My dog, Pocky passed away on Thursday after his battle with cancer. I immediately called Laps of…read moreLove to see if I could bring him in for a cremation. I called them and they told me that they couldn't help since they only help with euthanasia and don't assist with cremation after a dog has died. Laps of Love recommended that I google search "pet cremation" in my area.
So, I did that and found Four Paws Pet Cremation of Houston. To my surprise, they were in my neck of the woods just 30 minutes away. I immediately called them and was told that they were open 24 hours and to bring my dog in to be cremated (as he passed away in the yard that same day).
I was told to fill out a form via a link to be sent to my phone, but I don't have a smartphone so therefore I couldn't do that. I asked if I could fill out a form in person and was told that I could.
So, we placed my dog in a padded box to make sure his body was comfortable to transport to Four Paws. When we arrived, their front door was locked, with their vehicles out front. I didn't understand why the door was locked on a 24-hour establishment, so I knocked on the door. I was greeted by an elderly man with glasses. He greeted me with a smile and told me to retrieve Pocky from the vehicle.
The waiting area was very small with two chairs to sit on. My whole family came to see Pocky off as he has been in our family for 15 years. Pocky lived to be 15 years old. I had him since he was a puppy.
The elderly man gave me a paper form to fill out. I filled it out and requested a paw print with a special urn, but decided against the special urn as the complimentary box was a nice option. The elderly man kept asking if I wanted private. He asked me three times back to back at which I told him yes each time. My sister and I even discussed with him that we wanted a paw print and he agreed to make us one. He said that it was popular.
However, when I went to retrieve Pocky's remains. I walked into the establishment and the elderly man was there again. He remembered my dog's name and we joked about his age as he wanted me to guess. He asked me again, "Did you want private remains?" Even after the fact. I told him, "Yes, that's what I requested before."
He showed me everything that came with the cremation, a poem, a seed to plant of remembrance, the certificate, and the wooden box with the remains. However, I did not see the paw print that I requested originally.
I asked him, "Where's the paw print?" The elderly man said, "You didn't order one". I told him, "Yes, I did. I checked the box on the paper form." My sibling came into the establishment and agreed that we requested one.
So, the elderly man walked to the back of the establishment puzzled. I guess he was trying to search for one. Then, he came back to the front and was looking through his sketch pad. He said, "Oh, I didn't write down that you requested one". I said, "Well, you can see on the paper form that I did." So, he found the paper form. He is analyzing the form and looking directly at the form, he says again, "You did not check the box."
I said, yes I did. So, low and behold, he sees that I marked an "x" to a paw print. He admits that I did request a paw print and he appeared to be disappointed. That's when the owner, Brandon walks in. The elderly man tells him his mistake. Brandon appeared to be more apologetic than the elderly man! Brandon tried to make things right by offering a refund or even a necklace. I was already disappointed since I trusted them through this process.
Brandon refunded me $30 in cash and apologized to the elderly man. He said that he wouldn't just give me any ol' paw print which I appreciate, but at the same time, it sucks that Four Paws did not honor what I requested. This is my dog who is a family member.
To anyone considering Four Paws to avoid what I went through, please bring with you a yellow highlighter when filling out the paper forms if the elderly man is at the reception. Mark and even circle what you are requesting. This business would be 1000X better if they didn't have the elderly guy working the reception. This would have been a 5-star review if they had done the right thing and been thorough with checking the forms. Why have me fill out a form if you aren't going to abide by it? That's the mystery.
I don't even know if the remains I received were Pocky's only since the elderly man constantly questioned if I had chosen private or communal. Absolute disappointment and a letdown. I won't be recommending this business to anyone and will not return in the future.
