Fenway Bark

We bring our French bulldog Louie here once a week for daycare. When we ask Louie «do u want to go to daycare?!» He freaks out (in a good way, wagging his butt and running to the door!) They are always very accommodating if we are running late (past 8pm) and I always see lots of pics from his day! There is definitely a dog smell when you walk in, but it is clean and the dogs are well taken care of. A tired pup is a happy pup!

I had an appointment to take my dog here for a behavior assessment before having him potentially be boarded here for an overnight trip my husband and I have coming up. Even when I first pulled into the parking lot I had an icky feeling and the place looked disgusting from the outside. Once I brought my dog inside we were hit with an absolutely horrendous smell of urine and who knows what else. The dogs were all crowded in a minuscule play area. The place looked NOTHING like the pictures on the website. And on top of that, the person running the front desk could not have been ruder. I don’t know how they are even still allowed to be open. I didn’t even stay for the assessment as it was so disgusting and eery. I walked right out and urge anyone looking for boarding to look elsewhere if possible.

My dog has been going to Fenway Bark every day for 1.5 years. He is so excited to go every day that he runs to the door and scratches to be let in. The people that work there are always friendly and accommodating. They are very attentive to my dog. They take time to understand each dog’s individual personalities. They also donate space, food and time to shelter rescue dogs which I think is very admirable. I’ve had several bad experiences at another local day care, but I’ve had nothing but consistently positive experiences at Fenway Bark. 5 stars for Fenway Bark!

Our pup, Shaggy Dog, has been going to Fenway Bark for months now. To say he loves it is an understatement! The second we turn onto 1^st Street, Shaggy knows exactly where he is going and starts getting extremely excited! He literally drags us into the building! The staff has always been super accommodating (not supplying Shaggy treats because of stomach issues, letting us make last minute reservations, and giving us full updates on his day).
The facilities are exactly what a pup needs when going to day care. A big pen to play in with plenty of dog friends. Shaggy comes home each time he is at Fenway Bark completely exhausted and fully exercised.
We are so happy with out decision to send our dog to Fenway Bark. So far we really do not have any complaints!

Harry and Hermione loved their 4 night stay!

We left our miniature dachshund with Fenway Bark in July 2013 for a week. The first thing we noticed was that the facilities felt hot and muggy, and definitely a strong odor. However, what bothered us the most was the fact that our dog had bloody diarrhea and was noticeably skittish after picking her up.
Fenway Bark showed some concern, but only AFTER I brought this up to them. These symptoms don’t show up magically when owners pick up the dog; I am sure my dog was having bloody stool while staying there, but Fenway Bark did not alert us, and feigned ignorance. In fact… it’s probably worse if they genuinely did not notice something like this.
So, I would NOT recommend this location, but with a few caveats. My dog is small, well-​trained, and does not react well to dogs that may be a little «wilder». If your dog can take care of itself, then probably it’ll do fine at Fenway Bark. However, if you have a small breed dog without that «alpha» personality, I would urge you to pass on this place.
This was a 1-​star review, but I’m bumping it up to 2 since it’s been 2 years since I’ve been a customer, and am giving the benefit of doubt to Fenway Bark in light of recent good reviews.

I have been meaning to write a review for a while about Fenway Bark. They are excellent and I feel very safe and secure boarding and leaving my dog Goji here for daycare. I am so happy they are here for me! No complaints here. Thank you!

the staff always takes such great care of our little boy Jacks. they are very attentive and quick to fix an issue when it comes up. we rely on them all the time and think they’re great. we use a walker daily as well and fenway bark for late night or boarding. i would definitely recommend.

As the assistant Director of Great Dog Rescue I can not say enough nice things about Jane and her staff at Fenway Bark. They often take in to foster our pups and adults waiting for good homes and give of their own time, money and love to help us place these dogs in loving forever homes.
As a dog lover/​dog owner… I can not think of any better choice than having my pet in a place where the people have big hearts and care for the dog as their own!

i put a deposit down for a stay in December, around Christmas. I called to get the deposit back on November 14^th, and I still have not received it. I have called over 14 times, asking why the deposit has not been returned, and each time, they say ooo we will try it again, and then a week passes and NOTHING. I ask for them to return my calls, and NO ONE DOES.
o and last time i picked up my dog from this place, november, he was CAKED in poop.
DO NOT TAKE YOUR DOG HERE.

