the manager, Emily, about the booking and the the issue with the pawdicure during the last visit. She stated that because they were not sure and couldn't reach me on the phone they did it anyways, just in case, and didn't charge me for it. I decided to trust the business and let it all go and give them a final try for next month. Tonight, June 13 Crystal kept scratching me while laying on top of me so I decided to inspect her nails. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TRIMMED! The only one that looked trimmed was the one I cut after her last visit because I thought they just missed one nail. I inspected Gem (my other dog) just in case and you can tell she definitely received a trimming. They are very friendly and super nice but that doesn't make up for lying to customers/clients and not running your business efficiently read more

Rivermist Pet Lodge - Crystal's nails - Pet Sitting Near Me - Brinklow, Maryland

We had a super experience with my anxious pup! He had a good time and was worn out! Clean grounds and nice staff. We will return!

Briana did a fantastic job with my Golden Retriever. It was his first time there and he's very exuberant in new places. She took extra care with him as he has had multiple knee surgeries. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. The reception area is spotless and the grounds are beautiful. I'll definitely bring him again. He looked great afterwards. read more

We love Rivermist!! Waffles is so happy there. And they really care about the dogs comfort and happiness. Kind of wish there was a camera in the inside play area, but I also respect the need for employee privacy. read more

Rivermist Pet Lodge - Pet Sitting Near Me - Brinklow, Maryland

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Thank u for taking such great care of my pup, Layla the bouncing sheepadoodle! She is so playful and loves the place. I appreciate you also. Picking her up . read more

This place is great! I drop my dog there for doggy daycare. The staff are always so friendly and remember my dog. My dog always come home tired from all the playing. read more

We have been taking our dog to Rivermist for years for boarding and for doggie daycare. She loves spending time there. The staff are amazing with dogs and you can tell they genuinely love being around them. We have been very happy with their grooming services as well. Thank goodness for Rivermist! read more

We have only had the best experiences boarding our pups at Rivermist over the years. We know they will be well attended to and loved. They have all always come home clean, happy, and all played out! We will continue to trust our pup to great care at Rivermist! read more

They've been great! I boarded my cat there and have had them trim my cat's nails and every time they've done a great job.

Rivermist Pet Lodge is truly the best... Facility is clean and safe... Staff especially are very friendly, loving and kind. My pet Joshua is very comfortable with the place especially he is getting pampered with care. No questions left unanswered. I would not take Joshua in the hands of any other pet lodge /resort. Whether Joshua is boarding for two or more days. I'm so assured that he is in good hands. Whenever I call to check on him, I always get an answer and given an update of his status like he is having a good time plus likes giving kisses to the staff... Thank you for all the care you are continuously providing not only to my Joshua, but to the rest of the pets staying there. God bless and continue with a job well done ! read more

Rivermist Pet Lodge - Pet Sitting Near Me - Brinklow, Maryland

Our two dogs and kitten all had a great time here in their parts of the lodge. Really appreciate yard the photos sent to us while on vacation to let us see the fun they were having. Our 2nd time here, will be back for a 3rd. read more

We've been using Rivermist for the past 2.5 years for our cats and dog, and have always had a wonderful experience. The facility is clean, the staff is professional and helpful, and our pets have come home happy and well cared for. We usually get the 4 star package for our dog, which includes an extra walk. He can be a nervous dog, but he loves going to Rivermist! It's definitely worth the extra drive for us. read more

Our dogs love going to day care at Rivermist. They have a great time and are worn out when they get home!

