Jackson Heights Life

They aren't answering the phone because they are closed.

But you said they have overnight staff. Why aren't they answering the phone?

It's just too easy for a place to say they have overnight people on site. When I leave my precious babies someplace I want to be able to call at 11:00 at night and find out how they are adjusting. I expect a phone to be answered.

NYC- Why the abrasive attitude?

I think the staff are hanging out with the dogs, not sitting in the office. And I believe there is only one overnight person. If you want to disagree, you're free to, but please do not insinuate that I am for some reason or another lying. I am merely passing on information that was conveyed to me. From my very short encounter with this facility, I did find them to appear very trustworthy and I do plan to leave my previous dog there when I cannot take him with me on vacation. As much as it hurts me to not take him with me, I find this facility the best option so far.

I know how you feel.  Assuming someone is on site, they're most likely told not to talk to clients.  That level/type of worker probably doesn't have the people skills needed to deal with a distressed clientele.  Just a thought.

I thought about that, but it didn't cut it for me.

NYC- Why the abrasive attitude?

I think the staff are hanging out with the dogs, not sitting in the office. And I believe there is only one overnight person. If you want to disagree, you're free to, but please do not insinuate that I am for some reason or another lying. I am merely passing on information that was conveyed to me.

My problem is not with you. It is with them.

Let me tell you why.

Last summer I got a phone call at 7:05 in the evening. It was one of my sons telling me that his twin brother had had a heart attack and was in surgery. I still have a lot of friends in the airline industry, so I knew I would be able to book the NFO from JFK to LAX. That would have given me a little over 2 hours to get packed and to the airport. I called a few friends and found that I would be lucky enough to get someone to stay at my house for however long it would take me to return.

Since then I have been looking for a place that I could contact 24/7 to have my pups taken in in the event of another emergency. I am not even thinking about another incident with one of my children, I am thinking more of myself.

I visited http://www.evasplaypups.com/ and read:

At Eva's Play Pups, we provide 24 hour loving care and supervision as well as around the clock emergency veterinary care if needed. As long as we know your pooch will be kind to his or her fellow boarding mates, they are welcome to sleep out anywhere they like in our facility - on the sofa, in the bed with our overnight staff, on a bench or even just on the floor on a comfy Mutt Matt!

So, I wanted to ascertain if there really was a 24 presence on site. Having someone there, who is sleeping in a bed, used to dogs barking and jumping on them, is not the kind of facility that would offer me any comfort. Having someone there who does not answer a ringing telephone, and does not respond to any messages left, is quite disturbing to me.

I have had medical emergencies that put me in the hospital for a few days. I've had outpatient surgery that left me totally helpless/incapacitated for a week of 24 hour private duty nursing home care. I would very much like to find a pet care facility that can take in my pups when I need them to be taken care of. Medical emergencies simply cannot be scheduled during regular business hours!

So our dog stayed at Eva's for 3 nights.  He must have had a lot of fun running around because he slept all next day at home and then back to his usual hyper self.  My only dislike is that he greeted us with pee smelly paws and in need of a serious bath which indicates to me that clean-up at the place could be improved.  But in the end, I'd rather have him running around dirty than crated and isolated.  I plan on boarding him there again but will probably request that they give him a bath during the middle of his stay.  Oh, and while out of town, I called Eva's and they gave me an update, so the communication is there.

If this was the first time you've left him anywhere overnight, you need to regain his trust. HE IS SO MAD AT YOU!

It's looks like Camp Bow Wow in Long Island City has opened its doors complete with live Camper Cams for those that like to occasionally check in on their fur babies.

Camp Bow Wow/Long Island City

More on Long Island City's Camp Bow Wow from the Queens Gazette.

The Queens Gazette
Camp Bow Wow Is Worth Barking About
BY VICTORIA CHU

The camp counselors watch over the campers as they frolic through the six giant play yards. Some take a dip in the two pools available, while others run through the jungle gym. After the campers spend a long day playing with their friends, the camp counselors give them special "campfire" treats before tucking them into bed. Then the counselors play classical music that lulls even the most excited camper off to sleep to get ready for another fun-filled day.

There's one distinct difference between the camp described and any other resident camp: the campers are dogs.

Big and small, long haired and short haired, all dogs, with the exception of pit bulls, are welcome to have the time of their lives at the newly opened Camp Bow Wow in Long Island City. As long as they are at least four months old, spayed or neutered if over six months old, flea and tick free and current on vaccinations for Bordatella, distemper and rabies, the dogs can all enjoy Camp Bow Wow's 10,000- square-foot facility located at 47-16 Austell Pl. in Long Island City.

Stephen Neagus opened the facility just over two weeks ago and already has more than 50 clients. He owned a dog-walking service for six years, saving money for a bigger and better project. Neagus saw an advertisement for Camp Bow Wow, a franchise based in Colorado, and eventually opened his own branch a year later, the first Camp Bow Wow in New York state. The campers come from many Queens neighborhoods, including Astoria, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Long Island City, Roosevelt Island, Sunnyside and Woodside. Neagus is currently considering opening another facility, perhaps in Manhattan, and other camps will be opening at other New York locations such as Staten Island in the near future. Ironically, Neagus owns only cats. "I spend all day with dogs," Neagus explained. "There would be no one to take care of my dogs while I'm at work."

Follow above link for complete story.