Closed Reviews 44

Never ever would I trust my dog with you after watching your driving. There are more than the 2 wheels, you went round the roundabout on today, on your clapped out exhaust fume chugging van. Those poor dogs,

Closed unexpectedly without notice, and yet, charged for services after closing. Great care for our dog so our hearts go out to the hard working trainers, but a terrible business from a communication standpoint and completely unethical to continue charging after closure.

As a former employee of F&R and there very first employee I wanted to write and actual honest review for the existing customers that are with F&R and potential new customers that are thinking of enrolling there doggie to the daycare or training services.
First of all I’m going to say this is one of the best companies I have worked for and the reason I left was because I was moving out of London and back up north closer to family.
Secondly the team of people I worked alongside during my time at F&R were incredible they will treat every dog like there own, I know this from a colleagues point of view and an owners point of view. Having 2 dogs that attended F&R from day dot both while I was there and also when I was off on holiday both my dogs come back tired and very happy.
Adding on to this one of my dogs has social issues, every staff member took there time to get to know him and let him get to know them, he wasn’t forced in to any uncomfortable situations and he was allowed the time he needed to make new doggie friends having people like this really makes a difference to a dog that is struggling. Also with them both being breeds that most places wouldn’t accept I was so happy and grateful they were accepted in to there pack and I wouldn’t trust my dogs with anyone else.

The owners of F&R, Matt and Jack have gone above and beyond for the daycare, the staff and the clients, from making sure the daycare is safe and enjoyable for the doggies, to allowing staff to have the time off they need (I know this from my own personal mental health experiences) and changing client times to suit the needs of people’s busy lives. I honestly do not have a bad word to say about them. After I moved up north I stayed in contact with them both and other staff members i went back down to visit for 2 weeks it was lovely to be remembered by so many doggies and meet new doggies and staff!
I know for certain if I was ever to move back down south again I would go back to F&R in a heart beat, F&R is like a family and I couldn’t have wished for a better group of people to be apart of my life and look after my doggies!

I strongly advise against trusting Fetch & Retrieve (Dog Services LTD) for your pet care needs. As a ex former employee, I witnessed alarming issues caused by poor management and neglect by the company’s owners, despite the staff’s tireless efforts to address these problems.

Licensing Issues
Their East Daycare license was revoked, and the West Daycare never even had a license—this is public information you can verify online. The council initially gave them time to improve, but the issues were so severe that the East location was permanently shut down.

Untrained and Unqualified Staff
No current staff members have official qualifications or proper training. During my nearly year-long employment, I repeatedly requested that the owners provide training, and while they made empty promises, nothing was ever done.

Serious Safety and Welfare Concerns
The staff genuinely did their best to improve conditions, but the owners refused to address critical issues, including:
• Overcrowding in vans and daycare facilities, leading to stressed, aggressive, and unsafe environments for the dogs.
• Dogs being out of the vans for no more than two hours per day—the rest of the time, they were confined in the van in cramped, unsuitable spaces.
• Unsanitary conditions with bedding contaminated by feces, urine, and vomit.
• Inadequate shelter during extreme weather, leaving dogs and staff exposed to heavy rain and scorching sun.
• Dangerous, poorly maintained equipment.

Injury and Emergency Neglect
There were no formal systems to record or address injuries to dogs or staff. I personally suffered a severe injury on my last day of work, and the company offered no help or follow-up. I was being forced to make a two-hour journey home with an open wound, and they failed to contact my next of kin. After going back and forth with them I offer to pay half of the Uber journey home.

Unfair Treatment of Staff
The owners made unauthorized deductions from staff wages, citing “equipment damage,” but never provided receipts or proof, even when asked multiple times.

Evidence Supports These Claims
There is evidence for everything I’ve mentioned here, both from my own experience and from other negative reviews online. The owners even tried to hide these reviews by reporting them, but they failed. The issues I’ve outlined are consistent across many firsthand accounts, showing a pattern of negligence and mismanagement.

Fetch & Retrieve prioritizes profits over the safety and well-being of your pets. The staff tried their best, but the owners’ refusal to act made it impossible to create a safe and caring environment. Please do not risk your pet’s health and happiness with this company.

Dog moms and dads - Due diligence required here....a friend recommended this doggy day care, they’re now no longer using their services, for many reasons, which they are formally pursuing.

Our pup is like one of our kids, so any service that you send your precious family member off to, you’d check the basics - licence, place the pup will spend their time and how they spend their time there safely, staff qualifications, security checks when house keys are shared, insurance and etc.

Having looked at their website, they look professional but then with the basic research and checks - we personally think it tells a different story - and they appear to have 3 day care sites in East, West and Surrey. There’s no mention of the licence or boarding licenses or qualifications when you scroll through the dog day care site, however these are priority position on other dog care websites like Bruce’s or Wagworks.

