Jackie’s Play & Stay Doggie Daycare & Boarding

My husband and I used this place for nearly a year when we lived in the area with really no issues. My reason for the low review is this simply is a place for your dog to play — that’s it. There is no reinforcement of good behavior. If that’s all you’re looking for, then I don’t think you’ll have a problem.
Note: The require Bordatella shots every six months even though it is a one year vaccine. Most vets will not over vaccinate dogs — as they shouldn’t.

I never write Unilocal reviews, but today I found Jackie’s Stay’n’Play weekend pick up and drop off schedule to be arbitrary, not published on their website and unacceptable. I thought that them being near the airport would be a plus — but this weekend I couldn’t pick up my dog for over 30 hours after I landed and — because there was no response to (3) calls and no way to find out I sat in front of the place for over an hour. Andrea was there, but apparently I had to wait until she was ready. Never again.

It’s a shame to have to give this place 1 star, as in the past we have been happy with our experience. Unfortunately the owner likes to change her drop off and pick up policies frequently and does not communicate those changes clearly. To make matters worse, none of the staff is empowered to release dogs to their owners. So if Jackie happens to have plans on the day you are scheduled to pick your dog up and is not at the place during the set pick up time, they will literally hold your dog prisoner. Unfortunately I think Jackie’s has to get added to the long list of crappy dog boarding businesses in Austin.

The most important opinion is our dog’s, and she loves Jackie’s. She’s always eager to get in the door when we drop her off, and happy to see the owner behind the counter. She’s a 90-​lb energetic puppy, so she can be a handful, but staff handle her very well when we pick her up. The owner notified us when she exhibited some less-​than-​ideal behavior (she liked to put her mouth over other dogs’ heads), which gave us a head start on correcting that behavior. I like that they’re watching for anything that makes the other dogs uncomfortable and asking us to correct it, because it means they’re watching out for our dog’s well-​being too.
When our Alu came down with a minor health condition, the staff spotted it right away and the owner notified us. She also checked in with us via email to make sure the puppy was getting better, which we appreciated. The owner is also always very aware of how our dog did that day in daycare, which indicates a lot of hands-​on oversight.
I’m happy that my dog is happy, but that’s not enough in a daycare/​boarder. I’m also looking for a place that keeps my dog and her playmates safe and healthy. We’ve been very pleased with Jackie’s on both points, to the extent that we stopped using another highly recommended boarding facility.

Andrea is awesome. I read some of the negative reviews and I definitely can’t relate. We board our ‘heavy’ black lab. She has a ball. She is excited to get there and exhausted when she leaves. I love that our dog gets to interact with other dogs during boarding. Andrea is very receptive and quick with email and voicemail. Her staff is just a friendly. All of my experiences have been incredibly positive… And my dog will be there tomorrow to ring in the new year! Very recommended for your dog (s)!

I’ve been boarding my two large dogs here for over a year. I did a lot of research when I first moved to the area and found Jackie’s to be an appealing option. When I first contacted them, the owner responded quickly and answered all of my questions. One of my dogs is old and laid back, one is young and full of energy and, at times, plays rough. I appreciate their willingness to accommodate both of them. Yes, I have been told on occasion that the young dog was playing too rough and was put in time out. I prefer that over having him get into a fight, and I would rather they tell me that than keep it to themselves. I never demanded a tour of the «back areas» nor would I be offended if I was told I couldn’t enter certain areas, but maybe that is because I have an understanding of the way businesses have to insure their property. The owner always contacts me to let me know if my dogs’ vaccination records need updating so it’s not a surprise when I show up with them or call to board. I really like that she is on top of that — not only does it make it convenient for me, but also makes me feel good that she is strict with the vaccination requirements. The owner and staff have always been friendly to me. Sometimes my dogs come home with a few bumps and scrapes, the same as they would if they played with other dogs in the park. And they come home tired, which I think is a good thing. They are always excited when we get there and never act like they don’t want to go. I do not worry about them and that’s the most important thing to me. My dogs are part of my family and I hate having to leave them anywhere when I leave town, but I feel very fortunate to have Jackie’s as an option. I also feel like the price is fair and comparable to other boarding facilities with the same perks.

