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    ComplaintsforRiver City K9

    Pet Training
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    Complaint Details

    Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. See details.

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    Complaint Status
    Complaint Type
    • Complaint Type:
      Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      The business has my three dogs in property currently since April 20th. Im currently in the Airforce. There is no written agreement for this transaction other than pay at pick up. They are trying to rehome my dogs/ discard my property which goes against the service member relief act. We also asked to use our food and provided food but they’re charging us for food. I’m in the military and they are going against the service member relief act. Then, they blocked all communications with us when it breaks there contract saying to keep in contact with us daily

      Business response

      08/07/2023

      Regarding complaint number ********
      To whom it may concern,
      ***** ***** signed our legally binding liability agreement that you will find attached. It was stated that the client was not able to afford vaccines to get the three dogs up to date to be able to board but it was worked out between the staff here at River City K9, a local DVM and *** ***** for them to have updated vaccines and physicals during the beginning of their stay. A breakdown of the cost with a 10% discount was written out with the total of $********* and the agreement was made to make monthly payments for six months with no interest at ********* for two of the dogs and **** for the other dog with a total monthly payment of $******** for all three dogs. The client agreed to this, changed the card on file to insure it was paid on the 20th of each month and dropped off two of the dogs on April 20, 2023, and the third dog on April 24, 2023. Every time we have ran the card that *** ***** left on file, it has declined. It was discussed over the phone that it would be worked out with the bank and that was never done. *** *****, starting May 27, 2023, has had others come in and pay a total of **** since April 20, 2023, via “donations” but has not made any payments herself. Part of our agreement is to provide more than an adequate amount of food for your dog to eat. This has not been done at all so River City K9 has been providing our own house diet as our only concern is the health and wellbeing of the pets we are entrusted to care for. The only thing that Ms. Joins has provided are “Bark Box” and a Cytopoint injection for one of her dogs. Due to the legally signed liability agreement, we had the right to consider the dogs as abandoned. We did not execute that right and gave *** ***** months to pay the outstanding balance. The dogs are still in our custody and the balance continues to grow each day. *** ***** complaint that we are violating our own agreement due to not communicating every day is invalid as it only states we will communicate effectively and efficiently during the dog’s stay. We have upheld our end of that agreement with very few responses from the client until recently. We have told *** ***** over phone calls, text and email that the dogs are doing great, and she has also received report cards and updates until she broke her end of the agreement. Our resolution is to have the client pay in full. We feel that this is an unjust complaint as now we are being constantly harassed by *** ***** and other people affiliated with her. The cops came due to an affiliate of *** ***** calling and it was resolved by the affiliate being given a “No Trespassing Order” and River City K9 being told we were in the right. Please do not hesitate to reach out if any more documentation is needed as we have everything on file.

      *** *****
      Owner of River City K9
      &
      ******** *********
      Manager of River City K9

      Customer response

      08/10/2023

      [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

       Complaint: ********

      I am rejecting this response because:

      That is not the only option as the contract has been broken. The company has tried rehoming the dogs on numerous occasions. An affiliate of river city k9 harasses myself with the new kennel manager liking this post via social media. As a business, they have blocked all communication with the owners of the property (dogs). They have broken the “agreement” and old contract from September 2022. 

      Regards,

      ***** *****

      Business response

      08/11/2023

      This is now a legal issue that is being handled by our attorney.

      Geraldine C. Hartin, Esquire
      3168 U.S. HWY 17, Suite A
      Fleming Island, FL 32003
      904-278-3888
      [email protected]

    • Complaint Type:
      Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      I contacted them last December, before Christmas, to set up training of my service dog. I was told due to the holidays it would be after the first of the year to get him in. I told them of all of my requirements, ability to ignore surrounding other than me, nonverbal commands, the ability to not react to other animals, and the ability to take him out on the water with me. I was told by the trainer, ********, it was guaranteed that he would come back after a one week fully immersed training with all of my requirements or I would be refunded or he would stay there training until it was complete. The trainer, texted and called me multiple times a day from the first conversation, he was wildly inappropriate and made me feel uncomfortable. I had to have the training & this place came highly recommended, so I played the trainers game. When I dropped off my service animal, the calls, text, and communication got increasingly inappropriate. I was promised videos and camera access to his training, instead I received 2 10 second video clips, zero daily reports, & a plethora of excuses of this man going to the hospital, of his drinking issues, relationship problems, money issues, and disturbing accounts of his "military career". He also tried to hug me, unwelcomed, and while I was trying to avoid his advances he knock my brand new 2k phone puts my hands, shattering the screen. I had to pay 220 to replace a phone that I had literally just taken out the box 2 days before. I was told "You should've had a better case and that's going to be expensive to replace, hope you have insurance." No apology or offer to replace my phone. I told the trainer I refused an E collar and the inverted spoke collars they forced on me. At an additional 300 total. Not including the veterinarian fees the occurred from the shock collar burning my dogs skin, the prong was a long haired dog prong and my dog is a staffordshire terrier, they definitely do not have long hair. Both collars, the shock an