So great.
My friends were getting married this weekend and there was no one left to watch their adorable dog who I am crazy about. I read a lot of the reviews about this place and really wanted to check it out. They recently moved to a different location in the seaport and have been in a smaller warehouse building for a few months. It’s a little funky on the outside but well lit and clean inside. As soon as I walked in I saw one of the day care guys cuddling a big white and tan spotted English setter (one of my favorite dogs) on his lap it was just adorable. The dog could not have been any happier. All the big ones seemed to have huge smiles on their faces I swear to God! They were running around and wrestling and having a ball. The little dogs were on the other side of a solid fence in their own play room, but you could still see in through the glass wall. A young hipster girl was holding 2 tiny dogs on her lap that were sound asleep. There were 4 little beds for the peewee pups to chill out. They get a chance to snuggle and nap with their friends. Why didn’t anyone else think of this idea? OMG I so want to work there. The dogs seemed to be so happy, and the people obviously love the dogs. It was so sweet to see. The kennel sleeping area is in the back and all the little glass rooms were in different sizes for different kinds of dogs. Very cool. Everything was clean and there were no bad smells. The man showed us where they make all the meals for the dogs and it was totally organized and they have double checks to keep it all straight so all the dogs get the right food. They have a groomer, and she was busy giving a dog a bath and there was another one in the hair dryer thing when I looked in. All of the people we met were really nice and it has a positive vibe about it. I know I’ll bring my dog there when I have to leave town on a trip. I totally get why they get such crazy good reviews.

I don’t really get why people love it here so much.
I tried, and only received unprofessionalism and indifference.
After having called Fenway Bark to express my unhappiness, I have not received any answers or attempt in trying to make things better… I haven’t even been sent my itemized bill!
First off: maybe you should have ALL OF YOUR EMPLOYEES be knowledgable and fully trained as you DO advertise as being a 24-​hr facility.
I was charged for a bigger sized kennel for my two dogs when I had originally booked something else but only found out as I dropped my pups off on the way to the airport. I should have been notified beforehand. Period.
Also got hit with a «hidden» medicine fee that multiple people failed to alert me of. They simply charged my credit card again without any authorization. I understand the charge but not the way that it was administered.
Also I am waiting for a refund for 1 night of boarding, as I picked my dogs up early… the numbers are not quite adding up: as stated above, I have NOT RECEIVED AN ITEMIZED BILL.
As I write this I just become more and more furious.
And as a side note each time I called no one could really tell me anything about my dogs… they need to do a better job of gaining clients versus only focusing on their regular clients. I felt very isolated from the fenway bark family. I was always met with indifference… No one was even excited about the dogs. It was all business. I was not even permitted to say goodbye to my dogs.
I will never be back, and I will never recommend them to anyone.

I could go on and on about the great care Fenway Bark has provided to my dog, but I’ll try to keep it short and to the point!
Annie has been going to daycare and boarding for the past year and a half since I adopted her. She was an unsocialized, very scared rescue dog. The staff took their time getting to know her and letting her adjust to them. They made sure she was enjoying interactions with people and dogs, rather than cowering from them. I was (and still am) an overprotective dog momma, and I felt immediately comfortable with the entire staff.
I had been meaning to write a review for a while, but an event this past week finally put the pen to the paper. 3am on Monday I had to make an unexpected trip to the ER with appendicitis. Not knowing how long I would be away from home, I called Fenway Bark to see if I could drop Annie off on my way. Mike promptly answered the phone and assured me it was no inconvenience — that’s why they are there 24÷7÷365. I had peace of mind while in the hospital knowing Annie was having fun and being cared for by her second family. Try to find another daycare or boarding facility that will take your dog unannounced at 3am… I bet you can’t!

Travelled from NY for the weekend and was nervous finding somewhere in Boston that would board my dog, nonetheless, for the first time.
Jordan was so helpful and informative on the phone and by the time we got to Boston, she did a quick but through evaluation and my pup passed the test in time for me to attend an event.
I asked for photos and received two over the course of the weekend. They also informed me how they changed her play group to one more suitable.
I’ll definitely use them again when I am in the area.
ps– Danika was great too! Thanks

Still on the search for a good place to board my dog after a short stay a while ago at Fenway Bark. We had used Red Dog, but it was so expensive we wanted to explore other options, especially since we weren’t too impressed with it.
We enter, and it’s loud, high-​energy (not unheard of in a dog place, of course), and smelled like urine (not so pleasing). We wait a bit for someone to come over and speak with us. They do a quick behavior assessment (which was just questions about the dog), and then bring we our dog over to the kennel where he will stay. From my perspective, I found the people that work here are a bit awkward and were not very welcoming. They didn’t seem interested in meeting my dog and they weren’t adept at calming him down (He was extremely anxious). For example, the person who was holding our dog placed him down in the kennel and dropped him on his back when he was squiggling.
A few minutes later, (less than five), I called back because I forgot to tell them a detail of his feeding. When they picked up the phone, I explained it, and had to explain it twice, because the woman had no recollection that we just dropped our dog off. They didn’t make a note of what I had asked, because he came back with both bones we left him, and had instructed he get the night before.
Our dog came back alive, which is all that really matters. I couldn’t wait to get him out and I felt so guilty for leaving him there, scared, all night. My dog had to pee and go to the bathroom a lot after leaving, and he was so anxious it took him a day to calm down. There was nothing that overtly impressed us enough that would justify another stay here and validate the cost of it. I also did not care for the management, and how they handle themselves and deal with customers and critiques. Just take a look at their response to any sort of criticism on Unilocal.I think that speaks volumes about the quality of people running a business.
Also, owners, please do not respond to this review as we will not be back.

