I picked up my dog from District Dogs Navy Yard after a 7-day boarding stay and found a significant scuff on his nose that was actively bleeding. I received absolutely no notification that he had been injured.
When I asked the associate what happened, his response was essentially, "I have no idea, I'm just working the evening pickup." When I asked whether the injury had been treated, I was told, "I don't think so." I then had to ask for something to treat the wound, at which point peroxide spray and a product to stop the bleeding were brought out.
So my dog was injured while in their care, yet no one at pickup could tell me how or when it happened, whether it had been treated, or why I was never contacted. That is unacceptable and raises serious questions about the level of supervision provided during boarding.
My dog was also groomed on his final day. I specifically flagged areas that had been missed during his previous grooming, only for those same areas to be missed again. The grooming appeared rushed.
I returned to the facility in person and spoke with James, the acting manager. During that conversation, James acknowledged that he had personally observed the injury on my dog's final day but failed to notify me about it. That acknowledgment was particularly concerning because it confirmed that the injury had been noticed before pickup, yet I was still never informed.
During that same visit, I personally observed employees screaming at dogs and banging on cages. I also observed what I considered unsanitary conditions in the lobby. After seeing this firsthand, combined with the unexplained injury and my dog's noticeably distressed demeanor after his stay, my concerns extended well beyond poor customer service. I was genuinely disturbed by what I witnessed and by the conditions in which animals appeared to be handled.
I later received a call from Perfecto, the manager, regarding the situation. Despite the injury, failure to notify me after it was observed, concerns about how it was treated, the grooming issues, and what I personally witnessed at the facility, I was informed that he was unable to offer any compensation for the experience, inconvenience, or injury.
Accidents can happen. What is unacceptable is the lack of communication, documentation, follow-through, and accountability afterward. This experience also follows previous instances where I've felt a lack of support from this location, making it increasingly difficult to view these issues as isolated incidents.
Given the publicly reported concerns surrounding this business in the past, I would expect animal safety, transparency, and accountability to be treated with the utmost seriousness. Instead, my experience left me questioning whether enough has changed. Returning my dog actively bleeding after the injury had already been observed, failing to notify me, and the conduct I personally witnessed during my subsequent visit were deeply concerning from an animal-welfare standpoint.
Based solely on what I personally experienced and observed, I no longer have confidence in this facility's ability to provide the standard of care, supervision, cleanliness, and communication I expect when entrusting someone with my dog. I will not be using this location again. read more