      Customer response

      08/30/2022

      From: *************** <***************>
      Sent: Saturday, August 27, 2022 9:38 AM
      To: Info <*****************>
      Subject: Message from BBB.org

       

      ******** I booked in December for January. In December the trainer ******** kept daily uncomfortable contact until after he was fired for being inappropriate, brining and being drunk in the job, stealing, and several other things according to ***, the owner. I told him how the trainer was stalking me, didn't train my service animal, the burns and infection in his neck from the incorrect collars provided. He had to sheriff and the trainers gf call me about the trainer and offered a full week of training, that I had originally paid for after his heart surgery. I waited for his call back about being healed enough to train and that did not happen, so February I called and got a date. I am disabled and have health issues, hence the service dog. I had to reschedule, they booked me for another full week in March... March came, the drop off day, I had informed them I couldn't make it and asked for the next day to drop off, due to health issues, they agreed. The next day I was called to pick up my service dog, he was completely trained in a day. I refused and told the new trainer ***** that I paid for a week and I intended to get that training or a refund. He had the owner call me, he said that he would keep him and train him... I paid for 7 days fully immersed training with camera access, videos, and pictures of training, this was not the case. The owner hand delivered my service animal back to my home with a new ecollar & metal spiked collar that he was explicitly told the vet said do NOT put those back on due to the infection and burns on his neck from them. I informed *** yet again, I was not pleased with his services and that he did not follow through with any training or professionalism... He then said to bring him back in and he'll train us both together. He said he would call me when there was an opening. I unhappily felt this was my only option and that this was my only choice in the matter, because it was clear there would be zero refund, being a single mother and a 100% disabled American Army Veteran, in a very limited income situation. I refinanced my home to be able to get this training. The site said they had a eod, drug & task, service dog trainer on hand, they were recommended by a friend who took her pup there and they keep him over 2 weeks until he was unsaved trained, per their policy. This is also what I was promised by front desk, trainer(s), and *** himself. This is most definitely not the case. When I booked in December all the places I called did not have opening until after the new year and that their rates were rising and there was zero lock in the current rate today other than River City K9. I want the 1k for training (add military discount) 100 for defective and non usable shock collar 200 plus taxes and fees for the brand new phone the trainer ******** knocked outta of my hand and shattered while trying to give me an unwelcomed hug. Vet & medication bills paid from the trainers neglect. IE: the prongs on the shock collar were made for a long haired dog with a smaller neck than my short hair staffordshire terrier. The original spiked metal collar too was too big for his breed and linked too small for his neck. When I dropped off Rin in March I informed him of this again and brought him back his shock collar and told him the issues and that the vast said no more and had him in a polyester branded veterinarian approved collar. He brought him home in a smaller spiked metal collar, stating this one is better, it fits correctly... If you could call me at *** *** **** I would greatly appreciate it. This could be explained better that way. My disabilities make it very hard to write like this. I can also include screen shots, call logs, and more to prove what I'm saying.

      Sent from ****** ***** (******************)

      Business response

      09/07/2022

      Good afternoon,

      *** ***** brought her dog Rin for our 1 week basic obedience Stay and Train Program from 1/3/2022 – 01/102022 at this time she was informed of all the tools we use in our training program,  report cards that are sent out with the dogs progress and our Satification Guarantee policy. We stress to every owner before and after pick up if they are not happy with training, there will be  no charge. 

      • We never force any training tools on a client that they do not wish to use.
      • We do not have video or camera access in our training facility only video or pictures that are taken by the trainer and sent out to the owner via email or text message.
      • At the time of pick up she was instructed to call to schedule an appointment for a follow up lesson to make sure the dog is still on point with its training.
      • The trainer instructed her as how to operate the training tools that were provided to her. Both times Rin left our facility there were no “burn” marks on him or any mention of this from the owner.
      • At the time of pick up on 1/10/2022, *** ***** was told that if she was not happy with the training there would be no charge. She paid her invoice in full at the time of pick up with no complaint.  
      • Her total invoice was $990.00 which included a military discount. Which I have attached.
      •  If *** ***** was so uncomfortable with the trainer ******** (who is no longer employed at our facility) why would she bring her dog in to be trained by him? She stated that the harassment started in December and still brought her dog in for training with said trainer in January.  

       

      *** ***** contacted us a month after she picked her dog up from his initial training informing us that she was not happy with his progress. *** Clark (the owner of the faculty) asked her to bring Rin back in and he would work with him. She scheduled 2/22/2022 but cancelled due to a medical issue. We rescheduled her for 3/22/2022 and he was dropped off at our facility. When the training was completed, On 3/28/2022 ** ***** delivered Rin to his owners home after several attempts to have her pick her dog up. Again at this time, there was no mention of wanting a refund or unsatisfaction. Not once did she ever ask for a refund or tell us that she was not happy until she left a negative comments on one of our Facebook Reviews and again on a Training post on 8/22/2022.

      ** ***** also called her to discuss this issue on August 22, 2022, left a voice message and never got a return call from her.

      Please feel free to contact us at ************ or via email with any other questions or concerns. Our main objective is the health and safety of all our clients pets.

       

      Thank you

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