Arizona Animal Experts

Initial Business Response /(1000, 7, 2017/09/12) */
On May 16, 2017 I *** received a phone call from ***, who resides at *** She requested our company to humanely trap and remove a stray cat from her backyard. I asked her a few questions regarding the cat before I made the decision to take on the job. I asked her if she was aware of the cat having an owner. She replied "No." I asked her if she was providing food and water for the cat. She said no and wanted to know why I was asking these questions. I told her that we had to make sure it was stray or feral cat because our company doesn't trap cats that have an owner. She said it doesn't have an owner and it's been killing birds in her backyard for the past six months. I told her that we charge $95.00 per service call. Their will be a minimum of two service call. One call to set and bait a traps and a return call to pick up the cat and transfer it to Pima Animal Care Center. She agreed to our fees and asked if we have a senior discount. I told her that our senior discount is 10% off the total fee. Following my phone call to her; I called my business partner *** and gave him Ms. information to perform the job. Later in the afternoon of May 16, 2017 *** met with her. She told *** that the cat was killing all of the birds in her backyard. *** asked her if the cat belonged to a neighbor. She said no and repeated that it is always in her backyard killing birds. *** told her that Animal Experts doesn't trap "known" owner cats because it puts the company in a third party neighborhood conflict. *** searched the yard and could not see a cat but he did see a dead bird which she claimed the cat killed it. Once again *** asked her if the cat was owned by someone in the neighborhood. *** said she became agitated at that point and firmly repeated it was a stray cat. *** advised her that a stray or feral cat would have eaten the bird. An owner cat kills for sport out of their predatory nature but rarely eats their prey. *** set two (live) traps with canned cat food. When *** completed the call he called me to say that he didn't believe she was being truthful about whether or not the cat was a stray. He asked me to examine t he cat after it was trapped to determine if it was a stray or owned. Later that evening at 7:00 pm I received a phone call from Ms. advising me the cat was in a trap. She told me to come and remove it from her yard. I told her I would come out in the morning to remove the cat. At t hat point she became very irate and demanded me to come that evening. She said our website claims we are a 24/7 service company. I advised her that after hours calls are for emergencies such as rattlesnake removal, bats indoors, and sick and injured animals. She said the cat will become sick because there is no water in the trap. I advised her that *** put canned cat food in the trap which is 80% water. I arrived at her house the following morning at 8:00 am, I knocked on at the front door and got no response. As I was walking to the backyard a lady approached me and asked if I was here about a cat. I told her my reason for being at Helsels house. She said she lives at the home west of *** . She said she's been looking for her cat since the night before. This morning she heard her cat crying from ***'s backyard but she couldn't see over the (dividing) backyard wall. I told her to follow me into the yard to see if it is her cat in the trap. As we approached the backyard gate; Ms. appeared from the backyard. The neighbor said she wanted to see if it was her cat in the trap. Ms. started yelling at the neighbor and called her an irresponsible cat owner several times. She told her that she shouldn't own a cat if she couldn't confine it to her yard or her house. I pulled back the canvas covering on the trap and the neighbor confirmed she owned the cat. As I was about to release the cat from the trap Ms. yelled at me and told me to take it next door and release it in the neighbor's house. As I was exiting her yard she handed me a personal check for $171.00. She said she took the liberty of deducting 10% from the total ($190.00) for her senior discount. I told her that I would give her a (paid in full) invoice once I returned from the neighbor's house. She said it wasn't necessary because her check is proof of a receipt. Approximately six weeks ago I received an email from from Ms.. She said she mistakenly overpaid us and requested a check to her in the amount of $85.00. She has has never called us or texted us. That was the only from of communication have received since the date of the incident.

Initial Consumer Rebuttal /(3000, 9, 2017/09/13) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I still have not received an invoice and confirmation of payment. And I never said "My check will be proof of payment". Lie. I have used this business about 15 years ago to have a cat removed and it was removed in a timely manner. A young man completed the job in a professional and timely manner.

