Dog boarding - AIBU?

[devildeepbluesea]

DSis and I put our dogs into a home boarding place over the weekend due to a family party away from home. We usually cover each other’s trips away etc so this is a relatively rare occurrence. However the owner of the business knows both dogs well having walked them for many years. They have also boarded with them previously with no issues - quite the opposite, the service has always been amazing.

But this time the following things happened:

1. kept us waiting 15 mins in the rain before they opened the door. We had to call to be let in. This was 10am, so not early for dog people.
2. when they answered the phone they said they were too ill to come down (hungover, this was admitted) and their partner would let us in.
3. partner came down, took delivery of dogs at the door so we didn’t see inside where the dogs would be at all.
4. assured us they would have their own space, and their own cage - this is marketed as home from home boarding. Think saying cage out loud was unintentional.
5. no updates at all in over 24 hours. Whilst not a deal breaker this is a massive departure from usual, when dogs were walked by this company we’d receive up to 3 videos on a 1-hour walk.
6. we messaged to say that we’d be able to collect earlier we were told no, and to collect at 2.30 as planned (not planned collection time)
7. on collection dogs were again handed over at the gate by the partner
8. when home both dogs were DESPERATE for a wee, a poo and a drink
9. were told by the partner that one dog is “getting old” because she did a few wees indoors. This dog has never, ever done this.
10. one dog went for a walk straight away due to suspicion they’d not been exercised. Dog ran and ran and ran for well over an hour, chasing a ball. Dog usually is done after 30mins. Strengthens my view they were probably caged the whole time.
11. didn’t actually see the business owner at all - all face to face done by the partner.

There is more circumstantial evidence for us to now suspect something is really wrong in that place, but I can’t really share because it’s just that - circumstantial. It’s related to both the owner and another dog that boards there.

We were charged nearly £70 per dog for little more than 24hours and were told that pick ups needed to be before 7.30am or a further daily charge would be incurred. Now personally, if I need to board my dog it’s because I’m away and therefore any pick up before noon is impossible. Not to mention, the subsequent inflexibility over pick up time.

DSis and I are absolutely livid, but AWBU?

Crikey - very long. Sorry

Are they registered?

Sounds absolutley grim, are you going to continue to use their walking service?

They have to have a licence from the council, can you report your suspicions? They'll lie of course, but at least it would be a shot across the bows.

From what you have described I would guess that the partner has left and the person you saw is taking the money and not doing the work. I'd be furious.

They stopped a while ago.

They are licensed yes and yes I’m concerned enough to consider reporting.

Ah right i thoughf they were stiill walking them because they they knew the dogs.

That’s terrible. Can you get the word out, somehow, on a local dog-related web page? We had a dodgy boarding place near us which closed down after bad press.

And obviously never use them again (appreciate it took exceptional circa for you to resort to them in the first instance).

report to whomever issued the license. don’t give them any inkling prior (so no letters of complaint etc) so the council can see the full horror, which will be cages and i cleaned dog mess if they are alcoholics.

Do report, yes.

Poor dogs, I'm sorry you all got ripped off like this. It's awful when you can no longer trust someone with something so important!

Even if a complaint doesn't get the council to do much I'd make sure a factual report is placed on any thing like Google reviews, Facebook etc and would absolutely be making sure all my local dog people knew what happened as well.

I'm guessing he's also lost your walking business too.

It’s made more difficult by the fact that the owner was considered almost a personal friend by both DSis and me, because dogs were such long-standing customers of the dog walking. But even so, I’m still that worried I feel the need to report.

Just report them,

Have you seen the actual dog walker since they stopped dog walking? I'm wondering if they are actually at the premises any more.

Do boarders need to be licensed? Kennels, yes. But anyone can advertise boarding on Rover.

Yes I have. Definitely still there. It’s a private house.

Yes there is this, maybe they don't?

They are supposed to have a licence from the council which states the maximum number of dogs they can board at one time. It costs £500 in East Cheshire, a friend of a friend renewed hers recently using money lent by my friend.

They are licensed

Totally agree. My blood would be boiling. I would absolutely report to the council and would not use them again for walking either.

The council do absolutely nothing about situations like this. OP can report all she likes but she'd have better luck trying her hand at Euromillions!

Terrible situation, but OP has learnt a valuable lesson about how even the best kennels turn sour at the drop of a hat.

I'm sure that will vary from council to council. It should definitely be reported to be on file in case of escalation in future.

That’s awful.

I would never use them again for boarding or even dog walking and would quietly warn local dog owners about them.

I probably wouldn’t report them but would feel a bit ashamed for not doing so. But I can see the situation is awkward.

It really doesn't (as someone very involved in the dog world). I know people who have reported puppy farms and kennels across the country, multiple times, for animal abuse and negligence and the councils do nothing.

I know someone who reported their local kennel for abuse as a whistleblower. They had photos of multiple dogs crammed into cages. Council did nothing.

Even that case in Wales a few months ago, they were reported dozens of times and the council went there, saw how awful the situation was, and did nothing.

People just don't care enough until it's their dog who is affected, and councils are over-worked and under-resourced to care about animals.

It’s personal choice @devildeepbluesea whether you report or not. I doubt anything much would be done as the care they are providing sounds bad but not something they could be prosecuted for, but if it would make you feel better and you could cope with the awkwardness, do it.

Report them.