Happy Tails

I have been using Happy Tails for several years… my dogs don’t mind going there (the last place after a period of time they didn’t want to go in anymore). I was recently out of town and one of my dachshunds experienced a debilitating back problem. Although that’s never something you want to hear while you are far away, they facilitated very rapid care for him. Because he got such quick attention his chance to walk again is really good. I would have recommended them before this, but now I will tell you hands down this is the place you want to leave your pet when you are away.

Great place. It was a little hard for me to start doing overnights (I was more worried than my dog) but they are very kind and reassuring. I love when Eko comes home and is exhausted from playing wth his new buddies all day.

The staff is obviously loving towards the dogs!

Our English Bulldog has been going to Happy Tails now for the last few months for about 4 days at a time (to be clear, she’s had three 4 day stays, and the initial doggy daycare). I was worried the first time we dropped her off as there were a lot of dogs, and while our dog is well socialized, she prefers the non furry types to spend her time with. After the initial ‘daycare’, she did indeed prefer the humans (and made good friends with the entire staff it seemed), but seemed quite happy. When we dropped her off the very next day for her 4 day stay, she was super excited and practically ran inside. When we picked her up, she looked happy and healthy. I even noticed her to be more friendly to other dogs when we brought her on hikes to Fort Funston (a bonus!).
To address the other reviews re: the feedings, I have to think that if a dog is either overwhelmed by all of the other dogs (there are a lot of dogs!) and/​or bummed because it’s missing its owner, chances are its appetite will be decreased (imagine going from dining alone in the comforts of your own home to the worlds busiest dog dining hall!).
Now, having said that, I did somewhat wonder how they feed all the dogs (explained it was rotation-​based) and how they manage to get all of the right food to the right dog. If this could be spelled out and made clear, that might relieve a lot of other potential customers anxiety about the previous poor reviews.
Personally, my dog isn’t picky at all re: what type of food she eats, so I’m pretty certain that if it isn’t her food she’s eating, she’s well fed ;). My biggest concern is her getting her meds 2X/​day. She’s on meds for life, and if she doesn’t have them regularly, she’ll get sick pretty quickly. Having said that, she hasn’t returned unwell, so the thought of her not receiving her meds never crossed my mind.
Regarding the ‘wounds’ other owners noticed on their pets, I consider this to be a norm of putting your dog in a ‘daycare’ environment. There are a lot of dogs! While on the one hand it’s the responsibility of the place to ensure an animal’s safety, some times it’s not known how dogs will react with each other until they’re in the same room. If they do fight, however, I expect the establishment to tell me what exactly happened (your dog and this dog got into a fight) and how they managed the situation going forward (separated the dogs, etc.). Feedback is critical, so if this didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be too pleased, and I’d follow up and request information. If you’re worried about your dog being around a lot of dogs, i’d try the daycare a few times to see how it got on, and see how it responds when you drop it off. If it doesn’t seem too keen, I’d take that as a sign that it’s most likely not a good fit for your dog. Every dog is different.
All in all, my dog LOVES it here, the people seem to feel similarly towards her, she appears very happy and healthy when she leaves, so for us it’s a great fit. I’d definitely recommend it!

Yes, your Mom called my husband with furiousness yelling at him the second day after we posted the review. Your Mom didn’t call for an explanation or an apology, that is the reason he had to hang up on her. Now here you are, without apologies trying to find excuses in every way to cover up the behavior.
Yes, my husband’s son takes Tule for duck hunting on weekends occasionally. 8-​year old Tule has been duck hunting every year with him and growing up with him. They love each other. Are you questioning that he doesn’t know how to feed Tule properly? Actually Tule has never had any severe weight loss or health problems in the past except this time with Happy Tail.
According to a previous employee of you after we posted the review, the ratio of employees to dog at your place is 2: 50 – 60, which means two employees take care of 50 –60 dogs. How could you give proper care and attention to dogs with that ratio?
Yes, we posted the previous review after four months, timing will never change the nature of the truth. Four months or four years don’t change the fact that Tule was starved at Happy Tail, and it was because of your neglect causing our extra costs on Tule’s medical expenses.
As a business, you probably should focus more on how to take care the clients instead of how to fight with them. We understand reputation is important to a business, the only way to get high reviews on your business is to do the right thing.

Late post– wasn’t initially going to comment about this experience but felt like I needed to hopefully make someone at this establishment aware and lookout for signs.
Brought my maltipoo on a Saturday for a one-​nite stay and it didn’t seem like the same friendly, caring staff from previous stays. I felt this way with the staff that received her but especially when I picked her up. The person when I picked her up from her overnite stay seemed unsure or caught of guard when I asked if she ate nor did he show any concern, regardless. (She is a finicky eater unless she gets partial human food which I did not leave for her.) Very disappointing!

