Barks In The Zoo

Seraiah

2024-04

My experience at Barks in the zoo was amazing the staff is great and Prince was well taken care of for his first hair cut! Luke was so lovely and treated Prince like he was his own! I would highly recommend them for your grooming needs!

Abigail Chenoweth

2024-04

Sad to say we aren't taking our puppy to Barks anymore. We've truly loved it there. I had to reschedule a grooming appt. 24 hours before due to change in work schedules for myself and husband (out of our control), and they charged us full price for grooming. I've rescheduled numerous times in the last almost 2 years, and this has never been an issue. It doesn't say anywhere online, etc. about this. We liked it there, but due to poor customer service and not making it financially feasible for us to reschedule, we are finding a new place. Just disappointed they don't help out normal customers.

Brooke Brody

2023-05

We highly recommend Barks In The Zoo for grooming, gear, treats, food, and pet care advice. The groomers, staff, and owners are highly educated on pet health and wellness, they are kind and caring, and the grooming services are of the highest quality. Bark's has provided quality care and sound advice for our five dogs (ranging from 75 to just 6 pounds) for more than five years. We are so thankful to have such a competent and compassionate pet care business here in Kalamazoo.

Heba Abdel-Messieh

2023-05

I highly recommend this place! I have been looking for a place in Kalamazoo to rehabilitate my dog from past negative grooming experiences. It's been so hard trying to find someone who will take the time to work with us, but as soon as I called Barks I was immediately comforted by everyone I spoke to. The owner, staff, and groomers all took the time and care to comfort me and my fur baby, and together we came up with a plan on how to approach the appointment so that she (Luna) is least reactive. Luke (groomer) took such good care of her, and I'm happy to say I've finally found my new go to for Luna's grooming!! Wonderful and caring staff, thank you so much for taking care of us !

Carly Noteboom

2024-01

Absolutely fantastic. First time having my rescue groomed, and they went above and beyond to make sure he was comfortable. Staff is phenomenal, and I wouldn't take my dog anywhere else.

Mariah Crandall

2023-09

I have nothing but AMAZING things to say about this place. If you have a doodle- you’ll know the brushing maintenance. I’m not the best at keeping up with Penny's quick growing curls, but I never once feel judged even when I take her in with tangles 🤣 Luke and his wife are absolutely incredible and make my dog Penny and I feel cared for every time we come in. She gets groomed here (has been since she was 10ish weeks) and never comes home anxious or unsettled. She is always excited when we go in wether it’s for a groom or just for treats. If you are wanting to support local- this is the place to do it. If you’re on the fence about grooming, I can assure you- your pup is in fantastic hands!

Chris DeBoer- Ware

2024-01

I cannot say enough about this place! From day one they took their time with me trying to find a food that my Bichon could eat as she is allergic to everthing under the sun! The grooming is fantastic & I know my dogs are being well cared for! Love it & all who work there!! One of Kalamazoo’s gems!

Anne Radocy

2024-01

Jennie and all the staff I encountered were absolutely wonderful! Highly impressed by everyone, especially the grooming Jennie did. She listened and made sure we were on the same page. She is just the sweetest and really spoiled my sweet Willow. Willow has a new bestie❤️

Mikaela Gustine

2023-05

I brought my dog here after having poor experiences with a corporate pet store in Kalamazoo and my friend/dog sitter recommended this place. From the first interaction on the phone with Veronica it was such a pleasant experience and a breath of fresh air. I called this morning (a Saturday) just asking about their nail trim/grind services and if they happened to have availability to fit one in. Veronica was so nice and helpful and even though I’m sure they’re busy on a weekend, went and checked with the groomer and they could fit me in.The shop itself is so cute and has a lot of different toys you don’t find other places and though they don’t have as many selections as a corporate store, you can tell all of their inventory is quality and far less overwhelming to sift through.Brittany the groomer was so friendly and quick! I definitely will be making this my regular spot.

Jane King

2023-10

Friendly staff and great merchandise! My dog loves her toy sloth I got there. Highly recommend! I have a cute pic of Lola & Slothie but not techie enough to add to the review!

