Cat Sitters in Windsor Heights, IA

I can’t say enough great things about It’s a Ruff Life! From the moment we walked in, we knew this was the perfect place for our Biscuit. The staff are incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely cares about each dog that walks through their doors. Biscuit always comes home happy and well-exercised after a day at Its a Ruff Life. The facility is clean, spacious, and filled with plenty of toys and activities to keep the dogs entertained. They also have a fantastic outdoor area where the dogs can run and play freely. What really sets It’s a Ruff Life apart is their attention to detail and personalized care. The staff and management took the time to get to know Biscuit’s personality and needs, ensuring that she always feels comfortable and loved. We’ve noticed such a positive change in her behavior and socialization since attending. She even has a “pup squad” full of friends she plays with everyday! If you’re looking for a safe, fun, and loving environment for your dog, I highly recommend It’s a Ruff Life. They truly go above and beyond to provide the best care possible. We couldn’t be happier!

This place is so friendly and makes me feel safe with my pups. My pups love going and have a blast. They provide extra services such as bath and pictures. I highly recommend!

Our two boys love It's a Ruff Life! They stay there only a couple times a year. But, the staff knows them and greets them by name. Great place!

Our dog Sheba had a great time at It’s a Ruff Life. She played all day and was worn out we she returned home. She loved it so much there we had to drag her out the door to leave. This was one of the first times she has ever been boarded and they did a great job. I’m glad she had so much fun she didn’t want to leave. Would definitely recommend to other and will be repeat customers for sure!

We LOVE It's a Ruff Life. Finn, our Wheaten Terrier goes there every time we travel to West Des Moines to shop, eat & play. We can enjoy our day or overnight stay as we are confidant that Finn is being taken care of & loved just as much as us. That is what makes this company a perfect choice for us. We go to the Clive location because they are close to where we shop & play. Thank you It's a Ruff Life for loving our Finn.

We love the staff and the care our dogs get at the Clive location. The dogs are happy and excited when they get to go to Ruff Life. They are well loved while there and I really appreciate the photos they send on snap chat.

Just moving here from out of state we were concerned about finding the same amazing care for our fur baby. Ty and his team at It's A Ruff Life have met and exceeded our exceptions. Chance had a wonderful grooming experience and he just spent his first weekend. When we picked him up he was happy and clean (had another bath). The weekend staff was friendly, and really cared about Chance and his experience. You can tell this is more than a job for them. With all of the chaos around moving, finding Its A Ruff Life gave us a calm in the storm. And Chance has a new family to hang out with.

I have been taking my dogs to It's a Ruff Life in Clive for several years. My dogs love it there. They are very helpful and friendly. I also appreciate their hours (open 7am to 7pm)

We have loved boarding Daisy at It's a Ruff Life! The price is unbeatable with the inclusion of doggie daycare, and the staff clearly love dogs and provide excellent care! I am so happy to have this convenient option as a place for our dog to go. Thank you!

Our dog attends day care here at least three times per week and he loves it! He is a young boxer and has lots of energy and taking him here has been the perfect way for him to burn his energy. Highly recommend!

Camp Bow Wow is great place to bring your dog. There are staff that care about each and every dog personally. My puppy loves to play at camp. She is always so tuckered out! And since all the dogs regularly come to camp she has all her regular friends to play with!

Our dog can get really anxious when we leave him, and to be honest we usually use a pet sitter. However he's stayed at Camp Bow Wow multiple times when our usual people weren't available. I have to say they've done a great job every time and he's been happy and in good spirits whenever we pick him up! We know he's in good hands when he stays here.

Camp Bow Wow is a one stop shop for us - daycare, baths, nail trims etc. Lola loves being dropped off at daycare and we have had nothing but great experiences. The staff is always so friendly and really seems to care. We are so grateful for Camp Bow Wow!

Our dog absolutely adores the staff here. They're extremely accommodating and responsive to late requests. We got to tour their facilities and we can tell why our dog loves it here!

