It pains me deeply to write this review, but I believe our experience needs to be shared with other…read moredog owners who may be considering leaving their pets with a dog daycare or boarding provider.
It has been exactly one month since we lost our beloved French Bulldog, Louie, to heat stroke after leaving him with OC Paw House in Tustin, California.
We dropped Louie off at approximately 9:05 a.m. for what was supposed to be a four-hour half-day visit. The purpose was simply to see how well he interacted with the other dogs before we considered boarding him there for a week later in September.
I believed I had done my due diligence as a responsible pet owner. The business had more than 100 five-star reviews, and I could not find even a single review below five stars. They also had many photos of french bulldogs on their social media. That gave me a great deal of confidence in leaving Louie in their care.
Unfortunately, what happened that morning is something our family will live with forever.
At 11:33 a.m., I received a photo and text showing Louie with several other dogs. In the photo, what appeared to be Louie's vomit was clearly visible near his front paws. When I later examined the photo more carefully, I noticed that it had been taken at approximately 10:18 a.m.
That timeline is extremely important.
Wendy, the owner, later told me that Louie was having difficulty with the heat while at an unshaded dog park on an approximately 81-degree day. She said that after about 5-10 minutes, they decided to take him back to the house. The house is approximately an eight-minute drive from the dog park.
Yet I did not receive a phone call telling me that Louie was in serious distress until approximately 11:45 a.m. I was then told that he was not breathing.
That leaves me with a question I still cannot get past: What happened between approximately 10:18 a.m., when Louie was apparently already showing signs of distress, and the time I was finally contacted?
As Louie's owner, it is devastating to think that he may have been struggling for an extended period of time without receiving the urgent intervention he needed.
In my opinion, what happened demonstrates a serious lack of training, judgment, and emergency preparedness.
This is especially troubling because Wendy told me that she owns or has owned a French Bulldog and understands that Frenchies do not tolerate heat well. Brachycephalic breeds such as French Bulldogs are widely known to be particularly vulnerable to overheating.
Afterward, I obtained a report from OC Animal Care. Based on my reading of that report, I learned information about the business and its licensing status that I did not know when I entrusted Louie to their care. The report also contains statements regarding overnight boarding and the individuals who provide dog-walking services that, in my view, do not match my understanding of how the business was represented or operated.
I encourage anyone considering this business--or any dog daycare or boarding provider--to verify its licensing, insurance, training, emergency procedures, supervision practices, and experience caring for your specific breed. Do not rely solely on online reviews. I wish I had known to ask more questions.
Louie was not just our dog. He was part of our family, and losing him this way has been heartbreaking.
I am writing this review because I cannot change what happened to Louie, but perhaps sharing our experience will cause another dog owner to ask the questions I wish I had asked--and potentially prevent another family from experiencing the loss that ours has endured.