Amanda

2023-05

I had a great experience taking my dogs in for a nail trim. The shop has a variety of pet supplies including treats and toys. I like the bakery items for my dogs and the beef cheek rolls. They also have some unique treats such as duck heads and feet. The customer service is excellent - I was met with friendly faces and willingness to offer assistance when needed. Will definitely return!

Hunter Linder

2023-05

We had the best experience with Jennie grooming our dog! Our dog is very shy and has sensitive skin. Jude loves spending her grooming days with Jennie and always comes home happy!

Kelly Intgroen

2023-05

We have two poodle mixes. We have visited some other places and the experiences weren't so great. One experience left my dog shaking scared when we left. So finally we came across Barks 5th Avenue and their ownership has changed in the last couple of months. We are over the moon with how they treat our dogs. Every time we bring our dogs in they always leave prancing happy. The staff there truly cares about the animals, treats them like family and wants to makes sure my dogs comfortable and happy instead of just another dog in the door. Hands down the best place to take your dogs for food, treats or grooming needs :)

Gwen De Young

2022-05

A wonderful experience. I have a very nervous pup, she is four and hasn’t really had time around people besides family and a couple of trips to the vet. The two ladies that were at the store were awesome and were super sweet to my nervous pup. Just stopped in to get her nails clipped and it was super easy. Called the night before and asked for a good time and called in the parking lot and she went right in. Would highly suggest taking you pup in here!

Maureen Willoughby

2022-05

My dog Scout has been groomed at Barks for years. Brittney is terrific. Scout is perfectly groomed every time. Barks is a gem of a local business. I highly recommend them all the time. I’m not one to write public reviews but in this case when so many people are looking for dog services and products, I felt I should let you know my experiences with Barks. Highly recommend.

Tamme Barniak

2023-05

The whole crew is great. Very helpful and extremely good with my little girl. Location makes it easy for us to get there for regular grooming and care.

Ahnissah Myles

2021-05

I really loved going here to get a dog grooming and other treats for my pupper. With that being said, the first time I walked in there, I placed approximately $50+ worth of merchandise on the counter and the lady with honestly not the best attitude asked me if the coat that my dog was wearing was from their store. Which is wasn’t. We walked in with it. When we walked in she didn’t greet us, we had to say hello to her. The interaction was very unpleasant and this experience has stuck with me for two-ish years. I proceeded to go here to get grooming services and regular visits for my dog and every time I walked in for an appointment they could literally NEVER remember my dog who had been a regular every 6 weeks for 2-ish years. This isn’t a chain, it’s local so I found that to be a little off setting. Their grooming services are AMAZING though. My dog always looked and smelled amazing. If customer service isn’t a big deal to you, I recommend this place.

Alice Hunt-Lounges

2022-05

We stopped into Barks 5th Ave by accident while we were traveling. Awesome store! Owner and employee were super friendly. Very knowledgeable! We talked about our rescue dogs and got some great joint supplements as well as toys, hats, doggie treats, and more. We even went to the boutique Kalamazoo Kitty Mall and got a great deal from the owner on a fabulous dog bed . A must see! Tom and Alice Lounges

Vallerie Noel

2022-05

After taking my puppy to Barks for over a year I finally realized what a terrible job they done on her last groom was in July when I tried to make an appointment when I picked her up they told me I had to do it through the owner she did call me a week later and I had to return her call when I did she told me I couldn’t get my puppy back in for a groom until next year so I got on Google and found a groomer near me took her in and wow what a difference I was told however my dog is not the best to groom I also discovered that they were not cutting my dogs nails they are way overpriced and the owner is quite rude I am very unhappy with their service as I took my dog to get groomed every other month and paid a good price for a bad chrome beware folks! I also have discovered if the groomer has to have a storefront to sell lots of extras maybe the groom might not be so well my new groomer does not have a store front and only concentrate on doing a good job on the puppy

Carisa Farrer

2020-05

Our little Chewy has been getting groomed here for over a year now. Brittany listens to what we want and does a great job even when we may switch things up. Chewy gets so excited when we pull into the parking lot and I can’t get him out of the vehicle quick enough. The store has so many things for pups including cute little baked treats and different dog foods and lots of toys!!! Deb is very knowledgeable about dogs and I feel Chewy is very safe being dropped off for him grooming appointments! He is well cared for.

