I'm surprised at the negative reviews. We have lived in the area for 13 years, travel frequently, and have trusted our dogs to the folks at Winding Creek Kennel many times. They have always been friendly, responsive and conscientious in their care. Once or twice during that time our travel opportunities developed suddenly and Winding Creek was full. We've had to try to find someone that provided a similar level of care and couldn't find anyone for 25 miles around that came even close. read more

A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE! Our dog had visited Winding Creek a couple times for play days prior to his first stay. We had a great experience with the staff and facility and felt confident in leaving him for longer. Two days into his stay we got a call that his rear leg was swollen and he needed to be taken to the vet. We asked them to proceed since we were out of town and couldn't get him there right away. Less than twelve hours later we had a diagnosis of a spider bite that then turned into a palm size necrosis and ended with a large open wound which required a week stay at the vet and then had to be treated daily for treatments and bandage changes for 6 weeks. $$$$. When I called to inform the owners, Ed and Joan of the diagnosis and treatment to come I was met with the most cold, careless response I could have ever imagined. There was no responsibility taken and they never once asked how they could help. Monetarily or otherwise. I am fully aware this could have happened anywhere, but the customer service at this place is less than ideal. read more

My daughter left her dog in the care of this facility. On the second day he was there he was bit by what the vet says was a brown recluse spider while in his cage. I have watched this poor dog, as well as his family endure complete devastation both emotionally and financially. He could have lost his life or his leg. Ammo was at the pet hospital for weeks with an open wound the size of your hand. he still has to go every other day for sterile bandage changes. They are now faced with thousands of dollars in bills and Winding Creek takes zero responsibility. Please think long and hard before leaving your pet there. ammo weighs 150#, if this was a smaller dog it wouldn't have a chance. read more

My husband and I LOVE this beautiful extremely well kept kennel. Our 2 Alaskan malamutes love coming here and are so happy to see the staff. We have had dogs for over 35 years and this is the very best kennel we have ever used!!! The folks that work here are friendly and very caring with every cat and dog that comes here. They will go out of their way to make sure every animal is safe and happy.I give them 10 's!!!!! read more

My dogs love it here. They always come home happy and tired from all the fun they had. It's nice to know that they are in good hands when we are out of town. read more

Not a place I would ever return to, especially with many other options in the area and one which I actively suggest people not go to when they are looking for boarders. The man who checked my dogs in was very rude; so rude that if I hadn't been on the way to the airport for two weeks in Africa, I would have gone somewhere else. Returned the toys that I had brought for my dogs absolutely soaked in urine. I am not sure how they picked the toys up off the floor without realizing it, but those toys had been peed on repeatedly. My dogs have never peed on their own toys. I don't know what happened but whoever was charged with taking care of my dogs was either negligent or apathetic. My dogs were also about 1-2 lbs lighter than when I first took them in. One of them is only 10 lbs, so his weight drop was quite noticeable. They have stayed at dog boarders on multiple occasions and have never come home with urine-soaked toys or looking emaciated. For many pet-owners, dogs and cats are like family members; this is not a place that will treat your pets like you would. read more

The staff caring for my animal I have no doubt were wonderful, however, the manager and owner are probably the most disrespectful people I have ever met. When I ended up having to come early on a Sunday due to a funeral, I was met with a manager who said can't pick up until 3pm and that "typically u have more notice for a funeral" then further into the conversation I was told "in 20yrs no customer has just showed up" then door shut in my face after I got frustrated. Sent email and then got a call back from the owner and was met with disrespectful attitude as well. To tell me "no way in hell or world war 3" could i pick up my dog before 3pm. Even after my conversation was explained around if she had met with at least some compassion even if couldn't change the decision he clearly did mot care. He proceeded to tell me best thing I could do was pick up my dog and never come back. He did the same thing his manager did, cut me off and hung up. I was very open that I got upset and was not denying I was frustrated while at the site, but to treat a customer that way makes me wonder. Again, I have never had any issues with the staff before they always have been simply amazing. Just know if there is an unusual circumstance you will be met with "No way in hell or even world war 3" could you pick up your animal. I was speechless and crying before I even made it to the family funeral I had to go to that afternoon. read more