I love Camp Bow Wows in general. This was my first time boarding at West Des Moines (where I was working a conference all week in Altoona), and it was excellent. Love how much supervised play time they get with other dogs. It's really good for our two Jack Russells. I just wish there was one in Louisville!

Camp Bow Wow in West Des Moines has been a second home for our two dogs. The camp counselors are great and so kind to our dogs. Also love getting updates/photos from the camp counselors about our dogs, too.

I love taking my dog to CBW. The staff are friendly & efficient at drop-off and pick-up. I enjoy being able to check in on my pup using the cameras. The staff in the play rooms can be seen interacting with the dogs who are separated by size & activity level. The lobby is clean and the playrooms appear to be clean as well. My dog always comes home absolutely wiped out from her day at CBW.

Camp Bow Wow takes great care of our puppers when we need to kennel her for a few days. The video cameras allow me to see how much fun she's having. CBW is always clean and taken care of. The people working are friendly and truly seem to care for our pets!

Our girl ruby loves bowow. She goes about 3x a week and always comes home at the end of the week tuckered. She’s made lotsa friends and has really come out of her shell since starting to go a few months ago. The cams are awesome and other services they offer are too. She gets a bath at the end of the week and usually one of the other services once in a while too. Wife loves the photo sessions they do during special events. Manager and owners are super friendly too.

My dog absolutely loves her days here!!! The staff is amazing and I never have to worry when she is spending the day at Camp!! Hours are so accommodating and drop off and pick up is so easy and quick!! Big thumbs up!!

This place is owned by our veterinarian. That's how we found out about it. They are all absolutely wonderful people. My dogs seemed to genuinely enjoy it there. We will absolutely use them again when we need to leave town.

I’ve boarded both of my dogs as well as one of my cats at Wil-a-lo several times, and have always been absolutely satisfied with their customer service. My dogs enjoy their stay, so much so that the older one doesn’t want to leave with me when I pick her up. But most important is their attention to detail- my cat will ingest bedding, blankets, potty pads, toys, etc. when left to his own devices. So it is absolutely imperative that the boarding facility understands this caveat, and I’m so happy that Wil-a-lo does. Peace of mind while vacationing = worth every penny.

TLDR: Amazing service and prices. You’ll get more out of the experience and so will your pet if you request the play sessions and outdoor nature walks.

Great place and very welcoming, I was able to find the place easily as they had a sign jutted out for people to see before they enter the kennel area. *Note*- I parked in the first driveway as it might be hard to maneuver your car if you parked right next to the kennels area but it was a very short walk. The staff was welcoming and kind. I loved that they are open for two hours on Sunday for us to pick up our dogs instead of waiting the next day. They offer nature walks for a reasonable price ( I paid for one walk for 16 dollars- 8 dollars per dog) and the dog's kennels go out to the backyard. I was not able to see the backyard in whole- just briefly, and it looked fine from that brief moment. I would come back again. I posted 4/5 as I have to go back several times to give it a "in-depth" review but overall, a great first impression.

Upon picking up my dog, I was handed a misshapen, soiled dog bed. When I asked what happened the young girl first told me my dog was chewing on it so it was taken out of her cage. When I asked if my dog been without a bed for the entire weekend she changed her story to say that she had just now taken out the bed because I was coming to pick up the dog. When I asked why it was soiled, she said it was possible that my dog had stepped in her own poo and then laid down. When I asked how my dog would have been in a scenario that there was enough of her own poo to step in, she changed her story to say that it had been raining and it was mud, though the dog bed did not smell like mud. For food, I had filled up a pail with ~6cups of food for the weekend with instructions to feed her a half cup in the morning and evening. The pail was returned to me empty even though she should have only eaten 2 cups in the duration of her stay. Lastly, my dog had a scrape on her nose. When I asked the owner for an explanation he said this wasn't unusual for a first stay, he didn't know what the dog was supposed to be fed (despite the note in plain sight on the pail) and that if I got my dog back without any illnesses I should be satisfied. Needless to say, I was not. I would not recommend this kennel to anyone and don't know how they've managed to stay in business. A couple weeks after posting this my dog got a staph infection that I can only link to Wil a Lo. When I wrote to the kennel owner to ask for a refund for our stay, he replied that he would consider refunding me if I took down this review. Needless to say, the money is not as important to me as letting others know my experience so they can avoid this establishment.

