Frequently Asked Questions

Our primary operating and office hours are daily 9a-4pm Monday – Friday and 10a-2pm on Saturday & Sunday
We offer extended hours visits outside of primary operating hours to our recurring clients.  

Because when it comes to your dog, you want more than someone who can simply show up – you want a team you can trust.

Since 2018, Barks & Recreation has helped local pet parents feel confident knowing their pets are cared for by trained professionals who genuinely love what they do. We’re a locally owned, full-time business built to provide reliable care for the long haul.

Here’s what makes us different:

• Your pet gets a customized care plan based on their unique personality, needs, and routine.
• Easy scheduling, messaging, visit reports, and payments all in one convenient app.
• Detailed updates and plenty of Instagram-worthy photos after every visit.
• Every team member is thoroughly vetted, professionally trained, and Double Pet Care Certified in Pet CPR/First Aid and Dog Walking & Pet Care.
• We carry insurance, bonding, and workers’ compensation coverage for added peace of mind.
• You’re never relying on just one person. Every pet has a Care Team, with trained backup walkers ready to step in when needed.
• Management is available to support both clients and team members.
• With more than 100,000 completed visits and the most 5-star reviews in southeastern CT, we’ve earned the trust of nearly a thousand local pet parents.
• You’ll become part of the Barks & Recreation community through group hikes, events, and other opportunities to connect with fellow animal lovers.

Most importantly, we’re more than dog walkers, we’re your pet’s Back-Up Besties. We treat every dog like family and strive to be the person they’re excited to see walk through the door.

Absolutely! We care for all pets in your family between 9-4p daily.   We’ve cared for hedgehogs, chickens, snakes, goats, turtles, guinea pigs, hamsters, fish, reptiles of all sorts, and many more. If you have a house full that is also no problem, you might just require a longer visit to ensure we can get to everyone.

We love our shy and nervous furry friends!  Let’s talk about exactly what that means for your animals and see if we are able to help.  

We love all cats, even the ones who don’t always love us back!  We work with cats and dogs with all different personalities and we will take your lead on how to, or not to, interact with them.

It really depends on what you want us to do during whether, in addition we consider how extreme the weather is, the size and age (and tolerance) of your dog, and how they are feeling that day. If we can’t be outside long they might learn a new trick, play a little tug or other inside game or they might want to just lay on the floor for belly rubs. This is something we can make a plan for together.

Of course! All employees of Barks and Rec are covered, everyone is also pet CPR and First Aid certified.

Sure do. Most holidays do incur an additional fee of $12-20 a visit. Everything is first come, first served so get your requests in!  Please note that only our Recurring clients have access to our extended hours, those times outside of 9a-4p M-F and outside of 10a-2pm Sat & Sun

All visits are approved on a first come, first served basis so get your requests in as soon as you can. Two or more weeks is ideal for scheduling purposes, and you can book up to a year out.

We can often accommodate requests with as little notice as same or next day, prioritizing clients that use us on a recurring basisi.

All invoices are within your client portal and you can pay online with a credit card or bank account.