Kendall loves Jackie’s — always comes home and sleeps for days. We haven’t dont daycare, but love the idea that our sweet pup isn’t kept in a cage (at all) and gets to play with other dogs while we’re vacationing out of town. When we first boarded her, Kendall was new to our family from a rescue and had some behavioral issues. Andrea take anough care to call us and let us know the callenges and we came up with a solution together. Love she started her business with a purpose and alwasy recommend her to our friends! Can’t wait to start doggy day care!

this place is awful. the woman who started it posts her sad sob story to try to leur you in. She is extremely passive aggressive and will not give you a tour of «the hidden places the dogs are left allllll day outside» she only shows you the nice rooms they sleep in. The rooms are nice they sleep in HOWEVERR SHE SAYS THEY ARE AIR CONDITIONED… each time we have been here the AC IS «BROKEN AND ITS STEAMY HOT!!!
Terrible SO Disappointing feels free to contact me ANYTIME about this.

DON’T TAKE YOUR DOGS HERE!!! This is the first review I’ve ever written and the only reason I’m writing it is because I’ve never felt so upset with a business before in my entire life! Upon boarding my dogs over labor day weekend at Jackie’s, I picked them up and after I got home I found a huge hot spot/​bacterial infection all over my golden retriever’s backside with puss oozing out and extremely infected. I immediately took him to the vet within a few hours after picking him up who gave him an antibiotic shot, e-​collar, and some topical medicine which ran me around $ 285. I contacted the owner at Jackie’s who basically gave me a dry apology and said that since the vet couldn’t pen-​point how he contracted it, then it wasn’t her fault. I told her I wasn’t blaming her for the infection but that her staff should’ve noticed this giant rash all over his belly and backside and I should’ve been notified instead of saying tough luck. She was extremely rude to me, raising her voice at me several times thinking that I was calling her and her staff liars (which I was not), and not accepting any responsibility whatsoever. She completely denying that they ever saw him in any pain or discomfort while he was under their supervision. Somehow this giant rash just magically appeared on the car ride home is what she figured I guess. Horrible business practice, and extremely rude owner. I’m a very calm and collected guy and never had a business owner yell at me in my entire life!!! All I was looking for was, «I’m sincerely sorry, send me pics, vet contact and bill, and I’ll look into it more with my staff and do what I can to fix things from here,» Instead she turned ALL the blame on me and yelled at me. I sent her pictures of the rash as well as my vets contact info anyways, which she said she will look into and get back in touch with me… I highly doubt it.
She did get back to me only to be extremely rude once again. At this point it’s not about the hot spot/​rash, it’s about how the owner treats her customers. She was really nice and helpful first, but as soon as I raised a substantial issue about the «well being of my dog» she got super defensive to the point of raising her voice several times at me, calling me a liar, and in the end doing nothing but call my vet in order to «justify herself» and refuse to accept any responsibility. Needless to say I dropped off a happy healthy Golden Retriever and now have a nearly $ 300 vet bill, dog who is in extreme discomfort for the next week or so, and had to deal with the rudest business owner I’ve encountered in my life. I would not recommend Jackie’s to anyone!

I recently took my 14-​month pup to Jackie’s Play & Stay. He came home tired and happy! Ollie (my pup) will be back again. Maybe I’ll even bring his big brother next time! I rate this place five stars because the staff that I was in contact with were professional and timely. I didn’t have any questions about the process or the procedures with getting my pup signed up. I got feedback from the staff when I picked him up at the end of the day. I love that because it gives me perspective of what others think about my dog’s behavior (do I dare admit that I’m biased about my dogs!?) ;-) The establishment is clean. There’s good parking. I think if I had to give any constructive feedback it would be the signing. I’ve only been there twice in a 3 year span (? — I think three years?) since it’s opened and both times I’ve missed it from driving on Airport. I think it was difficult for me because of the combination of the sign colors blending in with the building, the fact it’s a little small in comparison with the face of the building, and the fact that, that section of Airport has a speed limit of 45 mph. That said, their other marketing materials (website) is awesome and tells you exactly what you need to know! Great place! If you are looking for a doggy daycare, you need to check it out!

