Bittersweet Kennel

Scott R. Heffner

2024-01

I’ve taken my dog, Shadow, to Bittersweet kennel for about two years now.She’s an anxious dog. She was living rough on the streets of Arkansas as a pup and hasn’t fully gotten over her fears of people, other dogs, cars, etc.The people at Bittersweet and incredibly kind to her. They are gentle when grooming her, know how to treat her and which dogs to put her with and are generally awesome. I am usually one of the last people to pick up their dog during the week due to my job. I cannot count the number of times she was behind the desk getting pets and special attention.She looks forward to going to day care. Sometimes she refuses to get out of the car at our local parks or pet store. She never refuses at Bittersweet. She loves it there. She’s happy when I drop her off and just as happy when I pick her up.And it’s not just my dog. I brought some friends’ dog when I was dog-sitting for them. This dog was Shadow’s polar opposite. Super outgoing and high energy. He loved it, too.I couldn’t ask for a better day care for my dog and wholeheartedly recommend them.

Arlene Andersen

2024-04

When I walked into the building the smell of urine almost made me turn around and leave. If I didn't have a plane to catch to my granddaughter's wedding, I would have. I worried about my dog the whole time I was gone. She appeared fine when I picked her up...but I won't go there again.

Samantha Johnson

2024-04

Would never bring my dogs back to this location for boarding. We unfortunately had waited too long to book boarding and had to settle on a place we'd never been.My husband dropped our dogs off at this kennel for almost 2 weeks while we went on vacation. We checked in multiple times to make sure they were doing well because it was a new place, it was summer and they are very large dogs.Each time we were told the dogs were doing well during their stay.When my husband and I went to pick up the dogs the first thing I noticed was the smell of the kennel, almost unbearable smell of urine throughout the place. Their were dogs in such small areas, not well kept facility and our dogs were so depressed and sad when we picked them up. Usually when we pick them up they are beyond excited to see us. The dogs barely got up on the leashes to come with us they looked exhausted like they didnt sleep or eat and were covered in feves and urine.I was beyond mortified at what was happening that I began questioning and asking the owner again about how the dogs were, mentioning I had called many times to check in but looking at their state now I was very concerned she had lied to me. She denied it all and told me they were great throughout the stay.At this point I wanted my dogs and myself as far away from this woman as possible. We left loaded the dogs up and will never return. On the ride home we had to leave the windows down because the smell of the dogs was nauseating, took me over 5 hours to clean the dogs and took mutiple days of washing to get the smell out. I cannot believe I allowed this to happen to my poor dogs but I hope to save someone in the future. This place shouldn't be open.

Cindy Langevin

2024-01

Lori and all the staff at Bittersweet have always taken the BEST care of our dogs through the years! Whether it's daycare, grooming or boarding they all show how much they care about our loved furbabies! Thank you all for taking such good care of our Bruno!

Regina Quinn

2023-11

I have boarded my dogs here for over five years. And recently boarded my dogs last weekend for four days. I was checking out and the young girl asked me if our lab slipped on floors. I said sometimes on our wood floors but we use scatter rugs and area rugs just she won’t slip. At this point she said their was an incident with the lab…..she stated she slipped and could not walk. They had to bring out my lab with two towels. To say she could not walk was an understatement! She looked awful and definitely could not walk at all. I got no call about this event nor did my emergency contact get a call, nor our vet. I took her to the vet and she had wounds on her feet her dew claws and under her chin. Vet treated her wounds and we are crossing our fingers that she will be able to walk. I do not know what happened to our girl in a four day period. Obliviously I will never use bittersweet kennel again. Please do not bring your dogs or cats their as they have shown that they cannot be trusted with our very important family fur babies!

Ki Jean

2023-10

If you love your pets do not take them here. My dog acted like he had never been taken out once the entire weekend he was there. Believe the other reviews and don’t give this place your money!!! No wonder it’s called bittersweet…. Your pet won’t be the same when you get back. :( wish I never took my baby here.

Van Ballantyne

2020-05

We have been taking our dogs to Lori and Bittersweet Kennel for close to 30 years. She has taken good care of my last 4 pups over these many years and despite the fact that my wife and I don't relish leaving our dogs at kennel, we've never hesitated leaving them in the care of Lori and her team. They are animal people, loving and caring and want nothing but good things for their charges. We HIGHLY recommend Bittersweet.

