Canine Cove

 

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Marc L.

Mill Valley, CA

AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL. (Did I mention this place is awful?) If you really hate your dog, bring him/her here. But if you love your little guy/girl (you probably wouldn't be reading this otherwise) keep them away.  Yes it is cheaper than others in the area. FOR A REASON!  Our puppy got bit on the head three times in the span of about a month.  The first time no skin was broken but he came home with bruises around his ear. The next day I mentioned it to the front desk staff and got a muted response with a look like I was just being overprotective.  But I thought, maybe he is just being a rough puppy and it was just a one time thing (dogs will be dogs, etc, etc...).  The second time he got home and I noticed he was bleeding on his head.  I found a puncture wound and the next day I very adamantly explained to the front desk that obviously he is being put in with dogs that are too rough for him (he was 6 months old at the time). I was told that he is being watched and cared for...blah, blah, blah.  (Now looking back I realize they were just saying whatever it took to get me out of there and stop wasting their precious time.)  The third time was really the coup de gras though.  I get a call from them at 11AM one day the following week after incident #2.  Another dog (I am assuming the same dog that had been consistently beating him up) had bitten through and split the tip of his ear. I told them to immediately take him to our vet which is about 5 minutes away.  10 minutes later I call our vet to see if he's arrived and am told that he has an appointment for 5PM.  5PM! They cared so much for my injured dog that they decided it was best to let him sit with a split (and bleeding) ear for 6 hours. (Bastards!)  Obviously we got over there right away and just pulled him out of the situation. Obviously, never to go back. I have come to learn that they have the place staffed in the back with local high school kids that know nothing about pet safety and how to tell the difference between aggressive behavior and playful behavior. (I know a Tam High School kid who's told me after the fact that his friends all work there)  I sent them a letter over two weeks ago with the vet bill and asking for our money back for that day's visit. Guess what? No response.
In conclusion the place is bad, with bad people (who don't really care about dogs) supervising people who are not properly trained to do their job.  Spend a little more for peace of mind.

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17

Madeline A.

Sausalito, CA

The worst boarding experience of mine or my poor dogs' lives.

Both of my dogs suffered from throat wounds and subsequent health problems from being tied up by their CHOKE COLLARS that had been failed to be removed although I had instructed it verbally and written it down on the intake forms.  They had stayed there before in the old Sausalito location which was smaller and more manageable.

When I picked my dogs up after a four day stint, they were soaking wet from being left in the rain and were timid and nervous with me.  The one that became so severely ill was shaking and weak.  The staff and owner just brushed it off that they were tired from being at the kennel.  Once I got them home, I began towel drying them and tried to find the source of the stench that was worse than "wet dog" I found a gaping, pus filled wound on the his throat!  I called Canine Cove and again they said nothing was wrong!!!

My poor dog had a very rough night with a high fever and I did not take him to the emergency vet because I did not want to move him any more than necessary.  My vet was shocked to find him in such a condition and asked to see my other dog too.  We then found wounds on his throat, but they were not as bad because he had been on antibiotics for an ear infection the week prior.

This is so hard for me to even talk about, not to mention the time and expense to heal my poor dog.  He endured an auto-immune breakdown due to the antibiotics required to kill the infection, which then required months of Prednisone which wasted his muscles and caused him to gorge on water all day long.

I have never seen someone so successfully disregard the care of an animal, and care for which they were being paid.  I lost my will to fight them for the money I spent on boarding, let alone the vet bills.  I guess this is my only recourse, oh and flipping them off when I drive by and am feeling particularly immature.

Don't take your dogs there.

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12

Horace A.

Babylon, NY

Canine Cove is our reliable stand-by spot to board our dogs.

The good is that they don't keep the dogs in boxes all day and just let them out for "play sessions". The dogs get to play for nearly the entire day unless you specifically ask that your dog be allowed breaks. They also don't box them up at night.

However, in the past couple of years, there seems to have been a slight shift in the quality of care. It seems that a key personality has left the company and it's a little bit rougher around the edges, slightly more impersonal, and definitely not as clean. The past couple of times we got our dogs back, they smelled as if they had been kept in a public bathroom for several days. The last time was so bad that both dogs, who dislike baths, we enthusiastic to be cleaned up.  Also, somewhere in the play are there is an especially abrasive surface that has worn my dogs' nails on the back legs down to the quick. 2 times, the older one had bleeding nails when we picked her up, even after just a few days.

It's not a bad place, and great for day care, but for long-term boarding, approaching or exceeding a week,  I definitely wouldn't recommend it.

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10

Maria-Fernanda G.

