I met Kristina while walking my Oggie Doggie around the lake. She was hanging out by the boat…read morerental with the Ladies of the Lake just before they were about to get their row on. I used to row the lake with the boat club so I already had a soft spot for that aspect but I actually appreciated her asking about my dog and giving me her card for future reference. I had only adopted by a dog in January from Rocket Dog and had as-of-yet, not left him with anyone day or night. He had been loyally by my side for many months in my disability and unemployment. My family does an annual trip to Reno in July so as the date approached, I tore up my house looking for the card she gave me. Once I located it, I both text her and called her. She had just had a tooth pulled so she wasn't feeling 100%, the date I needed boarding was over a month away so I said let's touch base when she was feeling better. A couple of weeks go by and as I was thinking to myself, I should call, text, or email her again. No sooner had I had that thought, had I opened up my email to find correspondence from her saying just that! I have read a couple of negative reviews on here about her personality. I like to do that when I am getting to know a business to see what others have had issues with. Even after reading those, I still stand confident that for my older dog, who is half-blind due to coming out of a hoarding situation, she is a good fit for us. We initially did a meet and greet for about an hour with the dog, my 10-year-old daughter, and myself in her backyard to see how Oggie did with her other dogs, both resident dogs, and boarded dogs. He did great and neither Oggie nor my daughter wanted to leave. The next step was a day boarding so he could rest assured that his new adoptive mommy, me, was not passing him off permanently but temporarily and I would return after 8 hours and take him home. The final step in our Reno trip coming up on Saturday for a few days will be to take Oggie there the night before we leave and pick him up the morning after we return home. I am confident that Oggie and Kristina will do well together. If not, I will update this review to reflect such... To be continued...

We had a _terrible_ experience with Kristina, and I would advise anyone considering working with…read moreher to read this review in full first. She made several decisions that made us deeply uncomfortable, both in terms of how she related to our dog, other dogs and how she treated her financial agreements with us (i.e. not honoring her word and charging us for services not received). Shortly after moving to Oakland, we had to go away on short notice and had to establish a new boarding relationship. We contacted Kristina about a week before leaving. We agreed to one day of doggie daycare that we did not otherwise need to determine if this was a good fit. This was explicitly a "test". She required us to put down a deposit to hold the boarding spot. When I dropped my dog off, she began making derogatory comments about a very elderly dog she was boarding in a confiding way, as though it would be obvious to me that the dog was a problem (it wasn't). She said the dog was very old and needed to be put down, that the owners hadn't been up front with her about the dog's problems. I was amazed she would tell a new client that another client's dog should be put down. Mystified, I asked what the dog's problems were. She said that the dog was sometimes disoriented and bumped into walls, that it sometimes vocalized and cried for its owners (as it was doing then ) and it made her feel terrible to hear this. She said she would not work with this dog again. To me, nothing about the dog's behavior seemed problematic or out of the ordinary for an elderly dog while boarding and it was only stressful to me to hear a prospective dog boarding business owner talking about dogs this way. She also said she was possibly going camping for 2 of the 4 days we would be boarding our dog, but her roommate would be around to watch the dogs. This was also alarming, but we felt we had no time to find another arrangement, so we agreed. When we picked up our dog at the end of the day, we learned that our dog had been cowering under the furniture most of the day. We'd never seen our dog behave this way, though he has boarded with half a dozen other people. He usually sits in guests' laps the whole time they are visiting. We were alarmed, but Kristina asked us to bring our dog back a second day because she'd been out of the house much of the day and hadn't been available to make our dog comfortable. She could not remember our dog's name and referred to him as a "she" (he is male). We were reluctant not only because of the red flags already described, but because we did not need daycare, only boarding, and each additional "test" day of daycare was costly. It was concerning that we'd paid for a test day when Kristina was mostly out of the house. We felt she could have planned better. We were supposed to bring our dog at 7AM the second day. We ran late. Kristina called us at 7:01 or 7:02 AM and asked where we were and told us she needed us to arrive at the time scheduled. It was stressful for us that there was so little wiggle room. Kristina indicated that she was going to a doctor's appointment that morning and needed to leave promptly at 7AM. Yet the only point of this second unneeded day of daycare was to see if our dog would be more comfortable with her if she was home, instead of out of the house. Our dog was returning again to a frightening environment with nobody there to calm him. After drop off, my partner and I realized we were uncomfortable leaving our dog with Kristina. I contacted her and said I preferred not to go forward with the boarding arrangement based on the test daycare experience and would she be willing to refund for boarding. She texted, "of course." That afternoon, 8 hours later, with no further communication to the contrary, my partner picked up our dog. Kristina refused the refund because she said we hadn't given sufficient notice, even though our whole relationship had happened within such short notice that we could not possibly have given more notice, and even though she'd agreed to a refund based on the test days. She said her policy was to keep all the money, but that she would make an exception and give us a credit for daycare. We didn't trust her anymore, and so my partner argued for an hour before she agreed to refund 50%. She agreed only after my partner asked for a written policy, which stated she would keep 50%, not 100%, as she had been verbally claiming. Seeing the discrepancy, she said she's not much of a businessperson and can't keep track of her own policy. In the end, we paid Kristina ~$200 for 2 days of test daycare to determine that this was a person we did not trust with our dog. We happily made the 8-hour round-trip drive _twice_, on work nights, to drop off and pick up our dog from a family member rather than going forward with the boarding arrangement.

