Bow Wow Meow - Menlo Park, California

Kate Pendavinji

These people fully botched my dog’s haircut. I included before and afters and the reference photos I showed the groomer all labeled.

The staff was all kind to me, there was nothing really wrong customer service wise the people working the front desk were very sweet.

I spoke to the groomer, and he did not talk very much so I just told him what I normally like to see when I get my dog groomed. I showed him some reference photos which I attached here of how I like him to look like (the reference photos are of him, so he has looked like that before) with emphasis on the round face. I kind of had a feeling what kind of hair cut this would be after the groomer’s main takeaway was that I wanted it short.

They essentially buzzed my dog bald lol. And for the steep steep price of $132 (110+ tip). I really should’ve looked at the reviews better bc I found that my experience was pretty similar to others. I told the groomer that I didn’t think he needed to trim his nails down, yet they clearly clipped them down even more leaving one of his quicks bloody! Definitely won’t kill him but after all the reviews ab them being rough (and them vehemently denying it) it’s a bit unsettling.

It seems like everything I communicated to the groomer went up in the air and I may as well have not spoken to him. This is super frustrating!!! When I go to a groomer I really need that communication to know my dog is in good hands. My dog now has a super uneven haircut and I’m just so overall disappointed in the experience and will not be returning. I would be happy to pay that amount if I was receiving a quality service, but I just really can’t say I did.

Follow up: His coat was and always is super well maintained with zero matting. To this day, in all of his 9 years of existence, this was the worst AND most expensive haircut my dog has ever received. He’s had a dozen beautiful $70 haircuts since. I swear this experience traumatized him for a while after.

Ryan Todd

Disappointed Long-Time Customer

We have been loyal patrons of Bow Wow Meow in Menlo Park for the past two years, exclusively using their grooming services for our 24 lb Australian Labradoodle, Ziggy. As residents of Menlo Park for 13 years, we make it a point to support local businesses, especially downtown ones.

We recently had an unfortunate experience that left us feeling disappointed. Due to an unavoidable work meeting, I arrived at 12:32 p.m. for Ziggy's grooming appointment, which was scheduled for noon. My wife received a text from Bow Wow Meow stating they could accept us until 12:30 p.m., but any later would require rescheduling.

Upon arrival, Jaya informed me we were late and said she would check with the groomers to see if they could still take Ziggy. She returned and told us it was too late. I mentioned our loyalty and hoped for some understanding, but her response lacked empathy.

As we left, I recalled the message (screen grab attached) and realized we were only two minutes past the cutoff time. I went back to discuss this but noticed that some staff members appeared to be making light of the situation, unaware that I was still in the store. This made me feel disrespected as a customer.

While Bow Wow Meow has generally provided satisfactory service, this incident has caused us to reconsider our patronage. Customer service and empathy are important to us, and we hope the management addresses these concerns to improve future customer experiences.

Grace Lin

Such a cute pet shop! Full of stuffs I never thought my cats would need!

Suri Zuri (Surei)

Overall great store with a fun selection of pet supplies and luxurious treats for furry friends.

2 of the 3 staff we encountered were somewhat unapproachable, but other than that my partner and I found it to be a pleasant experience.

Alice Yang

We were happy customers here for 2 years, however a recent grooming accident left our dog with a scratched corneal (surface of eyeball) that caused infection and required medical treatment. I would not be using grooming service here again and would not recommend to anyone else. It's a real pitty as this is a great shop otherwise with good selection of goods and friendly knowledgable staff.

While I understand accidents could happen, I am very disappointed by lack of transparency and information from the store. They did not inform us of any incident happening during grooming. Our dog started getting a red eye a few hours later and turned into a bad infection overnight. When I called store the next morning, they said the groomer was not working that day and still claimed nothing happened. After seeing our vet, they confirmed a very clear scratch in the center of eyeball that likely happened during grooming. It leaves me questioning store's safety practice. Was she hurt by groomer, or another dog? I guess we'll never know.

Angela Bickar

The cost of grooming (for a small dog) has recently increased more than 50%, from $80 to $140, which ends up being $160+ with tip. If the price increase is that significant, they should mention it when you book an appointment, or when you drop off, or list it in somewhere in the store. We have found their grooming service to be mediocre at best.

Many times, we have given very specific instructions on the length of haircut we request, and our request is not honored.

We will find a new place for grooming our dog.

Lauren Hobson

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Bow Wow Meow in Menlo Park! Beautiful store, fantastic product offerings, and their staff goes ABOVE and beyond to make sure you get what you need. Highly recommend visiting!

Joe P

I hate to leave bad reviews of businesses and in fact never do. This is particularly true of small businesses but this one is the most unprofessional business I have ever encountered. I had an appointment 3 weeks ago for a grooming. It was cancelled a day before because they told me their groomer quit. The next available appointment was 3 weeks later. I accepted that without complaint. They asked that I drop off my dog at 8:00 am less than 24 hours before my appointment. Called this morning to ask if it would be a problem to drop her off 15 minutes later. Was told no problem. I made the 20 minute drive (traffic took longer than expected) and when I arrived they said they had again cancelled the appointment because I was 5 minutes late. Even worse, the groomer, Katie, was rude and had no customer service skills. The owner of the business should be very concerned about the disregard with which Katie treats customers. Will never use this service or shop in this store again.