Home Away From Home

First off I’d like to say that my dog has stayed here 2 times before, and both times I was unimpressed with the lack of circulation in the facility. They did have fans blasting but no windows open it was HOT there mid summer. I am appalled at all these 5 star reviews on this. Obviously the owner has a lot of friends and i’ll most likely get death threats because of this honest review. As it is common local knowledge that there was a fire in this facility where 15 dogs lost their lives in July. The owner had left the facility leaving the dogs that owners paid for daycare for alone trapped in crates with a faulty dryer on which started the fire. The owner made a horrible mistake that I am sure that can happen to anyone. But he is planning to reopen with NO MONITORED FIRE ALARMS. I have had my dog stay here a year ago and took the tour, and it haunts me to think those dogs suffered because of his really dumb mistake.
If you are a responsible dog owner– MAKE SURE YOU ASK IF HE HAS ANY KIND OF FIRE SUPPRESSION OR MONITORED FIRE ALARMS BEFORE YOU LEAVE YOUR DOG– Even if its just for grooming.

Took my very, very, puppy-​like 8 year old mutt and my boyfriends very «perfect» border collie on short notice so we could be tourists.
Joel was happy to take them in, keep them separate from other dogs (since my mutt can be a little aggro with other dogs).
Price was fair, we weren’t gone very long since I’m a crazy person with separation anxiety from my muffin — Tino and Lola got to play around and take a dip in some water. They looked pretty happy when I went to pick them up. Happy when my puddings are happy.
Above that, when I picked them up, Joel told me Tino, i.e., the monster mutt, was perfectly behaved and a total cuddle butt while my boyfriends super well behaved dog barked the whole time — hahahaha — basically made this entire night my favorite night ever as I rub in how great my bear is!
Joel was super helpful in getting us to his shop, to our very touristy destination, and back to our campsite.
100% happy with this business! Wish he was local to us in San Diego, and obviously, if ever in need of a doggy day care when we’re back up here, we know exactly where to go.
Thanks for everything!!! You’re a true dog lover and it shows. :]

Took my dog twice and regret both. The first time he stayed for 10 days and lost almost 12 pounds. Rather than call me and let me know, they actually cut his food down because he was having occasional fecal problems. The second time, the place caught fire due to a faulty fan and killed every dog in there but mine, though he had horrible smoke inhalation issues ever since and the owners, after paying initial vet bills, wanted to believe that any continued issues were entirely unrelated and therefore not their responsibility.
Additionally, we know a few other owners who lost their dogs and didn’t get so much as a phone call. They received no offer of compensation despite the owners receiving up to 1k per dog. It’d just sad that this company that claimed to love pets so much did such a poor job with follow up and making amends.
Still no word if they have installed sprinklers yet, either.

We got married in carmel and joel and his daughter did an amazing job helping ue take care of our pups. When we first came down and met with them we sensed nothing but caring and love for the animals he takes care of. I would recommend them to anyone that is looking for someone that truly loves what he does… thanks

The only person who will love and care for your pet better than you is Joel, the owner of Home Away From Home. I have been taking my dogs there for years and Joel and his staff are very friendly, anticipate my needs and really really love my dogs, Dinah and Max. The grooming services and the walking are first rate too. If you want peace of mind when your pets are not with you, call Joel at HAH.

TOP NOTCH CARE. There is no other place I would want to take my dog. These folks are the greatest! Joel and his staff genuinely care for Ceci like she was their own. I have been using Home Away From Home for daycare and for short-​term and extended kenneling for five years. My dog looks forward to Fridays (our daycare day) and always comes home exhausted with a «smile» on her face! Kennelling is extremely easy. Home Away From Home offers grooming too, so that you can pick up you sweet-​smelling friend after a week of vacation/​work. And finally, I have to say this again: The staff is the best! They greet us with a great attitude every time and are helpful and just seem to really love what they do. Highly recommend!

I am an obsessed owner of an older Great Dane. She is my world and won’t even leave her with my family. I leave her with the team at Home Away because she has exhibited many times to me her connection with the owner and his staff. If you are an owner of a dog, you learn to trust the instincts of your pet. Whether I am having her groomed, day cared or boarded for an extended period, she is always cared for, happy and healthy when I return. My other girl, Sissy, a tiny Yorkie was just as happy with Home Away when she was with us. Many many years Joel Jensen has given us excellent service.

Love this place. Joel and his staff are honestly the best care takers and just so kind. I really hope they reopen after the incident and continue to provide the outstanding service they are known for.

We have a brand new puppy and the misfortune of staying in one of the few hotels in the Carmel/​Monterey area that is not dog-​friendly. What to do?
Home Away from Home Pet Spa to the rescue! Joel, John and the whole group made us wonder who was having a better time… us or our puppy. He was boarded with a group of puppies and just thrived. One morning we were greeted with photos of our dog sleeping in the owners bed! It seems our little pup was too cute and had to go home and visit the family. They could not have been more accommodating: special diet? No problem. Want to play with the dog all day and bring him in for the night? No problem. They turned a problem into a worry-​free solution.
I’m trying to find something to say where they were just average so that my review seems more honest, but I just can’t think of anything.
Thank you Joel and company for saving our vacation… and our dog’s too!

