Pender Pet Retreat at Dulles Gateway

We have two cats that we’ve boarded with Pender for almost four years. We are so happy with their services. Our cats came back home really happy after their last stay. We will be entrusting them to Pender’s care in the future. It’s a huge peace of mind to know that our beloved kitties are taken good care of.

After taking a long time selecting pet care for my week-​long vacation I chose Pender. It was a mixed bag that ended up being very expensive and perhaps not worth the money they charge.
My dog is a 10 year old rescue from Fairfax Co. I’ve had her two months. I was hospitalized part of that time, so she has had a difficult transition. Never the less, she is a dream. She is so full of love and desires human affection. I explained this when I checked in. All was yes, yes. I chose an executive suite for her so my family and I could see her on the web cam. We expected to see more people in her «room» giving her affection, but we only ever saw her asleep or when she was out on a walk while the room was getting clean. I called a few times and they picked up, but I was put on hold for so long I tended just to give up and call later. They claimed «they had been trying to» call me about a food issue but I had no record of more than one call.
My dog came home happy, clean and relaxed but for the kind of money I spent I might do some better research into other facilities in the area.

What makes Dulles gateway retreat special is the fact that the staff are amazing. They are extremely hard working and attentive to the dogs in their care and they have superior customer service. I truly love this facility and their people. I also highly recommend the executive suites and cat boarding. Thank you!!!

We have repeatedly boarded our two dogs at the Pet Retreat. The handlers know the dogs by name, and our dogs, who are VERY spoiled, go into the retreat and to the associates willingly. Our food and medication instructions were followed and the dogs are happy and healthy. We also like the fact that the facility has a vet on staff who can provide wellness and sick care (we have had shots updated there), as Pender is our regular vet as well.
The staff goes out of their way to accommodate our and our dogs’ needs, finding us space at a very busy time when I thought I had reserved space, but had not. We will continue to board our dogs here.

I see all these reviews of people who loved Pender and I sure wish I had had the same experience. The first time I left my dog it was fine; I felt like they nickle and dime you for everything, but then I’m used to kennels in the west and mid-​west where not every walk or poop run is charged. The second time though I was not happy. My dog never eats twice a day and granted maybe he did by chance or boredom but when I got the report card it said he ate twice a day for the whole 2 weeks, etc. Plus I just wasn’t happy with the staff; they didn’t necessarily do anything wrong, but I was crying when I left him because I was upset; had planned to take him with and couldn’t, and not a word. They basically ignored me. So I wrote a letter to the director and granted he did call me which I appreciated! He was interested in what I had to say, but in the end he didn’t get it. He really didn’t hear anything I said. I mentioned just teaching the staff about a one sentence phrase to people like me crying or upset, like, «don’t worry, we’ll take good care of him». I don’t know about you but that would make a lot of difference to me! He said, you could have called to check on your dog every day and we would have told you. Yes, I could have but at this point, I’m not sure I would have believed them; and also that’s not what I was talking about at that point. The other thing is that he didn’t get that I was hesitant about the report card; that in my dogs 10 years of life, he had never eaten twice a day, not even in the kennels he loves! But at their kennel, he ate everything; twice a day! The last thing was that they gave him a Bordetella shot which I requested, but it was one that had to be done twice! Very expensive and I didn’t give them permission for that type of shot. I thought they had given him one the first time he was there, but the vet, who also called me which I appreciated, said there was no records of my dog from the first time which was only 1 ½ years before, so she based he decision on thinking he had never had a Bordetella shot before. So, no records of my dog! None of this is that bad I realize; it was just the feeling more than anything; very detached and not personable liked I’m used to.