In September 2013, I moved to a house literally a quarter mile from Jackie’s. I couldn’t have been more excited that I could drop my dog off without having to go out of my way at all. He’s a little rambunctious (especially around new dogs/​people) and I don’t like leaving him home alone all day without a way to burn off that energy. He’d been going to another boarding place 3x a week for over a year, where he was a staff favorite and I never heard any complaints.
I called the week before, and setup a trial appointment for my dog Nolan on the following Monday. Over the phone the staff was very helpful, and answered my (many) questions thoroughly. Definitely a good sign.
I arrived that Monday in late September, with Nolan, and in the process of checking him in, I asked the owner if I could get a tour of the place. This didn’t seem unreasonable, but she seemed a little taken aback by the request. She did take me on a tour, but told me I couldn’t go in to see the play area with all the other dogs because my presence would be too exciting. Whatever, wasn’t that big a deal. The owner was polite, but not exactly friendly, and the kennel was okay. The dogs don’t care, but it wasn’t the most inviting place.
I picked Nolan up that evening, and was told that things hadn’t gone that great. She said my dog had shown some dominant behavior, playing a little rough, and standing over dogs that would roll over on their backs. Now my dog loves ALL dogs (and people). He can play rough, and he is a dominant male, but complaining about standing over other dogs seemed ridiculous to me. She said we should give it another couple days and I told her I’d bring him in on Wednesday and Friday.
On Wednesday I arrived, and the girl working the kennel told me that Nolan was great and he’d had a lot of fun. Unfortunately the owner had a different story and sternly informed me that Nolan was again being too rough for the other dogs and he had to be separated from the play group multiple times because some of the other dogs were getting agitated. However, most distressing to the owner was the fact that «Nolan doesn’t come when called.» This was apparently a huge safety concern, blah-​blah, etc. Yeah, he’s a 60lb German Shepherd-​Border Collie mix who is entirely too smart, and he generally D.G.A.F. unless food is involved. I assume it’s even worse when he doesn’t know the person calling his name. Plus he loves to be chased by kids and adults. I can’t believe this is something a kennel has never encountered before.
On Friday morning I showed up with Nolan, and the owner’s startled response was, «Oh… Nolan’s here again?» From the tone of her voice it was obvious that she thought she’d scared me off on Wednesday and I’d take him somewhere else. I told her that I didn’t want to give up on him so quickly. She said that this would be the last «trial day» for him. That evening I was again told that he’d had to be separated multiple times, and it wasn’t safe for the smaller dogs or the workers. That’s when it dawned on me that they didn’t separate the play groups by size at all. He’s high energy and even I think he’d be way too much for a 15lb terrier who gets scared of big dogs.
The owner told me rather bluntly that Nolan was not welcome back due to his aggression. Being a concerned dog-​owner I asked if she had any tips for dealing with this behavior. Her response was literally, «we aren’t dog trainers and I can’t give any advice about behavioral issues.» I expected a «get some training/​socialization» but not a there’s absolutely nothing we can tell you answer.
With much trepidation I tried another kennel that wasn’t nearly as convenient for me, afraid that he was a problem dog and would have to stay home forever… and we’ve had absolutely no issues. He’s once again a staff favorite, plays all day, comes home exhausted, and best of all, Nolan gets to act like an actual dog with other dogs.
To my surprise Jackie’s has decent reviews, and to be fair my dog did seem to like it (he seriously likes everything and everyone though), so I’m giving it 2 stars, despite the owner’s attitude and lousy customer service. This place probably works great if you’ve got a small easily managed dog, or one that’s too old and tired to play much. If your dog likes to run and chase and wrestle, and weighs more than 25 lbs I’d recommend looking elsewhere before you get told your dog isn’t welcome.

I’ve boarded Delilah here a number of times and will continue to do so in the future. The facilities are large and clean, the prices are comparable to others in the area, and my dog always comes back looking happy and exhausted.
Some of the things that others have complained about (strict adherence to rules, dogs not being admitted without proper screening, etc) are actually huge plusses to me. I appreciate that Andrea is thorough, and am comfortable knowing that the dogs Delilah is spending days at a time in close quarters with have been vaccinated properly.
Overall I’ve been very pleased with Jackie’s and would definitely recommend it to friends.

Not open from 10:30am to 2:30pm, so don’t think about picking your dog up at lunch. Given how expensive it is, you’d expect a little more service. A fairly expensive option for adequate treatment.

