We have left our dogs with Kathy in the past with no significant…read moreissues. She does give a lot more treats than we give at home, but for
the occasional weekend, we don't mind. However, this last time, we
encountered some issues that seriously crossed the line. We are
shocked and hurt and I hope to help others avoid similar experiences.
Kathy did not just give our dogs a few extra "treats", which is what
she had asked about and we had given permission for. She also gave
them "premium supplements" at meals, on top of the prescription kibble
we had provided. On top of that, she gave all 3 of them far more
kibble with each meal than instructed, going through 8 or more meals
worth of food in just 6 meals. She did this for all 3 dogs, even
though the amounts of each kibble to be given to each dog were very
clearly written in marker on large cards in the front of each food
baggie, as simply and clearly as possible; the measuring cups were
included; and each bag was also labeled with how many meals in total
were in it. And then she had the gall to *charge us* for the
"supplemental" mealtime foods she added, which we had NOT asked for,
agreed to, or wanted!
This was a complete shock because although she has, as I said, given
more treats in the past than we would at home, she has not ever
before, to our knowledge, added foods to their meals, let alone
charged us for any foods she gave. There is an order of magnitude of
difference between the usual few extra treats and the several extra
cups' worth of food given every day to our dogs.
My dog has a history of IBD, which Kathy knew and was in his
paperwork. Yet he was hugely overfed and given rich, unusual foods,
including roast beef, stewed chicken, canned tripe, and goat milk,
which could have made him very sick. He also has SLO, which has been
in remission for years, and for the first time in years, while at
Kathy's, he lost a toenail. We can't be certain the extra food was the
only cause of that, but I would lay odds that the stress to his system
from all that food was a factor. Such large meals are also a bloat
risk, which anyone caring for the larger, deep-chested breeds should
know.
Unfortunately, we had already written the check before looking in
detail at the breakdown of charges and realizing what she had done and
charged us for. When I brought it to her attention, she justified the
charges by pointing out that her contract says that premium foods and
supplements are available and the prices may vary depending on
availability. The same contract asks that owners provide the dog's own
kibble for meals "for the sake of the tummy". Hello? Any benefit to
the dog's tummy from having their own kibble at meals is negated when
those meals are "supplemented" with all these extra foods!
I am positive that ANY dog owner would -- as my partners and I all did
-- take the wording in the contract to mean that premium foods are
available IF REQUESTED by the dog's owner or IF the owner chooses not
to bring the dog's own kibble. NOT that these foods would be given,
and charged for, at Cathy's sole discretion, IN ADDITION TO the dog's
own measured meals from home.
We would have accepted an apology and an offer to refund the charges
we had not agreed to. But we got neither. Kathy insists that giving
extra foods with meals, and not just treats at appropriate times to
reinforce behaviors, is part of her "behavioral philosophy". Prior
consent of the owner, apparently, is NOT any part of her philosophy.
This is highly unprofessional, to say the least.
