Crate Escape Boston, Massachusetts

This place is amazing! I have been there multiple times and have dealt with the manager Mel . Mel is not only professional but she loves the dogs as if they were her own. I 100% trust my pup in Crates care. All their staff are professional and caring of their dogs. For a daycare this place is so clean and neat. The manager updates clients on how their pup is doing and gives feed back. I never had an issue with this place and would totally recommend to anyone seeking daycare for their dog! Thanks again crate for the GREATEST experience and keeping our pup safe!

My two doodle pups attend this daycare when I am at work during the week. This place is not only reliable but trusting! I usually see Mel in the morning and she is wonderful and very caring of my pups. I feel safe and secure leaving my pups in the care of Crate! My pups enjoy daycare and always come back the way I dropped them off! If there are any issues regarding my pups I am contacted immediately. Crate always provides excellent and timely feedback. It’s a 5 star for me.

We have a miniature dachshund puppy that we took to Crate Escape for daycare. The person at the front desk told me that towards the end of the day all of the dogs are put together regardless of size or temperament so they can clean the cages. After handing him the puppy he almost dropped him because he had no idea how to hold a dachshund, after he walked in to the dog area and I could no longer see him I heard our dog scream and all of the other dogs start freaking out. When he came back I asked if I could see where he'd be staying and was told no - when I asked if this was a COVID regulation, he said no and that I can look at the website for photos so I told him to go get the puppy who was visibly shaking and crying. I don't know if he dropped him or if another dog attacked him when he was out of my sight. You couldn't pay me to bring our dog back here. Pooch Hotel is 1,000% the extra drive for their exceptional facility and service. BEWARE.

My dog, Copley LOVES Crate Escape! I brought him to another daycare before and he would shake uncontrollably and not want to go. When I bring him to Crate Escape, he can't run in there fast enough. I also like the flexibility of drop off and pick up as my schedule constantly is changing. Thank you Crate Escape for always taking great care of my boy and posting photos of him on social media so I can see him playing! :)

Former employee here: would not recommend. For many reasons. First) many of the employees have little to no dog or animal care experience. They are also a revolving door for employees. I've seen multiple people in a row last a couple days to a couple weeks before leaving or being fired. Second) in relation to that. the management is poor. As I said it's a revolving door for employees with most not staying more than a few months to a year. they can't keep employees, they also can't manage the ones they have. The managers can't even keep peoples schedules straight. Moving on to more of the pet care side: Third) the pens are filthy. Concrete floors crumbling (have had to pull chunks of concrete out of dogs mouths) not to mention paint chipping on the pillars and they're just full of ammonia. The pens have these big rubber mats in the middle that are basically impossible to move thus impossible to clean well and the amount of ammonia build up underneath is revolting. Some of the walls have dividers with metal bases and those are rusted and also drenched in ammonia. Speaking of ammonia, they clean the floors with diluted bleach. sometimes, WHILE THE DOGS ARE IN THE PEN STILL. For those who don't know, A) ammonia and bleach DO NOT MIX and B) bleach , even diluted is not an ideal cleaner around animals. Fourth) Safety. They don't maintain a decent staff to dog ratio. There are times where its 1 person to 20+ . And very often they are over crowding pens with upwards of 30-40 dogs. Which is way to many for one play group. Fights happen more then they'll tell people though usually no one gets hurt. They also are not very selective temperament wise. Basically as long as the dog doesn't immediately attack another during their "trial" ,which is only 5 minuets long, the dog is given the green light. As such, we end up with dogs that rang from petrified to way too high strung and running all over the place and starting problems. Simply tearing around off the wall hyper can (and does) cause fights. many dogs also have no boundaries and don't know how to socialize well and end up engaging the wrong dog or flat out being too rough. There are also many that get overstimulated also leading to aggressive behavior. The employees also become very forcefully and aggressive with dogs sometimes. I have witnessed time and time again supervisors grabbing dogs and slamming them into the ground when they're being too much or grabbing them or dragging them away. And when it comes time for a dog to leave, there is no system. all the dogs run to the door and people are pushing/pulling them out of the way to get the right dog out.