A year or so ago I highly recommended Karen, and I need to provide another review. We were going…read moreback East for a 10-day trip and had dropped our Frenchie off with Karen. By the second day our dog was having stomach issues (she had been fine when we left and was still eating/drinking and enjoying Karen's hikes), but Karen immediately recognized that it wasn't just a nervous stomach. She took her to an ER Vet who found a large mass on our dog's spleen, and they had to perform an emergency splenectomy. This came out of nowhere! Karen spent hours at the vet with her before and after surgery. Long story short, the mass was benign and 1.5 months later she is doing great! We could not immediately return back to the Bay Area because we were back East for a family memorial service, but Karen nursed her back to health. I don't trust anyone more than Karen with our dog now - she is so experienced and caring and without her quick action our dog may have died of a burst spleen. I am so thankful our Frenchie was with with Karen. She is a smart, trusted, and super fun caregiver who dogs love and parents can truly trust with their dogs' lives!

We are very thankful for Karen and Piedmont Pet! We have entrusted our animals to Karen for…read moreseveral years and have only ever had great experiences. Piedmont Pet is an excellent in-home boarding and daycare provider for small dogs. Nervous pet owners like me will appreciate the genuine care, attention to detail, and communication Karen brings to every pet care interaction. Our little 17-lb terrier mix has a few health issues and is on a special diet and meds, and needs to be in an environment where he will be handled gently. We never, ever worry with Karen! She was extremely thorough when we first started working with her, making time to ask lots of good questions and answer all of ours. She is a confident and very experienced animal lover who organizes and handles small-dog pack walks like the pro she is. We get daily photos of his adventures when our dog is with Piedmont Pet which we really, really appreciate. Karen takes care of him like one of her own (little sweaters in the winter, no-pull harnesses, comfy beds and blankets, etc.), and we can tell he feels secure and comfortable with her and his "vacation pack". His time there is a great mix of snuggles and downtime and walks and enrichment time. Karen also provides drop-in visits for our cat when we're away which we really appreciate. Our cat doesn't like anyone and she actually plays with Karen and allows pets (we get pics and videos of this too)! We feel secure knowing our sweet little dog buddy is in great hands and our less-sweet but still loved cat buddy is getting wet food and playtime when we can't be there. Strongly recommend Piedmont Pet, especially to anyone with small dogs in the East Bay in search of secure, loving home boarding or daycare!

Dear Pam and the entire Critter Pet Care team,…read more Thank you so much for taking such wonderful care of our family kitty, Dr. Robinson, during his stay. We truly appreciated the regular updates and loved seeing photos of him enjoying himself it gave us so much peace of mind while we were away. Our family had been searching for the right cat boarding facility for quite some time, and after reading the excellent reviews for Critter Pet Care, choosing you was an easy decision. From the moment I arrived, I was impressed by your beautiful facility, the attentive staff, and the genuine care you show every pet. Thank you again for making Dr. Robinson feel so comfortable and well cared for. We couldn't have asked for a better experience, and we'll definitely be back the next time we need boarding. With gratitude, The Robinson Family

As a first time boarder for my aging cat I have nothing but accolades to share about Critter Care…read moreand Pam's boarding policy. Each cat boarding at Critter Pet Care has their own condominium with a window which allows the cat to look outdoors. Cats are free to roam the cat house which is clean and well maintained should they feel inclined to do so. I was able to bring Lou's favorite pillow which could be accomodated in his condo. I would receive daily pictures and information about Lou's well being. I certainly felt confident and very secure in my decision to board Lou with Pam and have scheduled a future stay at Critter Pet Care. I highly recommend boarding your cat at critter pet care for peace of mind knowing your pet is receiving stellar care.

We hired Colleen for 2 weeks of cat sitting for our two cats. During that time, Colleen was a…read moregodsend - and I recommend her to anyone who wants quality care for their animals. Our 22 year old cat was slowly declining and we were unsure how to handle his needs - he needed periodic SC fluids injected - while we were away on our long-scheduled 2 week vacation. It was a challenging situation and Colleen came to the rescue - handled injection procedure with complete professionalism - and showed great sensitivity to our cat's special situation. Sadly (but not surprisingly) our sweet old guy died while we were away. Colleen was incredibly kind to us as we absorbed this news, and followed all of our wishes to the letter. She took his body to the cremation center and handled this loss for our family with great grace. Her tenderness and solidness during this time speaks to her capacity for real care. Our other cat, a younger, relational and attention-seeking kitty, was incredibly well cared for in our absence. Colleen texted us an update at every visit - and was loving, responsive, and attentive to both physical and emotional animal needs.

