Everything You Need to Know Before Your Visit

Yes — in 2025, Paw Sweet Paw joined Best Friends Pet Care, a network of locally loved, nationally trusted pet resorts. As part of this transition, we became an employee-owned business, meaning every team member has a personal stake in delivering exceptional care. For you and your pet, that means a more engaged, accountable team that truly takes pride in what they do. With the added support of Best Friends’ specialized support teams—like human resources, safety, quality, facilities management, and dog training experts—we are able to focus more on what matters most: providing a safe, enriching, and high-quality experience for every dog. We're excited about this partnership and the opportunities it brings for both our team and the pets we care for.

In 2025, Paw Sweet Paw Vet Hospital was rebranded into Spectrum Pet Hospital. We highly value the partnership and continue to recommend them to our pet parents. You can find their new site at spectrumpethospital.com.

Paw Sweet Paw has two locations in the greater Irvine area. The Spectrum location can be found at 8645 Research Drive in Irvine and the Jamboree location can be found at 16811 Noyes Avenue in Irvine.

Absolutely — we encourage it! Tours are available during regular business hours. Simply call ahead or book online so we can make sure a team member is available to show you around and answer all your questions.

Yes! When your pet is onsite with us, you will have access to our pet cams via your MoeGo account. We encourage pet parents to check in as frequently as they feel comfortable. Cameras are available for view during play time hours when pets are checked in. Daily report card photos are sent out as well. If you have any issues accessing, please reach out to us!

Both Paw Sweet Paw locations are open Monday through Friday 7AM to 7PM and 8AM to 6PM on the weekends. You can drop-off or pick-up at anytime during these hours. Boarding drop-offs must be completed 1 hour prior to closing. Late pick-up and early drop-off availability varies, please contact us if you are in need of this.

Deposits are required during peak seasons and are refundable up to 48 hours prior to reservation.

Cancellations are recommended minimum 24 hours prior but required 48 hours prior for peak seasons to receive refund on deposits. After three no-shows to appointments, deposits may be required for any reservation.

Payment is due at check-out. Reservations over $2000 may require a 50% prepayment at check in. Check written out to Best Friends Pet Care, credit cards or cash are accepted forms of payment.

We are proud to hold our team to high standards of cleanliness with every pet suite being sanitized daily, playgroups deep cleaned every night, and water bowls frequently changed. Our facilities use Ecolab products which are pet friendly and remove multiple pet bacterias and viruses.

Yes, we love cats! Cats are housed separately from dogs in their own dedicated spaces where dogs do not enter and cannot be heard.

No. We offer a small, medium and large dog play yard.

Paw Sweet Paw Spectrum location welcomes dogs and cats. Our Jamboree location only accepts dogs at this time.

All pets must be a minimum 4 months old with two rounds of vaccinations. We do not have a maximum age, but do require the pet to be healthy. If may require a vet waiver if deemed necessary.

The safety and well-being of every pet in our care is our top priority. Pets under 18 months and not in heat are able to attend group. If your pet is older than 18 months and not fixed, they are welcome but will require individual care.

We require Bordetella every 6 months, DHPP, and Rabies for our dogs. Routine Fecal exams and the influenza vaccination are highly recommended. Cats are required to have FVRCP and Rabies.

We do recommend pets are on flea/tick prevention. Any pet with signs of parasites or illness are isolated until a clear fecal exam has been given. We do not accept pets with known fleas or parasites.

Pets immune systems can weaken under stress and more activity than they may be used to. While vaccinations do help prevent illness it is not a guarantee, similar to childrens common colds! It is normal for pets to refuse meals while adjusting to space. Dogs will commonly drink more water and be slightly more tired when they first return home. This is due to the excess energy burnt during their visit. If you are planning your trip in advanced, it is highly recommended bringing your pet for multiple daycare visits prior to boarding so they can fully adjust to their routine.

If a pet appears ill at check in, we require they are seen and cleared by a vet before entering our care. If there is an injury or illness while in our care, we will always take them directly to a vet and contact pet parents. Our Spectrum location does have a veterinary office on site, so we have quick access to have the pet seen. All guests sign a vet release waiver allowing us to have the pet seen by a veterinarian if we see fit. We will always prioritize pet safety and provide proper medical attention as needed.

Owners are notified as soon as possible.

For the safety of all pets and staff, Paw Sweet Paw cannot accommodate dogs or cats with human aggression or bite history. We do require complimentary temperament evaluations which is a four hour day to determine where that pet is best suited.

If your pet is not comfortable in open-play, our team will work with you to find an alternative individual care arrangement. We will always communicate honestly with you about what is best for your pet.

Playtime is included in our boarding rates which allows these pets to enjoy playtime alongside our daycare dogs (subject to a passing temperament evaluation). We group our dogs based on size, breed and temperament with a staff to dog ratio of 1 person per 15 pets. To prevent burnout and promote healthy immune system, we rotate dogs every 2 hours to ensure they receive plenty of rest in between play sessions. If they do not qualify for group play, an additional charge is required for individual care which includes multiple potty breaks and one on one time with staff. Cats receive individual playtime and continuous enrichment stimulation throughout their stay.

We group our dogs based on size, breed and temperament with a staff to dog ratio of 1 person per 15 pets. To prevent burnout and promote healthy immune system, we rotate dogs every 2 hours to ensure they receive plenty of rest in between play sessions. If they do not qualify for group play, an additional charge is required for individual care which includes multiple potty breaks and one on one time with staff.

After a full day of open-play, your pet will likely be more tired and thirstier than usual — that's completely normal and a great sign they had a wonderful time! Give them time to rest and plenty of water at home.

Personal belongings are welcomed with the understanding they may be lost or damaged. Sentimental items are not recommended as we cannot guarantee they will not come back dirtier than usual. We hold the right to deny any bedding, blankets or toys if they pose a safety risk to the pet.

While pets are in playgroup, they will always remained supervised. Security cameras are in place for boarding areas to ensure pet safety.

Yes, so long as they fit comfortable in their suite.

We use MoeGo as our booking and communication platform. It allows us to send you text updates and report cards while your pet is with us, as well as stay connected before and after their visit to keep you informed with updates from our centers.

Owners are recommended to bring pre-packaged food from home to avoid GI upset. There is no additional charge and we can feed up to three times per day. If a pet refuses to eat, which is very common in a new environment, we will do our best to entice their meals using toppers, broth and hand feeding. If this continues for more than three days owners are notified and options are discussed.

We are happy to administer up to 6 oral medications with written instructions from you at no extra charge. We are unable to administer injections or chemotherapy medications. Please disclose all medications at check-in.

We love our senior and special-needs guests, but we do take this on a case-by-case basis depending on the pets condition. We may require a veterinarian waiver.