Camp Canine had a terrible tragedy this weekend. I have watched Camp Canine care for thousands of dogs and their owners for over 40 years with a near-perfect track record. (No company or person is perfect and over 40 years of caring for hundreds of thousands of dogs, there will be some unfortunate events) The owners are passionate animal lovers. They give troubled dogs second chances and have donated thousands of nights of boarding. I once saw the owner take in a stray cat that was so flea ridden that its gums were white. The owner paid for the stray cat to get a blood transfusion. To me it was crazy, to her it was just what she does. I guarantee that over 99% of these recent reviews have had ZERO personal experience with Camp Canine. ZERO. But Apparently the social media lynch mob will stop at nothing short of death to this great company that has contributed to the Santa Barbara community for over 40 years. The mob wants blood. They want the owners and the dozens of employees to be ruined. The owners (wonderful people) are receiving credible death threats and being called every vile name in the English language. I am so disgusted with what our society has become. No shred of hesitation before going in for the kill like rabid animals. If you've read this far, you may have a shred of independent thinking. You are the few who may stop to consider the reason Bruce's owners weren't called immediately. It was because the employee that knows them best was going to take Bruce to them to apologize and hug them am cry with them instead of making an impersonal phone call. For this, she is getting death threats. For this, the owners "must die". Everyone there was distraught and in shock, deciding what to do in the terrible moment. The puppy being placed in a plastic tub was a man's (not an employee) quick decision which was not good. That is what is causing the most outcry in all of this. Think about it. Bruce had already tragically passed. That was not going to change. The heart broken employee wanted to deliver him personally to the owners that she knew would be devastated. That was going to be very hard to do. But she was going to do it. "Don't call them. I will take Bruce to them." For this she must be punished and shamed to death. The timeline is important too. Bruce was discovered at 1:30. Chris came at 3:00 to pick him up. That is not hours of "hiding the incident from the owners". People need to stop this horrific lynch mob, blood thirsty frenzy of disgusting behavior. God forbid any of those "perfect" people ever make a grave mistake. I would never wish on them what they are so freely dishing out here. I would never be such a vile vindictive person. It is utterly disgusting. read more

ENGLISH BULLDOG DROWNED AT THIS DOG DAYCARE, OWNERS WERE NOT NOTIFIED!! https://gofund.me/8a2bd844e https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-my-sister-after-tragic-loss-at-camp-canine?attribution_id=sl:d1a84533-8b1c-4771-a04f-78adddcc4186&lang=en_US&ts=1784405936&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp20_control&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&fbclid=IwVERDUATJ_R5wZG9mBWZkaWQWUK2e_bE3_LR9YGEvrVWE4KpsSZ5Yy2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4hjXFTTHH76MNRzW3ImObPHmbYBCuGUOwGbHzu_apLrP4kJoFzU_6wftPlvQ_aem_iG1RBw67dtmjan6X2O2UZg A veteran dropped his 1-year-old service dog, an English bulldog named Bruce, off just like any normal day. He went back to the doggy camp around 3:30 p.m. to pick him back up, where staff allegedly escorted him to the front. That's when the employee handed him a plastic box containing Bruce's body. He asked what happened and was allegedly told Bruce had drowned, although the dog was not supposed to be in the pool area. The employee explained that they tried to save him but couldn't. The owner was later told by the police department that staff had left Bruce at the bottom of the pool and not tried to save him, because rigor mortis had already set in, and he was stiff. Nobody called Bruce's owners to let them know what had happened. They waited for him to come pick him up before breaking the news. The reaction was captured in a heartbreaking video. I will put it in the comments. A fundraiser was created to help ease the financial burden of the unexpected expenses that have followed. Donations will go toward cremation and memorial costs so the family can honor their beloved companion with the dignity and love they deserve. Funds will also help cover legal expenses as they work to better understand their rights and seek answers surrounding the circumstances of their dog's death. read more