We started boarding our mini aussie here just a month back. Our dog is extremely anxious and we have struggled boarding him due to his reactivity to fear. Morgan at Wil-A-Lo was completely understanding and patient of our situation. She didn't make me feel bad about our request to have him boarded and specific requirements due to his anxiety. She has been a life-saver and I would recommend their care to anyone boarding their furbaby

They took great care of my dogs

I'm VERY disappointed with Wil-A-Lo Kennels today. When i got there thd music was full blast! My husband asked if they could get our dog's nails trimmed and if they could feed him and they didn't. The bag with his stuff was put who knows where, they didn't even know. I've taken my dog there before and I NEVER get a report of how he did but today the lady there saw my disappointment and said he had sooooo much fun, etc... Yet she didn't know anything about what we had asked. All they had to say was No we can't do that or no we don't have room for your dog. Now I'm questioning the other times I've taken my dog there.

My fur babies are excited when we show up. They are very comfortable with the staff. The staff is great and I feel my fur babies are well cared for.

Really attuned to behavior and needs of animals. My pup is always excited when he arrives and he literally hugs staff goodbye when he leaves. They are excellent.

All of the staff welcome me and both of my dogs like family every time we walk in. Even my normally shy and reserved boy is excited when it’s time to “go to school!” I also love looking through all of the pictures and videos I get every day. Best investment ever, just to send my dogs to day school a couple times a week.

Bark Avenue West Des Moines was wonderful! This was the first time for our poodle, who was a recent rescue and extremely afraid of most people, but Megan was so great. We are extremely pleased and thankful for her fabulous, compassionate care…and her skills are equally appreciated. We will absolutely return and HIGHLY recommend!

Friendly and curious staff. I can tell my dogs like being there, they don't get nervous like going to the vet. I like the name is catchy, my friends like the name also. Have been taking my dogs there many years.

Roscoe has a great time. Staff is always helpful and so kind when dropping him off and picking up. He is alway little nervous and they show him the love he needs. Thank you for taking such good care of our boy.

We love Bark Ave West for grooming! We have taken our mini goldendoodle to other places in the area and he has been shaved, cut and looked like a completely different dog when we picked him up. At Bark Ave he always looks and smells so good (and doesn’t look like a different dog when we pick him up). The staff is always friendly and so good with our pup. Highly recommend if you have any sort of doodle and don’t want to lose that cute, fluffy look!

The only place we will take our dog. He loves the other dogs and the staff are the most accommodating souls around. Highly recommend Bark Ave West!

Anna and the crew are AWESOME. SO SOSOSOSOOOOO friendly and accurately attend to Ivy's needs and want. Great price!!

Nile loves Bark Ave West!! It’s great knowing that he is always in good hand and with people who love him as much as I do. Great 1st day of puppy school!!

It is always a good experience! My dog loves this place, my husband loves this place, I love this place! They even wash his bed for us sometimes.

We've been bringing our dog to daycare here for months and have had nothing but great experiences. He loves going and always comes home exhausted. Plus they often have 'parties' for the dogs and we get hilarious pictures out of it :)

Highly recommend Canine Country club! First time boarding my sweet pup and felt at peace knowing he was well taken care of! I opted for the standard boarding, camera access, and daily pictures and it was very well worth it, since I was gone for a 5 day trip. The staff there are also wonderful and very friendly. Pictures are from his stay 😊

We took our 18 month old Bernese Nova to daycare for the first time today. She got a bath and her nails done while she was there. Staff was very friendly and greeted her by name at drop off even though she was new. Pick up was easy and they sent home a cute first day photo and a report card. She was happy and tired! We will be boarding her for a few days later this week and I'll update with more to review.

