PLAY! at Barks N' Rec - Chicago, Illinois

Jessica C.

Kona seems to love it here! They’ve been great about sending photos at the end of or the next day after a daycare session. The cameras are great, but I haven’t been able to view them from my phone anymore, but they work when I view from my laptop. A little unfortunate since I’m not always at my desk on the days I need him at daycare, and I’d love to see him from my phone, but I’ll check in and see if there’s a way I can get visibility on the app instead.

Overall, we love it, can’t wait for the outdoor space to be available.

Paola S.

I was very nervous because it was Maya’s first time at daycare. She was so happy when I picked her up and exhausted which means she had a lot of play and activity (she is a puppy and has endless energy). When I took her the second time she was very excited to be there!
The staff is amazing, caring, communicative and they seem to really enjoy working with dogs.
They have a live camera which I accessed often and was very pleased to see somebody with the dogs every time, one can also see the handler playing with them and taking pictures! It’s nice to see how they interact with them and how the doggies love the handlers.
I also appreciate the “report card” and the summary of the day.
Overall I am very satisfied and will continue taking Maya to see her new friends and make new ones!

Courtney C.

My dog attended daycare for the first time today and from the moment I walked in I knew he was in good hands. I did research prior to booking his first day and was relieved to find out that they closely monitor dogs especially on their first daycare day. I received a very detailed ‘pupdate’, photos, and videos and the livestream of him playing put my mind at ease. He had such a blast and is EXHAUSTED (photo attached of him sleeping the whole way home!) I cannot wait to take him back!

Update 2/21/24 My dog is still attending and still loving it. He comes home exhausted and happy. Could not recommend more. ❤️

Libby L.

The smile on my girl’s face says it all! The staff and facility are so nice. Our pup is always happy to be there. She comes home exhausted! We love watching her on the doggy cam and getting sent pictures of her all day playing. 10/10 experience so far!

Kristina A.

We absolutely love this doggy daycare! It was referred to us by some people at the dog park we attend, and I am so happy that we chose to come here! Our dog, Lottie, has really blossomed because of her socialization at daycare. I trust the staff to take good care of her and they all seem to genuinely love taking care of the dogs!

Brandon E.

We started taking our pup here for daycare and boarding shortly after Barks and Rec opened, and to say she loves it would be an understatement. She always comes back home extremely happy and tired from playing with her friends everyday. We had tried several boarding and daycares prior to landing on Barks and Rec and can easily say that this was the best experience for our dog of all the places we tried. They don’t try to stuff a million dogs in a confined space, they cap how many dogs can be there at a time (which helps with not stressing out the people watching the dogs, and the dogs themselves). The staff is amazing too! They know every dog by name and you can tell that they care about each and every pup. One of the biggest pros, is that they wipe the dogs down after each day to help them not smell like “dog” so much after playing with their friends all day.. may not seem like a big thing, but we have had her come home smelling terrible from other places and it saves us the hassle of having to do this at home.

Silvia B.

Couple of dogs parents recommended Barks N'Rec, Ginevra is a reactive dog and struggle with new people and they always being very patience with her. I love that I will find many pics in our profile and also webcam are available. She’s always very happy to go there and play with friends and snuggle with her favorite handler Sophia ♥️

Mark Q.

My fiancée and I take our dog, Doug, to PLAY! and love it. We struggled to find a daycare for him in the past- using Rover and going through three-four daycares until Play opened in fall 2021 and he’s been there ever since.

We only have amazing things to say about the owners (Josh and Dave), the manager (Amanda), and the handlers (I wish I knew all of their names- but Doug loves Doug!). They’re all incredibly attentive and caring.

The facility itself is very clean, has a pup-wash, and has enrichment activities (which has led to us doing this at home now 😅) and walks. They don’t overbook way too many dogs for the space, so all the dogs there get a ton of attention from the handlers as well. You get report cards/progress reports, and a camera if you like to check in on your pup throughout the day. Finally, they’re incredible flexible with pick-up and drop-off times- I work difficult hours and a very inconsistent shift and they’ve been incredible and have been able to accommodate every time.

Couldn’t recommend this place more. Take your pup here. 🙂