If I could, I would definitely give a zero star, but this business is disgusting. Something happened that should've never happened today. A dog was found dead inside the pool and he unfortunately passed away because he drowned his name was Bruce and his owner had no idea Bruce had passed until he went to go pick him up and he was no longer here. This is truly disturbing that the whole point of this business is to take care of people's dogs and keep them safe. While you go do whatever you do. There is also a video that surface of someone calling the business and they got sent to a voicemail and in their voicemail they're mocking the murder of this poor sweet angel Baby bruce you can find it for yourself on TikTok, but this behavior is truly disgusting and unacceptable. No owner should lose their dog to this type of circumstance, especially when they are supposed to be taking care of those dogs this business need to be shut down forever and to never be reopened so please nobody come here out of respect for the owner and his dog and also in the some other reviews, I see some dogs that have gotten hurt maybe while playing with other dog, which is normal but also they should be watched at all times to prevent things like this. Well, that's the end of my review please everyone again do not come here at all. Please keep your fur baby safe thank you. read more

DO NOT TAKE YOUR DOG HERE UNLESS YOU WANT THEM TO DIE ALONE IN TERROR. My heart is shattered writing this. On July 16, 2026, sweet, innocent Bruce -- a happy, loving English bulldog who couldn't swim well -- was sent to Camp Canine for daycare. These people put him in the wrong yard with an unfenced pool. He drowned at the bottom while they weren't paying attention. They didn't even call his family. His devastated owners showed up hours later to find their baby already in rigor mortis, cold and gone, stuffed in a box like trash instead of the family member he was. This wasn't an "accident." This was criminal negligence from a place that's been operating for decades and still can't keep dogs safe. They killed Bruce. They destroyed a family. And they had the audacity to apologize on Instagram like a generic PR statement while the community screams for justice. If you love your dog -- if your dog is your child, your best friend, your reason to come home -- stay the hell away from Camp Canine. Only bring your dog here if you secretly want to say goodbye forever in the most heartbreaking way possible. If you want them to suffer and die scared and alone while the staff plays games with people's lives. Justice for Bruce. Shut this place down before another family has to bury their baby because of these people's incompetence. read more

My 11 month old Labrador puppy was attacked at Camp Canine 10 years ago. They tried to cover it up. Shanthi had over 15 bite wounds. The vet said it must've gone on for at least 15 minutes. He never fought back once or bit another dog. The owners blamed it on the Labrador saying he was bugging the alpha male in the pen. We were paying for private classes and he wasn't even supposed to be with the other dogs. I did a review at the time, but it doesn't seem to be on Yelp anymore. I reported the incident, but nothing happened. They refused to pay the vet bills. They tried to keep him for the weekend saying he had been subdued so it would be a good time to train him. When I went to pick him up, he was covered with Betadine, but no vet treatment. He was shaking and howling so much that the vet had to sedate him and we had to keep them on Valium for a week. He would scream and cry in his sleep. I know other dogs who have been seriously injured and died mysteriously at CC. I'm attaching some photos of poor Shanthi, who has since passed on. He spent a life tormented from ptsd. We spent thousands on trainers and behavioral treatments, but he had panic attacks if he left the house and encountered another dog, even on the leash. read more

My daughter has been using Camp Canine for the past two years for her rescue dog, Lincoln, who struggles with anxiety. This is the first place Lincoln gets so happy and excited to go to. It goes without saying that our hearts go out to the pet parents who lost Bruce. And can't imagine how they are feeling. That said, the mob mentality seen here on Yelp and other social media --often from people who have never even been to the facility--along with the death threats, is mind-boggling. What kind of human beings are we becoming through social media? Most of the comments are coming from people who likely do not know that this company has been in business for 40+ years and this is the first time anything like this has happened. They have gone on record taking 100% responsibility for this horrible accident, and they are devastated for what happened with Bruce. One of the co-owners is a dedicated advocate who founded and runs K-911 Animal Rescue, which gives troubled dogs a second chance and empowers families and shelters. read more

