ComplaintsforDogtopia of Stamford - Downtown

• Initial Complaint

  05/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  March 10/23, at 7:00am I brought my ***** ******* ******* *o Dogtopia for daycare/bath. He was fine. When I picked him up at 5:30 pm he could not walk properly, extending his back leg out to the right, unable to put pressure down, having a hard time getting into our suv. It grew worse as time progressed. At pickup, the new manager, Jessica, told me she had to give him a bath on her own. He was soaking wet at 5:30,11 hours after I dropped him off,because she said she had to do it herself. This was an egregious, negligent choice. Again, he weighs 196 lbs. He hates baths. In the past it took 3-4 staff to bathe him. If Jessica had familiarized herself w the needs of the pets in her direct care she would have known this. After 3 unreturned calls I went in person. She just rambled on about what grooming certification she had, never acknowledged my dog was injured or apologized, or showed any concern. I spoke to the actual hired groomer & asked her to confirm if Jessica gave him a bath by herself. She responded, “Yea, I don't know what she thought she was doing. I told her to wait". Somehow, he hurt his leg there. When I saw him earlier on webcams before the bath he was walking fine. They would not show me footage to see if he hurt his leg another way. Jessica was negligent when she made the choice to bathe him & not listen to the advice of staff who were familiar with my dog. She did not exercise Due Care, failing to familiarize herself w his file & needs, since she was new. It was her decision to negligently bathe ****** by herself,or injuries would not have been caused. Groomer is not her title there. I had to take him to our vet & w/ Xrays& meds& a $312 bill (after $100 for the day&bath-which he was never DRIED) he has to see an orthopedic surgeon. It is 2.5 months before the 1st avail appnt!!. Damage was done while he was in Dogtopia's care & the response was the Regional manager just called to ask me to take down my negative ****** review!!

  Business response

  05/19/2023

  Hi *******,
  
  Thank you again, for bringing your concerns to our attention regarding ******** daycare and bath experience at Dogtopia in March. We take all feedback seriously as we strive to ensure the well-being and safety of all the pets in our care. Upon reviewing the details and considering the background information you provided, we wanted to share our perspective on the events surrounding ******** visit. Our records indicate that ****** was scheduled for playtime and a bath. We understand that ****** has a preexisting leg injury and has undergone surgery in the past. However, during his time with us, ****** did not experience any incidents related to his leg. He participated in regular playroom activities without any signs of discomfort or distress.  Regarding the bathing process, our General Manager (GM), who is a certified groomer experienced with handling large breeds, personally attended to ******. The GM reported that ****** cooperated well during the bath, and there were no issues or resistance from him. In fact, ****** managed the steps to and from the bathing area without difficulty. The GM ensured that ******** bath experience was handled with care and expertise. We heard from you 3 days later, stating that your pup was experiencing a leg injury, which we are sorry to hear about! We did our best to communicate our observations and share that your pup enjoyed his bath without injury. We sincerely with the best for you and ******.

  Customer response

  05/22/2023

  Then why was footage not reviewed to see how my dog hurt his leg? I was told this could not be done.  ****** hurt his leg there. His prior surgery is totally unrelated. That issue was resolved with, as you stated, his past surgery.  years ago. Do not try and place fault on an injury that occurred with ****** 5 years ago. 

  ****** absolutely did not enjoy his bath. when I picked him up and was totally stressed out. He was completely out of breath, panting and dragging me to leave----this never happened before.   The manager herself STATED she was struggling with him to dry him. So much so that I told her to just give him to me wet and I would dry him at home. I have that conversation on video - I'll be happy to play it for you. So I'm not sure how you could say he enjoyed his bath or that he did not struggle during the bath- when your manager who bathed him and your actual appointed groomer both STATED that he was struggling.Now we have conflicting statements directly from 2 of your staff members. 

   

   

  Business response

  05/23/2023

  Hi *******,
  
  Thank you very much for taking our call this morning and we are happy to provide you with the refund we discussed. We sincerely loved our time with ****** and with you both the very best.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Dogtopia of Stamford 

  Business response

  06/21/2023

  Hi *******,

  Thank you very much for working with us and we hope you were able to receive the refund we discussed. We sincerely loved our time with ****** and wish you both the very best. 
  

  Respectfully,

  Dogtopia of Stamford

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