I had to put my cat in a resort for the holiday. I have only had to do it once before and I find the experience so stressful. I called at the last minute and found the Pender Pet Resort in Chantilly. I liked them because they have someone on site at the facility 24 hours a day/​365 days a year. That gave me a lot of comfort. I was initially going to put her in another facility but they were closed for Christmas and no one was supposed to be there except to feed the animals in the am and pm. (I always wonder what would happen if there was an emergency of some sort, God forbid.)
When I pulled up to Pender I nearly turned around. All I heard was the sound of dogs barking (sounded like 100 of them. I found out later there is a dog park and resort nearby). I went inside and found the resort to be soundproof and peaceful. The front desk staff were just so friendly and it was obvious they cared about animals. I left my cat without a concern for her safety and well being.
When I picked her up the next day I found her hiding in her cage, but otherwise unscathed. She ate normally when she got home which tells me she wasn’t traumatized (when she stayed at a place last year it took her days to become ‘normal’ and to eat again).
I really liked Pender. They gave me total peace-​of-​mind about leaving my cat there. I would recommend them to anyone who is like me. highly neurotic about their animal and worrisome. :) Pender really did help me feel better about leaving her at a facility. If I could change anything at the facility it would be to incorporate play time into their schedule for cats. They have it for dogs but it’s not an option for cats (although they let them out when they clean their cages). I asked if my cat could be let out and they said they’d do that for her. Allowing the cats out one at a time would be a great asset for pet owners who want that option. A lot of places offer that for a fee. I would be willing to pay to know my cat is able to roam and play a bit during her stay.
I think the facility is great and I will definitely use them again in the future. Thank you Pender Pet Resort, for your great service.

Just used pender’s boarding service for our dog Baci for the first time and was more than pleased! We picked her up and she was happy, smelling great from her bath, and slept the rest of the day at home.
I think some of the negative reviews aren’t necessarily the fault of Pender. Some dogs are just extremely nervous and out of sorts when they’re put in a new place without the familiarity of their own home.

I have two beautiful and sweet great danes. Both rescues, one is 5 years old and the other is an 8 month old puppy. We boarded our boys at Pender Pet retreat for one week. Both went in at healthy weights, with specific feeding instructions. We picked up our pups on Sunday. Both had lost at least 10 pounds each, our 5 year old had lost 15. Both were dehydrated. The puppy, who normally pees without problem, was straining to urinate at least 6 – 10 times as soon as we walked out of the kennel. He would not drink water, which he usually guzzles throughout the day. After watching this for a few hours, i called my vet at Pender in chantilly, they had me bring him to the ER vet Sunday night. He had lost over 10 percent of his body weight, was dehydrated and had to be put on antibiotics and anti inflammatories.
How dare a facility entrusted with the care and security of our beloved pets be so careless with these animals. How dare they do nothing when it is apparent the animal is losing weight at such a rapid pace. How dare the vet who evaluated them say nothing and do nothing. Speaking of the vet… our dogs needed vaccinations required by Pender to board. A responsible facility would ensure these were a priority and done ASAP to prevent infection, right? Well, our dogs weren’t even seen or vaccinated by the vet until their 6^th day there. SIX DAYS OF BEING EXPOSED to germs and other dogs, without the required vaccinations. How dare you be so lax and careless with my pets. It was apparent the vet never even looked at the puppies Pender vet file. They diagnosed him with an eye condition that was clearly noted and diagnosed in his file, months prior to boarding. These people did nothing.
I have since had to call the Facility manager myself to follow up. She told me all of these things were normal. That is a load of you know what. They immediatly paid the ER Vet visit, which tells me you in fact agree something was wrong. These poor dogs did not come out of that facility the way they went in. They were worse for ware, and something should have been done to intervene on the weight loss and dehydration. As a growing puppy, our younger dog should have put on weight not lost. And our poor 5 year old, 15 pounds lost. How do people let this happen to our animals? I am heartbroken and appalled that this is the kind of service these people offer. We will never go back to Pender Pet Retreat. And, based on the reviews everyone else has posted, there are many others with similarly horrifying experiences with this kennel. What a terrible experience.

