Animal Crackers Pet Salon, Kennel & Doggy Daycare
1100 Old US 23, Howell, MI 48843
Overview
Animal Crackers is a 7,000-square-foot boarding and daycare facility in Hartland Township, Michigan offering dog boarding, daycare, and grooming services. The facility features a unique free-roam grooming area, communal play areas, and a fenced-in outdoor play area on natural grass. Owned by Kelly McPherson, they require proof of vaccination (Rabies, DHPP, Lepto, Bordetella, fecal test) and provide playtime from 10am-4pm with same-family dogs boarded together.
Amenities & Policies
Required vaccinations: Rabies, DHPP, Lepto, Bordetella, Fecal test within the past 12 months, Canine influenza (recommended)
Policies & Details
Cancellation & Deposits
Care & Play
Safety & Emergency
Extras
What Reviews Say
292 reviews analyzedAnimal Crackers enjoys overwhelmingly positive reviews with a loyal customer base praising the caring staff, quality grooming, and happy dogs. However, serious safety concerns exist including a dog hung by neck, severe neglect case, grooming injuries, and multiple illness reports. The facility shows a pattern of high volume operations where occasional breakdowns in care occur, particularly during busy periods. The owner actively responds to reviews but responses can be defensive when defending against serious allegations. While most customers have excellent experiences, the red flags around safety incidents and hygiene issues warrant caution.
People love
Staff shoutouts
Worth noting
Dog returned with gash on nose and skin irritation from urine exposure
“He was returned to us smelling strongly of pee and with a gash on his nose”
Dog hung by neck on grooming table
“I witnessed a groomer leave their grooming station when they had a Husky on their table. After they walked away the husky attempted to jump down and since it had the grooming leash on it was essentially hung by its neck”
Severe neglect - dog returned as skeleton after 24-day boarding
“When I picked him up he was a skeleton of a dog. Absolutely disgusting and blatant neglect”
Dog returned limping, with eye infection, scratches, and lethargy
“When we got Aspen back, he was noticeably limping, his eyes were infected, and he had large scratches on his nose”
Staff member screaming at dog during grooming
“I turned to witness this young woman screaming and pushing on this dog with such anger, she got down in his face and was yelling, 'STAND UP'!”
Wrong dog identification issues - couldn't find dog, wrong dogs brought to families
“they couldn't find her for 45 minutes... they had the wrong name on her crate... Two other families were there and also had the wrong dogs brought to them”
Puppy ears cut and infected from grooming - alleged dirty tools
“BOTH ears (inside) have been cut... yeast infections in BOTH ears, that was most likely caused by DIRTY and or IMPROPER tools”
Dog covered in excrement at pickup, no overnight care
“his white fur was caked in his own excrement... the animals don't receive any attention from 7 pm to 7 am”
Kennel cough/illnesses after stays(6 mentions)
“our dog now has kennel cough and a double ear infection”
Dogs coming back dirty/soiled(4 mentions)
“our dogs came home covered in feces and urine”
Lack of communication during boarding(3 mentions)
“there is 0 communication. No check ins, not even a simple text”
Grooming quality issues - cuts, skin irritation(5 mentions)
“missing chunks of hair and has red and bloodied spots all over coat where under fur was”
Staff handling concerns(3 mentions)
“a young lady screaming at a dog she was grooming”
At a Glance
Pricing
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