Iowa City facilities
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Lucky Pawz Iowa City LLC

130 Stevens Dr, Iowa City, IA 52240

4.7
181 Google reviews
Outdoor yardAccepts puppiesClimate controlledOvernight potty breaks

Overview

Lucky Pawz is a dog boarding and daycare facility with two locations in Iowa City and North Liberty, Iowa. They offer overnight boarding with included daycare playtime, as well as standalone daycare services with supervised group play of up to 15 dogs. The facility requires dogs to be at least 8 weeks old, spayed/neutered if over 6 months, and pass a temperament screening with current vaccinations including rabies, distemper/parvo, and bordatella.

Amenities & Policies

Cage-free
Webcam
Staff overnight
Outdoor yard
Pool / water play
Small dog area
Accepts puppies2+ months
Reactive breeds
Medication admin
Grooming
Training
Climate controlled
Overnight potty breaks
Online booking
Spay/neuter required
Temperament test

Max capacity: 15 dogs

Required vaccinations: Rabies, Distemper/Parvo, Bordatella

Policies & Details

Care & Play

Group play
Solo play
Daily updatesFree
Feeding policy:Owner provides food

Requirements

Spay/neuter policy:Required at 6 months

What Reviews Say

167 reviews analyzed

Lucky Pawz Iowa City enjoys overwhelmingly positive reviews with 83% 5-star ratings. Dogs clearly love attending, staff is praised as genuinely caring, and the daily photo report cards are a standout feature. However, several serious concerns emerge: 4 reviews describe dogs returning injured without notification, 2 mention cleanliness/smell issues, and 1 alleges staff impairment. The owner (Jim Kelly) responds professionally to negative reviews. While most customers are loyal long-term users, the safety and communication issues around injury reporting are notable red flags that potential customers should consider.

Dog happiness
5.0
Staff
4.5
Drop-off / pickup
4.5
Cleanliness
4.2
Facility
4.2
Communication
4.0
Value
4.0
Safety
3.5

People love

Dogs love attending - excitement evident(45)Staff genuinely loves dogs(38)Daily report cards with photos(28)Great for socialization/special needs dogs(12)Long-term loyal customers(15)

Worth noting

Dog returned injured without owner notification

Our Dog, Ronin came back from the Iowa city location with several injuries, of just one day of daycare. He doesn't want walk around and doesn't want to get up from laying down. We were NEVER notified that he was injured

Chemical burn/infection on dog's paws during boarding

when we picked him up he could not walk from pain... all four of his paws were bloody and infected - the vet thought he may have walked onto floors that were recently cleaned with a harsh cleaner

Staff accused of pushing dog with leg

I saw one of the attendants push my dog with his leg

Potential impairment concerns with staff

Fairly certain one employee was high or drunk when I picked him up too

Kennel safety issue not disclosed

They also failed to inform me that my dog could jump out of their kennels- huge safety issue

Lack of notification about injuries or health issues(4 mentions)

We were NEVER notified that he was injured and nothing was said when we picked him up

Dog smell at pickup(5 mentions)

The smell that our dog came with was to die for this means the environment is not clean

Feeding instructions not followed(2 mentions)

I provided two days worth of food... requested that he be fed half the bag right then... when I picked him up 36 hours later, almost the entire bag of food was intact

Pricing concerns(3 mentions)

They are a little pricey, but it's worth it when you buy a 20 day pass like we do

Owner replies to 89% of reviewsprofessional tone42 repeat customers

Top Rated

4.7 stars from 181+ reviews

This facility has earned a Top Rated badge for maintaining a 4.7-star rating across 181 reviews.

At a Glance

Google rating
4.7/ 5
Review score
4.2/ 5
Amenities4 of 14
Reviews181
Repeat customersNumber of reviews that mention returning or being a regular customer.42

Max capacity

15 dogs

Min puppy age

2 months

Pricing

Contact facility for pricing

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