I absolutely love taking my dog to Jackie s Play and Stay. Andrea always call Bocey (my dog) by name when we walk in, and I get informed of how she did with the other dogs and with following directions when I pick her up. Never mind that she’s so happily exhausted that she sleeps for like a day and a half… I love that she has a safe place to play and learn good interactions between dogs.
Love it!

I can’t even evaluate how my pup liked her experience there, because I never got through the door.
My super-​social dog is home alone most of the day, and I thought I’d check this out one weekday to see how she likes it. Having reviewed their website the night before and liked what I saw, I took Penny with me on my way into the office and stopped by Jackie’s Play and Stay.
Upon arrival I was informed, rather snippily, that they can’t accept walk-​ins, because they don’t have hard copies of their intake forms and these need to be filled out online ahead of time. This is NOWHERE to be found on their Dog Daycare portion of their website. To me, turning away foot traffic is an awfully silly way to run a business, but if that’s how they chose to operate, they should, at a bare minimum, make this explicit on their site. Certainly, I would’ve hoped the woman at the front desk to be slightly more apologetic or accommodating about it.
I might try again, only because this place is so damn convenient to my house and I think Penny’d thrive with some intensive doggie playtime. That being said, I’ve been left with such a sour taste in my mouth that I’m looking into other options around town.
DOUBLE UPDATE: to address the owner comment below, I’d like to add two things: Yes, I understand business of this type require dogs to be current on vaccines. Mine is. I told the woman working I had a copy of my dog’s vet records — provided by my vet — with her vaccine dates, but unless it’s in the proper format submitted online it seems it’s not good enough (?). I’m so glad the owner is on the vanguard of weeding out phony vet records. Data security is important, apparently.
Second, the website is extremely poorly designed if you require your clients to hunt through an over-​crowded FAQ to figure out what has to be done before we can use your service. At least put a link to this part of the FAQs on the doggy daycare section or have a new client page where your policies are front and center. Or, y’know, have paper copies of your intake forms available.
Your answer completely side-​steps the problems encountered with your business in respect to poor customer service and opaque information and policies. I retract the part about trying again at a later date.

I think the owner’s reply speaks for itself — total denial.

I cannot rave enough about this place. We just spent two week in South Asia and was super worried about my dog. Before leaving, I had nightmares of her feeling abandoned or something happening when I was 21+ hours away. Jackie was able to calm my nerves by responding to my neurotic e-​mails about Sophia (my dog) within 24 hours of me e-​mailing. She usually responded within 2 hours of e-​mailing. When we picked her up, Sophia was crazy happy to see me. I could tell she had an amazing time because she’s been passed out since she came home.
Absolutely great.

Seems like a nice place; new facility, nice owners.
Problems: dogs are not separated into groups by size; this is a no-​brainer. Dogs are instead separated into large groups of 15 dogs by no criteria whatsoever… that’s asking for your small or midsize animal to get hurt or scared by that large bonehead dog (whose owners’ money is just as green).
And most unfortunately, no webcam. No webcam, no deal. What doggie daycare in the 21^st century doesn’t offer webcam? It’s simple and costs next-​to-​nothing to install, and owners can feel comfortable watching their dogs play while at work/​home/​etc. Any daycare that refuses to do this simply does not want any oversight, which gives one a bad feeling… Not good. Your dog can’t tell you if something bad happens; you are completely in the dark.

Jackie’s Play and Stay is AMAZING!!! My little munchkin came back from doggie daycare happy and exhausted. I had to board her a few days later and she was so happy to see all her buddies!!! My dog has historically not played well with other dogs, but after going to Jackie’s, she’s so relaxed and playful with other dogs! I would definitely recommend Jackie’s to other dog parents. Thank you Andrea and staff for providing such a wonderful facility. I have such peace of mind knowing I can leave my Tess with such wonderful and caring
people!!!

We recently boarded our two dogs here, after we purchased a groupon online. We were very disappointed with our experience here. The owner seemed rude, unfriendly and unhelpful. She was reluctant to let us tour the complete facility which itself was a red flag. The worst part is that one of our dogs came home with a wound on his belly. The owner as expected completely denied any knowledge of it. A wound this big definitely would have made our dog Unilocal during the incident, which should have prompted them to check him out properly.
After this traumatic experience we will never go back there. The owner needs to work on her people skills so clients feel comfortable leaving their loved ones in her care. We definitely got a very negative attitude from her.