Samantha Tangney

2018-05

I had my cat groomed here a few weeks ago and they did an amazing job! They were courteous, friendly, and not too expensive. I'd recommend them to anyone looking for a great groomer for cats.

Molly Hemenway

2023-08

I was really hopeful bringing my cat to board here during a bachelorette weekend, and everything went okay I thought until I picked her up. I was a little nervous boarding her in the first place as a first time cat owner/ have never done this before with her either, as any loving pet owner understands. Upon going to get her I was first presented with her food bag torn up and almost completely gone, the older woman checking me out (who is supposedly the owner come to find out afterwards…) said “we have some bad kitties! Haha” and shook it off- which was annoying (why is the food kept where other cats have access to it, etc) but I understand stuff happens so I didn't say anything. Then once I saw her eye ointment I was upset- they were asked to give it to her 2x daily over the 2 day span. The woman stated they gave it to her twice and the ointment was also chewed up by other cats! The ointment was leaking out of tooth pin-holes and thrown in the torn up food bag, covered in leaked ointment and food dust. It was rendered useless + contaminated. Not once did I hear sorry from this woman for either of these things- or even some sort of replacement/ compensation. The bag of food and new medication were each $30, not to mention it took me a few days to get new medication and we had to start her 2 week process entirely over. They could have at least called me so I could have let the vet know ASAP I needed a new prescription. At this point I was shocked and just wanted my cat out of there (she also smelled like febreze/ heavy perfume for days after bringing her back)- at check out they tried to overcharge me after I had confirmed the price over the phone prior and was clear about what time I would be picking her up that day, I was quoted around $50 and they asked for around $80. When I spoke up about this the woman gave some attitude about “should be charging an extra night but we’ll let it slide this time” - at this rate especially as a first (and last) time customer I shouldn't have been charged at all honestly for all the irresponsible behavior that was shown here. I will never board my cat again, traumatized us both. Beware of leaving your loved pets here, from my one experience, wish I was exaggerating.

Susan Bielski

2023-09

If you love your pet do not send them here, if I could give fewer stars I would. The smell alone should be warning enough that they do not care. Paid extra and gave explicit instructions on my cat's food and meds and under their "care" she became fatally emaciated and dehydrated.

Sean boulard

2023-05

Just got my dog back after this was the only place that had room for my animals last week. I picked my dog up emaciated and sick with kennel cough... just got back from the vet and he has lost almost 7 pounds in a week because of their poor care. Do not bring your pets here if you love them. They also stated they were "too busy" to send us a photo when requested. After spending almost 600 dollars this is a terrible place to do business with.

Daniel Canales

2023-05

Generally an underwhelming performance from Bittersweet which is hard to say because we have tried so hard to like this place and because we have had good experiences. The dogs always seemed to enjoy themselves and never hated going which is a great sign. That said recently I've been super underwhelmed with the staff and their general attitudes/ demeanors towards the dogs at drop off and pick up. Most concerning though was the time we boarded our senior with epilepsy for a weekend away and she came home with more than half of the pills she was supposed to have during her 3 day stay. Again we really tried hard to love Bittersweet because they're so close to home. They do have the benefit of being the cheapest option around for both boarding and day care but you really do get what you pay for.

judy p

2023-05

My white dog came home with yellow fur on his legs, paws and belly after a 1 week stay at Bittersweet Kennel. Even after 2 showers the hair is permanently yellow. He smelled so bad I put him immediately in the tub and put my clothes in the wash. I washed his car seat liner as well. I can only imagine the devastating conditions he had to endure.

Kelly Griffith

2021-05

We have boarded our older diabetic cat with Bittersweet twice now in the past month while moving to a new home. We also had him groomed during his first stay. I cannot speak highly enough about our experience. They made sure to keep up with his twice daily insulin injections, the staff is kind and accommodating. Your pet will be well cared for at Bittersweet!

Jaime Lopez

2024-04

Efficient service and a well maintained property. Knowledgeable proprietor. Will certainly be back!

Justin Kennedy

2021-05

They were home for my two cats for several months and treated them with such kindness and care, including regular administration of medicine. The entire staff is wonderful. Even though I live in Rhode Island now, when I need pet care when I travel, I still make the trip to Bittersweet because I just know they will get the best care. I can't say enough about the staff! Highly recommend!

