ComplaintsforAnimal Ark Pet Hospital, Inc

• Initial Complaint

  05/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Date 5-13-22 5:30 pm Today my Guinea pig ( 6 years old) passed away from a serious gastro bloat.. he was just treated a week ago at this location- for a sinus infection, holding him in my arms I called to ask the office to please ask the vet to take a moment between clients and speak with me about what could have caused this sudden death.. the HORRIBLE receptionist (Diane) refused and hung up on me!!!! Literally crying holding my passed away fur baby in my arms, hung up… who does that???!? So my girlfriend called back and yelled at her! (She probably shouldn’t have but, I suppose when your fur baby is dead in your arms emotions are high and people react in all sorts of ways) So we decided will go to the e 38th st location! And this is where it get even WORSE we show up with our Guinea pig wrapped in a blanket to be cremated… they take him back and while we stand in the lobby crying the office manager comes back out holding the blanket and says “you treated our staff poorly so you have to leave- get out” STILL holding our dead Guinea pig… walks to the door opens it and says leave! We both began to cry and beg her to just take his body and lay him to rest. My girlfriend took him from her and she closed the door and told us we were an embarrassment! WHO DOES THAT?!?!!??! If they were upset about us being upset over our loss they could’ve removed us as clients, but- to take our beloved pet and literally with ZERO respect or heart walk us out. When she walked up she didn’t even give him back to us, she walked to the door still holding him in the blanket, his legs dangling out the back partially uncovered.. it meant NOTHING to her. She abused my deceased animals and this is outrageous!!

  Business response

  07/06/2022

  
  Thank you for contacting me for our side of the complaint *** ********** This complaint stems over both of  our hospital locations, Animal Ark Pet Hospital 3024 W. 12th St Erie, PA 16505 & Animal Kingdom Pet  Hopsital 2222 E. 38th St. Erie, PA 16510. This complaint was written by ******* ********* boyfriend and  posted on social media. Yet, ******* ******* is using this statement as her own, this complaint is not hers. 

  
  There is an important back story that has led up to this complaint which is pertinant and was omitted  intentionally because of negligance on their part as they did not follow the doctor’s recommendations. 
  This client had called in April 2022 demanding medication be given to her guinea pig without a current exam,  which an annual exam is required by law. She became verbally abusive to one of our receptionists because her  demands were not being met, regardless of reason.  

  
  The call was then transferred to a manager. The manager told the client if they would like continue to have  veterinary services with us, they can not speak to the staff the way they had, our staff is doing their job. The  client agreed to have better behavior moving forward and scheduled an appointment.  

  
  This complaint was filed exatly 3 weeks from when the guinea pig was seen by one of our exotic veterinarians.  During that exam, the client admits to the vet their guinea pig has been sick with a suspected upper respiratory  infection for over a month and they have not sought any medical attention for him. 

  
  This client was verbally told, given a copy of her exam with instructions and also had it typed on the bottom of  her paid invoice that the doctor wanted a recheck exam in 2 weeks. The owner chose not to follow these  instructions and never brought the guinea pig in for the recheck. 

  
  Now to the complaint at hand, I would like to break it down section by section as I feel this will best explain the situation in detail. 
    
  Complaint: “Today my Guinea pig (6 years old) passed away from a serious gastro bloat”  
  Response: This is their opinion, not fact. A necropsy was not performed to determine the cause of death.   
  Complaint: “He was just treated a week ago at this location- for a sinus infection” 
  Response: He was treated 3 weeks ago (4/22/22) for a suspected upper respiratory infection, the doctor wanted  to see the guinea pig for a recheck in 2 weeks after starting antibiotics. She was verbally told this, given an  both a copy of her exam and invoice with it typed out “the doctor wants a recheck in 2 weeks”. 
  She did not bring him back for a recheck exam. The only follow-up communication was the guinea pig had  died 3 weeks later (5/13/22).
    
  Complaint: “Holding him in my arms I called to ask the office to please ask the vet to take a moment between  clients and speak with me about what could have caused this sudden death” 
  Response: The client’s boyfriend called Animal Kingdom Pet Hospital demanding to talk to a doctor about the  deceased guinea pig. The receptionist told him we did not have an exotic vet at our location today and  recommended he call Animal Ark Pet Hospital because we had an exotic vet there.  
  Our phone operator with 30+ years of veterinary experience took his call. My phone operator talked to our  exotic vet who offered to see him in the office to discuss the guinea pig’s passing. He did not want this option  and became beligerant, demanding the phone operator pull the doctor from a room and get on the phone with  him.  
    
