Almost Home Dog Boarding

Rachel Paparone

2018-05

My family and I love Almost Home, but more importantly, our dog never wants to leave when we pick her up! The care that Susan and Lee give to the dogs and their owners is amazing, from reservation to pick up. Their reception area is clean, cozy, and full of dog toys. The first time we took Rosie there, Lee took her out to play and Rosie was instantly comfortable with him, and with Susan as well.The dog's rooms are great - functional yet comfortable, and our dog loves the indoor-outdoor run. Our lab puppy is a bit boisterous, so they made sure that when she played with other dogs, she only played with dogs that matched her energy level. The dogs' safety is clearly their top priority. They have convenient pick up and drop off hours, and sometimes they even send pictures while we're away. From start to finish, Almost Home provides a wonderful dog boarding experience. Highly recommended!!

J Wilcox

2020-05

I have left my 2 dogs at Almost Home for the last 3 years. Both are anxious dogs (as is this owner when I have to be away from them). Susan is welcoming and obviously loves dogs and taking care of them. The place is clean and isn't like a kennel, it's like rooms for dogs. When I ask for the pups not to be out with other dogs, she makes sure this is what happens. I can trust the dogs are safe and happy.

Karen Muckstadt

2018-05

We love Almost Home! We have been sending our dog Lucy to Almost Home for over 4 years and have had nothing but positive experiences. I would highly recommend lee and Susan to anyone looking for dog boarding. A very clean, friendly environment, rooms and not cages.Lee and Susan go the extra mile for each dog. They know and understand Lucy and all her quirky habits and Lucy makes herself right at home. Lucy never comes home freaked out from being boarded and to me that is a great testament to the care she receives at Almost Home. Susan has even sent pictures when I was missing Lucy!It truly is Almost Home for my dog!

Karissa Johnson

2019-05

I would recommend using almost home to anyone, including those to who have never boarded their pet. This was our first time leaving our dog for an entire week. They made sure she was comfortable and felt right at home. Their facilities were really clean and each dog had an individual room. They even sent me pictures of Luna while I was away! Luna didn’t even want to come home with us when it was time to pick her up!! Luna rates Almost Home five stars as well :) we’ll definitely use them in the future!

Britta Lee

2018-05

We feel so lucky to be able to get away knowing our dog is so well cared for. We fortunately found Almost Home years ago and we have had outstanding experiences through the years. Our dog is obviously exceedingly well cared for while he is there. Susan and Lee know their dogs so well and really set all of their pets up for successful, adapting little detaisl to meet every pets needs- getting lots of outside time and socializing time. It is impressive how tuned in they are to their animals and the great environment they provide for their boarders. We feel so lucky to have them.

Jon Epps

2022-05

We have had many dogs over the years and have always felt uncomfortable leaving them when my wife and I traveled. We have had experience with many kennels and even dog sitting people. Over the last 7-8 years we have been boarding our dogs exclusively at Almost Home Dog Boarding. Our dogs have never seemed traumatized in any way when we pick them up.The discomfort of missing our dog for the period of time we are away is softened by the knowledge of how comfortable and happy our dog is at Almost Home. It is not just the physical differences from other kennels, it is the warmth and caring that Susan and Lee display every time without fail. If you love your dog, we highly recommend that you board them at Almost Home Dog Boarding.

Penny Carpenter

2022-05

Almost Home truly IS almost home for our dog. She jumps out of the car and can't wait to be inside. Email updates are personal and include a picture or two of doggo in her digs. All of this helps relieve our speration anxiety, even though the dog seems perfectly fine with it! The staff are very friendly, caring and obviously love what they do. We feel fortunate to have found Almost Home Boarding so near our home.

Glen Miller

2018-05

I have been using Almost Home to board my dogs for 3 1/2 years. I have two large German Shepherds. I checked out every other boarding facility in the area and none of them are as nice as Almost Home. I especially like the fact that the dogs can be inside and go out the doggy door and see each other outside. Also the floors are heated and the room is not a cinderblock cubicle it looks like a kids room. Nice touch. The dogs are also given play time outside each day and that is important.The most important thing for me when I am traveling is knowing my pups are safe and when I leave them off with Susan and Lee I know they are safe and in very good hands. My pups are truly Almost Home.