In this instance, the lady who appeared at my door to claim 'her' trapped cat, does not live next to me! A fake 'owner'! I've never seen her before that morning nor since then. She appeared at my front door, along with *** to claim the cat. This 'fake' owner actually removed the cover of the cage to identify 'her cat' *** did not participate in showing the cat to the 'fake' owner nor asked any questions of her. He attempted to release the cat back into my yard!! I asked him to take the cat out of my yard and if he was satisfied that this lady was the owner, then release it into her care.

I never once saw the cat climb the wall between my house and the wall of the 'real' owners of the cat. In fact all winter, the cat was sleeping in my yard on a chaise lounge. I provided blankets for it thinking it was a cat that had been abandoned. I posted on a neighborhood site for anyone to claim the cat. No response. To say I knew this cat was a neighbor's cat is a lie and besides that, it is, nonetheless, a nuisance cat ALLOWABLE BY LAW TO BE REMOVED!! I suggest AAE call Pima Animal Care and get the details on trapping domestic cats. I don't know what recent experience AAE has had with domestic cat removal, but it does not seem within the realm of the work they normally do. Since they are not experienced domestic cat removal professionals, they really should just say "NO"! For *** to pretend to be a Psychologist and read into my statement that "I do not know who owns the cat" and say it was a lie is utterly ridiculous. He was the one who told me to call when the cat was in the trap and they would pick it up in a reasonable time frame.

And, yes I have neighbors, and friends who have seen the cat in my yard who I could call to testify that I did not know who owned the cat. But, really, AAE had a job to do and they didn't perform in a timely, professional manner.

Taking the cat a few feet next door is hardly worth $95.00!

*** might remember, (if he wanted to not lie) that the trap (one, and only one) was set on an Eastern facing wall, per my instructions, where the cat always entered my yard. The neighbors who own the cat live on my West Side. Proof enough if AAE would be truthful that I informed *** the cat entered my property from an alley East of where the neighbors live neighbors who we now know own the cat, live West of me. Only one trap was removed from my yard and if they swear they set two, then one must be on my property somewhere. I have a small lot and have not come across a second one to this date.

Arizona Animal Experts seems to not know that it is NOT illegal to trap a NEIGHBOR'S cat! They need to verify that through Pima Animal Care. A nuisance cat, is A NUISANCE CAT whether it belongs to a neighbor or is feral. What is the problem understanding that? Killing birds, spraying, killing and digging up plants, defecating, vomiting on another's personal property is utterly a nuisance and disgusting, and can be a cause of spreading disease, all the while upsetting the cat that is living on the invaded property. In this case, my cat, while indoors, and having to watch the neighbor's cat in it's home territory causes much commotion and stress for the cat who does LIVE ON THE INVADED PREMISESINDOORS, where cats belong. Well, I could get phone records showing how many times I called AAE and never got a response, but, really who is going to do that! They can lie about that as they know I won't request 'phone records from my land line. (Would be easy if I used my cell!) They lied and as supposedly *** people they have to live with those lies and if that is part of their religion, well, sorry for them. Even *** took one of my calls and said "*** is handling your complaint". Two traps were NEVER set, one was enough, and the cat was trapped quickly.

Thirteen hours on a hot May night in a trap, even with a small trace of food containing water is inhumanePima Animal Care agrees with me and is very surprised that this company would do that! *** used to work there so they are very aware of him and this unprofessional business practice in my case. AAE did not know the age of the trapped cat and they were really pushing their luck that the cat was not an old cat stress alone could have killed it. A hot night in May and the trapped cat had urinated all the water from the small amount of food it had accumulated from the trap. If in fact, the cat ate all of the food. Who knows that? I had to hose down my patio to remove the urine excreted by the cat over a thirteen hour period.

Their fee has been $95.00 including delivery of trap and pickup of trapped animal for sometime and if it is different, why not send me a copy of fees so that I know AAE is not lying about that. A statement of fees and acknowledgment of my payment would be in order and normal business practice.