I am hoping people take this review as a warning and our story creates awareness for all parties…read moreinvolved. If I can help save just one other dog's life, it is worth it.
Jalen, an otherwise healthy 2-year-old Weimaraner, almost died after being boarded at BarkU. An aggressive, yet true statement. He contracted Kennel Cough after being boarded that progressed into antibiotic resistant pneumonia with several complications. He was hospitalized in the ICU for 11 days and underwent lifesaving emergency surgery, mechanical ventilation, oxygen therapy, and aggressive antibiotic treatment. His odds of his surviving were very slim but thanks to the very skilled veterinary professionals in charge of his care, he miraculously pulled through, however has a very long road to recovery. He incurred just under $40,000 in vet bills but is here with me today.
I am a long-time dog owner and familiar with Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease (Kennel Cough). Kennel Cough is an umbrella term for about a dozen infectious communicable viruses and bacteria that are known to be commonly found in dog social situations, such as boarding, day care, shelters, and dog parks. Normally, if a dog catches one of these infections, its outcome is nothing more than a common cold, however there are always exceptions to the rules, and Jalen is exhibit A. Degree of infection is dependent upon many factors, including exposure to the source, viral load, dog age, health, etc...The best protection from Kennel Cough is good hygiene and cleaning practices.
Although there are vaccines available, they do not protect against every strain of Kennel Cough and it was only after Jalen got sick that I learned that BarkU did not require any Kennel Cough for any of their dogs; illegal, no...unwise, yes. Jalen and his brother, Barkley were up to date on all their vaccines, including Kennel Cough.
Jalen and Barkley were exposed to BarkU facilities 3 times...a temperament test and 2 boardings and came home sick each time.
Barkley came down with a shallow cough after the temperament test, which I thought was odd since they were only in the facilities for no more than 20 minutes but Jalen was fine, and no serious treatment was needed so I just kind of shrugged it off.
After the first boarding, both dogs came home sick. Barkley had a cough which never progressed past that, but Jalen's Kennel Cough was severe. He was prescribed a 2-week treatment of antibiotics. I promptly notified BarkU of the exposure in case they wanted to notify other pet parents or implement extra cleaning. They informed me that it was "Kennel Cough season" and were sorry to hear that he was sick. No other communication was made.
Although reluctant, I needed to board Jalen and Barkley 5 weeks later. I figured it was unlikely they would come home sick again and took another chance with BarkU. Upon pickup, Barkley had a shallow cough that never did progress, but Jalen was very ill and was taken to the ER that night. The vet later confirmed that the first bout of Kennel Cough likely never resolved and being exposed and stressed in the same environment so quickly just exacerbated the situation.
I called BarkU to inform them that Jalen was fighting for his life on mechanical ventilation after being exposed to an infectious agent in their facility. I was told that my information would be passed on to the manager. To date, I never received any follow-up communication.
Communicable diseases are something that a pet owner takes a risk of their dog contracting any time they choose to board, day care, dog park, etc.. However, for the price that BarkU charges ($900 for 5 nights for 2 dogs), I would expect impeccable stringent cleaning and safety procedures to be in place, which clearly was not the case since my dogs came home sick 3 of 3 times.
Not requiring Kennel Cough vaccine was also a huge red flag. Ironically, one week to the day that I called to report Jalen's life-threatening illness, I received an email that beginning in October, BarkU is now requiring Bordetella Vaccines for all their clients. Call it coincidence or not, I am happy that they are implementing that policy.
Most disappointing though, is the complete lack of empathy and care shown by the management staff. Twice, I notified BarkU that my dogs came home ill with an incredibly contagious illness and they neglected to inform any other owners of a potential exposure. Prior to my boarding, I was not informed of any ongoing issues with Kennel Cough, but reading through some reviews after the fact, people were reporting these instances.
I fault the cleaning practices for him getting sick, however also understand that in environments like these, prevention is not always full proof...but communication is. Not informing your clients of a potential Kennel Cough outbreak is taking informed choice of their dog's health out of their hands. I urge you to do better and do right by your clients.