Our beautiful girls absolutely adore Canine Country Club! We live over an hour away and this is our number one doggy daycare and boarding! We genuinely can not rave enough about the staff or the facility itself. They truly care about each individual dog and love their jobs just as much! They have unique activities/parties all (usually) month along with special events for certain days to make your dogs stay a little bit more entertaining! They make the cutest crafts for the dogs to go home with for their pawrents! We have a collection started of thoughtful pictures/crafts and even a report card from their first daycare day! Do not make the same mistake as us trying out daycares wasting your furry children’s time as well as your own.. come here first! You will not be disappointed! (Attached are their most recent take home craft from Augusts party as well as them asleep for the whole ride home after being tuckered out from playing with friends all day!)

I had my dog Arlo here while I was at a festival in the area and they were absolutely phenomenal! Im a super anxious dog mom and they soothed all my worries. I got pictures and texts from the team about how he was doing and i was able to watch him on live feed. Im originally from Texas and have boarded my dog down there many times but this experience is by far the best boarding experience Ive ever had. 10/10 recommend❤️ Arlo says thank you for the great care

We absolutely love Canine Country Club! We started coming when my dog was still in a lot of puppy phases and it was a great way to socialize her (even though as a golden, she’s already a social butterfly!) Now Ruthie looks forward to daycare so much that she smiles instantly once she comes in the door. I know the staff loves her like she’s one of their own. They do special parties often and have really amazing add-ons with boarding. We could not be happier coming here and I couldn’t imagine not letting Ruthie have her weekly play dates. Highly recommend them! :)

We and our dog Fiona love CCC. She is always very excited to go and see her friends. It’s a wonderful way to socialize her and helps her burn off her energy!!! Scheduling is very convenient.

We absolutely LOVE canine country club! The staff cares so much for the dogs and it absolutely shows. Our dogs came home smelling amazing too which is rare for a boarding place. The facility is super clean as well. Will for sure be boarding our dogs here every time! Thanks staff at canine! We appreciate you all! 🥰 …

I switched up my career avenue with CCC April 2024 and couldn't be happier! It has been nothing short of wonderful to build relationships with all our babies and their parents! Welcoming them to daycare everyday is so heartwarming and it brings tears to my eyes to be a part of this wonderful Club! Our staff is a bar above the rest and I mean that genuinely (I have always set the standard high regardless where I'm at) and I can proudly say there's no stench of dog whatsoever because everyone does their share. Nobody who works here has it in them to be able to walk past a mess without tending to it. That is a culture I always strived for but couldn't claim until now. If you're searching for someone to drop your babes off with and have a care free day knowing that we are listening to everything the dogs request, tending promptly to every detail, providing you with honest feedback, and exercising them to the fullest potential Canine Country Club is the place to be! Cleanest facility and best price this industry has to offer! Let us love your little! It's a decision you won't regret! Z Landuyt Operations Manager

I have been bringing my bulldog here for three years and have never had an issue! Phenomenal employees make the difference compared to other dog centers. Jesse and Sarah are excellent. They also are flexible with packaging and days you can book with them when it's convenient for you which is why I choose canine country club over others. Attached is a picture of my dog taken by an employee.

The staff are great! Every single member that I’ve had any interaction with has been kind and the whole place blossoms with energy & happiness! If I say doggy daycare in front of Willow at home, she loses her mind with excitement! It’s a 5/5 from me!

Highly recommend! Very friendly and clean everytime I've been there. Maggie is the best! If you have a dog that doesn't like to be groomed she's the one to tackle the job. Always takes the time to talk to you about your dog and what she did during the service.

Beau had a wonderful experience with Maggie! She’s so sweet, takes her time to make sure your dog is having an enjoyable experience, very information and answered any questions or concerns I had.

I can not recommend Kayla highly enough. I am a veterinarian and my pup Daisy is my baby. She is anxious being kenneled or blow dried. When I brought her to Kayla for the first time a few months ago she hadn’t been professionally groomed in 9 months (since we moved to the area) and my baths and brushing weren’t cutting it. Kayla listened to my explanation of Daisy’s quirks with infinite patience and did an amazing job of getting rid of the undercoat that I hadn’t been able to. She even put special earmuffs on her to block out the noise of the dryer! Daisy is just back from her second visit and looking fantastic! I love having her groomed at the start of summer to finish out the spring shedding season. Kayla took excellent care of her once again and it’s obvious that Daisy feels like a million bucks. She’s the only person in town I’ll be bringing my sweet pup to for grooming. Thanks Kayla!