I was first introduced to Jane and Jim when I brought home my golden retriever puppy last year. I had scoured the internet trying to find the right place where I could board her when I traveled. I visited a few places, but they all made me feel nervous about leaving her. Then I walked into Fenway Bark…
I was greeted by Jim and given a tour. With the giant lawn, open air environment, and dogbone shaped wading pool — it was already hands down better than any of the other places in the area. After a tour, I knew it was the place for me to feel comfortable leaving my new puppy when she was old enough to come.
A year later, I use Fenway Bark whenever I have boarding or daycare needs and I’m so very grateful that Jane and team are there!
Pros: safe, clean, quality space and care, associated with South Boston Animal Hospital (great for locals like me!), FUN!, and great community involvement
Cons: price — definitely expensive but it’s the city and it’s clearly targeting the demographic of owners who will pay the extra $$ for their pets (I mean Skype cams in the boarding rooms!!! :), and I will say that while still cleaner than the other facilities I’ve checked out– the facility isn’t quite as clean or as organized as it was a year ago… not sure why…
Overall — four stars! I love it. I went with 4 instead of 5 right now because of the cleaniness concern, but still paws and hands down the best place in Boston to take your pet!

After reading the reviews on Unilocal,we decided to bring our two dogs for a weekend stay at Fenway Bark while out of town for 3 – 4 days. It’s a little tough to find at first and we spent over 30 minutes looking for it. Best advice I can give locating it is turn left before the ramp going upwards and drive all the way to the end of the dock, passing all the loading bays and diesels and it’s the last door on the right. Zoning or building regulations prevent them from having large signage on the facility. They also have a loading-​bay door open to allow fresh air into the building.
The interior is HUGE and has a massage room, pet store and sitting area in addition to all the kennels and play areas. One of the selling points of FB is that they take the dogs out to play in the common area during the day. The pool in the large dog are made me wish our dogs were bigger because it looked fun! We browsed the store and they had many varieties of premium foods, toys, treats and other items at comparable and sometimes lower prices. I felt more confident purchasing chew items because Jane assured me none of the food-​products she carried came from China.
The staff is friendly and welcoming and we didn’t feel they were eager to do whatever it took to ‘get us in’ and charge every penny possible. We spoke primarily with the owner, Jane who gave us a showing. There were some urine puddles from excited dogs, but the facility is fairly clean and not too smelly considering it’s indoors. After the behavior assessment and tour, I purchased a 15-​day package on their smallest kennel to obtain a 20% discount at the cost of around $ 1300.00 base not counting any extras.
The billing process confused and aggravated me because upon entering the charges and so-​on, I learned they charged my card almost $ 200 the prior evening when I called to schedule a behavioral assessment, tour and reserve a kennel if it were a fit. I wasn’t informed charges were going to made (–1 star). Jane said she would apply the deposit amount to the balance. I asked if I needed to sign an authorization for the charges they made to my card the previous day and was told no. They also printed out tags to place on the collars of the dogs and the bag containing their belongings. I wrote direction on each container of food with instructions and purchased several chew items and a Kong ball.
My partner called the next day for a check up and a few hours later they sent photos to our phones of our dogs playing in the common area with other dogs, which helped allay anxieties.
When I returned for pickup, I was told nothing needed to be done and wasn’t given an itemized receipt with the remaining days balance. I’m forgetful and like to stay organized, so having itemized information provided would be appreciated as a customer. I brought over 10 days of food for our Brussels Griffon and 6 for our Yorkie — both were completely empty. Both dogs, the bedding and toys smelled REALLY bad of urine and other biological smells (–0.5 star). Within steps of exited the premises, my older dog urinated and defecated all over the place, which worried me that he hadn’t eliminated in a while (–0.5 star). I had to shampoo them multiple times to get the bad smell out and washed everything left there.
I also noticed the pink vest-​harness we brought with the Yorkie wasn’t included with their bag. I called yesterday afternoon (same day as checkout) and was told they would look and call me back but no one has called me back like they said they would (–0.5 star).
Overall this is a good place and is a great opportunity for your furry ones to play and socialize with other dogs. Jane and her team are great about enforcing vaccinations, negative fecal tests and temperaments of the animals PRIOR to integrating them in the public setting. Fenway Bark is one of the best pet boarding and daycare facilities in the Boston area.