Ann Welsh

2014-05

We have kept our dogs at Bittersweet several times each year for the past 15+ years, and three of our four beagles have seemed to enjoy going there, wagging their tails on the way in (the other one just hates to leave home!). They always are very healthy when we pick them up. The staff is friendly and the dogs like them and go to them when we enter the kennel.We also have taken our cats there from time to time, but you know cats, it is difficult to tell how they feel about it! One cat has medical issues, and she has always been well cared-for.

Kimberly L Lovely Meskell

2023-12

Can you give someone no stars? This place shouldn’t even be open!!!!!!!!!! This place is horrifying! The lady said to me “ you’re the only one to criticize my place” Um! Have you read your recent reviews!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ben Quist

2022-05

I'm not sure how this place handles dogs and cats, but DO NOT trust them with your small animals like ferrets, gerbils, chinchillas etc.We had to board our two ferrets for a couple of weeks while we were away. I knew something was off when they made us put them in their "cat room." Cats, as you may know, like to pick on, harass, and scare small animals such as ferrets. Our ferrets have a normal sized ferret cage as well as a smaller travel cage just for short trips as it can get somewhat cramped in there with the two girls (keep this in mind). If ferrets feel threatened, they will try to hide by any means necessary. Well when you put two ferrets in a room with 13 cats, you can expect them to be fearful. So one night, apparently they escaped their cage to hide themselves somewhere in the room from all of the cats. When the workers found them the next day, they decided to put our ferrets in their small travel carrier for the remaining week and a half of their stay. Not once did they call us to advise us or ask questions. Instead they forced two small but active animals to sit in a small carrier for almost two weeks. To feed them, they just dropped food through the top of the carrier and never bothered to clean them nor the cage. One of our ferrets is now severely underweight. However, this isn't the worst part. We discovered after bringing them home that they were covered in fleas, presumably from being with 10+ cats in a small room for weeks. We got the fleas off, but both of them have bites all over their stomach.At the end of the day, you shouldn't say you can take care of animals that you don't have space nor the experience to take care of. If I had known they were going to be stuck with cats, I would've found a different kennel. Again, do not bring your small pets here.

Ameylynn Spardel

2016-05

I have brought our English Bulldog Maggie to Bittersweet for years. She has always been taken care of in the best ways possible. True, she does smell like a "dog" when we pick her up, but hey ~ I am sure she played hard and had a good time :) I am always confident and at peace when I leave her in their care for several days. Which is a great feeling!Rhonda Keller is a wonderful Kennel attendant. She is very sweet and attentive to the residents :)

M P

2021-05

Bittersweet Kennel is oh-so sweet! Extremely professional, hospitable & accommodating staff. Will work with whatever you ask for in terms of grooming/boarding & if you bring your dogs/cats here they might not want to go home :)! YES, you read that correctly, they board/groom cats as well! Providing a cat room in a completely separate part of the building, with plenty of toys, beds & litter boxes for your kitty cats!I actually had the pleasure of adopting my current cat, Chunky, who was sadly abandoned by his family at the kennel a few years back; they did a terrific job of taking care of him and his cat siblings free of charge of course & re homed them all free of charge to loving, and suitable homes!Seriously; Anything in regards to pets that you need this place can probably help you. I’ve even heard they board/groom bunnies, gerbils & other small furry friends as well! I drive from Maine to this place just because of the service & overall satisfaction; no one does it better in my opinion!!!! FIVE STARS ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ KEEP IT UP LADIES & GENTLEMEN!

Rachel Trabelsi

2019-05

The building is not new and the price is great, had to be something wrong but it is a GREAT place to go. People use this kennel for 17 years of their German Shepards life and that was an unsolicited review. I have had my pooch a year and 1/2 and it was really the first time I was leaving her with someone beside her trainer. When I picked her up after about a week of being gone she had the softest coat and smelled great (she had a bath on her last day {Toenails too}). She jumped in the car and it was like she had not missed a beat!!! Every person I have met or interacted with at the kennel I have really enjoyed. Yes you can believe the price and they treat animals great. And I love how the owner of the kennel says you can go now then Mazie will follow me (on a lead), It is exactly what the kindergarten teacher would say with my daughter about 10 years ago!