We moved here from out of state 2.5 years ago and have been going to The Barking Lot ever since. The staff takes such good care of our 3 dogs. The prices are reasonable and affordable. We are lucky to have found our dogs home away from home!

Been taking my dog/dogs there for 10yrs now and we never have any problems. Feel very comfortable with there service.

Truly disappointed at the outcome; this was my first time using a groomer and bringing in my fluffy puppy for his first experience being groomed. I was pleased with the greeting and manner we received at check-in. I was asked if I wanted to have my puppy play with other dogs during his visit. I replied with a hearty ‘No, thank you! Absolutely no interaction with other dogs.’ Receiving my puppy back, all appeared to have gone smoothly. I was told that the puppy couldn’t have been more well behaved. The pup looked good, albeit slightly subdued, not running to greet me. Throughout the remainder of the day, the puppy refused to take in any water or food. Strange for this chow-hound! My husband and I took turns watching him overnight, trying to encourage water intake, to no avail. 7am the following day, 24hrs from the time we had dropped him at the groomer, my husband took him to the emergency vet for examination as he had been without food or water too long. Meanwhile, I went back to The Barking Lot in search of security footage. Exam and X-rays showed nothing, so he was sent home with subcutaneous fluids and an injection of anti-inflammatory. Within an hour, the puppy brightened some and was able to take in some water, but no kibble. We tried moist food, anything to get him eating. Nothing. After great delay in accessing security footage, the owner had us come in to review footage. This revealed our puppy on the grooming table in standard slide loop around the neck. But there was another dog, loose in the room. After I had stated ‘absolutely no contact with other dogs.’ The loose pup was allowed to jump up at our puppy, baiting him to play & our pup returned in kind, working hard to pull down on that slide loop and wrench his head side-to-side to see where the loose pup would attack from next. This went on for over 10 minutes, causing enough soft tissue damage that the throat became so swollen and irritated, he was unable to eat or take in water. He had been allowed to essentially strangle himself while two groomers looked on it as ‘play’! It took an additional emergency trip to our vet for more detailed xrays and investigation to find significant swelling to the neck area. It took an additional injection of anti-inflammatory, plus 3 more days of the same in pill format, to bring the swelling down enough to regain his normal water intake, but took the better part of a month to regain the weight lost, return to the regular feed & off canned food. The most disheartening piece of this is how the end result was treated. No offer to apologize, help cover the costs for emergency vet, not so much as a follow-up call to find out how the puppy/client were doing! I hope this helps others make a more informed decision regarding the care given by this establishment.

I've taken my pups there for grooming and boarding for over 10 years. It's easier to go out-of-town when you can tell your pets can't wait to get in the door as you're pulling into the parking lot. Melissa, Abbie, and staff are great!

I have a very Hairy German Shepherd. Kayla did a great job of making sure she gets brushed before bathing and removing as much fur as safely as possible. She does a great job trimming up around her sanitary areas and under belly. Definitely not the cheapest place in town, but I like the way my pup is treated at the facility.

We just got our dog back today from grooming and he looks awesome as always. We asked for his hair to be cut shorter this time, but not buzzed. They did a perfect job. We have tried to do this haircut on him at home, but it doesn’t look even after we do it and we can’t get his hair so incredibly soft like they do. Thanks so much for being the #1 dog grooming and boarding for our family!