Shaun Hogan

2019-05

Almost Home exceeded our expectations! We left our dog, Milo, here for a little less than a week as we traveled to a friend's wedding. The owners, Susan and Lee, were very helpful and quick to respond to my emails. They seemed genuinely interested in Milo so that they could give him a good experience. During our trip, we received several updates and pictures, which helped put our minds at ease, since it was the first time boarding our pooch. When a line of storms prevented us from flying home and made us a day late to pick up our dog, Almost Home was very accommodating, and set up an alternate pick-up time. No hassle whatsoever. Wonderful service for a price that didn't break the bank. We'll definitely bring Milo back whenever we need to go out of town again!

Stacie Kropp

2018-05

We have been taking our dogs to stay at Almost Home for over 7 years. Lee and Susan have taken care of our elderly golden retriever, Tess, our difficult rescue, Merrilee, and our highly active rescue, Finny. Each dog required a different touch and amount of care. Regardless of their individual needs and personalities, we are confident that they each had their needs met and had a special time while they could not be with us. Susan and Lee get that these dogs are our children and treat them with the care and love they deserve. I can't imagine bringing my dogs to any other place. Almost Home isn't a kennel, it's as good as home for our pets.

Nannysun 64

2018-05

We've come to learn that it is us, not our dog, that feels bad when we leave him at Almost Home. He loves it there and is treated like a part of Susan and Lee's family. I highly recommend boarding your dog here. You won't have to worry one bit while you are away because your pet will receive excellent care!

Joanne Pierotti

2018-05

I have been taking my dog to Almost home since last year. She absolutely loves it here. As soon as she comes in the door, she is happy and looking around for toys or whatever. She is greeted with love all the time and never seems nervous. This facility is clean and so comfortable looking with Disney character bed sheets on real doggie beds! It truly is Almost Home......I highly recommend it here for your pet and piece of mind....

Michael Murray

2019-05

Almost Home is a great place for your dog to stay while you are away. We have a pretty anxious dog, but she loves going to Almost Home. She recognizes Susan and Lee and gets excited when we pull in. In addition to this, Susan and Lee have been very accommodating in certain emergency situations where we had to find a place last minute for Eva to stay. Definitely recommend it!

Amanda A.

2019-05

I boarded my chihuahua at Almost Home for almost a week. The facility was nice with private kennels that would allow the dogs to access the outside. They require a meet and greet for new dogs, so we visited the kennel before her scheduled stay and got to view the facilities then .When we dropped off my dog, my mom wanted to take a quick look at the kennel because my mom has owned a cat kennel (out of state) for 30 years. The owner was reluctant, because they normally schedule these viewings, but let her see the back briefly. The concept of only allowing scheduled viewings bothers me a bit (because in my opinion, nothing should be happening at any point that you wouldn't want a dog owner to see), but I understand that some kennels operate that way .When we picked her up, my dog and her bedding were covered in urine (her coat was sticky from dried pee). The owner said that had some inappropriate elimination issues while she was there. This isn't unusual for animals in unfamiliar environments, so I would think a dog kennel would be prepared to deal with these situations and be able to keep the animals reasonably clean. Since her bedding was covered in urine (which the kennel owner seemed a little surprised about), along with her body, I can only assume she was sleeping in a urine coated bed and her bedding wasn't changed out when it became soiled.Overall, the people were friendly (they sent me a couple photos of my dog the day after we dropped her off) but I wouldn't board my dog here again. I really wanted to support/recommend Almost Home because my parents have owned and operated a cat boarding kennel for 30+ years, and I like to support mom-pop businesses, but I have to say I am pretty disappointed.

Karen Rizzo

2021-05

We have taken Sydney to Almost Home for several years. He absolutely loves it there. It is clean and he is exhausted after his stays there after playing with the other dogs. We miss him terribly but we don’t worry about him when he is there. They take good care of him and we appreciate pictures sent to us if he is there more than a couple of days.

