It's a Dog's Life - Petaluma, California

Mackenzie Campbell

Don’t board your dogs here! We scheduled our 2 pitbull mixes over Christmas for 2 nights. They required us to bring them in to get acclimated to the place which is fine. We asked them to not put them with other dogs just because animals can be unpredictable and we just want them to be safe. We told them one of our dogs can be sensitive to sound and she has been reactive in the past. We picked them up from the play day and they told us they were with employee dogs and it went very well. I was happy it went well but they never asked if that’s ok. I brushed it off….

We drop them off again for their Christmas stay and asked them to only let them play with employee dogs since it went very well and NO GROUPS! We come to pick them up after their stay and we find out they have been put in a group without our permission! Luckily everything went fine with that but one of our dogs came back with hives on her neck which we will have to take her to the vet for and my other dog was bleeding from one of his nails being cut too short.

The front desk lady refunded me $50 for one of their baths. I called back and asked to talk to the owner James to share my experience and he just told me to sum it up that that’s their specialty integrating dogs, that he would talk to the staff and that he was sorry. He gave me absolutely no resolutions no discount for next time ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

chloe hadrich

It’s a dogs life is an amazing place to take your dog. I have brought my dogs here for about 3 years. They have lots of out door room for your dog to get that out side play they need. One of my dogs does not always like every dog and they fit to her needs very well. They have always treated my dogs as their own. There is always a family feeling when you drop your dog off which I love. I will always bring my dog back.

Matthew

I guess the people who have left positive reviews don’t really care about their dog’s wellbeing. We started noticing the difference in what it used to be to now more so recently and then had an absolutely awful experience with an employee named Ingrid. It was made worse by her dismissive attitude after what happened and it started to make a little more sense later when my wife found some of her hateful comments on social media posts about certain breeds of dogs.
Anyone who is considering entrusting this place with the care of your dog, just make sure that it isn’t on her list of dogs she hates or else they may be neglected due to her personal biases that keep her from doing her job.

Tiara Garcia

We took our dog here for boarding Mid April 2024 and it was a terrible experience. We started out optimistic. The front desk person was kind and the people who worked there seemed to enjoy the dogs but that was the extent of our good experience.

Our dog is a 95 pound headstrong guy. He takes to certain types of dogs (easy going females) and dog people. Well we took him there for boarding while we went on vacation. He was boarded for 4 nights. We told the front person that he can get a little grumpy sometimes in situations that he doesn't feel like he is in control. They seemed to understand but I guess they just brushed off our advice.

While we were on vacation no one called us so we assumed no news is good news.

When we went to pick him up we found out that he had to be isolated because he was grumbling at people and only took to one of their handlers.

They charged us extra for the isolation that they called "dog run" they didn't explain what that was when we went to pick him up. Their website specifically says "no hidden charges." What a lie.

He was also scheduled to get a nail trim but they didn't follow through stating that he was too grumbly. When we scheduled said nail trim they told us they wouldn't have any issue doing it and they could handle dogs with his temperament without issue.

The woman at the front that was telling me about these extra charges didn't take any responsibility for the way they treated our dog or for the fact that no one called us to inform us he was unhappy. I would have approved any additional charges if it would have helped him. We could have offered some tips and advice had they informed us what was going on.

For 4 nights and 5 days we thought everything was fine and he was having a good time. When we went to the back to pick him up he was in a cage on their patio. He looked miserable and terrified till he saw me. When I put his leash and collar on (for some reason they remove the dog's collars for boarding which I assume added more anxiety to my dog) he couldn't get out of there fast enough. He ran through their building, out the front door, and immediately jumped into our car. He curled into a little ball which is a hard task for a near 100 pound dog to do.

He was reclusive and cautious at home for several days after he got home. He seemed super fearful anytime we left the house and this dog isn't afraid of much.

I certainly will never take my dog to this boarding ever again. If you love your dog I would suggest looking into a different boarding option for your buddy.

Sharon Hebein

They have a very clean kennel. Lots of people dropping off and picking up there dogs. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. It was great to see their products are made in the USA!

Nico

My dog loves this place and so do I! They are very knowledgeable and caring about all the animals. I have a frenchie who has special needs (like all frenchies do) and they do everything to accommodate! lol! Thankful for this spot!

Emily Morales

It’s a dogs life does such a great job with our dog! He has boarded here several times for about a week and also a few long weekends. The staff are always laid back but very knowledgeable and caring - our pup seems to have a great time here! The grooming is also the best that we have found in the Petaluma area. What I also really appreciate is that they don’t nickel and dime you so that your pup can play with other dogs, get fresh air / potty time or if they need to have medication administered. It’s just a great stay for my dog all around and we appreciate the staff for that!

Maribel Valencia

We’ve been bringing our dogs here for about 10 years and have loved it so much even after moving further away, we still try to bring them here. Our dogs look forward to coming and we have such peace of mind knowing they’re at a safe and clean boarding that really takes good care of them.