We went out of town to NYC for the weekend. Rivermist was able to accomodate us despite short notice. I was really hoping to receive pictures of our pups playing during their stay, but I didn't. I messaged their Facebook account and didn't get anything during our trip. They did a great job bathing the dogs. Rivermist is in a great location. However - We were charged and extra day for picking up the dogs a few hours late. Staff was friendly and stayed after to allow us to pick them up ten minutes late. read more

It's easy to make a reservation. The phone is answered quickly in a professional and pleasant way. Our dog was picked up from the car and returned to the car at the end of the day. When our dog felt a bit unsure, the person that picked her up took time to pet her and reassure her. I am not sure how she did during the day. And the person that returned her to the car didn't know. read more

Rivermist Pet Lodge is a fabulous boarding facility and the only place I would take my dog, Copper too when I had to travel for business or pleasure (10-15 times). I have very strict standards for boarding facilities and Rivermist was the only one that passed my test in the Greater DC Area. I live in Arlington, VA and would drive an hour each way because Rivermist was the only facility I would trust to take good care of Copper. He was loved by all the staff and truly enjoyed coming here. The staff here are professional, took the time to get to know Copper and his specific behavior issues, were often amenable to working around my schedule for pick-up and drop-off times, and never minded my daily calls/emails to the facility to check on him. Furthermore, every time I came to pick him up they would have several pictures of him printed out for me to take home chronicling his stay at their facility! When I had to put my beloved Copper to sleep last month, they were devastated when I called them to share the news and recently sent me a lovely email full of the staff's happy memories of Copper at their facility and an array of photographs of him playing on their grounds. I can not speak more highly of this facility and the amazing Pet Care Team and Management. Without hesitation I would recommend this boarding facility to any pet owner! read more

Not sure if I'll take my grand puppy back to Rivermist...I was excited when Ravens parents enrolled her in the daycare. Since COVID she wasn't getting enough exercise because my son was doing online classes...first visit seemed great, staff was amazing always answered my questions...I had a little anxiety, you read and see videos of animals being neglected and abused at daycare facilities. They were always patient with answering my endless questions...they were always friendly when coming to the car to get Raven, except one girl with piercings and colored hair. They were a few red flags...her first grooming the groomer I'm guessing either was rushing or didn't have any compassion or skills, cut her nails below the cuticles which made her nails bleed for a few days. On her second grooming, she just didn't smell clean and had a huge scratch that broke the skin on her inter thigh. After some of the visits she'd act strange, wouldn't eat, or interact with us she even pee on our beds, something she never did before. Of course I'd call and inquire about her day, and they would say she had no incidents. I also, never saw her in any pictures or videos which made me wonder if she was actually outside playing on in a kennel. I will say, The staff went above and beyond when Raven got kennel cough while there...the staff sent her a card and a stuffed animal and I thought that was very sweet and touching and that is why I gave the two stars. Wish they had cameras where you can monitor your pet. read more

I want to say that even though my dog didn't have the great experience at Rivermist due to anxiety, Scott the owner reached out to my boyfriend and I. He really did care about our concerns and how to work with us. He then reimbursed us for our vet bills. I really appreciated how Scott went out of his way to make it right with my boyfriend and I. I just know that I wouldn't send my dog to any boarding place because of how much anxiety he had. read more

While there's no place like home, Rivermist is a very close second for our border collie Addie. She's pampered, nurtured and well taken care of by the excellent staff at Rivermist when we must go out of town. All staff are professional, friendly abd true animal lovers. I never worry when Addie stays at Rivermist. read more