We boarded Sammy for 3 nights the past weekend and couldn’t have been happier with Fenway Bark. I appreciated their willingness to indulge my daily check-​in calls and even more so their candidness with how things were going.
Our little guy wasn’t jazzed on group play the first day but it apparently grew on him because he came home happy, clean and EXHAUSTED. Although I agree that it’s a bit pricey, I loved knowing that I could depend on 24-​hour attention and a state of the art facility.
We were so pleased with Sammy’s stay at Fenway Bark that we are looking into daycare and definitely checking out the Saturday K9 Klatch.
Thanks, y’all!

[My previous review was caught by the filter, so this is a rewrite which will hopefully pass Unilocal muster.
I’m in the process of visiting new doggie daycares; my work hours have changed and so I sadly won’t be able to continue to bring my puppy to the awesome daycare she now attends. I made a list of some things that are important to me, for my puppy’s wellbeing, and now I’m comparison shopping.
Reading other Fenway Bark reviews, there seems to be a theme that negative reviews are not addressed by management (i.e., specific constructive response to specific customer concern), rather management seems to personally attack the customer. As someone who has worked in customer service & retail, and a prospective Fenway Bark customer, they should know that is very unprofessional and makes complaints look MORE valid, not less.]
First impressions: strong scent of urine; just 2 employees visible, both so uninterested in customers that I had to finally ask one of them if they worked there. The first thing she did, before asking about my dog or talking about FB daycare was to bust out their price list.
I got a brief tour of the facility, stepping around puddles of urine. We looked in on 1 moderate sized (maybe 25’x25’) astroturfed play area in front; 1 room a little smaller in the back, with used piddle pads and slippery linoleum floor; 1 small (12’x16’) playpen that was out of commission; and 1 astroturfed playpen maybe 15’x20’. So only indoor play areas, no outdoor. Given the urine smell, it might be hard for housetrained dogs to figure out the potty situation.
There weren’t many dogs there, and when I asked, she told me that they have about 45 dogs in daycare on a given day. Seemed like less than half that on my visit. I was told the FB staff have breaks 3 times a day, during which the daycare dogs are put in kennels. The kennels for medium to large dogs have no ceilings (i.e., open to the noises from the whole warehouse). The whole facility lies in the Logan flight path and they open the warehouse doors on nicer days, so with the trucks & the planes, the place is extremely loud. My puppy is a 9 month old rescue, and would probably not be able to handle all the noise.
Over the whole visit, neither of the 2 visible employees expressed any interest in animals, enthusiasm for the facility, or curiosity about my puppy & what I was looking for. I also didn’t see anyone initiating any interaction with any of the dogs.
In fact, instead of volunteering to answer more questions, the tour ended at the register (!) where we were given the hard sell on a 3 day daycare package available at that price only if we bought then, before the employee asked if we were interested. We were *never* asked if we were interested. And if I was interested, I would have started with a half-​day, after a temperament test.
In her previous response, Jane (I guess the owner) accused me of being a spy for the competition (!). I guess it was because I took notes, because I’m comparing different daycares. My puppy is super-​important to me & I would only send her to a place I felt good about. A lot of dog owners feel that way.
My final impressions of Fenway Bark: dirty facility; on the small side; no outdoor access; very noisy; not many daycare regulars, so few play configurations; bored-​to-​rude staff; VERY high prices for a low-​quality facility. We’ll take our puppy somewhere else.

Fenway Bark is like a five star hotel for your dog! When we took Gomer in for his interview Jane (who is amazing) took us on a tour of the facility and explained the different boarding options and add on’s available. I fell in love with FB immedietely b/​c you can tell Jane and the rest of the staff really care about your dog.
Day Care– My husband and me have dropped Gomer off several times for doggie day care and Fenway Bark is AWESOME! Sometimes we have long days in the city and can’t pick Gomer up till 9 and since Fenway bark is staffed ²⁴⁄₇ it isn’t a problem picking him up that late (other facilities are not staffed ²⁴⁄₇ and close at 7, which is an inconveinance to our schedule).
Boarding– We were a little nervous having Gomer boarded since it was his first time and sometimes he has seperation anxiety. When we reserved his boarding we booked one of the luxury Skype suites b/​c we wanted to check in on him and thought it was funny we could watch him whenever we wanted. I LOVED THE SKYPE FEATURE. As soon as we got past airport security we called and there he was on our phone just hanging out. We called several other times throughout the day and he was gone the majority of the time which was fine b/​c we knew he was out playing with the other dogs. When we picked him up he seemed really happy! Some dogs misbehave or get depressed after boarding and that wasn’t the case with Gomer. He didn’t have any accidents and acted like his usual self when we got back home.
We’ve had nothinhg but great experiences with Fenway Bark and will continue to come back!