We live Happy Tails, especially Boo!
Rita and the team always welcome my dog as if he was their own. When on business trips I leave Boo with the team of professionals and never worry one lick about how my best friend is doing.
Highly recommend Happy Tails to all my doggy people on the Peninsula!
Cheryl

We had been hearing the praises of Happy Tails from our neighbor for many years. She would take her dachshunds there when she had to get some work done or when she needed a break. We’ve had our dog for just over a year now, and feel the same way about this place as she did. Our dog is anxious when she is left alone for more than an hour, so we needed to find somewhere to leave her when we have days where we need to be gone for an extended period of time. We tried leaving her at the vet, as they provide this service, but the dogs are caged and only come out for short periods to go potty or stretch their legs, which is anxiety provoking for the dog. At Happy Tails, the dogs are paired with similar dogs, and spend their days and their nights free to move around and socialize. Our dog comes home happy and completely exhausted after playing all day. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a place to leave their baby!

We have been taking our two dogs to Happy Tails for several years now, for everything from the occasional day care visit to overnight stays for a few weeks at a time. While out of town this past week our doodle, who has a sensitive disposition and tummy, began showing signs of digestive distress. He wasn’t interested in eating his usual food which we bring from home (he’s usually a chow hound), and he was bleeding rectally. After reaching me, Christina, the owner of Happy Tails, and I determined he should be seen by a vet, and although they would have taken him to our own vet, I gave them permission to take him to the one they use who is much closer. He received great care there, but when closing time came he needed to go to an overnight facility to continue diagnosis and observation. Christina, picked him back up and transported him to the North Peninsula Pet Hospital, where he stayed until mid-​day the next day at which time we opted to move him to Sage pet hospital a few doors down. During all of this I received calls and texts from Christina not only to update me in addition to my hearing from the vet, but to also see what else she could do for him to help him feel better. She genuinely cared a lot. The next day Christina went back to North Peninsula Pet Hospital and walked our boy from one facility to the next. She & her young daughter even took time out of their day to visit our boy for about an hour, and give him lots of love, to help him not feel so all alone. He was not yet out of the woods and was still on IV, having an ultrasound, and was to stay yet another day at Sage. Christina continued to stay in touch with us and the vet, and the following day she brought our other dog over to Sage to visit his big doggy brother. It really helped perk him up.
To say that Christina went above and beyond the call of duty would be an understatement. We have always highly recommended Happy Tails to people we know and have sent them new doggies over the years, and although I hope not to have another experience where either of our dogs needs to be hospitalized while we’re away, I know that Christina and her staff will do what it takes to make sure they are cared for. We give Happy Tails a 5 paw rating!

I have used Happy Tails for few years now. I was happy with the service until my dog had stayed over the weekend (3 nights), after I brought my dog home I discovered puncture wound behind his ear that’s covered in pus… The injury healed without major complication but it’s really frustrating to find such injury on my dog. The wound was not hard to find since fur surrounding it was crusty from all the drainage (my dog had a bath before I picked him up)
I understand there is always possibility of dog fights in environment like dog day care but I can’t feel comfortable if I now feel the dogs are not properly monitored if you can’t even let me know that my dog was bit. My dog is very mellow and in his senior years so I need to find somewhere else where I can trust to provide my dog with safe place to stay

My review is long overdue. I have been taking my pitty pup Dre to Happy Tails since he was 5 months old, he’s now a year and a half. They have been a life saver and I don’t know what I’d do without them. They understand his breed and know that he looooooves to play nonstop. Their rates are reasonable and Dre is always super tired when he comes home from playing.

We were recommended to Happy Tails by a family member and were very pleased with the TLC our German Shepherd received. Clearly everyone there loves dogs and were very attentive to our girl. We did one daycare session to prep her for a 10 day stay while we left the country. Our (rescue) dog is a bit aloof, and skiddish, and the Happy Tails staff was very aware of her temperament and was gentle and understanding with her. The 10 day «slumber party» went well, she came back fat & happy, and just a little tired. We had her groomed by Happy Tails staff on the last day before we came home, and she is much cleaner, softer and better smelling than I’ve ever gotten her after a bathing. The price is right, and we will be using them again very soon.

Took my pup Noah in for a grooming this week; he really needed a thorough makeover. Noah had some matting on his mug and undercarriage due to the deluge of recent rain and his hair being too long.
Happy Tails staff took great care of him (he is a bit shy and this was our first visit.) He was like a new pup when he emerged from his grooming with Christina. She did and excellent job as did the gentleman that gave Noah his bath.
Our thanks to the staff at Happy Tails for the quality service.

I started bringing my baby to Happy Tails in 2010 because she had separation anxiety. She went in every day for a year and absolutely loved it! I have also used their boarding services as well, and although she was a little scared when I picked her up, the next day she would jump out of the car and run to the door! The staff is so loving and took really good care of my baby in the very beginning when she was afraid I was leaving her forever… they kept her with the puppies until she was confident enough to go in with the dogs her age and size.
My baby has passed on, but now I’m back with a puppy that is ready to play and Happy Tails is my first choice!