If you love your animal, do not bring him or her to this facility. My fiancee and I left our dog, Bernie and cat, Penelope in their care while we searched for wedding venues out of town (Nashville, TN). We dropped both pets off on July 19, 2016. We left for Nashville early July 20, 2016. On Thursday, July 21, we got a phone call from David, a manager at Rivermist. He very nonchalantly told me that Penny had a "rough night" and that they were taking her to our vet. I asked them to take her to Kenhaven Animal Hospital (they are fantastic and I have the utmost faith in them). At this point, I didn't think anything of it - I went about my day as normal. I got an extremely disturbing call from my vet at Kenhaven and he told me that my cat might not make it - she had severe chemical poisoning that had gone from her tongue to her esophagus and into her lungs and liver. We left Nashville early and lost the money we spent on the hotel (hundreds) not to mention we were unable to enjoy this trip that was supposed to be so special to us. This is what happened (from the mouth of David (manager) and Scott (owner) of Rivermist): They tried to clean Penny's kennel but she was aggravated (she was in a new place and nervous - as most cats are when there is a major change of scenery). They decided to clean around her. Somehow, the chemical cleaner spilled all over her and they quickly shut the kennel. This is not the part that makes me mad - accidents happen, I understand this. They proceeded to LEAVE HER IN THE KENNEL for the entire night (without supervision). Furthermore, they did not contact us to see what action we wanted taken. The result of this blatant negligence - Penny had pneumonia, was in the hospital for 2 weeks. When she was finally able to come home, she had a feeding tube inserted in her throat for 2 months. She was unable to consume food orally because of the severe damage to her tongue and throat. Her entire tongue and mouth were black and covered in necrotic issue. From late July until the first week of September, Penny had to be given 4 medications, food and water through the tube. Due to the nature of her care, she had to be taken to Kenhaven Animal Hospital at 7 am every morning and picked up after work. This caused my fiancee and I to miss countless hours of work. The feeding tube finally came out this past week but then the nightmare started all over again - our doctor at Kenhaven Animal Hospital said she had residual poisoning from chemical that had laid dormant in her body. She was puking bile and transferred to an intensive care facility. My 18 pound happy, healthy cat is now on the brink of death and barely 10 pounds. In my most recent conversation with Scott (the owner) - he had the audacity to blame my animal. He said "she attacked our associate". Even if that is the case - you are a facility that is supposed to ensure the safety of my animal. My anger is not with the accident itself, it is with the lack of action taken after the incident to ensure that she would be healthy. She is a cat, of course she was going to lick herself. Had they called us and asked us what we would have liked - I absolutely would have told them to clean her by all means necessary - even sedation. A few hours of sedation would have been better than this. It is now mid September and my cat is in an intensive care facility, has accrued a $1900 bill (for 1 day) and the owner Scott is absolutely unhelpful. They covered the bills (as they should) until now and even though my vet called them to say this is a direct result of their negligence, they refuse to cover the bill. It is a shame that Scott owns a business like this. He shows no remorse - he only cares about covering his butt. He does not care about the animals that stay in his facility. His attitude is callus and disgusting - he has cost my family so much money and pain. read more

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We dropped our two dogs before we went out of town for our daughter's college graduation. Rivermist took excellent care of Kofi & Riley. Kofi is relatively easy to care for when we are away. Riley, although loving, can be a challenge. He did well at Rivermist. He did not bite anyone, which is good for him. Thank you Rivermist for lovingly caring for our four-legged family members. read more

I have left my two dogs at Rivermist multiple times and I have always had a great customer service experience. My dogs have always came back happy as can be. Im not sure if I should be saying this but they even gave them a complimentary bath once when our shepherd got a little too muddy. Usually a charged item. The prices are fair and the staff is very nice. Our dogs are family, and should be treated as such. Rivermist does this for us when we cannot. I will definitely keep taking our pets there. read more

Last weekend, my dog stayed at Rivermist for 3 days, 2 nights. This is the first time we've put him anywhere other than with family, so I was a bit hesitant about the whole experience. We chose Rivermist based on the recommendation of a friend. That said, I drove out with my wife well in advance just to check it out for myself. The property is amazing. I wish they took in people! Not sure how big it is, but it is a lovely wooded setting, with hills and a great old home at the top of one hill. I believe the manager lives in the house. The dogs are in a separate building down the hill a bit. The process to reserve space was very straightforward. I received a follow-up phone call within a few minutes of submitting my reservation request on line. The person who contacted me explained everything clearly, including all of the requirements for vaccinations. Although I was immediately worried that I'd need I didn't need to provide any documentation other than my vets' name - the staff called the vet directly to get all the details. I then got a confirmation email with additional reminders and info. I liked the number of options for various levels of service. I got the "active dog" package. Made me feel better that he was going to have extra interaction with people and also other dogs. He gets a couple of walks a day at home, so I wanted to ensure he would have a similar experience while away. Dropping the dog off was simple and quick. There were two ladies at the front desk - one took my dog from me and the other talked logistics and confirmed my preferences for the options I had chosen. It all happened so fast that I didn't even say goodbye to my dog... which is good. He didn't seem to have a care and was very excited to get into the back area. It was only me who was feeling a bit sick at having to leave him. Wasn't as bad as dropping my first born at nursery school for the first time - but close. My father picked up my dog 2 days later (had mentioned this at drop off and they noted this in their system saying it was no problem). It all went smoothly apparently. My credit card was on file so there was no complication with payment. My father wasn't able to get the car / seat belt harness on the dog. The staff was able to get it on for him. My dog seemed happy and clean. So, it all added to be a great experience. Perhaps I didn't need to be so anxious about leaving him after all. The only suggestion I have for Rivermist is to put a directions link to Google Maps on their mobile website. I remembered where it was generally, but was trying to get directions on my phone while on my way to drop off (I was stopped at a light, but yes, I know I shouldn't). Had to pull over and took a bit to find the address from the mobile version of their website. Maybe it's easier if I had been on a pc. We're headed out for another long weekend next month. We'll be bringing our dog back again. read more