After hearing what happened to this family's dog, Bruce, while he was in their care, I'm beyond shocked and heartbroken. From what has been reported, Bruce drowned while under their supervision. What makes this even more upsetting is that the owners were allegedly not contacted immediately and instead arrived to pick him up, only to learn that he had died and had been left in a box. If these reports are accurate, the way this situation was handled is deeply disturbing. Accidents can happen, but how a business responds afterward matters just as much. There is no excuse for failing to communicate with a pet's family compassionately and promptly. My heart goes out to Bruce's family. I hope they receive the answers they deserve and are able to pursue any legal options available to them if appropriate. Based on what I've heard, I would never feel comfortable trusting my own fur babies there. read more

Bruce deserved better! As a fellow English Bulldog owner, my heart breaks for Bruce and his family. Bulldogs are a high-risk breed around water because many cannot swim safely. Any facility caring for them should understand this and have strict safety measures in place to prevent access to pools unless directly supervised. No family should have to experience the devastating loss of a beloved pet while they are entrusted to professional care. Bruce's family deserves transparency, accountability, and honest answers about what happened. I hope there is a thorough investigation into this tragedy and that, if negligence is found, those responsible are held accountable. Justice for Bruce isn't about anger--it's about ensuring that no other family has to endure the same heartbreaking loss. Rest in peace, Bruce. You were deeply loved, and you will not be forgotten. #JusticeForBruce read more

The negative reviews (gangstalkers) in the dozens in the past 18 hours are not actual customers. They are speaking about a different facility, slandering and defaming Camp Canine, a wonderful local Santa Barbara business. I got several messages on my review, "How could you say something positive about this place? They murdered dogs." with links to sentencing of Kong "Tony" Chun Sit and Tingfeng Liu. "Irvine dog trainer Kwong "Tony" Chun Sit (owner of Happy K9 Academy) was sentenced to 11 years and 10 months in state prison for the deaths of 11 dogs. His assistant, Tingfeng Liu, was sentenced to 3 years for accessory to a felony and assisting in a cover-up." This is a totally different facility in Irvine, California. Unrelated. I hope Camp Canine sues for defa of character. This pile on of negative reviews is probably generated by a paid clickfarm with falsified accounts. read more

There are no words to correctly state how I feel about hearing the news that this place allowed a poor innocent puppy to drown and rot at the bottom of a pool for hours, to then package him up in a box for it's owner to collect WITHOUT telling them first. HOW WOULD YOU HAVE FELT. GO ON. I hope you are reading these as part of your "deep review" into your business. I am sure you are feeling it, at least I hope so, but what you really need to reflect on is how you chose to handle the aftermath of this tragedy. You were correct in saying there are no words you could say, but there were ACTIONS you could have taken. A box? No call? No answers? No one cares why you were founded if the reason you're making the public apology contradicts it by the way. You should never open your doors again. That is the least you can do for that poor family. TOMATO TOMATO read more

This business allowed someone who trusted their dog in their business... drown... the dog was at the BOTTOM of the water and had been there for a bit before found. They did NOT notify the owner until the owner arrived. A dog is not just a pet. It is FAMILY. What this business did and how they handled it is diabolical behavior. It was negligent, irresponsible, disgusting and deplorable. To then block comments on social media, and post a ridiculous apology as if that could EVER erase the pain they have caused.. or do anything to redeem themselves in the slightest is disgusting. I hope more people see this and share it. They need to be out of business and the owners need to be held accountable for abuse. Someone needs to serve jail time The one star shouldn't even mf be there. read more

I am deeply disturbed and upset by what I have heard regarding the death of a puppy in Camp Canine's care and the reported lack of communication with the owner. If a pet passes away while under a facility's supervision, the owner deserves immediate honesty, compassion, and transparency. People trust boarding and daycare facilities with members of their family, especially vulnerable young animals who cannot speak for themselves. A situation like this raises serious concerns about communication, accountability, and the level of care being provided. I hope Camp Canine takes this matter seriously, provides answers to the family involved, and reviews their procedures to make sure something like this never happens again. read more