San Francisco, CA

It doesn't have a sign. They keep the lobby kind of janky looking. They don't video cam your dog. They don't have swimming pools or astro turf. Or flat screen TVs. It's how they keep the riff-raff out. And that's how we like it.

The owner's there most of the time. And everyone there is super nice and low-key. And my dog, who's afraid of everything (buses, plastic bags, men, power cords, swiffers...), absolutely loves it there.

Because they don't put them in cages. Because they screen the crazy dogs out. Because instead of taking them for a daily walk, they just play all day. Or sleep in the office with the people.

And because Porter loves it, I love it too.

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Rayna A.

San Francisco, CA

CANINE COVE IS MY DOGS FAVORITE PLACE TO BE--BESIDES POINT ISABEL.  My baby is a rescue pup and requires a lot of attention.  She  used to have really bad separation anxiety, but is more than happy to ditch me for Canine Cove. We started taking her there last year.  We couldn't figure out how to balance work and dog care, until a group of people recommended Canine Cove.  The first time we took her, she was absolutely exhausted upon pickup.  I don't think she moved for 2 day.  This is the dog who outruns all the dogs at the Mill Valley dog park, and most in Sausalito.  When we drove past it the following week, she started crying to get out of the car. We scheduled another day that week, and she nearly dragged me to their door.  Apparently, she plays ALL Day--free as a bird.  The staff always give us feedback when we pick her up, and have been great about fitting her in for holidays (they get booked fast).  Sometimes we take her there just because we know she loves it and will be chill for days after.   I feel bad driving past it sometimes, cause its like a tease.  Her tail goes straight up at the exit and she doesn't stop crying till we're half way down the street.  I've kenneled her there twice, and heard she gets sad at night, but plays all day.  I also heard all the dogs get sad around 8pm after most have been picked-up.  I try not to overnight her there, or anywhere cause she gets pissed if I do and ignores me but have had to twice.  One time, they said she got barky, so they put her on a timeout, but other than that, I've been happy with their service.  My sister also has taken her dog there for a two week period.  She too comes home exhausted.  When you have hyper dogs, nothing feels better than having an exhausted dog, and knowing they had a good-time while you were away.  

Another cool thing about Canine Cove is that it really helps socialize your dog.  I can tell when my dog is familiar with another one, cause she will start playing with them immediately. I;'ve run into  lot of people who also send their dogs there, and I can always tell before they say anything by the way she's playing with them.  

Some of the new staff are a little creepy, but others are great and know all of the dogs personally.  I thnk it takes a special type of person to hangout with a bunch of dogs all day--ya know?  If you have concerns or reservations, you should talk to Amy or John (think thats his name).   They'll tell you the pros and cons so that you can decided.  They seem pretty down to earth and real about the Cove.  They know your dog is a member of your family and us Marinites have some higher than normal standards.  For a lot of these pups, it's their home away from home.  It's not cheap to live in Marin, and people work.  I wouldn't send my pup to any other boarding facility except here or my trainers.

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Michael D.

Sausalito, CA

DO NOT USE!!!! Canine cove almost killed my dog. He is left permanently lame because of this place. He suffered lacerations and burns and was left to suffer needlessly in a room for 24 hours.  Canine Cove was not only negligent but belligerent and dismissive.The owners didn't care, they could have helped him but wouldn't. My vet and I begged them for information, and they did NOTHING! They tried to claim he was hurt before he got there. (3 days earlier) They need to be out of business!  DO NOT RISK YOUR DOG'S HEALTH! It appears these problems still persist. The owners are not on site and are leaving dogs and important decisions to those without the capacity to make them. The Marin Humane Society has done an investigation.

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cheri k.

San Rafael, CA

THIS PLACE IS THE WORST!  I called the on Monday July 16th for an appointment & 1st time interview for my dog. My appointment was July 20th @11am.  I got lost & called and apologized, they said if I was there by 11:20 it would be fine. I arrived @ 11:09.  I told the front desk, I have an appointment at 11:00 again apologized for being late.  She told me I did not have an appointment today.  My appointment was July 13th. HUH? I made the appointment on the 16th.  She said maybe if I came back later, maybe they could squeeze me in. No promises.  So I was supposed to sit in my car for 30 minutes in the hopes someone would see us.  They are so unorganized it's ridiculous.  I took off work today and had 2 other appointments I had to cancel since my dog was supposed to stay for 4 hours.  I am in Independent Contractor, so no work no pay!!  The person that I spoke with could not have cared less.
The people have poor social skills (rude) !  They aren't capable of making a simple appointment. The place was filthy!  The person at the front dest looked dirty!  She did not know if she was coming or going!
I suppose it's for the best- especially after reading the 6/29/07 review!  My dog would not stay there if it were free!    The 4/10/07 is probably a friend of theirs.

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