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I left my dog Mandy at the Pet hotel in Columbia Maryland. Mandy is a very shy dog. She is as sweet as a dog can be. Even though she is a small dog I put her in the suite ($41.00) per day. I added the individual playtime since she is only a 20 pound dog and the group play areas seemed too rough for her.
We arrived to drop off Mandy and since I had been there several times before everything was ready to go. I was giving instructions to the person behind the counter about what Mandy needed. I repeated several important things since the employee seemed not to be paying attention. Most Importantly was that a particular cup was to be used for water. I can’t explain why but Mandy from puppyhood would only drink from this type of cup. I should have stopped right there and taken Mandy home.
I had arranged for a relative to call about Mandy each day since I was going to be out of the country. The first day the report was that Mandy was not eating or drinking much. That seemed normal as the change in environment may cause these issues. But each day the reports got worse. After several days of not eating much or drinking I called to be sure that the cup I had left for water was being used. I was shocked to hear that no one there knew about the cup.
Things got worse. The next day I got a call from my relative telling me that Mandy now was limping. Since I knew that Mandy had no injuries when I dropped her off I called Petsmart but no one there knew how this could happen. She was taken to the vet where x-rays were done. It was the diagnosis of the vet that Mandy had a sprain.
Things continued to get worse. The following day I was told that Mandy was again taken to the vet to be given fluids intravenously. I was also told that there was blood in her feces. At this point I could no longer stand the thought of Mandy being so miserable. Even though new travel arrangements needed to be made I decided that Mandy was more important than money. I took the first available flight and returned home that day.
Upon arriving at Petsmarts pet hotel, I found Mandy in terrible condition. She could not put any weight on her hind leg. She was dirty, covered in feces. I have never felt so guilty in my life. She saw me and I believe if dogs could talk, she would have asked why I would have left her there. My main function as a dog owner is to keep my dog safe. I failed in this case. I took her home and cleaned her up.
After several days with no improvement in her leg I took her to my vet to examine her. He immediately cringed when feeling her joint. His diagnosis was a torn ligament. I received a second opinion and decided to have surgery done to repair the injury.
I know that Mandy had no existing condition. I walk her everyday and certainly would have noticed any deterioration relative to her leg. I repeatedly inquired about how this could have happened but no one at the pet hotel could give me any explanation. A dog in a private suite with individual “playtime” somehow had this severe injury but no report was made? The behavior of Petsmart personnel has been shocking. I asked the store manager if he thought that since the injury occurred while she was in their care if he would take any responsibility and after rolling his eyes and shrugging told me that it’s just a dog and he would not take any responsibility.
Take this as a warning. Do not trust your beloved pet to Petsmart. Find a friend or relative to care for your pet. A pet sitter is an option too. I hope that no one ever has to look into their dogs eyes and see pain as I have. I will never forgive myself for my poor decision in this case. Don’t make the same mistake I did.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
i don't believe this claim. I'll tell you why. First off if a GM told me that "its just a dog" I would have been more irate in my complaint. Sound like the complainer didn't get what they wanted. I would have requested for the District manager and then if something was not done I would have insisted on the VPRO (vice president of regional operations) to contact me. They have insurance (Travelers ins if i'm not mistaken) They would file a claim and you would get a incident / claim number and you would pay nothing for vet bills.
Sounds out of character for the establishment. I take my dog there all the time and I've never had a problem.
I do believe this. I have never used PetSmart Hotel or "daycare for dogs". However, I do shop there. Occasionally, I will go by the window where they have the dogs displayed that are in their "doggie daycare". I noticed a smaller dog continually getting snapped at and pounced on by another larger dog. I mentioned it to a worker that passed by. She said, oh, other people had brought it to their attention; but, that the two dogs were friends and they played rough. I am a breeder and can tell you that the behavior being displayed was not friendly nor playful. The behavior was a dominance stance and continued for quiet awhile. No one was alarmed. I could tell that the smaller dog was getting exhausted from having to defend itself. THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT PROFESSIONAL DOG HANDLERS AND DO NOT KNOW DOG BEHAVIOR. THEY ARE HIRED OFF THE STREET WITH MINIMAL TRAINING AT BEST. BEWARE!
My dog was injured twice at the Petshotel. Once he got a hernia that was so severe he had to go into emergency surgery the day I got back. To make matters worse they didn't even notice it.
Second time, a month ago he had a limp. a bad one. He hasn't gone to the vet yet because I was hoping it would heal.. maybe a sprain..but it hasn't healed he is going in a week to the vet now...
I, too, have had issues with this particular PetHotel in Columbia MD. When I pick up my Mani, 22 lbs Pomapoo, he is dirty, feces on his feet, smelly. He, too, was injured some kind of way and I brought him to the vet in the Petsmart hotel for them to pay for the exam. They did, I lucked up with some accommodating personnel, but iI agree, their help/dog workers need much more training, experience and can be more courteous, though there are one or two employees who appear to be concern and dedicated. Unfortunately, this Petsmart is very convenient and I haven't found a good dog sitter in my area yet.