Kennels...what Are Their Doc?

[redangel]

My friend just got back from a 2 week holiday. On picking up their dog they were confronted by an excited dog, but sporting what looked like raw rope or collar burns on her neck and a foot wound causing her to be lame. Kennel owners didnt contact my friend while she was away...nor did they mention anything until my friend pointed it out. Surprise surprise..they claim the injury was there on admission. Where do you go with that. The dog is now home with them. The kennel got their $300.00 fee before they released the dog...where do you have a right of reply? Other than never go there again???

[Tralee]

The kennel would need to be able to substantiate the injuries were pre admission.

That should be something they should do as a matter of course.

The burden of proof is on the kennel, do they accept lame dogs or do they just return dogs lame?

Picked up my girl one afternoon, soaked to the bone.

Oh she loves the water.

Yeah I know.

Next day picked her up just after dropping her off, change of plans for the day.

Drenched.

As it happens, they were turning the hose on her to stop her barking.

Will you be back tomorrow?

Yeah sure. Why not?

Have not and will not put any of my dogs back there.

[redangel]

The wounds are only requiring dressing, but I like you think that any kennel that defends an injured pet with 'it was like that when she came in" is NOT observing a duty of care and well is not the attitude Id like to hear from a dog carer

[tdierikx]

"If" the wounds were there on entry, why were they not addressed during her stay? I'd be asking some very pointed questions myself...

T.

[Tim'sMum]

Get your friend to have a Vet examine the wounds. I would think...after two weeks, a rope burn on the neck would have started to scab over by now, if it was 'supposedly' there when the dog arrived.

The foot wound would also have healed some or it not...possibly be infected after two weeks if left untreated, especially in hot humid weather.

I would suspect that a Vet report, saying the wounds were quite likely fresher than two weeks old, might force the kennels to stop lying, at least.

Edited January 21, 2011 by Tim'sMum

[Christina]

Straight to the vet. They should be able to ascertain if they are old or new injuries.

The kennel should have called their own vet in & contacted you when they became aware of the injuries. Which should have been on the first day for something like this.

Do the kennel flea bath them on entry & going home ? Find out. They may have tethered the dog in the bath & caused this.

Or when drying.

Get a vet report & take photos of the injury before it is treated.

[persephone]

Straight to the vet. They should be able to ascertain if they are old or new injuries.

The kennel should have called their own vet in & contacted you when they became aware of the injuries. Which should have been on the first day for something like this.

Do the kennel flea bath them on entry & going home ? Find out. They may have tethered the dog in the bath & caused this.

Or when drying.

Get a vet report & take photos of the injury before it is treated.

[animalia]

I worked in kennels for years and just recently left the industry. Unfortunately the Kennel can't be held responsible as you would have signed a boarding agreement stating that they are not liable for injury, loss or death of an animal, the most you can do is report them to PIAA if they are a member. However if you didn't sign a boarding agreement then you can take further action most likely through VCAT (I think that what it’s called, civil court) if you can’t get the vet payments paid directly from the kennel owners.

In saying all of this as a past manager of a few kennels, if I noticed an injury on admission or whilst the pet was boarding you ALWAYS call the owner or emergency contact and ask them about the injuries. Also if something did by chance happen at the kennels (which was rare) again you call the owner and take the pet to the vet. I was always honest with the customer and AlWAYS treated the dogs in my care like they were my own, I believed in providing the dogs with services that the owner paid for like extra walks ECT. Unfortunately through the years of working in kennels there have been kennel owners who aren't there for the dogs and also other kennels workers who shouldn't be in the industry.

I am hesitant with leaving my dog at a kennel as I have seen behind the scenes, there are some really bad things that happen at kennels and pet owners wouldn't even know what’s happened as the kennel workers seem nice at face value, however there are some really good kennels out there.

PM the kennel name to me I might be able to let you know if they are generally a good kennel or not so good

[redangel]

Thats interesting..they cant be held liable for loss, injury or death...what if such was a direct result of mismanagement??? Animalia thats very interesting. My friend had in the past been happy with the service of this boarding kennel, this year she is now not so sure she has found a great service. Personally I have friends who house sit house n dogs, so thankfully I dont need to seek out boarding kennels.

[animalia]

They still can’t be held responsible for mismanagement or neglect as the boarding agreement is binding and doesn't state under what circumstance the injury, loss, or death occurs, it's very general. All she can do is report it to either PIAA if they're a member, the local council or the DPI, I don't think much will come of reporting them though as it's more of a he said she said but I’m pretty sure they will go down an inspect the kennels and warn the owners.

[Sheridan]

In such cases, public opinion is often the best artbiter.

[Whippetsmum]

It's really important to let the vet know what happened as many people ask them for recommendations.

Years ago, I picked up my very emaciated Whippet from a 2 week stay at a kennel, she'd been there before without any problems . Next time when I asked the vet for a recommendation of a kennel, they asked where she had been and why I was looking for a new kennel. I was honest but just said that she'd lost too much weight the last time......they said I had been lucky as they knew of cases where clients had gone to pick up dogs only to find they had died and their remains disposed of before any autopsy. They recommended another kennel.

[Kirty]

I was always told that those waivers were quite useless if you actually challenged them. I'd be getting a vet check ASAP and making an official complaint in writing to the manager and perhaps the council as well.

[TessnSean]

I would like to be on your side and defending that opinion in a court of law animala. What you are saying is that a boarding kennel can take money for care and have no duty of care. The waivers are not worth the paper they are written on. It is not fair and reasonable to waive your statutory rights.

I would never board a dog again. We used a well respected kennel, highly recommended by posters on DOL. I picked him up day early, calling 90 mins before I got there so really, they had plenty of time for a cover up. They could not even bother with that. He is a heavy coated breed and I did not see that under his tail was wet from where he had been hosed. 50 metres up the road and all the windows were down as the stench off him had me dry retching. Get him home and his bowels motions were black liquid. I knew immediately what the cause was. Call the kennel and there had been a 'mistake'. He was being fed a commercial dogfood roll that they admitted was high in fat. We feed a natural diet and took all his food. No discount for that either. He had been recovering from stomach issues so we ensured they had the vet report where it was made clear - low fat, raw. Seems he did not have a single raw meal while he was there.

Huge apologies, offers of free grooming and a couple of other services to apologise for their mistakes. Not a chance I would cross their doorstep for anything. Ever.

[PossumCorner]

..... the Kennel can't be held responsible as you would have signed a boarding agreement ....

Wrong, as others have said. A blood-chit is only bluff, to intimidate the client. Cheapest way initially is a Solicitor's Letter. Do the vet thing, then have a solicitor send a Letter requesting both payment to you for the vet bill and refund of your payment to them (or Court action follows).

If your write/complain yourself they will laugh as they bin your letter. They won't be laughing if it is on a solicitor's letterhead, it is worth the fee.