based on 746 ratings.
What our clients think of us!
The following comments were submitted by our customers when asked to provide feedback on our service. In the interest of transparency, we present these comments as provided except that personally identifiable information has been hidden unless the reviewer has requested their full name be included with the review. No unfavorable comments have been removed.
Dear Dogtopia of Gainesville Management,
I am writing because I have serious concerns about what happened to my dog, O. Henry, during his recent stay at Dogtopia, and because I want to understand what is being done to ensure that something like this does not happen again—to O. Henry or to another dog in your care.
O. Henry began attending Dogtopia in 2022, and for several years we had a wonderful experience. We loved the staff, and they genuinely seemed to know O. Henry and understand his personality and quirks. I felt confident that he was being cared for by people who knew him well and would look after him as they would their own dog. When he passed his Meet & Greet in May 2022, I was told that he could begin attending daycare, and I appreciated being able to check in on him through the webcams.
O. Henry had not been to Dogtopia since January, but I was comfortable bringing him back because of the positive relationship we had developed with the staff over the years. Unfortunately, what happened during this visit has seriously undermined that confidence.
I received a voicemail from Daniel informing me that O. Henry had been involved in an altercation with another dog. According to Daniel, the other dog had repeatedly attempted to play with O. Henry, who was not receptive and was giving what Daniel described as "distance increasing signals." O. Henry then snapped at the other dog, and the interaction escalated into an altercation. Daniel told me that O. Henry had two puncture wounds on his ear that were bleeding.
I was immediately concerned and drove approximately an hour to pick O. Henry up. I took him directly to an emergency veterinarian, where they discovered that he had another puncture wound—this one on his throat—which had not been identified by Dogtopia staff.
I am extremely grateful that I decided to take him directly to the emergency veterinarian. A puncture wound to the throat is a serious injury, and I am deeply troubled that Dogtopia staff knew an altercation had occurred, knew O. Henry had sustained puncture wounds, and nevertheless failed to identify this additional injury.
Unfortunately, O. Henry subsequently refused to eat and therefore could not take the antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication prescribed by the veterinarian. He developed a fever and required another veterinary visit.
I contacted Dogtopia by email after discovering the additional wound to let you know what had happened. I have received no response.
My concerns are not primarily about the veterinary expenses. What concerns me most is O. Henry's safety and the safety of the other dogs entrusted to your care.
I have since reviewed Dogtopia's published Commitment to Safety materials. Dogtopia describes its Canine Coaches as receiving comprehensive training developed by certified canine behavior experts to support safe, positive play and socialization. Dogtopia also describes its playrooms as safe and supervised environments and emphasizes evaluating dogs' temperaments and play styles when determining appropriate groupings.
Those commitments raise some very important questions about what happened to O. Henry.
First, when O. Henry was displaying what your employee recognized as "distance increasing signals," what intervention, if any, occurred? If Dogtopia's staff are trained to recognize canine behavior and support safe, positive play, I would like to understand how that interaction was managed before it escalated into an altercation.
Second, once the altercation occurred and staff observed bleeding puncture wounds, what is Dogtopia's procedure for assessing a dog for additional injuries? How was O. Henry examined, and how was it determined that he had only the two wounds to his ear? I am particularly concerned that a puncture wound to his throat was missed.
Third, I would like to know what happened immediately before, during, and after the altercation and who was supervising the room at the time.
I would also ask that Dogtopia preserve any available webcam footage from the playroom covering the period immediately before, during, and after the incident. I would like management to review that footage as part of its investigation into what happened.
Please also provide me with a copy of any incident report documenting the altercation and O. Henry's injuries, along with an explanation of what steps Dogtopia is taking in response to this incident.
I want to emphasize that I understand dogs are dogs. I do not expect Dogtopia to guarantee that dogs will never have disagreements or that injuries can never occur in an open-play environment. What I do expect is that staff will recognize warning signs, intervene appropriately when necessary, thoroughly assess a dog after an altercation, and communicate candidly with the dog's owner about what has occurred.
That is the standard of care I believed I was receiving when I entrusted O. Henry to Dogtopia. It is also the standard I believe Dogtopia's own safety commitments lead customers to expect.
O. Henry is my family. I brought him back to Dogtopia because we trusted you. I am asking you to take this incident seriously, investigate what happened, and tell me what you are doing to ensure that O. Henry—and every other dog whose family places that same trust in you—is safe in your care.
I would appreciate a prompt response from management addressing these concerns.
Sincerely,
Name removed
Not so much disappointed, but in watching the cameras noticing that poop isn't picked up right away and seeing half the dogs eat it each time -and there is a shared water bowl for all the dogs in the room is concerning. (I understand there is a lot happening at one time during active play hours, but it is a concern of mine).
Friendly
Caring
Professional
I like that the people there enjoy dogs and am happy they do an evaluation of potential guests and segregate by size. Margot probably did not enjoy being separated from us, but she is a very social dog so that part she likely enjoyed.
Dogtopia staff is friendly and helpful. The facility is always clean well kept. I like the fact that you can view the dog on the pet cam.It is also nice that they offer extra services if needed.
Everyone is always so kind, professional, and treats our Hank Aaron like their own pet. The facility is clean. Hank loves going to Dogtopia!
Friendly service and my pup loves going!!
We had to go out of town for a funeral and didn't have anyone to care for our dog. You all helped us get it all set up in just a few days and he had a great time making doggy friends! He was having so much fun, I'm not sure he wanted to come back home!
Your friendly and capable staff. I feel very good about leaving our dog in your care.
My dog felt so comfortable with the staff and had so much playing! Can't wait ti come back again soon!
Everyone is friendly and professional. They all seem to know my dog.
My pup, Draconi seems to really enjoy the team and pups here. We tried another location but this one seems to be the right fit for his energy level. The staff is friendly, patient and communicates well about the day, any issues and what went well. He comes home tired and happy.
I like the mostly all day open play
always helpful and friendly folks that help me out
Daycare
Eleanor loves the way you take such good care of her.
My dog loves Dogtopia.i love their boarding facilities. It’s a home away from home for my dog when I travel.
Friendly, awesome staff. Great energy, vibe!
The staff are amazing.
Friendly, knowledgeable, compassionate, accommodating
We love how they treat our Barney like family! The hours are flexible, the people are caring and friendly. Also if Barney ever needs a spa day we just let them know and they can fulfill his needs by giving him a bubble bath and a nail trim.
We feel comfortable leaving our dog in your care. She gets lots of socialization!
Appreciate the friendly service and knowing that my dog is well taken care of each visit.
Sundae LOVES Dogtopia, the peeps are all of her friends. I have peace-of-mind while she's with you and am relieved there's a "Sundae Approved" place close by. We refer you often.
Most everything
The staff inside the playroom sometimes look very rough handling the dogs
Overall the boarding and dog daycare experience is really great. The couple of times we've boarded there we have added on a grooming as well. Our only complaint is that he still comes back from daycare very stinky! It was clear that he was groomed (nails tidy, coat fluffy, etc) but the smell is what was off putting for us. I know this is small in the grand scheme of things but wanted to give the feedback incase it's helpful.
Fantastic staff, clean facilities
Not sure
Very accommodating