DogVacay, Inc.

Haven't quite started working but seems very organized

Took my dog to a local DogVacay host in Chula Vista, CA in May 2015 for what was supposed to be a 3 week stay. She doubled dosed his medication and went through a 30-day supply of liver medication in 2 weeks. When she sent me text informing me she was out of medication, I came and got him. Notified DogVacay and they reimbursed me for unused days, a new box of pills and the blood test at the vet, but refused to reimburse me for any of the days he was in her care. They claimed they were doing me a favor, since they would normally expect me to pay a $250 insurance premium through them for compensation! They also bury negative reviews of hosts and their services so negative reviews appear way below older reviews that are more favorable. I voiced my concern through their "concierge" service and they promised to "consider" it, but never moved it up to reflect the most current review of this host. Their "vetting" process is a joke and they place the safety of dogs below their profit margin.

I Boarded my dog with DogVacay for 4 days and upon picking her up she was very sick; throwing up, in and out of consciousness, urinating everywhere. I called DogVacay (very upset and panicked) and they told me to take her to the vet (she was found to have gotten into something toxic/or given something toxic and needed IV's and monortoring for seizures due to toxin). Shaun their 'trust and safety" specialist insured me that they would look into their sitter but even with the Vet's paperwork and pictures/videos I sent they did nothing. They have an insurance policy that they would cover 80% of they charges but some how they miraculously didn't find it to be their fault despide what the Vet said. I would not recommend DogVacay with their horrible customer service and blatant disrespect for their clients. This company fails to protect their current clients, they show gross negligence towards future boarding safety by not removing this boarder from their site, and they do not respect their customers as their "protection policy" is nothing more than a ploy to give the appearance of safety in their boarding houses but when something happens, they don't follow through. I would sincerely implore anyone who is looking into using this service to look elsewhere as you never know what your going to get with DogVacay. They clearly won't protect your pets or you if something bad does happen to them.

The website makes you jump through hoops just to find a sitter. Had to call support 2 times just to even contact the sitters. Ridiculous.

This is an unusual test of a business... Please read as this still surprises us.
We needed a sitter so tried Dogvacay, signed up and put his info of being a gentle pet with advanced years, searched and found a sitter who was in D.C. meh 30 miles from home, but a terrific place considering the reviews they had gotten. Their price was much more affordable as we needed someone to watch our 17 y/o (!) chow (!!) Kuma, for three full weeks. The sitters okayed our bid for Kuma and Noelle met me early on a Thursday to take him in.

One week into vacation in Maine I wake up to my wife weeping in the bed, as she's talking to Noelle who told us that Kuma couldn't walk. She offered to take him to the vet and I looked for the earliest flight for my wife to catch, but Noelle, who rushed Kuma to the vet stood by as the doc said that he had cancer and a rupture had happened. He needed to be put to sleep immediately. Tears all around, and it's still heart-wrenching to describe now.

We've been home for a week since returning. Dogvacay refunded our balance since Kuma's passing. They also sent us several emails to express their sorrow and even went so far as to send us a bouquet of white roses.... OMG it's the kind of "service" we couldn't have imagined. They reacted more like family or close friends.

My wife has been looking for a new rescue dog as her way of just coping with losing a companion that's been with her for all her adult life, and for almost half her life. Sadly, we don't need Dogvacay today, but when we find a new family pet we will sign up again. Listen people, these guys don't seem like they are publicly traded; they seem like pet lovers who realize that offering a service is secondary to practicing as though they are the pet sitters from the ownership/management level. What they've done is what true animal lovers would do if ever anything went wrong. Their reactions blew us away, because they didn't have to do that. Poor Noelle, that wonderful sitter, went above and beyond herself, and she too felt the pain of a cherished animal needing to be put to final rest, and she stayed there to do that for us. That's the good that has come from our loss, one we expected but one still painful. We celebrate Dogvacay and Noelle. I wish I could have just written the same things that most have done, but losing your pet while away brings forth a completely different perspective. I hope this helps guide you if you're on the fence about Dogvacay; they prioritize pet owners!

We love DogVacay and have had several great experiences as hosts. We encourage anyone to give it a try. You can request a free meet and greet to ensure you and your host/sitter are a good match.