Buddies K9 Care

Buddies have looked after our dogs for almost two years now and our boys love Sam and JJ! Sam always accommodates our last minute boarding or walking requirements because because that's just the kind of person she is. IWe wouldn't leave tour dogs with anyone else now as they are happy seeing JJ for their walks and he genuinely cares for them which is a huge weight off our minds. Buddies Groom Room is an added bonus for us as we can keep everything in one place and we don't have to look for a separate groomer. We would recommend Sam and JJ to anyone and 5 stars just isn't enough! Tanks guys for everything you do for us.
Feb 3rd, 2021

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Reliability, Responsiveness, Value
May 23rd, 2020

We adopted our greyhound Sable in Aug 19, and needed a dog walker that was local & reliable. Sam (the owner) came over the weekend we brought Sable home so we could meet her. We were happy to leave Sable in her care. However, at the end of the meet, she told us that her son JJ would be walking her, rather than herself. I hadnt met JJ so was disappointed, but luckily Id taken Monday off work so had a chance to meet him. Wed been told by the rescue centre to muzzle Sable until we get to know her better. I asked JJ to muzzle her & he took it with him & told me hed put it on her once outside. When they came back after 30mins the muzzle was still in his pocket and I had to remind him to give it back, so he hadnt put it on. I then called Sam to ask why JJ thought she was only booked in for 30mins, & she admitted it was her mistake & shed booked her in for solo walks instead of a group walk (which was an hour). Going forward she would be walked in a group, & a toilet break pop in in the afternoon. I installed a camera to check that Sable was okay throughout the day, so I was also able to see when she went for her walk. On 3rd Sept, it got to 12 & JJ hadnt been in yet so I messaged Sam to ask when JJ would be in. I was told he came in at 11.15. This was not true as I could still see her on the camera at 11.30. But I just thought hed forgotten. Then on 5th Sept JJ didnt come in in the afternoon. I messaged Sam and asked if JJ came in, but she responded with she wasnt sure & he was driving now so she couldnt ask him. This happened on a few occasions where it seems they forgot. Another issue was Sam would nearly always ignore my texts. Things continued, and by Dec, Sables walks had gone from 1 hr to 30/25 mins. We werent told of the change in walk times. This included the time taken to put her harness & coat on. By Jan, JJ had stopped coming in in the afternoon & it meant that Sable was going 7+ hours without a toilet break, which wasnt fair. Shed also gotten into the habit of toileting on the floor as she couldnt hold it any longer. On 15th Jan we came home to more accidents on the floor. I asked Sam if JJ had been in in the afternoon but the text got ignored. She then texted on 20th Jan to ask what days Sable needed walking so I asked her for a response about JJ. She came back by saying JJ had let her out at 2.30. This was not true. Then on 27th Jan, he forgot again. I once again texted Sam to ask where JJ was but no reply. Then on 29th Jan at 8.30 Sable pulled a bag off a chair & bashed our solid coffee table which then knocked it over. I had ceramic bowls on the table which smashed. At 11 JJ arrived and took her on a walk but he may not have seen the damage. However, at 3.40 JJ walked into the lounge and saw the damage. JJ moved the table away to inspect the pieces but didnt pick any of it up, so it meant if Sable jumped off the sofa, she wouldve landed her front paws on them & couldve really cut herself. I dont expect JJ or any dog walker to clean up my house if my dog has been destructive but I DO expect my house to be left in a safe condition if a danger has been spotted. I asked Sam why the ceramic was left, & her response was that they are not responsible to ensure my house is safe when I leave my dog, and they were also short on time that day, so couldnt pick the smashed bits up. Whilst I agree that any house should be dog-proofed before leaving a dog unattended, a ceramic bowl on a table was not seen to be an issue. It was an accident & it would have taken JJ 1min to clear up the pieces as they were large. My main issue was lack of communication. If JJ couldnt spare 1 min to pick up the smashed pieces, then a text to let me know of the situation was needed. I couldve asked my neighbour to pop in and pick it up, or come home as I work 10 mins away. I wouldve been very happy with 5 mins being knocked off my dog walk if thats what it took. I could deal with the unreliability and lack of responses but when it comes to my dogs safety, there can be no compromises.
May 16th, 2020