Kirsten Smith

2019-05

Almost Home is amazing! When we first moved to Ithaca, we tried a different place for our dog, and it was a disaster--he would shake and refuse to walk when we got there, and the place charged extra for taking him on grass to do his business (the only place he'll go). Almost Home is completely different--our dog is so excited to get there and runs right up to either owner to say hello! He always comes home clean and well taken care of. It means so much to us to have a place with people we trust who clearly love dogs as much as we do and who take great care of them. We can't imagine taking our pup anywhere else!

Adam Lee

2018-05

Almost Home is great! My dog Otto has stayed there a few times now, once for two weeks. Almost Home always sends messages with updates on how he is doing, with included pictures! On his most recent stay, Otto had a small cut on his paw. Almost Home was more than happy to keep him bandaged and keep an eye on it. I never worry when I have to leave Otto for a few days - he always comes home happy!

Michael Tenkate

2018-05

We have had really good experiences with almost home dog kennel. I have also recommended them to a few friends who o know are also using them. They have always been friendly and accommodating. If I need dog boarding Almost Home Dog Kennel is my first call. Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

karyn havas

2018-05

Susan and Lee took great care of my pup. She came home happy. This was the first time I have ever used a kennel after 15 years of dog ownership, and this is a good one.

John Kuceyeski

2018-05

Great place to leave your pet. Susan and Lee love animals and take care of our dog like he's their own. Lee walks our dog daily (as he likes more exercise) and their personalized treatment of our animal is much appreciated. Almost Home is a great & affordable place to leave your animals in CNY.

Laurie W

2018-05

Love Susan and Lee. Almost Home takes great care of our one and only. And he loves being there. They have a lot of experience with dogs. I always get a detailed report when I pick him up.

Vandana Shah

2016-05

MY DOG WAS FATALLY ATTACKED: On July 11th 2015, while at Almost Home Dog Boarding, my sweet little dog was savagely attacked by a larger dog while the owners left all the dogs together, unsupervised. My dog’s injuries were so severe that he was euthanized. According to the Cornell vet’s report, my dog’s spine was most likely broken, and he was covered with blood. The owner of the kennel said to me on the phone that this was not her fault. In fact, she could not even identify which dog had attacked my dog.Not only were the dogs left unsupervised but large and small dogs were all left together. The SPCA inspector wrote me that anyone with even a basic knowledge of animal behavior would not have left dogs that were unknown to each other unsupervised.After leaving my dog at Almost Home, I never saw him again. When this happened I was in transit at airports on my way out of the country for 3 weeks. My dog was euthanized at the Cornell Vet Hospital, and they saved his ashes for me. After taking my injured dog to the hospital, the owner of Almost Home took no form of responsibility for this attack.It was a senseless and brutal death. Dogs should never be left unsupervised in a kennel. This is a nightmare.

Jeffrey Walker

2018-05

We have used several dog boarders over our time in Ithaca, and ALMOST HOME cannot be beat. both our dogs are happy to see Susan and Lee, so we know they are being treated good. Excellent service!

Erica Feldman

2019-05

My dog absolutely loved staying at Almost Home Dog Boarding! Susan and Lee are wonderful, and I will definitely be using their services in the future.

Ruth Vath

2019-05

This is a great place to board your dogs when you must leave them. Susan and Lee take special care of all their guests. We will be boarding our fur kids there again.

Susan Weaver

2019-05

Best kennel in town! Would recommend to all my friends! Dog never stressed after a canine vacation at Almost Home!!

Rosey Wall

2023-05

Sent them an e-mail asking a few questions and got a short reply which didn't answer my question. Sent a follow up e-mail restating my question and never got a response. Sent a second follow up e-mail and still no response. Would not recommend doing business with them if that is how they communicate to a potential new customer.

Gayle Fagan

2023-05

Our dogs love it here! The facilities and staff are wonderful!

Charles Orth

2023-07

Almost home always takes excwllwnt care of my dogs ! Thank you

jolene herrera

2018-05

My dogs always enjoy going! We’ve had a great experience every time.