San Francisco · Since 2016
Quality over quantity. We cap the pack on purpose.
Tefani & So. is a boutique dog daycare and grooming facility in SoMa. We could take more dogs. We don't — because the day we do, the thing our clients actually pay us for stops being true.
We've been looking after San Francisco dogs since 2016. The business changed hands a few years ago, and we were braced for the reviews to tell us we'd ruined it. Instead, a client who has been with us since 2020 wrote this on Google: "The previous owners did a fantastic job… when it transitioned to new management, I was curious about the transition. However, the new team has been outstanding, maintaining the same level of dedication and attention to detail."
That is the whole job, really. Keeping a promise that somebody else made, to a dog who doesn't know anything changed.
So here is our version of it. Every morning, we load the van and take the dogs to a fully fenced park — a real one, with grass, where they can run flat-out off-leash. Then we come back to the facility, where the floor is open and they roam it freely for the rest of the day. Three separate areas, sorted by size and energy, so a nervous eight-pound dog is never trying to survive a pack of adolescent labradors. There are beds, dog houses and cushion chairs, and they nap wherever they feel like.
What there isn't, is a cage. We don't crate and we don't kennel, unless you specifically ask us to. If you've read the one-star reviews of the big daycares in this city — the stacked kennels, the twelve hours between potty breaks, the dog who came home limping — you already know why that matters more than any amenity we could put on a brochure.
We're insured. We require a temperament test and a trial day before any dog joins, which is a slow way to fill a room and exactly why the room is safe. And when you call us, a person picks up.
The people your dog will know by name
Heather and Watson run the floor, alongside Mai, Daniel, Ricardo, Stina and Tyler. Our groomers are Jane and Sarai.
You'll notice our clients name them individually in reviews. In an industry with a famous turnover problem, that's the number we're quietly proudest of.
What we promise
Five things we will not compromise on.
No crates. No kennels. An open floor.
In this city, "luxury" boarding often means a stacked kennel and a cleaning crew in the morning. Our dogs are loose on an open floor all day, across three areas sorted by size and energy, with beds and dog houses to nap in when they want one. The only crate is the one you ask for.
A fully fenced park. Every morning.
Not a paved run. Not an "outdoor area" that is really a patio. We load the van and take the dogs to a real fenced park to run, and we do it every single day. One well-known competitor states plainly in a public reply that it cannot take dogs out of the building at all.
You'll hear from us before you have to ask.
Photo updates go out through the day — the park, the zoomies, the nap. Our clients on Google use the phrase "a flurry of daily photos." You should never have to call a daycare to find out whether your dog is okay. If you do call, a person picks up.
Every dog is met before they're admitted.
Temperament test, then a trial day, then enrollment. It is a slower way to fill a room and it is why the room is safe. The dog we are protecting with that test is yours — the one already inside.
The same people, all week, who know your dog's name.
Heather, Watson and the team have run this floor since taking over a business that has been caring for San Francisco dogs since 2016. Read the reviews and you'll see clients naming staff individually — Mai, Daniel, Ricardo, Stina, Tyler. That is not a place with a revolving door.
In their words
We'd rather you heard it from them.
“100% 5-star service. Watson and his entire team are professionals, far exceeding my expectations for dog care. They send a flurry of daily photos of your dog at the park. Tefani & So Dogcare is a safe choice for a positive and stress-free experience, give them a try and you won't be disappointed.”
“Once, Evie got an eye infection during boarding while I was traveling abroad, and Ricardo was so considerate and thoughtful. He took her to the vet, FaceTimed me from the clinic, answered all of my questions about her healing. They are very knowledgeable, with a low staff-to-dog ratio.”
“Kiko also loves the daily dog park trips. One of the best things for me is the shuttle service. Kiko gets picked up in the morning then dropped off in the afternoon, which really makes the entire process of sending her to daycare really effortless for me, especially if I need to work late at the office unexpectedly. They treat your dog like family.”
Come meet us. Bring the dog.
Some daycares in this city won't even show you where the dogs sleep. We start there.