Made a reservation over New Years break so that we could visit family. Family members on the other end tested positive for Covid. We had to cancel airline and hotel reservations which were not a problem but trying to cancel our Winding Creek Kennels was an issue. We were told our deposit would not be refunded since our cancellation was less than 14 days notice. Had it been credited to our account I would return as a customer for our next trip. As a previous customer, we understand they held the place for us and thought that a credit for us to come back later would be appropriate but evidently their policy is not customer friendly nor was the owners attitude. Maybe he was having a bad day but this is not a kennel we would use in the future nor would we recommend it to others. read more

My daughter found this place online. We were looking for a more spacious run for the dogs to stay in. The reviews had us skeptical but we came out for a visit . The man who helped us was really friendly and took his time with us as he showed us around. The facility looks well maintained and the staff seem to be completely vested in running an efficient establishment. We were pretty pleased with what we saw so we decided to book. Three weeks later, we bring the dogs and they were not initially convinced. The staff came out greeted the dogs and made them feel comfortable enough to go back to their runs and they were good to go. The facility feeds Victor's Professional (which I think is awesome) but we decided to feed the dogs our own food. When we returned from our 6 Day Spring Break getaway the dogs were naturally very happy to see us and they did not look like they had lost any weight. In fact, according to the Vet visit we had today, one of my pups needs to lose 20 lbs. Nonetheless, this place is great and we have already booked another stay for the dogs. I want to point out, I am traveling out of my way to board my dogs here but I feel confident that I have now found a boarding facility capable of meeting all of my pets needs. read more

This was our first time leaving our 2 year old St. Bernard and our 14 year old Australian Shepard anywhere and I won't lie, I felt a little like a crazy nervous mom! But I cannot tell you enough how much the staff eased my mind and how wonderful of an experience we had with them while on vacation. Our dogs got to stay together in a very large pin and I know that calmed my senior dogs nerves. Both dogs take medication and the staff took that on without hesitation and didn't skip a beat! The dogs came home smelling great and looking great! I can tell they had a great time and were very well taken care of. They are currently passed out just like humans do after a long vacation so i'd say it was a win win! I would recommend Winding Creek to ANYONE looking for a place to board their pets. From beginning to end it was the perfect experience. Our dogs will be back and my vacations can be enjoyed a little more knowing they're being loved on. read more

Winding Creek Kennels - Bowser was all smiles when we picked him up! - Pet Boarding Near Me - Winder, Georgia

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Awesome family-run boarding facility where they really care about your animals as well as caring for them. We've trusted them with our dogs for the past three years and every time I am thrilled with their loving attention to our animals. A couple of years ago when our golden retriever/boxer mix had tummy troubles during her stay they called and let us know, offered to take her to the vet, and fed her boiled chicken and rice every day instead of dog food, something they cook every day for pets with digestive issues. The indoor/outdoor runs are clean and spacious with ceiling fans for ventilation and sheepskin bedding provided. They have lots of exercise and playtime options and you can feel good going on vacation knowing your pet is getting the best of care. read more

We had a horrible experience! My dog came back 15 pounds lighter. Apparently if your pet does not eat at a specified meal time, they take their food away and they do not eat. As a result, they took him to vet without asking or notifying us that their was a problem. He apparently vomited and was acting nauseous. Well I guess when you don't eat, that's what happens. Seems common sense to me. They also would not let my kids say good bye to their dog when we dropped him off. The owner was extremely rude and unprofessional. I can only be thankful my dog was alive upon our return!! Needless to say, we will not be going back! I don't even want to give them one star. read more