Pender Pet Retreat is anything but. I bought the executive suite for my 4 year old black lab and I was appalled at the service. These people do not care about dogs at all. When i dropped off my dog, i left directions for how to care for her, as she had an ear infection and has food allergies. In the executive suite, there are camera where you can watch your pet. Despite the directions, I witnessed people cleaning the wrong ear, not using her harness, leaving her in the kennel for over an hour after feeding her. Additionally, the seal between the suites is broken, which means her suite was flooded with the water from the suite next door every day when they cleaned. Did they mop up the floor? No. They put her beds on top of the water and left her there. Her paws are now infected because they were wet for five days from laying on the soaking wet beds. When I picked her up, the beds were still soaking wet. They also refused to return her food to me (she is on a raw diet due to her allergies and the food is expensive) when I came to pick her up. I don’t know if they even fed her any of this food since they refused to give me back the food and the container it came in.
When I arrived to pick her up, I voiced my concerns to the acting manager (who is a larger male covered in tattoos and missing his front teeth) and he dismissed all of my concerns, saying that they had over 200 dogs and they couldn’t care for her the way she needed. I personally don’t judge any place on one bad online review, but this place has several. If you care about your dog, you will not leave her here. They do not care about how the animals are treated and cared for, even if they are injured. Please take your pet to Healthy Hounds, where they will be cared for and truly cared for.

I have always been a fan of Pender but since I discovered the Chantilly location, I am in love.
And not because the veterinarians are hottt, but because they are hottt and helpful. They suggested services that I might need in the future but was not pushy.
I took my pet here for veterinarian services, however half of this location is a Pet Retreat. I have never had to board my dog, but after meeting the staff I would trust them with my precious cargo.
My first visit here was for a checkup and I am thankful that I didn’t have to wait and was seen immediately. Everyone appeared to be happy as if they were sipping on happy juice. This particular winter day, it was 70 degrees and one technician said even though she knew it was beautiful outside, she still wanted to be inside working. What?!? To me this was crazy talk, but then I realized that someone needed to be working while the rest of us was enjoying the weather. Since she volunteered, I agreed.
Hottt doctors. Friendly Staff. I shall return.

I have to start off this review by saying that my boyfriend and I are first time dog owners. This was our first boarding experience, since we had to go away for a wedding, and we will never go back to Pender. (Note: I apologize in advance if this gets lengthy!)
Our dog is a rescue, and we were concerned with boarding him in the first place. We went with Pender Pet Retreat because it was affiliated with our vet, so we felt confident that this was a safe choice.
They took our dog from us right away, without really giving us a chance to say goodbye. We found out that they had approximately 275 dogs there for the weekend, and around 15 staff members. It was too late to change our minds, but I wish we would/​could have.
We signed him up for additional services– multiple potty breaks, nature walks, one-​on-​one play time, snacks, etc. He’s a chow, and he won’t go to the bathroom in his kennel, which we told them specifically, explaining this was why we were paying extra for the services we chose. They said they’d take good care of him.
We dropped him off around 3pm on Friday, and picked him up around 2pm on Sunday. We left him with his own food, treats, and toys. When our pup came out to us, he was skittish and all over the place. We paid for his stay, and went outside. He PULLED with all his might to get the grass, and proceeded to urinate multiple times; his urine was bright yellow. It was obvious he hadn’t had enough to drink, and hadn’t been taken out near enough. What happened next was even worse. He started to have bowel movements… 7 in a row. SEVEN. There was blood on his stool. He’s very regular normally, about 90 minutes after he eats. It was obvious that he was never taken out, and/​or completely overfed. We rushed back inside horrified, and absolutely upset. I questioned the «report card» they gave us, which stated his bowel movements were normal and timely. There’s NO way that could have been true. They called ahead to the vet for us, and said a manager would call us (I possibly sternly demanded this).
We took him to the vet, and we were told to monitor him for a few days. Interestingly enough, Pender Pet Retreat told the vet they were paying the bill… which seems sort of incriminating to me– why pay for something like that if you feel you did nothing wrong? (Maybe I’m being cynical.) Furthermore, no one from the retreat has contacted us as we were told they would.
Our furbaby is finally bouncing back to normal, but he was sad, sick and stressed for a good while. Also worth noting is that we had to go back to the kennel after the vet, because they failed to give us back all of his belongings (toys were missing). We will never return to Pender Pet Retreat. With the sheer volume of pets, there’s no way they can do an animal justice. Ours just happened to be particularly neglected, I guess. Better options have to be out there– save yourself the stress and find a better, safer place for your pet to stay.

