I have been a loyal Wag One customer since 2022 and always felt trust bringing Lexi there for…read moregrooming. The grooms were good rather than excellent, but what mattered most was her safety and wellbeing.
Lexi is groomed monthly and regularly seen by a well-respected veterinary clinic. She was healthy with no joint issues aside from common small-dog allergies and anal gland maintenance.
I booked Lexi for Wag One's new mobile grooming service, but after two reschedulings, her appointment was moved to August 15 at 11:00 a.m.
On August 15, I dropped Lexi off as usual and handed her to Terrell. She was completely fine at drop-off. At pickup around 1:00 p.m., Terrell brought her outside. She appeared happy to see me, walked a few steps, and I placed her in her car seat.
The moment I got home and set her down, I noticed she was limping. I checked her paws and saw redness. Upon closer inspection, I found a deep nick between her paw pads. She continued to limp.
I immediately left a voicemail, then followed up with a text that evening when I received no response.
On Monday, I took Lexi to her veterinarian and was told she now has a luxating patella. If it does not improve within a couple of weeks, she may require major surgery, potentially costing $6,000. Her vet also noted it was concerning given she had no prior history of this condition and had been completely fine before her grooming appointment.
I then communicated with the owners, but their response felt defensive and dismissive. They suggested Lexi may have had a preexisting condition, which directly contradicts her veterinary history.
The nick is on the same leg she is now limping on. Based on my conversation with her vet, a luxating patella can be caused by trauma, and I cannot help but wonder if something occurred during grooming when her leg may have been injured.
I did not approach the situation accusing them of negligence, as I understand accidents can happen. However, their refusal to consider any possibility of injury was extremely upsetting. To dismiss my veterinarian's findings and question whether respected vets had ever examined her for this condition felt insulting.
If during her paw trim she got nicked, she may have jerked in pain, causing a luxating patella. I have pictures of the nick, and her vet noted it at her checkup. So for the owners to deny anything happened is simply not true.
Lexi has absolutely no history of a luxating patella or any joint issues. She is seen regularly by a reputable veterinary clinic. She was perfectly fine with no limp, cuts, or nicks before drop-off, and two hours later was suddenly limping with a nick on her left back paw and a luxating patella on the same leg.
The owner kept repeating that Lexi walked out fine, but a dog can walk "fine" for a few feet and then have the knee socket pop out.
They tried calling me, but I did not take the calls because I wanted to remain calm and have all the information before speaking to them. Had the response been one of concern or empathy, I would have been far more understanding. Instead, I was met with denial and a defensive attitude.
After trusting Wag One with my dog since 2022, I am devastated that this situation occurred and that Lexi may now be facing major surgery following an appointment where she was supposed to be safely in their care.
In addition, they reached out to my vet without my permission. The report from the vet was dismissed, with the owner questioning if, in the 5 years Lexi has been at this clinic, any of the vets ever checked her for this condition. Lexi has been seen by every vet at the clinic during those 5 years, depending on my schedule.
I have spared no expense or care for my sweet dog, and now she has to endure pain, discomfort, and possible surgery.
Unfortunately, the owners of Wag One are great as long as you don't question why your pet is not returned to you in the same condition and health as they were when dropped off.
Ethically, they should have offered to handle Lexi's medical bills and potentially a $6k surgery. Instead, they dismissed her injury and claimed it was preexisting, although her medical history clearly states she has no preexisting condition and her grooms with them since 2022 also validate they never noted they saw her with a luxating patella.