Imagine letting a dog die because of a "staff change" the unfathomable amount of negligence. This business has been around 40+ years and you guys still haven't figured out how to handle this situation? The employee needed to go home that bad that they couldn't secure the animals first before properly handling this situation? To all their customers attempting to defend this business you should be ashamed of yourself. Animals are family akin to kids. This is truly unacceptable. I hope the owners lose their business and the responsible party is charged. Turning your social media accounts private really shows accountability.... Must feel scared, just like that ONE year old puppy you let drown all alone. Monsters read more

killed a young SERVICE ANIMAL by leaving them in the large dog section with a pool, did not notify owners of dogs death before pick up and the dog was found AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL and had clearly been there long enough for RIGOR MORTIS to set in before retrieving the poor dog. Multiple fights and injuries have happened at this establishment, including dog attacks and grooming injuries severe enough that owner had to make veterinary visits, none of these owner were notified of any injury or incident before pick up. Do not bring your dog here unless you are prepared to bring back an empty collar and leash or go back home with a severely traumatized companion. DO NOT BRING YOUR PETS HERE AT ANY COST! read more

As an sb resident and dog mom whose familiar with camp canine, I am viscerally upset and disgusted at the NEGLIGENT & PREVENTABLE loss of Bruce. HOW DARE YOU!!!!! I know for a fact there are cameras and systems in place to monitor the dogs at ALL TIMES so there is ZERO EXCUSE as to why this happened, and why his parents weren't IMMEDIATLEY contacted. a fckin BOX!????? You will NEVER be able to REPLACE what they've lost, and the TRAUMA this experience has likely brought them, among the rest of us in the community, trust is lost forever. they're better than me cus i woulda gone to jail on the spot. Camp Canine needs to be shut down. Absolutley HORRIFIC!!!!!! JUSTICE FOR BRUCE read more

don't feed into the lies!! their tik tok hasn't been updated for a year which shows they are indeed hiding something, since then there have been two dog deaths cause by humans. and over 10+ injuries when groomed, there was a video circling around tik tok with the first death; which concluded a white male seemed to be older with all white hair and beard, hand blood covering his hand and a lease in the other, he had murder that dog then thrown the dog into a box in a suv in the video. the second dog appeared to drown in the pool and wasn't help or rescued for over 5+ hours... safe to save the good reviews are fake. if you love your animal make a complain and put a stop to this read more

You guys are terrible!!!!! You should lose your business after neglecting Bruce. I feel terrible and sad for the owner who put his trust your facility to take care of his puppy. I hope you all get shut down and if you try to come back and start a whole new facility we will find you and banned that. Fuck all of you who let that poor dog drown in a pool because you were all too busy probably on your phone. Everyone boycott this business. Flood there yelp with shame. Your business will fail after all this. Shame on you all for who was on the clock that day to watch peoples animals. These are their children. My thoughts and prayers to the owner of Bruce. RIP Bruce! read more

They deserve 0 stars. They killed someone's fur baby and PUT THEM IN A BLACK BOX! And they didn't tell him that his dog passed away he had to find out the day he was going to pick the pup up. You guys should ASHAMED of yourself. How DARE YOU!?!? I really hope this place gets permanently shut down I can't imagine the horror that pup and the other animals boarding go through! I'm very upset and disappointed that 1 they haven't addressed the issue and they can't even give good quality customer service. It amazes me that the one place you'd think your animal would be safe while you're on a trip and you come back to find out that they killed your dog... Disgraceful. read more

Genuinely don't understand how this place is made for animals but then chooses to betray the trust of the owners. It's absolutely and genuinely unreal that the staff are treating animals this way. If they do this to a VETERAN with a SERVICE DOG, then they could do it to another animal. The way they acted and reacted during this situation was immature and inappropriate; hence, this entire rant because I genuinely am just baffled by this entire situation. Why didn't you call the owner? Why didn't you call and notify the family after this? No apologies? I do genuinely hope they can reflect on this because animal welfare and rights is equally important as ours. read more