Xuan Cai

2017-05

Won't use their service anymore and here is why.First stay was in April, 2016. We had to use this place because we changed our vacation plan and the place we already scheduled could not accommodate the change. When we dropped of the dog, we asked for a haircut and a bath on the day before we pick up our dog. When we picked her up, she still looked the same and smelt the same, her hair felt sticky. I was upset but my husband decided to let it go. Hard to find a place for your dog to stay so we did not bother to get into an argument with them.We just picked her up today from her second stay. Actually we had to go there twice and even a police officer had to come. Due to our pervious experience, when we dropped our dog off for the second stay, we told the lady that what exactly what we need - how short her hair we want and which day we would like this to be done. This morning around 9 AM, we went to pick her up but we were surprised to see that her hair was still the same (they claimed that they did give her a bath). When we questioned why she did not get a hair cut, the lady (forgot her name) said she read the computer wrong, so we agreed that we will come to pick her up later during the day. At lunch time, we called to ask if our dog is ready to be picked up. Same lady called us back and all the sudden she got really upset on the phone. We were like... ok, let's go get our dog. Whole family went (2 years old girl, 7 years old boy and us) to get our dog because the kids miss her so much. We walked in the door, the lady already looked upset and this time she claimed that she only see "bath and a brush" from her computer. Key thing is - she does not listen to you and she talks back (I told her we gave very detailed instruction this time only because last time you guys did not do what we asked but we still paid for it), she instantly said "how come did you complain the first time". All the sudden, it turned into our fault.We asked how much is it and we got a number like 348. I asked her to give me a breakdown because this number does not make sense to me (dog had 7 days stay so 7*26, 2 plays a day so 10*7 so I was wondering what will be the rest?) she started to shiver and looked like she was going to cry, then very dramatically she looked like she was so afraid and she asked us to leave (I do think she should get a career in Hollywood not a dog boarding place. What a waste of her talent!) I was like "can you please talk to me and listen to me?" and all the sudden she start to call 911 like she felt be threatened (but by who? I am taller but much smaller than her. Mine kids are 2 and 7 years old. Husband is outside with the dog because the dog won't stop barking). The police officer came and listened to us (thank you for that!). We went inside together to settle the bill. This time she print out a breakdown for me - 8 days of stay, 16 plays and 50 dollars for a bath). So I asked her why 8 days because she told us this morning that she won't charge us an extra day for picking up the dog later today. She corrected the error with a huge attitude (looks like she is doing me a personal favor). So I asked again why 16 plays? she said "I did not check you in so I don't know". I said "well, if you look at your computer again you should see that we have 2 plays a day" Then she got upset again and she yelled "7 days, 2 plays a day! what is WRONG with that?" The police officer said "that should be 14" I had to turn my face to the police officer and said "THANK YOU!!!" Again, she correct her error with a very upset attitude. I even did not argue if my dog really got a bath or not - paid the bill and left. Before I left, I told her that I will leave a fair review online and won't use their service again.You can make your own decision if you want to let your dog stay with them or not. I guess it is also depends on which person you are dealing with but good luck if you run into this lady.

Lake George Loyalist

2017-05

I boarded my dog while working nearby. The staff was friendly, the facility clean. However I picked up and dropped off my dog several times and never saw dogs outside in the only outside run. Coincidence? My dog peed on the floor 4 days in a row when we got home. There is an indoor training building that is possibly used instead?

Memewalker B

2018-05

My Poodle, Margot, looked stunning after being groomed at Bittersweet Kennels in Newmarket, NH. There were no complaints that she was too matted and the results lasted for weeks. The only drawback is that it's a little more expensive than some other local groomers.

robert greene

2017-05

I have used their services for 30 years and adopted 5 dogs from Lori. Always been happy with my experience with Bittersweet. I guess some people just have had some bad luck, not me.

Craig Goodspeed

2023-05

My dog has been getting groomed here for the past 5 years and has had a few overnight stays, they always do a great job and take great care of him!

Andrea McLaughlin

2022-05

Karen took care of Tazzy this time. A few tweaks, as always needed,but great job. Very happy so far.We go back in a few weeks, Thanks for reading!

Deena Jensen

2023-05

My dog is always able to settle quickly after coming home. She is an old girl so that means a lot!

Laura Plumey

2018-05

Thank you to the staff for taking such good care of our little fur ball. We will absolutely keep you guys in mind for when we need a place to keep our pets while we’re out of town.