Rover Kennels

My husband and I first used Rover because the owner seemed nice, the facility is very convenient to where we live, and they are flexible on drop off hours. One afternoon we came to pick her up and everything seemed fine until we got into the car and I realized that she wreaked of urine. When we got home I noticed that she had dry sticky urine all over her belly, legs, back, and right side.
I called Rover to let them know the state which she was returned to us. The person I spoke to told me «they wipe down all the dogs before they go back to the owner». Rather than taking the approach that the «customer is right», or even asking me to bring the dog in so they could see for themselves, they argued that it couldn’t be the case.
Later the owner of Rover called me to apologize — he told me there were a lot of dogs because it was the weekend. They offered us a free bath and blow dry for the dog. We told him we appreciated the call but would be unlikely to use them again. I didn’t write a negative review at the time.
This weekend my husband and I thought we’d give Rover one more try. What a mistake. We went to the facility to ask if we could drop our dog off early in the morning before they open (they charge an extra fee for this service). My husband then mentioned that last time we were at Rover we had a suboptimal situation. The girl again stated it was impossible for Rover to return a dog with urine on it because they wipe the dogs down before they go back to the owners. Another girl came to the desk and looked us up in the system. She said that «the owner would give us a call given our last experience». I noted that we didn’t need a call — we wanted to give them a second chance.
A few hours later the owner gave me a call. He wanted to know why we decided to use them again. I thought it was a friendly question so I said that they are the most convenient doggy day care for us and we’d like to give them another try. He suggested that we were very unhappy last time we were there — I said «yes but I’m guessing that’s not the typical customer experience». His voice became harsh and he said that last time we were there we cursed at his staff!!! I found that amusing because I spoke to him and would expect him to remember that I didn’t curse at all. In fact, I thought we left on pretty amicable terms — I just suggested I didn’t feel comfortable leaving my dog at a place where she may be returned to me covered in urine.
Synopsis — the staff are unprofessional, your dog may very well be soiled during the day (even if he/​she does get a wipe down before getting returned to you), and there are lots of better places with more space that cost less. Look up «West LA Dogs» or if you’re in the Westlake area «Barkley Pet Hotel». I’ve used each of these places over 50 times each and both myself and my dog are very well treated.

Here is now the only place to have your dog stay if you need a dog hotel. All you have to do is give it a quick look and you will be convinced beyond a doubt. Happy confident employees state of the art facility and best yet clean, clean, clean!
I am totally OCD and it warms my heart to think the Gibson will be taken care of so well and I don’t have to vacuum three times a day like at home. Hell I may check in here with him! They have a doggy Presidential suite. I’m not kidding complete with a queen size bed and flat screen TV.
Tremendous grooming facility’s and they take every precaution for the safety of your pooch. They are open 24 hours with and appointment for drop off or pick up. They have a staff member with the dogs 24 hours day.
If you travel like I do you must have a safe reliable place for your dog. Look no further this is it. Don’t settle for anything less!

Rover kennels in Santa Monica are great! I use them on occasion for short out of town trips and I utilize their grooming services on a regular basis.
My dog is 11 years old and has hip issues. The groomer takes her time with her, gives her breaks and is extra gentle. She also gives a great doggy cut. The facility is clean and well run. If you live in the area… I highly recommend Rover for your pooch!