A simple online search of dog care licence establishments with Thurrock, Runnymede and Woking, raised some concerns for us and of course, this dog care provision can of course correct us if we’re wrong and start to show all their licences on their website.

Dog daycare licenses are listed on council website portals or public registers as approved businesses and available for anyone to access the information freely.

The Gov website gives so much detail and statutory and legal guidance to any doggy mom or dad seeking dog day care and boarding, which should give you total confidence as a customer about how to search correctly, it’s helped us enormously and protected us. Fines are unlimited for businesses operating without the correct license, especially when animal welfare is involved. Just search ‘Dog Day Care License Requirements’.

Please do not trust this company! Like many others, I too fell victim to the deceitful lies that this company fabricates and promotes. I am a former employee who worked for this company for just under a year. It is evident that their primary motive is money, rather than providing a premium dog service. If people were aware of how the dogs are truly treated, they would be appalled.

Dogs spend a minimum of 6 hours per day in the van, with 2-4 dogs forced to share a crate due to the company's refusal to cancel clients and habit of overbooking. Staff are instructed to discreetly park around the corner to rearrange vans, all in an effort to uphold the deception presented to clients. There is a lack of shelter or indoor areas for the dogs, resulting in them being exposed to all types of weather conditions.

Alarming incidents include several dogs managing to escape over the fence, posing a significant safety risk near the A13 exit. Additionally, frequent dog fights occur, and false narratives are presented to clients. For instance, a dog was left locked in a van at the daycare for an extended period of time, with the company misleading the client by claiming the dog was safe and in a different van. Staff are compelled to operate vehicles with malfunctioning window wipers and no air conditioning. There was even a case where a dog displayed symptoms of heatstroke, yet it was ignored by the company.

Reactive dogs receive minimal attention and are confined in the van for extended periods. Tragically, a dog lost its life while under the care of Fetch and Retrieve. Furthermore, staff members were assigned dogs with fleas, and an attempt was made to introduce a dog with kennel cough into a household. Despite an outbreak of kennel cough at the daycare, the company failed to inform clients.

Additionally, it is important to note that some staff members at this facility have not undergone background checks (DBS checks) and do not receive adequate training to care for the dogs. They frequently accept more dogs than they can adequately look after, primarily to increase their income, even when there is a shortage of staff. This results in dogs not receiving the necessary attention, exercise, or supervision they require, while the employees are left overwhelmed and underpaid, struggling to meet unrealistic demands. Prior to sending your beloved pet to this establishment, it is essential to exercise caution and take into consideration these critical factors.

I had spoken with a few dog training companies but Fetch and Retrieve outshined them all. The service and care received from start to finish was excellent.

During my initial call with Jack, he took the time to understand what I wanted to achieve from training, and was very knowledgeable about German Shepherds.

The attention received during this call showed that Fetch and Retrieve genuinely care about what they do and do not treat it like a standard business, when compared against other companies I spoke to. Dogs who do a residential board and train, stay in their trainers home, rather than being in a kennel. This to me is so key in developing a great bond between trainer and dog, which lead to amazing results being achieved.

Jake was my dogs trainer for the 3 week board and train. He took such great care of my dog, and achieved amazing results in just 3 weeks.

He provided me with daily photo/ video updates, explaining what they worked on each day and tips for me to implement once the 3 week stay was over.

Jake is passionate, and so knowledgable about dog training, which showed in the end result that was achieved.

Aside from the amazing results achieved, what really stood out for me was how well Jake looked after my dog. My dog loved being with him, and the strong bond they developed was great to see.

Fetch and Retrieve are lucky to have such a talented dog trainer in Jake.

I’d recommend Jake to anyone who wants their dog to achieve such good results.

Thanks for everything, Jake.

The way Tom looked after our dog was incredible. The updates Tom gave made being away from him so much easier. The way Tom trained him and the developments made in a week were incredible. Could not recommend more.

Puppy Board & Train: Tom

We recently used Fetch & Retrieve for board and train service for our 4.5-month-old Sproodle, Bunker, and couldn't be happier with the experience. Our trainer, Tom, was absolutely incredible—professional, passionate, and clearly dedicated to his work. From the moment we met him, we felt reassured that Bunker was in safe hands.

Leaving your dog with a stranger can be nerve-wracking, (unsure if it's harder to easier when they're so young!) but Tom put our minds at ease with a thorough handover at both the start and end of Bunker's stay. Throughout the program, he provided daily updates, sending us photos and messages each morning and evening. It was comforting to see how much Bunker enjoyed his time, the connection that Tom & him forged and it was fab to see him socialising with other dogs.

Tom worked on Bunker's recall, crate training, and socialisation in busy environments, there was a particular focus on being quiet & relaxed in public settings. We're so happy with the results & the skills we've been given to work on this further.
It's clear that Bunker adored Tom and thrived under his care.