Happy Tails is great. We’ve been taking our dog here for daycare, he stayed here for a long weekend, and most recently he stayed for 9 days over the Christmas holiday.
For daycare their prices are on the higher side, but they are pretty reasonable for boarding. It is easy to get in and out. You can also drop your dog off whenever you want for daycare. You only have to call ahead for boarding. This is nice because we can see at night that our dog clearly needs to get rid of some energy, and take him in the morning without worrying about calling first (not a BIG deal, but it’s nice).
Our dog was clearly taken care of for 9 days. He had extensive back surgery about 9 months prior to staying, and I was a little worried about him playing non-​stop for 9 days and aggravating his back. They said it was no problem – they would make sure he had quiet time everyday. I felt guilty leaving him for so long, but he seemed to have fun and was well taken care of.
The staff there is so kind. I’ve talked with 4 of them, and they have all been great. I’ve seen them handling other dogs besides mine, and they are always kind.
They love dogs and care about people too. I feel 100% confident that my dog will be taken care of when he stays there, and will be happy and tired when he comes home.

My blue nose Pit Pasha Gurl became sick a few months ago, she had a tumor that was cancer. Of course we gave her the surgery to remove. She was so down and lost lots of weight. After we removed the tumor, my family needed to travel far to a wedding. Pasha has been to Happy Tails for many years now and I felt like writing about this place for a long time. So I dropped off Pasha Gurl after recently having her surgery. I felt bad leaving her as she was depressed and very skinny. When i came back over a week later, I was shocked that Pasha gained weight, her coated was gleaming, and she was happy. Thats when i realized that Happy Tails brought her back to life. They restored her with love, probably top grade steaks, and more love. At least it sure did look that way. she looked so good i cried.
A big thank you to all Happy tails staff. I am so grateful to you all.
Beyond what anyone could ask for.
God Bless you all.
LOVE, LAILA

Happy Tails is a dream come true. The staff is absolutely amazing — their love of dogs and desire to create an excellent boarding experience is obvious from drop off to pick up.
Maxine starts wagging her tail the moment she realizes that we’re on our way to Happy Tails (so much so that I often mistakenly call it «Waggy Tails»), and I can see why. Dozens of dogs roaming around in a cage-​free facility? Dogs of all sizes jumping and sleeping on luxurious couches? Sign me up!
The prices are on par with industry standard (and CAGE FREE boarding), and I’ve never experienced an issue with overnight stay availability. Be advised that your pup will need to pass a temperament test, be up-​to-​date with vaccinations, come with his own food — and, most importantly, prepared to have a blast.

Even though I live in the city, I know I have to sacrifice my time to sleep-​in to take my little Bichon-​poo to Happy Tails… beause he loves it so much here. And it is on my way to work so, I can’t complain. I tried to find a dog daycare in the city, but I have to leave so early for work… and most places in the city just offer dog walkers…
So I will definitely be back… and highly recommend this place.

I used to be a big fan of this place. In fact, they’ve watched both of my dogs on different occassions. However, I noticed that over time, the quality of care, and should I say «niceness» of the employees (family run business) seemed to be put on the back burner as other «new» people were coming in with their dogs to be evaluated or to check out the place. This was a bit discouraging as they had watched one of my dogs since he was a puppy.
The way this place works is you bring your dog in for a «free» evaluation day. Both of my dogs were evaluated as being «fine/​got along well, etc. etc.» with the other dogs…
What really bothered me about this place is that I felt I really wasn’t able to «check out» the place. The place consists of 2 levels — the first floor is where all the dogs are housed during the day — nobody is allowed past the door that leads to the huge room where all the dogs are kept– The upstairs is used for housing as well. Although I was never really sure when that section was used.
I really started to question taking my dogs there (specifically my baby bear Benji) as he came home with some sort of cuts/​scrapes/​hair missing one day. When I asked the girls what happened, they never responded. Nor did they apologize. It was like they didn’t even hear what I said and were blind to the «marks» on my baby.
Another time when I went on vacation, I put my dog with them for a few days. When I picked him up, his eye looked all red and irritated (like he had been in a fight) — When I asked them what happened to his eye, once again, no response, no apology no nothing. Meanwhile, my dog is traumatized for at least 24 hrs after leaving this place and I had to take care of his eye for about a week until it got better.
I think what bothered me the most is that I had taken one of my dogs (Benji) there for quite some time. When I brought him back as an adult (they watched him through his puppy stages to about 8 months old) they didn’t even remember him, nor did they remember me. For all of the business I gave them (my baby was there all day every day 5 days a week) this was really the straw that broke the camels back in my opinion.

I love this daycare. They are right around the corner from my house so its very convenient too. The first time I paid a visit to Happy Tails, Christina ran out to help me because it was raining. When my puppy had upset stomachs, she gave me tips and even give me some pumpkin to go for the night to settle Sky’s stomach. Whenever Sky is home she’s always POOPED. Then a month ago, my lil pooch suddenly decided to be a brat and NOT jump in the car anymore. So Christina and her staff once again gave me tips and even CARRIED Sky out for me a few times. Thanks to the chicken strips that Christina has, my dog finally jumps in the car again (I tried my own and it didn’t work lol) This seems like a family business and they really seem to car for the dogs. They are such awesome people!
My dog’s happy, and I’m happy.