The Barking Lot is simply AMAZING! No words can express how thankful I am to have a place I can leave my pups and know that they are in good hands. Melissa and staff are amazing and truly understand dogs of all breeds, temperaments, and personalities. One of my dogs has separation anxiety and the other is a timid rescue. The Barking Lot has done wonders for both separation anxiety and socialization. I always had such anxiety leaving my dogs with other boarding facilities, but now I can go on vacation with absolutely no hesitation because I know my dogs are being loved and cared for as they would be at home. Both pups get excited to go to daycare at The Barking Lot! In addition to the daycare and boarding facilities, the groomers are wonderful. They are incredibly gentle, loving, and do an awesome job at nail trimming! The Barking Lot goes above and beyond, I would never trust my dogs with anyone else! And the facilities are immaculate, always incredibly clean! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

Aunt Abby’s is awesome! Lori, Bethany & Abby were so friendly and helpful throughout our initial meeting and while taking care of our two dogs while on vacation. We can’t thank them enough and would highly recommend them!

Auntie Abby’s Professional Pet Service is everything we were looking for and more in someone watching our fur family! We are very particular about our fur kids! Abby’s staff are professional and love doting on our crew. They go above and beyond to ensure your pets are safe and happy! I love that after each visit there is a detailed report and beautiful pictures of your fur buddies! When there was a concern about two of our dogs we received a call! We could not be happier with Auntie Abby’s Professional Pet Service!

We cannot say enough good things about Auntie Abby’s and the wonderful sitters we’ve had for our dogs when we’ve been out of town. Traveling is difficult when your family members are left at home but with our wonderful sitters it makes it so much easier to leave them. Our dogs are treated like family by all of the sitters and all the wonderful photos and updates throughout the day are amazing to receive especially when you are missing them. From overnight stays to several weeks, each experience has been top notch and the communication is always excellent between sitters and we are always being updated on how each of our dogs are doing. We are so thankful for Auntie Abby’s!!!

We trusted our cats with Auntie Abby’s helpers Alissa and Amber over Thanksgiving break. They were kind, communicative, and detailed in their ability to cat sit for over a week! We came back to a clean home with the cats looking healthy and content. It was reassuring to get updates in the AM and PM while away that included photos and videos. Having dedicated pet sitters over the holidays in the same time frame each day felt like there were no “unknowns” in how our cats would adjust to us being gone so long. We will definitely use Auntie Abby’s again!

We recently used Auntie Abby’s while out of the country & on a longer trip. They came highly recommended by some friends. Our sitter & Auntie Abby’s more than exceeded our expectations. The communication, attention to detail, & offer to help with a power outage was above & beyond. They sent messages, photos, & videos via an app. It is extremely easy to use & helps relieve any anxiety about being gone. We looked forward to those updates so much! Our sitter provided great detail in how our pet was behaving, eating, etc. We could tell by the photos & videos that our pet LOVED our sitter - constantly snuggling & playing for 5 hours a day. We will definitely be having her watch our fur baby in the future! This company is extremely professional & we highly recommend!

We love Abby and crew (shoutout to Heather). They give our pup wonderful care when we are away. They always send lots of pictures, give a written update and clean/refill pup’s water dish.

Auntie Abby’s pet sitting service has been a lifesaver for our family and golden retriever, Bella ! We trust Abby’s amazing staff ! Morgan and Brenda are Bella’s pet Nannie’s and she loves them. I know that Bella is in good hands when we leave her with them . Auntie Abby’s is great at communicating and the staff is so reliable . Morgan and Brenda send updates during and after the scheduled sitting time . They make sure that Bella has plenty of water and playtime while they stay with her. I recommend Auntie Abby’s pet sitting service to all of my family and friends😊

Best group of dog sitters/walkers in town. They do far more than just visit your dog, they try to understand it’s specific needs. Every member of their team is kind and professional. They have also been flexible and patient when I needed to book last minute appointments or change locations for visits. Plus they send you darling photos of your pups at play during the visit. Highly recommend.

We used Auntie Abby’s pet sitting services for the first time and were extremely impressed and happy with their services. They go above and beyond to take care of your pets. Communication is fast and easy through the app and they always send detailed reports and pictures after each visit. They follow any specific instructions, medications, care, etc your pet may need. We will for sure be utilizing them again in the future!

We were completely thrilled with the care Magoo received from Emily with Aunt Abby’s! The detailed updates and pictures put us at ease while we were away. We will entrust our favorite boy to Aunt Abby’s care again and again. THANK YOU!