When we travel it is such a delight to know that Colleen is coming to the house. When we start…read morepacking our dog starts to act sad but when Colleen comes to the door his sense of delight is restored. We go away knowing he feels like he is with family and will be taken care of. Colleen is always on time and you can depend on her to do little extra things for your pet.

Laura B. is a wonderful dog walker. I hired Laura when I traveled out of town to walk some of the…read moredogs that Animal Friends takes on recurring pack walks. Laura B. is intelligent, compassionate, and truly in tune with animals' needs. I trust her completely. I would without hesitation recommend her to anyone in need of a dog care expert. She is professional and talented. I think that one of the things that sets Laura apart is that she is a very practical and determined manager. She strives only for excellence every time, and she delivers. Thank you, Laura!

Laura has quickly become one of our dog's favorite people. She takes him on fun and exciting group…read morehikes where he gets to meet up with his other dog friends. Laura has been super reliable and sends updates and pictures of him on his excursions.

Coleen is the dog whisperer!…read more She's great with our dog. From the moment we met her, we knew we can trust her with our pup. She has a very soothing and kind voice and gentle approach with our dog. She has a key to our house and picks up our pup. Our cockapoo and maybe terrier rescue is almost a year old. We've had her for 4 months and she's still "in training". She adores Coleen. We all adore Coleen and her team! Coleen has special days where you can schedule spa treatments/grooming sessions for your pet. Another great service is when she picks up pet supplies for you and drops it off at your home. Coleen is fabulous and we all are very fortunate to have her in our lives!

Coleen is an amazing pet sitter and doggie outing extraordinaire! She had cared for my cats and dog…read morefor about 20 years. She is remarkably reliable and has bailed me out on short notice more times than I can remember. She is also a priceless resource when it comes to local vets, pet stores, proper nutrition and behavioral problems. She is kind and patient. She recently boarded my dog for almost 2 months during my move to Boston. She keeps you connected to your beloved pet with text pics. Best dog walker, cat sitter in the East Bay! As an update, Coleen continues to take care of my dog Lucy - she will be boarding Lucy over the Christmas break. Her rates are very reasonable and she never boards too many animals as safety and comfort of the pets in her care are her top priority.

We have a little female wire fox terrier and she was a stray when we found her, she was about 5…read moremonths old. We met Kate at Dog Bone Alley, where she gave an introduction to agility training. Soon after, we started training with Kate, and since my husband and I work a lot we didn't spend time training her. Our dog was also acting out at doggie day care and picking on dogs. We instantly liked Kate. She spent a good detail trying to understand our daily routine and gave us fun assignments for the week to practice with our dog. As for training, we have gone through Sirius, and it's great to be in a group class, but nothing beats a 1-1 dog trainer. It's worth the money, trust me. Kate also answered all our questions how to manage a terrier. I really took to Kate's training, too. I think the big plus is Kate has a solid background in behavior science, and she can explain it clearly. We went through 6 sessions with Kate and by the 5th session, I noticed how our dog has changed and how she started to bond with us more. We also tried out Kate's agility course and I highly recommend it. It's a lot of fun! We are even thinking of making a couple little agility courses to better connect with our dog. Thanks Kate for your big heart and love for dogs.

My dog is a rescue, chow-shepherd mix with a bit of "a record". We were looking for a boarding…read moresituation that would work for her - she can be reactive and fearful. She boarded with Kate and seemed to do well - enjoyed being there, was relaxed and clearly well cared for. Leading up to the boarding we did some training with Kate. This really transformed my perspective on my relationship with my dog - we had worked with other trainers and taken classes but Kate offers a special combination of education, compassion and first hand knowledge that I had not yet found. Be sure to check her website to learn about her background... she understands how to teach people and dogs - which makes a HUGE difference. I cannot recommend her enough.

Grace is by far the best dog walker I've ever had! She's super patient, attentive, playful and…read moreloving towards my dog Charlie. Grace has been Charlie's dog walker for almost 9 months now and I couldn't be happier. I love the pictures that she sends me of Charlie on their walks! I feel very safe and comfortable with Charlie under Grace's care. Something to note - Grace has a first aid kit with her during her dog walks just in case anything happens! Grace is just the best! I would highly recommend her if you need a dependable/long term dog walker!

Grace is everything you want in a dog walker and more!! She is reliable, trustworthy, friendly,…read moreflexible, knowledgeable and most importantly my pup loves her! My dog is new to dog walking and can be quite nervous, but thanks to Grace she is becoming more confident, comfortable and trained every day. Grace provides detailed updates (with a photo) for my dog's daily walks which allows me to feel connected to my dog and also better understand her patterns. Grace truly cares for my dog likes it's her own and goes above and beyond to be a phenomenal caregiver to my dog (and me!). Highly recommend Madra Dog Walks.