The Staff here is fabulous. Had to leave my 8 week old puppy here for the weekend. They showed the little guy nothing but love. I like all the extra amenities that they offer. Will certainly continue to use this wonderful place. read more

Rivermist Pet Lodge - Pet Sitting Near Me - Brinklow, Maryland

I have a large dog that I've been taking to Rivermist for about 3 yrs now. Explained to the owner and the groomer that my dog had slight anxiety issues and to treat my dog with special care. Only for a wash and trim. First year I was very pleased with the groomer and front desk receptionists. My dog seemed happy as well. I took my dog about 4 times that year. Second year is when I noticed that slight changes were being made that affected my dog and services rendered. They got a new groomer that cut her fur down to the skin when i specifically asked for the same cut the original groomer did. My dog was misetable. My dog is the type of dog you DO NOT cut the furvto the skin. It was awful. Should of left after that incident. It just got worse! First, the front desk receptionist told me that the groomer was ill and they didn't have a replacement and wouldn't be getting one for quite awhile. Then the groomer broke her wrist. The receptionists couldn't get their lies straight! They could only wash my dog. That's when i noticed my dog having skin issues. Biting herself and itching. My vet told me that the dryers rivermist used on my dog were too hot and drying her skin. I then had to buy special skin/hair shampoo to only find out they were never using it to wash her. I asked why the shampoo bottle was still full (it takes 1/2 bottle to wash a large dog)and they lied saying they did use it on her. I'll never go back, because they are liars. They used a hot dryer on her that made her skin dry out and they can not keep groomers or staff. From talking with other clients that have used rivermist, the owner is all about the dollar. read more

I've been using Rivermist for more than 10 years...they are under different management now and there have been lots of more services added...my Mastiff loves going there. It's a little out of the way for me but I wouldn't take my dog anywhere else...highly recommend it...and agree with what another person said...they are definitely dog people and have very nice staff at the front desk read more

I had been researching for quite some time on a place to take my dog Gunner for boarding while i was out on vacation. After much debate I decided on Rivermist. They do offer a great deal for new customers; 50% boarding for the first 5 nights. You then can pick from 3 activity packages for your dog, the 3, 4 or 5 star packages. I chose the 3 star which included about 40 minutes of playtime per day and a gourmet treat. I know the 4 star offers 2 playtimes and a short walk. I also opted to get him the premium bath for an additional $50 which includes special shampoo, conditioning, ear cleaning and a nail trim. When I initially called to get all of this information, the woman I spoke to was very polite, cheerful and informative. She answered all of my questions. The one thing I do wish they would do is list their pricing on their website. It would make it easier for me to do the math to see what i am paying for. At any rate, upon arriving at the facility, you notice it is very clean and organized with a lot to offer. They have 2 playtime areas and are working on a much larger fenced in area as well. There are individual spacious units with dog beds where the dogs sleep. There is also the bath facility where they do all of their grooming. While away I did call to check in on him and they assured me he had settled in great and was playing appropriately with the other dogs. You can choose to have one on one playtime, or playtime in a group which is also a nice option. Overall Rivermist was very accommodating for all of my needs. I will definitely consider them for Gunner's next stay away from home! read more