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I brought my dog to Rover to board her for the weekend after pulling her out of K9 loft because of their horrendous conditions. Rover was happy to board her last minute and give me an unscheduled tour! After seeing k9 loft, rover was a breath of fresh air. The «kennels» where they sleep are quite cozy and spacious. The dogs get to play together all day and he was happy to make us a report card for our puppy Indie. They obviously really care about the dogs and the quality of their facility. I’m on vacation now and it’s awesome not having to worry about her being locked in a steel cage at k9 loft!
UPDATE:
So, after my original review I updated it saying that I was very upset because my dog came home sick and I was annoyed that I wasn’t notified about her illness.
I didn’t blame Rover for her being sick as I know that could have been due to stress, but she was blatantly sick and I felt it was neglectful to not tell me so that I could have immediately taken her to the vet.
After leaving my second review, I decided to give Rover another chance when I went out of town again. I really did like the facility and it’s right across from my boyfriends office so its very convenient. But when we called to make a reservation for her to stay there, my boyfriend was told that we were being denied service because of my «bad review». Now, my review was not scathing by any means nor do I think it was uncalled for. But apparently if we wanted our dog to stay there I had to change my review to a positive one.
Where I come from, that’s called blackmail.
Normally I would have told them to shove something somewhere, but I was on a time crunch and I needed to leave my dog somewhere. While I didn’t want to leave her with an incredibly immoral company, I knew she’d be fed and get to play with other dogs so I changed my review and left her there for the weekend despite how furious I was. When we picked her up Sunday she had a gash under her chin. Again, something that I should have been notified about.
So while my review may not have been scathing before, it certainly is now. I will not be returning and I’ll be telling my friends about my experience. This is not how a company should function.

I must say I was not sure what to expect when I just «dropped» by for a tour today. At first, there was some hesitation. Within 10 minutes I was on a tour with Marco. Marco was very cordial, helpful and accommodating with my multiple questions. As a pet parent I have been hesitant of boarding. However, based on me being able to tour unannounced impressed me tremendously. The facilities are well maintained and the various dog groups were well attended. If I do decide to board my very spoiled girl — Rover Kennels will get my business. Thanks again for a very pleasant experience.

Rover Kennels takes great care of Teddy while I’m gone. They put up with me having to give instructions for three different medicines and a two-​part food that needs rehydrating, and they don’t mind when I call and check on Teddy while I’m away. They even gave him a little report card last time that said who his favorite friend was and how he did playing with others. I like that at Rover they keep him in groups of dogs his own size (since he’s only 8 lbs). Teddy has been boarded at Rover quite a few times, and I think it’s worth the price for the peace of mind I get with him staying there.
The only bad thing is he doesn’t seem super excited to see me when I come back to pick him up. I think because he always has such a great time and doesn’t want to leave!

This is the only place I will bring my dog. The staff are the nicest people around to people and the dogs, the location is very clean and the service is very reasonably priced for the Westside.
My dog never lets me trim his nails, so I take him here and their staff and groomers take amazing care of him. I can watch them do it through a window which makes me feel at ease.
Treats are plentiful (for the dogs) too!
Love this place and will keep coming back! You can tell the owners and management deeply care about their business and their customers. If I could give 20 stars I would!

So, our mini Schnauzer, Sargent absolutely LOVES Rover. We have been bringing Sarge here for grooming with Dana since they opened. Dana is the BEST! She gives a great cut and pampers Sarge like he was her own dog. They actually treat all the dogs that come to Rover like part of the family. The location is very Zen like and I always see the dogs playing outside and having a great time when I bring Sarge for his appointments. I would never hesitate to board Sarge here and we are always so thankful that Sarge is so well taken care of at Rover. Thanks Jeffrey, Nikki and the staff you guys are GREAT!

Outstanding service and quality. They really care about taking care of pets. Competitive prices compared to similar (but not as good) places. Would recommend to anyone. Love it!

Won’t let you come look at the place without bringing your dog. I just wanted to check out the place without putting my dog thur a temperament test for no reason. Unreasonable, major red flag for me!

New Santa Monica location of the best kennel in LA! Couldn’t be more stoked! Wouldn’t take my pup Rusty anywhere else. Grooming, doggy day care, boarding, training, teeth cleaning, the works! They are the best of the best!!!

It’s very rare you come across a place for dog grooming and just have to tell everyone about your experience. Rover is just the place and the groomer is Dana.
You need to have your dog groomed by Dana and you will not be sorry. Her level of expertise and the way she handles the dogs is amazing. Absolutely the best haircut my dog has ever received.
Thank you Dana and Rover!

We boarded our dog Yogi here for seven days and the experience could not have gone better. The staff is exceptionally friendly and caring. Sent us FB photo updates each day. Plus, they gave him a great haircut the day we picked him up. We will definitely be going back!

