Just as Aimee (and most of us pet owners) experiences separation anxiety when she has to be away from her pets for an extended length of time, so do I. But after what happened this last time we went away and came home from vacation to a hurt Murphy who needed surgery on his paw, I’m going to be even more anxious. And not at all inclined to entrust my Murph to any kennel.
A Lesson in Responsibility
Wayne and I learned very fast that the kennel was not going to accept any responsibility for Murph’s injury without us pressing for it.
We’d signed their boarding contract and they had every intention of honoring their fine print. Which, in essence, said that by signing their very one-sided document we held them harmless for any injuries our pet incurred while at their facility. And that if our pet should incur an injury requiring medical help, we would pay the full cost of any treatment.
So there we were, back from vacation, faced with medical bills racking up left and right: $160 for a vet visit and x-rays the day we picked Murph up and learned of his injury; $30 for a follow-up when we realized he wasn’t faking his limp and needed a referral to a specialist; $300 for the first visit to the specialist for the consult, x-rays, and blood work; a $2,000 deposit the day of the surgery; and another $430 upon picking Murph up from surgery.
That’s just so far. The specialist has warned us we have anywhere from $300 to $700 more to spend before all is said and done.
The Attitudes (Theirs and Mine)
Was My Second Home apologetic? Yes. And sympathetic…until we cried foul and said the least they could do was refund our stay.
Then they were like, “It sucks (yes, the word “sucks” was used) this happened, but it’s not like we hurt him. It happened while he was playing with his buddies. And you did sign our contract. Sometimes this is just how things work out.”
I didn’t much care for those comments, but I’m not one of those sue-happy kind of people. I knew getting a lawyer involved would cost us more –in time and frustration as well as money– so I didn’t bother.
They did end up refunding half of our stay to our credit card, and gave us a credit for the other half to use any time in their kennel. And they did send a get well card signed by their entire staff.
It’s nice, but…
Dissatisfied Kennel User
I’m not satisfied.
It’s their duty to keep pets safe while in their care. Regardless whether it’s their fault or not, if the animal gets hurt as bad as Murph did, they should automatically not be charging for the stay. (And they charge a pretty penny, let me tell you. One fee just for the boarding, then they upcharge if you want to add on extras like additional walks or playtime.)
And while I’m mad about the huge amount of money coming out of our pocketbook, I’m more upset that for the next six months Murph’s life has to change big time.
For the next eight weeks, he’s confined to leash walks in the backyard instead of his two to three mile bunny hunting expeditions he loves. He also can’t sleep with us upstairs in the bed or nap on the couches because he’s allowed only a very limited range of motion. Once he gets the cast off, he’ll be able to increase his activity a bit, but…it’s going to be a slow rehabilitation process. It’ll be six months before he’s allowed to take a regular walk or live like he used to.
Think about how long six months is in dog years. It’s like three and a half in people years. I feel bad he’s having to sacrifice so much of his life in this way.
Boarder Beware
So my advice to you if you board your pet is to beware of what responsibility the kennel’s willing to accept for your pet.
If they have a contract, read their fine print and don’t take it for granted.
Negotiate terms with them if you don’t like theirs and sign a different contract. If they’re not willing to do that, don’t board there.
Beware of the cost involved when a pet gets hurt. I would have laughed if someone had told me there was a possibility that boarding Murph was going to end up costing us more than our vacation.
Beware that you and your pet may have to sacrifice your lifestyle for a boarding experience gone wrong. And that it could affect their personality. (Luckily Murph’s been a good patient so far, but he’s made it clear he’s not happy not walking and doesn’t understand being confined downstairs when it’s time to go snuggle in the big bed upstairs for bedtime.)
Which brings me to the biggest thing to beware of: the guilt. I feel incredibly guilty my poor boy is having to endure all this.
Courtney Mroch writes about animals great and small in Pets and the harmony and strife that encompasses married life in Marriage. For a full listing of her articles click here.