We have been thrilled w the service that both we and our dog Rocky have received. The folks at HAFH love all the animals they care for, are flexible w pick up times, do a great job with pet grooming and care and we are grateful they’re just a mile from our home! We are grateful for their services and the care they take to run a top notch business. You guys rock!

Can’t say enough good things about Home Away from Home. I have taken my dogs there a few times for daycare and boarding, and they always come back tired and happy. I recently visited because I am doing a pet-​related marketing research project. Joel took the time to answer all my questions even though he was running out the door, and frankly had nothing to gain by helping me out with this assignment. The feedback I got from him was some of the most useful feedback I received throughout all my marketing interviews.
Joel and his team also have a lot of integrity. The very first time I boarded my two dogs for a weekend there, a staff member accidentally mixed up my dogs’ food, causing one of them some tummy troubles. I found this out the day I went to pick them up. Joel was very upset about the incident, and took it extremely seriously. He had just found out about the incident himself, and notified me as soon as he could. He rectified the situation my waiving my entire boarding fee, and refused to charge me even when I offered to pay half. This was the most wonderful act of client service I had experienced in a long time. It does not upset me that the staff made a mistake – everyone makes mistakes. What matters to me is that the error was handled with integrity, and with the clients’ best interests in mind. I was impressed and felt comfortable enough to take my dogs back to be boarded the following Christmas (a stay that went smoothly without incident).
This kind of character and dedication is hard to find. It seems like Joel and his team really love what they do, and I recommend them to my military friends frequently. They are conveniently located by NPS and the military’s La Mesa housing, another plus. If you’re looking for pet daycare in the bay area that actually has fair pricing and won’t set you back on your mortgage payments, check out the team at Home Away From Home. Five paws! – Er, stars!

I took my Maltese there to get groomed. I asked for my boy dog to get a light trim (he had a beautiful coat) and my girl dog to be shaved down because we keep her fur very short. I come back and the boys fur has been shaved down with about an inch of fur left and the girl looked as if nothing was done at all. I am not one to complain about services EVER but I had to say something. They only charged me for the boy and said they would call me back to set something up for the other so she could actually get a haircut as promised. They never called me back. This place is obviously just meant for boarding, do NOT trust them for grooming services.

My only regret with Home Away from Home was not finding it sooner. Joel and his team are friendly, professional, welcoming, and just great people all around.
As a Westie owner, grooming is always wildly expensive and it never comes out right. The rates were completely reasonable and the pup looked great! He always struggles with boarding or play days but was always ready to rock at Home Away.
Thank you so much Joel and best of luck to you!

Well. I had to write a review and post a picture of Chloe. I have a real hard time finding someone who will actually do a good job grooming her, she’s a 11 pound poodle and I usually want a poodle cut… I just went pick her up and she looks GORGEOUS! First I was a little afraid because I hardly ever see poodles with actually poodle cuts out in the street. Probably cuz it’s a little old fashion lol and pretty difficult to do. But when I saw Chloe I was SOOO HAPPY! She looks amazing. The groomer that they have is awesome! She’s a sweet girl and did everything I asked her to do, and did A GREAT JOB!
Joel the owner is an awesome guy, he called me personally every time and took very good care of both of my dogs, Chloe and Chaos. Besides he’s real funny lol. You can definitely tell he loves animals and makes you feel like your dog will be like at home! I would definitely recommend this place!

Talked to Jonathan on the phone/​He was welcoming and interested in caring for my Cairn terrier for the day. When we arrived, Jonathan gently picked him up and hugged and talked to him. My pup immediately relaxed and ignored me. I only used daycare but others said boarding was great.

They watched our dogs for the day so we could visit the aquarium. Convenient location, close to the freeway and cannery row. Reasonable prices and flexible services to meet our needs. Our dogs were not stressed out when we picked them up and we feel they were well cared for.

They did take my dog in for boarding with short notice which was great but we had to pay an extra fee because of the holiday which I thought was a little unnecessary but we were thankful. Our dog seemed to be good after 2 nights there but when we picked him up, his brand new citronella bark collar was missing and I called and left a message about it with no response. They told us to bring it and then don’t return it? Now we have to purchase another one. Not sure I would use them again.

Joel is friendly, helpful and genuinely cares about the dogs. They will visit when we’re in town again.

To make a long story short: I love my dog… he’s my «Lil’ Man»…I had gone to a few «groomers» in the area with high hopes but always came home wanting. When I got my mini-​Aussie, Raglan, back from a day at «Home Away from Home», he looked so good I swear they took a stencil and spray painted him! He looks so sharp! If you love your pet, please do them a favor and bring them here for grooming or day care. My wife and I both commented that this was the first place we had taken him that he actually didn’t want to leave!

I found this place on Unilocal!And im very glad that i chose this establishment to groom my lil shih tzu. I called at 9am and was very happy that i could bring her in right away. Joel (the owner) is very nice and welcoming. He has a real passion for animals. He also brings his ‘kids’ into the spa. Overall i felt very comfortable leaving her in their hands and she didnt mind either :)