We would highly recommend Tom at F&R to anyone looking for a dedicated and skilled trainer. We are so grateful for the care and expertise he brought to Bunker's training.

Absolutely excellent experience with the team for all services - daycare, boarding and training! Do not believe the negative reviews.

Tom, and F&R more generally, love spending time with Choo and Choo loves spending time with Tom and team.

Great communications, attentiveness to our pet and good feedback. Placing loved friends in day care and boarding requires a great deal of trust and F&R have proved themselves more than a super choice.

Recommended!

Peter

I recently boarded my golden retriever, Maverick, with Tom from the Fetch & Retrieve team. Tom took such great care of Maverick, who had loads of fun going on woodland walks and splashing about in a paddling pool! Tom kept me updated with photos and videos throughout, putting my mind at ease. He also enquired about house rules to ensure Maverick had a consistent routine away from home.

I’ve also been sending Maverick to daycare once a week, and it’s evident that he loves socialising with other dogs, playing with the daycare assistants and running around to his heart’s content. The drop-off and pick-up service is so convenient too, especially for dog owners who don’t have a car.

Overall, I’d highly recommend Fetch & Retrieve for their amazing boarding and daycare service!

Paid thousands for training, my dog still hasn’t been trained. They failed to tell me the dog was moved from one person to the other. I have no clue where my dog is even after several attempts to contact them!! DO NOT RECOMMEND !!!

All 3 of my dogs are regular daycare users so knowing they are in daycare with their friends and going to bed tired is great, they are extremely well looked after and treated like family pets x

I’ve been using F&R for several years now and cannot fault them. But recently decided my 3 year old rescue Dolly needed some additional training. She had done puppy classes and another ‘boarding training’ a couple years prior. But she still wasn’t great and as she is more confident than before i felt she would benefit & learn more this time. And boy she did.

Jake first came to the house to meet us and discuss some things we could start to do as well as help with the challenge of barking at anything while indoors. She then went to him for 3 weeks a few weeks later. She loved his other dogs, clearly loved Jake and we got regular normal updates to show how relaxed she was in his home.

Jake worked largely on her loose lead walking and recall. We git regular training videos showing & telling us about his techniques and how he was keeping her engaged as well as how we should work with her moving forward. You could see the progression over the weeks too.

When Jake dropped her back to us it was even more evident she’d loved being with him. He got more kisses than we did! We also went out for a handover walk where he talked me through what to do. Showed me what she had learnt and also how to treat her reactivity (as he hadnt experienced that too much himself but got to experience on this walk.

She’s been back 5 days now and it really is like walking a different dog. She pulls less and even when she does its not as bad and we now know how to correct it. She seems calmer and happier outside and has reacted less to dogs. Her recall is better but she doesn’t even go far enough to really need it as she seems to want to stay close to us more. Im so happy with how her progress is going.

Jake is coming back in a few weeks to see how she is doing and help with anything we are unsure of as well as helping to build her confidence even more.

I cannot recommend this training enough. We are happy. Dolly is happy its just great! Thank you Jake!

Jake is an exceptional dog trainer whose dedication and compassion are evident in every interaction. Our staffy mix, Skye, began a three-week rehabilitation program with him after developing reactivity towards men due to an unfortunate incident. Jake's approach has been incredible from the start.

He created a warm and safe environment for Skye, treating her with utmost kindness and understanding. Despite the challenges, Skye has made very impressive development under Jake's guidance. His training methods are not only effective but are also clearly communicated, making it easy for us to apply his teachings at home. Jake goes above and beyond in his training sessions, ensuring that both Skye and we have the tools necessary for her ongoing training and wellbeing.

What truly sets Jake apart is his genuine care and connection with the dogs. Skye absolutely adores him, and it’s clear that his interactions are built on respect and affection.

Our overall experience with Fetch and Retrieve was very pleasant. From beginning to end, they were attentive, listening to our questions and concerns, which made us feel supported throughout Skye’s training process.

We are so grateful to have Jake as our trainer. He has equipped us with invaluable insights and techniques to help manage and continue Skye’s training. We highly recommend Jake to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, patient, and caring dog trainer.

Fetch & Retrieve are probably the best doggy daycare in London. They look after my pups as if they were their own 😍. Best part of my day is getting the video updates seeing all the ♥️ they’re getting. 100% recommend!!!

Fantastic experience with F&R. For my little Ralph & Hugo!

We have used Fetch & Retrieve for the last few months and our puppy couldn’t be happier in their care. Brandon especially genuinely cares about our puppy and takes the time to make sure she is so well looked after and enjoys herself.

Our teenage pup has just completed a 3-week board and train with Jake. Jake is a really lovely, caring and knowledgable person who took great care of our girl. She is quite the complicated pup so we always knew that she would not be "fixed" but we wanted someone to look after her who could understand her issues and work with them. The thorough handover we received has given us confidence to continue the training our pup needs.