Maryl Petrie

2018-05

The grooming business has changed hands very recently (summer 2017) with all new staff. My golden retriever left with the worst cut ever. She was shaved on her stomach and no trim on her behind (kind of a dog mullet). Her ear fur was knotted and scraggly. I would recommend NOT using the new groomers at Bark's Fifth.After I posted this, I received a phone call from Bark's, saying that they were sorry and would like to make it right. They offered, and I accepted, a free grooming to correct the matter. The explanation they gave was that the change in business was confusing due to the appointment book being missed, but that doesn't explain why the actual grooming was done so poorly. The explanation to that was that all groomers do things differently, to which I will respond, why didn't your team let me know the groomer was different and ask how I wanted my dog groomed. The long and short is that they did a nice job with the free groom and this certainly isn't the end of the world. I'm disappointed that there was no thought to how to manage the transition, but am grateful for the speedy response to my post, the offer to fix and the kind communication with me.

Jill

2013-05

Bark's is a great local, friendly place for both you and your dog. Prices are remarkably reasonable despite the shop's unique boutique set-up - I've personally found products for my own large dog priced competitively with or less than big-box pet stores - and the owners and staff are very knowledgeable. I was also very pleased with their grooming service: Bark's staff are all dog people, and it took very little time for my big wuss dog to feel at home with his groomer, I felt very comfortable leaving him there and we were delighted with the results. The owner is also active with a local animal rescue group. I would highly recommend Bark's to anyone who has dogs, and especially if you want to support local businesses.

Brenda Graham

2017-05

Love the groomer at Bark's 5th Avenue. She has been grooming my cockapoo since he was a puppy for the last five years and always does a fantastic job. He always looks great when he leaves Bark's. She's also been able to clip nails on my slightly fearful rescue dog without any problems. I would highly recommend Bark's to anyone looking for grooming services or the really cool variety of pet supplies.

K P

2020-05

Upon walking into this location I had to force a hello out of the staff. During the forced interaction, the attendant told me they were booked for an entire year. Which was definitely a lie. Simply due to the fact of the staff being on their phone. During the forced exchange, the less than friendly attendant never requested information about my Yorkshire Terrier. She simply jumped to pricing, as if it was out of my price range. I was as Advised to call back in a “few months”. Which was mind boggling after being told they were booked a year out. Needless to say the customer service was less than desirable. Obviously, I wouldn’t allow anyone to touch my pet at this place after this interaction. Two thumbs down.

Morgan Presley

2018-05

We just brought our dog to get groomed by Tammi! She did an amazing job!! Our dog has never been trimmed and blown out so nicely! The rest of the Staff was very friendly. Highly recommend this place!

Carrie Sands

2019-05

Deb is always so accommodating at getting our dogs in. Both our dogs love in here, one is very social and the other has stranger anxiety. They have slowly worked with Al, he is now comfortable going in to the groomer. Thanks so much for helping us expand his circle of trust and taking such good care of our babies !

Ghost M3

2020-05

Having trouble finding a groomer for your fur babies. Then I recommend you try this place out. You let the groomer know how you like there haircut. When you return you will see they are rocking a new look. Looking younger and how they feel good about themselves. They also have many toys, cards treats; etc. Just a gander.

Amy Gurske

2019-05

I called to see if I could get my dog in for a quick bath and they very kindly fit me into their busy schedule! My senior dog is shy and nervous but she loved Tammi! Super friendly and accommodating; above and beyond. We will absolutely be back! =)

Hermalinda Beeman

2020-05

I just had my rescue pup groomed at this establishment. They treated her very kindly and she smelled wonderful afterwards! Since she is a rescue she is pretty frightened of everything but they said she did awesome. Would highly recommend this place for your pups.

lisa forrest

2019-05

I just took my long haired cat here for grooming. She had gotten very matted and there was no way I could handle it myself. Deb and Tammy worked on her for an hour, got her all cleaned up, and then got us on a care program to keep it from happening in the future. They were both as kind and helpful as they could be. We will be regulars here from now on.