Hannah M.
Yelp
So I usually never post about my bad experiences with places, but I couldn't let this one go without talking about. Lola has been going to the same doggy daycare/boarding/grooming place since she was a puppy. She has NEVER had any issues, and the staff always told me how great she was, and how she loved being their little lap dog while she was there.
Unfortunately, a few months ago they had to close their doors. I was so excited to see there was another doggy daycare/boarding place right down the road. I called to see about grooming and such, and then they said if I wanted to board her there I had to bring her in for a temperament test. No big deal, she's such a sweet and loving dog. I drop her off at 7:20 this morning, and at 8:00 they are calling me to inform me that Lola would not be able to pass their temperament test.
They claimed she was "too anxious" and barked/growled if another dog got close. Then they proceeded to say it was because she was in a new place. I had peaked at the cameras a few times before the call, and I saw them pointing their fingers at her, and couldn't tell if they were yelling, but it looked like it. I'm all for correcting a dog if they are in the wrong, but if my dog is obviously anxious, and you can tell she is not adjusting well to her new space, please don't just yell at her. Hold her, comfort her, make her feel loved, and try and calm her anxiety. How can you do that within the 40 minutes you actually watched her??
They did not try and comfort her and help her adjust to her new environment once, and within an hour they had come to the conclusion she was unfit for their facility. Anyone that has ever met Lola knows how much of a sweet love bug she is, and how she doesn't have one malicious bone in her 12 lb body.
I told them that she has never acted that way, or bitten anyone/animal in her life, and that maybe she just needed time to adjust, and maybe a little love. Their answer to that was, "We can't risk your dog putting a hole in another dog here." Lola. My 12 lb maltipoo who is the most loveable dog on this planet.
I'm not saying they should not take her reactions seriously, but the fact that they did not even give her an hour to adjust, did not try and help her through a process she could not fully grasp, did not try and pet her or comfort her, upsets me in so many ways. They didn't listen to me when I told them how she was a good dog, and how she had never had any prior incidents. They just wrote her off, and then locked her away from all the other dogs.
In all honesty, I'm just disappointed. I'm sad they have people working there that don't give dogs the chance to truly get use to their environment, or work with them to become comfortable. All she needed was a little love, and they could have learned that with one phone call to me to ask about why she was acting the way she was. But they didn't call me until 40 minutes after she arrived to let me know how she was not fit for their facility.