Pender is good. I have alternated between Pender and Old Towne and in each case my dog has come home clean and happy. Old Town has a little more gravy — we like the rooms that are less crate-​like, but the nicer rooms are also available at Pender for a comparable price. The grounds at Pender are really nice and shaded and I have found the staff to be very thoughtful. Occasionally I bring my dog back for a nail clipping and they know her name straight away and fuss over her. I don’t always feel like paying the ransom at Old Towne, so for longer trips I’ll go with Pender. Just as a previous reviewer said, remember that your dog is going to be mostly crated during their stay. That just sucks no matter how you slice it. But, if you don’t have a home arrangement for your puppy, this is the next best thing. Two of my neighbors are longtime users of Pender and speak very highly of it.

Please do not take your pet here. I picked my dog up yesterday after 4 nights at Pender. She has stayed at other kennels several times in the past and while she doesn’t love going, she has never had this reaction. She got into the car and laid on the floor with her face hiding between the center console and the back of my seat. Usually she’d have her head hanging out the window and be loving life. When we got home she was walking with her tail between her legs and kept cowering under our dining room table. She is usually the happiest girl and runs around wanting to play. I can’t help but think that there was some mistreatment going on during her stay. It is definitely not the normal «I’m mad at you for abandoning me» behavior, she looks afraid. It is breaking my heart to see how she is acting. She hasn’t touched her food and barely her water since we got home at noon yesterday.
I had gotten a bad vibe when I dropped her off. I chose Pender b/​c we use their vet services and really love the doctors and staff. But at the Pet Retreat it was just not the same. The girl at the front desk barely spoke and would answer my questions by nodding or shaking her head.
I will absolutely NOT be trusting Pender Pet Retreat again. Of course I can’t say for sure that they mistreated my dog, but all signs point to yes. My happy, tail wagging, tap dancing girl is the saddest thing ever now. I will be going home during my lunch break to check on her.

They did an excellent job taking care of my dog. She came home, happy, healthy, and clean. When I picked her up, they gave me a report card of how she was every day, which I really appreciated. They applied her medication to her eyes every day as instructed and she looked really good.

I always know my dogs are in good hands when I leave them at Pender. My husband and I travel quite a bit, so it is extremely comforting to have a wonderful place to leave them at whenever we are out of town. From the report cards and photos we receive when we pick our dogs up, to the live video streaming we can watch of our dogs from any mobile device, Pender is hands down the best pet retreat in the area. I have been very happy with Pender for the past year or so that I have been a customer there, and my dogs are always super excited to arrive there each time I drop them off. I would absolutely recommend Pender to anyone looking for a great place to care for his or her pet.

It is somehow hard to review the place, when all the contact that you have with the service provided is the pick-​up and drop off of your dog. So, this review is based solely on that: the pick-​up, drop-​off, and on the state of my dog afterwards.
The facilities look professional and clean, and the staff is helpful and affable. I like the fact that your dog has to be up-​to-​date with the vaccinations, and that you’re not allowed to bring the bed (to avoid fleas related issues). Some people might not like the former requirement, because if you’re dog is not up-​to-​date, you’ll have to pay to get the needed vaccines. However, in my case, my dog was up-​to-​date, and I feel that this is a good policy to avoid your beloved dog getting some disease from the population of the retreat.
If you bring your dog here, you definitely have to understand that this is a kennel, and that you’re dog is going to spend most of the time in a crate. Also, what you get is what you pay for. If you want more space, you’ll have to pay more.
So getting to the point. It is not cheap, we paid around $ 500 for a full week, for the second smallest crate and the «pampered puppy» program.
When we picked up our dog, she was completely fine, and her behavior was completely normal. 2 days after being back home, there’s no issue with her either health related of behavioral. She’s her normal self… Well actually, she’s behaving even better. She had had some obedience training before, and i think that the people working there might have been stricter than me, so she’s very obedient at the moment. Let’s see if that lasts.
We’ll be on long a vacation again later this year, and we’ll definitely use the services of the retreat again.