Immediately after posting this review, the owner (Jeffrey) called me and went through each one of these issues line-​by-​line. The fact that the owner cares enough to personally call me and spend 30m walking through each issue and then discussing how they’ll improve in the future is important and shows that they really do care. So, in an effort to be as transparent as possible:
— SIGNAGE: There’s now a large sign on the front-​gate right smack in front of your car/​headlights where you pull into the driveway off of Main St when picking up or dropping off your dog after hours.
— TEMPERAMENT TEST: Jeffrey asked for the description of the employee that provided this temperament test and said that it sounded entirely too quick. Jeffrey mentioned he does most of the temperament tests and wasn’t sure why this one was rushed. He said he’d address his staff to ensure each dog gets a good temperament test. Kudos!
— BATHING: Because our wheaten gets so matted, Jeffrey mentioned he’d brush her out before she’s crated for the evening and after a bath. Awesome!
— WEB CAMS: Probably not going to happen because of dog owners assuming their dogs are fighting rather than playing, but Jeffrey promised to post pictures of our wheaten online daily. I think the issue here is making sure our dog is playing and not hiding in the corner because she’s either a) scared/​terrified or b) sick.
— REPORT CARDS: Jeffrey mentioned these should be filled out by staff for each overnight stay. Twice we didn’t get them, and Jeffrey said he’d re-​educate the staff that these report cards are important to owners so they know a) if/​when their dog ate and b) how their dog played. If our dog doesn’t eat for a few days, it likely indicates that she may be sick and that we should keep an eye on her when we bring her home. So, I’m glad they’re going to really make sure the staff is diligent about pet report cards.
— DOG GETTING SICK: After talking, it could be because she was dehydrated (our dog loves to play). Jeffrey mentioned he’d require mandatory timeouts (in air conditioning) for our dog (and longer-​haired dogs) to rest and get water every hour or so. He mentioned time-​outs are already mandatory for dogs with short snouts (like pugs).
— AIR CONDITIONING: When I spoke with Jeffrey (approx 7÷10÷2014) he mentioned they were going to bite the bullet and incur the expense of installing air-​conditioning in the indoor play area. He assured me the sleeping area was air conditioned and mentioned the lobby likely wouldn’t be air conditioned for quite some time (ok as this this likely a large expense).
— OUTDOOR PLAY AREA: It’s been a few weeks since I spoke with Jeffrey, but I believe he mentioned they used to have pools, but took them out because he didn’t want dogs going to bed wet. He mentioned they may bring them back, but stressed he’d make sure our furry wheaten terrier would get mandatory air-​conditioned play timeouts so that she doesn’t overheat.
I’m really glad the owner gave me a call to go over these issues. The next time we board our dog here for an extended stay, I’ll be sure to post another review!

This place is amazing! I left my Brussels Griffon here and he loved it! He played hard and was exhausted when he came home every day. This place sent me pictures when I requested them and I could see him with his friends having a blast. Their Facebook page is constantly updated and I love checking in on them even when my dog isn’t visiting them, just to see how the other dogs are doing. And they are always smiling and having a blast! He got a complimentary departure bath, which was wonderful. Keep in mind that the departure bath wasn’t too extensive, but how many other places give you a free bath??? The owner was really genuine and really cared for the animals. I always felt comfortable leaving my dog there and he literally pulled me into the facility every time we pulled into the drive way, which proves that he has a good time! They installed misters in the play areas, so even on hot days I don’t have to worry about him getting over heated, which is good because he is one of those «squish-​faced» breeds, so he gets over heated easily. They even sent me a picture of him playing in a small pool they put up in the small dog area! I was thrilled to see that. The prices are reasonable for what they do. Everybody there really cares and they do their best for the dogs that visit. I would visit them any time. Please continue to give this business service so a business who really cares about the dogs and does their best by them survives, instead of other business who are just that, businesses. They assured me that I can call anytime to check in on my dog. I called a couple times, and they actually put me on hold to go check on him, I was so impressed! I couldn’t trust a company more than I trust Rover Kennels or the owner, Jeff. This place is as good as it gets!