  Complaint:“The HORRIBLE receptionist refused and hung up on me!!!! Literally crying holding my passed  away fur baby in my arms, hung up… who does that???!?” 
  Response: The client was being verbally abusive using profanity and vulgar slang towards women. Nobody  deserves this behavior or treatment, so yes, he was hung up on only after he resorted to the verbal abuse.   
  Complaint: “So my girlfiend called back and yelled at her! (she probably shouldn’t have but, I suppose when  your fur baby is dead in your arms emotions are high and people react all sorts of ways)” 
  Response: His girlfriend called back to Animal Ark Pet Hospital and she refused to speak to the phone operator  and was transferred to our assistant manager. She asked to have the deceased guinea pig’s name changed, and  then asked about a price for cremation and wished to bring the guinea pig to Animal Kingdom to have the  cremation done. She then asked to speak to the hospital manager of Animal Ark, and was told she was out of  the office until Monday.  
  She then told my assistant manager “if I ever come in there and see Diane, I am going to punch her in the  F***ing mouth!” After such a physical threat, my assistant manager told her we can do this one of two ways,  we can continue this conversation and you will not be abusive and swear at me or threaten any of the staff with  bodily harm or we can end this conversation. The girlfriend then hung up on my assistant manager when her  behavior was called out. 
    
  Complaint:“So we decided will go to the e 38th st location! And this is where it gets even WORSE we show up  with our guinea pig wrapped in a blanket to be cremated...” 
  Response: Due to the fact the assistant manager was hung up on after a threat of bodily harm was made to one  of our staff members, the situation was brought to myself and an owner where it was decided this client is fired  from our practices and cremation services would not be rendered. Cremation is offered by all local veterinary  hospitals, without being a client. 
  Complaint:“They take him back and while we stand in the lobby crying the office manager comes back out  holding the blanket and says “you treated our staff poorly so you have to leave- get out, STILL holding our dead guinea pig… walks to the door opens it and says leave!” 
  Response: The receptionist who brought the guinea pig to our treatment room was unaware of the situation  because she had just gotten onto her shift. After a brief explanation to her as to what the situation was I  proceeded to our waiting room with the deceased guinea pig where I was met with 3 people, the owner, her  boyfriend and her mother.  
  I could instantly tell the 3 of them were looking for a confrontation with the audience they had. I told her the  treatment from herself and her boyfriend to the staff at both hospitals was unacceptable and they will no longer  be able to receive services, which includes cremation for their guinea pig. 
  I told her this wasn’t the first time she was talked to about her behavior. They refused to walk to the exit after I  told her we have fired her as a client. With their refusal to leave, I continued to hold the guinea pig entirely  wrapped in a towel and I walked towards the exit door. Due to their reluctance to leave, this was the only way I was able to get them out of the waiting room. I have video evidence that contradicts their comment of being  told to “Get Out” and “Leave” as I had a conversation with them in the vestible for about 1 minute. If someone  is told to “Get Out” and “Leave” you don’t see a continued conversation after those statements.   
  Complaint:“We both began to cry and beg her to just take his body and lay him to rest. My Girlfriend took him from her and she closed the door and told us we were an embarrassment! WHO DOES THAT?!?!?!?!” 
  Response:They did not ask me to kindly lay him to rest. Her boyfriend yelled that we were an embarrassment,  I did not say this to them. They were in the vestible still not taking any ownership of their actions, even her  mother was being vulgar and verbally abusive. That is when the boyfriend called me a heartless B**** and an  F***ing C-word (deragatory female word) I then said goodbye and shut the door. 
    
  Complaint: “If they were upset about us being upset over our loss they could’ve removed us as clients, but to  take our beloved pet and literally with ZERO respect or heart walk us out. When she walked up she didn’t even give him back to us, she walked to the door still holding him in the blanket, his legs dangling out the back  partially uncovered.. it meant nothing to her. She abused my deceased animal and this is outrageous!” 
  Response: As stated above, they refused to leave, we couldn’t physically remove them. The only way was to  walk them to the door with the guinea pig in my arms so they would follow me out of the waiting room where  they were causing a scene.  
  We handle a lot of pet loss, it is the saddest part of our job. However, this was not a grieving client upset about  the loss of their beloved pet. This was an established abusive behavior pattern, and she entered the hospital  looking for a confrontation. 

  
  When she took the guinea pig from my arms, she let the towel slip off his back end in the vestible and she  continued holding him exposed, this is all on video. Keep in mind, this BBB complaint was from her boyfriend, so because she was holding the guinea pig uncovered, he’s portraying this onto me by saying I was holding the  guinea pig exposed, this is not true. 
  The accusations of abuse are entirely false and I would like a formal letter of apology for their behavior and for  making false public statements as such. I am going on 17 years of being a Certified Veterinary Technician, and  never once have I been so falsely accused on the treatment of an animal.  
  

  Regards, 
  Heather ** ******** CVT & Hospital Manager 
  Animal Kingdom Pet Hospital 
  ************ 
   
  

  
  

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