In two words, DOG FACTORY! These people could care less about your dog, as the teenage boy who led us through the «tour» of their facilities told us they house between 200 – 300 dogs at time for boarding. If we had more time before our trip we would have canceled our reservation at this place.
They tell you if your dog has toys he/​she likes to play with bring them, if they have treats you rather have them eat then ours bring them. Well they did NEITHER for ours. Her ziploc bag of treats were untouched and so were her toys.
Our dog peed herself when she saw us, she has never done that.
I would not recommend this place unless you do not like your dog. They are a dog factory and all they care about is the money, not your dog.
I am at awe as to how anyone can say «enough good things about this kennel» unless they are friends of the owner or management.
DO NOT TAKE YOUR DOG TO THIS PLACE!

I have to say I got mixed feelings about this pet retreat facility. Booked the exec suites for 2nights. includes a low bed, tv and snacks, scheduled walks and play time. Did i mention they have a live stream where you can check in using the computer?
As to how much of these are actually carried out remains unknown to me, First night I had the separation anxiety so I logged in their web to check on the cam. Was wondering why it was past 6 and still he wasn’t fed. They close @5pm on weekends. I had to call and remeind them that they gotta read the instructions and that the dog has to be taken out and fed.
They appear to tell you all the right things when you call to inquire, but when it comes to the execution and carrying out of the actual instructions that is where they fail.
I had to call several times just to follow up and check in.
You can only check on the camera if the lights are on, if you check in after their office hours it would be pitch dark and you cannot see anything.

I had to find a place to leave Klaus while my wife and I went to South Carolina for a wedding, and I saw that the vet clinic we take him to has a kennel as well, so I made a 3 night reservation for the little guy in one of their «Executive Suites.» The suite cost just about as much as a hotel room and for the inflated price your dog gets a big foam bed covered in a soft blanket, a morning playtime with the employees, a chew treat each day, an afternoon trail hike, and an evening playtime with a frozen treat.
Did I mention that the suite has a web cam that you can log into to check on your pup? No? Well it does, and I could log in directly from my iPhone… Which I did… A lot. And I have to say, it was really nice to check in and see that your dog wasn’t freaking out about being left alone.
The suite also comes equipped with a TV kept at a low volume to keep your dog from being too lonely during the day (we told them to keep it on ESPN or CNN since he’s most used to). hearing/​seeing those at home). Excessive? Maybe, but also pretty neat.
Since the Pet Retreat has access to Klaus’s medical records at Pender (his vet) they noticed when we checked Klaus in that he would need some shots updated soon. We were told that they could do them while he was there and they wouldn’t cost any more than they would at the primary location for our vet. Bonus!
Anyway, Klaus came back happy, healthy, and clean which is about all you can ask for when you leave your dog in the hands of strangers for a few days. And while the stay was somewhat expensive, I’ll choose this place again without any hesitation.

I can’t say enough good things about this place. I’m the owner of a ten week old yorkie and I had to board him at the last minute due to a last minute trip I had to take to SF. I was recommended another place and I also did my research on Unilocal.After checking out a few websites, my first and last call was made here. Sarah was extremely helpful and friendly over the phone. They also had space available for my pup right then and there, so I drove over for a tour.
I was quite impressed when I walked in. Everyone was friendly and the place was very, very clean. Sarah gave me a tour of the facilities and all the information I needed. It was my first time parting with my pup so I had a lot of questions and she was very patient.
There are 4 different types of boarding room options owners can choose from. I ended up paying $ 32 for a «Senior Suite,» which was two huge pens for my little baby (it was so huge that they had two Great Danes sharing one suite). I also payed $ 14.99 for puppy play school, a 15 min walk, and extra snacks in the afternoon and night.
I felt very comfortable leaving my babe there but, I was so sad to part that I went back to check on my pup a couple hours later with my boyfriend. Our yorkie is like our child. Sarah willingly gave us another tour and we checked on our pup who seemed so chill and happy.
I came back a day and a half later to pick him up and the staff presented me with a report card, which recorded his food and water intake and what not, with a picture. They were also kind enough to give him a bath after taking him for his walk. So he was returned to me a happy and clean little boy!
I highly recommend this place and will definitely be back when needed.