Five stars is not enough for Winding Creek! Ed and Joan and their staff take the absolute best care of our furry ones. We exclusively use them and drive out from Atlanta with our crew (or use their shuttle service) for over 10 years. They know us and our pets by name. My dogs get excited when they get close to WCK! They have recognized a UTI in an elderly dog and taken her to the vet while we were out of the country. They have coaxed elderly, cranky cats to take meds (and the cats don't come home all angry at us). They've had many of the same staff working there for our entire experience, which really says something. They always have someone on site, even overnight. If there's a storm, they come turn on the lights and music for the dogs (which was incredibly reassuring when we had a thunder-phobic elderly girl). They add extra padding for elderly dogs, extra care for the neurotic ones, and they don't nickel and dime you over every little thing. The facilities are clean and well-maintained. Winding Creek's owners and staff are incredibly professional, competent and kind. Can't recommend this business heartily enough! read more

We will always bring my dogs here and have for decades! We live in Woodstock now and take the long drive to Winding Creek Kennels as there is no other place we trust our dog with. They have always provided the best care for our dogs, have a seasoned staff, owners live right on the property. Ed and Joan are the best! My dogs have always returned healthy and are happy when I pull up at the facility.My dogs have never lost weight there. They have plenty of room in their runs, fresh air, not locked up in a building as other facilities are with little fresh air and no one there. The best!! Oh and as for the "rude man", Ed takes his kennel seriously but is a teddy bear! He loves all the animals and they have lots of their own too! read more

I have been taking my senior dog here for the past few years, and have had nothing but a good experience each time. They even put extra bedding in his run for him because of his age. They offer several additional options for the animals stay including long/short walks, play time, treats and baths before you pick them up. I will continue to bring my current dog and any future animals here whenever I will be out of town. read more

Absolutely recommend this place. We left our dog with them for full four weeks since we had to go out of country. Our dog came home in a great shape; we could easily see that he had enjoyed his stay here. read more

CAUTION! CAUTION! Small dog owners who consider boarding at Winding Creek Kennels Winder, GA. My 8 month old schnauzer sustained a choking injury (beet red eyes with swelling diagnosed at the vet's the afternoon after picking her up) at her stay in Oct. 2011. Only consolation from the owner was "this has never happened before.....it must have been the dogs fault (????) for pulling too hard on the leash, or could not have happened in the tub as there are always two people handling the dog." Well, it happened and at their facility. Did receive an "I'm sorry it happened" from the owner but no offer to reimburse the emergency vet visit. Am curious to know if they have cameras posted at the facility. THINK TWICE BEFORE BOARDING - DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE SMOKE AND MIRRORS. read more

We used Winding Creek Kennels to board our dog for many years, and are sad to have moved too far to be able to keep using them - we are struggling to find another facility that provides the same excellent care as Winding Creek. Our dog is thunder phobic, and I was always comforted to know that staff stayed on-site 24 hours a day, and paid special attention to our dog if the weather got stormy. We used Winding Creek several times, and whenever we pulled up to the front door, our dog was always excited to go in. We miss them so much, we've considered driving several hours back there just to board our dog! read more

Over the course of some 20 years, I have used WCK to board both cat and dogs. I have found Ed and Joan very professional in their approach to their animal boarders and their owners. They encourage an initial visitation to the facilities, and one can see and smell the cleanliness therein. The staff are caring and often go out of their way to make the animals feel safe. My latest dog, a rescue, was very timid, and I was concerned at how she would adjust to a "strange" place. No worries: someone in the main office actually brought the dog up to be with her for an hour or so daily, until she became more used to the place. Still a boarder, but not very social during play time, she is able to take an extra walk instead, which seems to suit her better. At different times, WCK has sent pictures of my animals, consulted me in terms of any problems that may have developed, and in general been top of the line in their care. On my last vacation, having moved some 80 miles away from Athens, I drove back two hours to take advantage of WCK service. I would not hesitate to recommend this facility. read more