Excellent Service and individual attention!

Managers do not treat employees well with respect. A friend got fired for calling in to let them know he was going to be a few mins late. He got a call back that he was fired. They probably treat the dogs as bad as the employees..

Management has absolutely no respect for their employees nor the animals they should care for. Nikki’s lack of regard for her employees is appalling. She should be ashamed of herself.

Getting there feels like you slipped somewhere between The Labyrinth and Season 2 of The Wire... but once you navigate that maze you're in for a treat. Wonderful, friendly staff who genuinely care.

Former employee speaking here, management has zero respect for its employees. Clearest case of nepotism i have ever seen as the two managers are a married couple, the general manager of the location Nikki goes around speaking to people with an absolutely abhorrent attitude and the manager doesn't do anything but let her partner speak like that to employees. Pens where the dogs are kept are very cold and pretty much empty with only 4 plastic beds and two cages where dogs and puppies are sometimes kept for hours at a time where they urinate and defecate and have to sit in it until someone comes and cleans it up and that usually takes about an hour if the person isnt paying attention. Often times they will put bigger dogs like great danes outside alone and in the cold if they do not fit in the cages for sometimes hours at a time, they also forgot a small black French bulldog outside for about 2 hours if I remember correctly. Concrete floors and plastic beds with metal cages and nothing for them to do all day besides walk in circles and fight with other clients dogs. This is somewhere i would NEVER send my pet to. And again speaking as a former employee I would never reccomend Crate Escape as an employer or somwhere to leave your furry loved ones.

Best doggy daycare in Boston!

My pup have been there for a few years (on/off as we left Boston for a while). People who work there really know how to deal with all sorts of pups give love! I feel safe leaving my troubled pup who screams with excitement and anxiety. Thank you for being patient with this pup!

I was employed at crate escape for two months before making the decision to leave. They are understaffed and the workers are over worked, some staff would work triple shift, and 8 hour day shift, derectly followed by an overnight, and then a morning shift. At times you could be alone in a pen with 40 dogs. I felt so bad for some of the dogs there that you could tell were miserable. One dog that had anxiety issues and was on Prozac, he would have anxiety attacks and start crying uncontrollably. My supervisor told me to lock him outside by himself, even if it was cold and raining (this was in October) for up to an hour with no shelter for him. The dogs rarely went out to the yard except to transfer pens at the end of the day, and on weekends when the managers were not there and we could make out own decision to let them out. The outside area is small and unsanitary, it smelled so bad, the fencing was in unsafe and ripped with sharp edges in places. I would like people to know what they are actually paying for. It is cruel to many of the dogs and my morals told me to leave. The supervisors are always on their phone, and workers are drained, over worked, and have no support.

Our puppy LOVES going here! He gets so excited every time we walk in because he knows he gets to spend hours playing with tons of other dogs. Crate Escape took the time to evaluate our dog to make sure he plays well with other dogs, so we feel great sending him there, knowing that all other dogs were evaluated as well. They take the dogs outside every 30 min, but other than that, it's free time to play with whatever other dogs are there that day. The people who work there clearly love dogs and are happy to be there!

I moved to MA with my dog and she goes to daycare 3 days a week. I've never felt more comfortable leaving my dog with anyone. All the staff are amazing! They treat my dog like their own and she LOVES it there and all of them! I feel so fortunate to have found them and am so grateful for all they do! I whole-heartedly recommend them!

I couldn't imagine a team of more dedicated and loving folks to trust my pup with. Whether it's for overnights or for a day of play, we couldn't imagine our lives without them. When our dog started to show signs of nervousness in large groups, they noticed, gave us suggestions and helped us work around and through it. You really couldn't ask for more!