**IF YOU HAVE A PET IN THE HOUSTON AREA, PLEASE READ THIS POST ANF FEEL FREE TO SHARE**
For the TLDR folks, we boarded our dog at PetSuites Pearland. While there our big dog, Tottie, was left unattended while fireworks were shot off in the nearby neighborhood. During this period of time Tottie damaged/pulled (9) teeth while chewing on the fence. PetSuites is unwilling to take full responsibility for this and has left us to pay the ~$4,000 surgery bill for a non-optional operation. They have taken great efforts to deflect and say they have no responsibility in this issue. Which is interesting considering they were being paid to take care of our pets. This is not a place you should board your pets if you are concerned for their safety and your experience as a customer.
Full Story Below
See the attached pictures of Tottie's injuries.
Over Thanksgiving our family was travelling, and we boarded our dogs with PetSuites of America Pearland. We got a call the evening of Saturday 11/25 that our dog Tottie had ripped out multiple teeth while outside in the potty area. We were shocked and scared for our dog. Immediately, we retrieved our dogs and talked to the facility manager about what happened. She informed us that Tottie had been placed in the dog run after his dinner, so he could relieve himself. While he was out there, someone at a neighboring residence started setting off fireworks. Tottie must have become scared and removed his teeth by chewing on the metal fence around the dog run. They did not have anyone outside to observe the dogs and make sure they were safe in the dog runs, even though they knew fireworks were being set off nearby. They gave us a small ziplock bag with a full canine tooth and a broken molar (see in photos).
The manager explained that PetSuites of America may pay for the veterinary bills that this incident will incur. We got Tottie in to see a veterinarian the next morning. After an examination the vet informed us that the damage caused to Tottie's teeth and gums was above and beyond what a general veterinarian would be able to take care of. She confirmed that his top right canine was completely removed, root and all. There was at least one tooth that broke off and the root was retained in the gums and several other teeth were damaged. The general vet referred us to a veterinary dental specialist and warned us that the price for the care Tottie needs would cost several thousand dollars. She also said this dental work needs to be done urgently, because the broken teeth could abscess or become infected. With that warning, we made contact again with the manager at PetSuites of America Pearland. She put us in contact with her boss the location's general manager. After some discussion about the situation with the regional manager, we were told that an inquiry for cost reimbursement would be sent to corporate.
We took Tottie to the veterinary dental specialist at the first available appointment, and the dental specialist informed us that Tottie had 9 damaged teeth. The quoted price range we were given for the dental work that Tottie would need because of PetSuites of America's negligence was $3,800 - $4,200. The dental specialist said this care is not optional, Tottie will not be able to continue to live with these broken teeth and retained roots. We communicated that quote back to PetSuites of America along with the assessment and write-up from the veterinary dental specialist. PetSuites of America then proceeded to drag their feet on a decision about whether or not they would pay for the damage that their negligence caused. Finally, they offered a $500 payment toward Tottie's care, which wouldn't cover nearly enough of the dental care that Tottie will need due to this incident. This $500 payment covers roughly 1/8 of the estimate we were given to correct the damage done under their watch. But it does show that they recognize their culpability in this event. After a call with their corporate representative, their stance was reinforced despite their acknowledgement and understanding of the events.
At this point our recourse for recouping the costs of PetSuites of America's failure to care for our dog is limited. All we can really do is take care of Tottie out of our own pocket and get the word out, so that other pet parents don't send their pets to PetSuites of America Pearland and have their pets get hurt like Tottie did. We held off on taking things public to see if PetSuites would financially remedy this situation, but they have elected to wash their hands of the matter.
We have tried to be patient, calm, and transparent through this whole situation. Through it, we have seen nothing but coldness in terms of how PetSuites treats its customers and a lack of accountability for injuries sustained while they were supposed to be watching our pets. It is worth mentioning that we are not seeking payment for anything outside of the surgery bill. read more