Blake Veterinary Hospital, P.C.

The new client dropped off his dog for 3+ weeks of boarding in January/February of 2018. Staff reported early on during his lengthy stay that this dog was limping. I had staff immediately call the client to see if they wanted us to have a veterinarian examine the dog or we could
transport their dog to the owners’ regular vet. The owners declined this offer. I then asked staff to give me daily updates about how this dog was doing i.eeating/drinking/urinating/defecating ok + general demeanor etc.. Staff said that this dog was very excitable and active in his run and was a ravenous eater. There was never any report of vomiting or diarrhea or visible weight loss. The owners came to pick up their dog when I just happened to be at the front desk. I introduced myself and the clients were very pleasant and seemingly pleased with their experience with us. We talked about their pending move to California where I am from and they mentioned that they were so pleased with our services that they would be returning with their dog on the upcoming Monday for a single week or boarding. The owners then proceeded to weigh their dog on our lobby scale and reported this weight to the receptionist. They mentioned that it looked like their dog had lost weight during his visit. I had never seen this dog before ( the canine inn housing is in a different building than the veterinary practice/check-out lobby) so I had no ability to appreciate any possible obvious weight loss with this dog. Before their departure I went over to see the dog and mentioned that I was concerned about their dog’s chronic limp. I stated that it was in my professional opinion that their dog had either a soft-tissue/ligament injury or could perhaps be lame due to lyme infection. I recommended that they see their regular vet asap and offered to examine the dog when they were returning in a week. The owner stated said that his dog had been limping for a long time and that he would consider having a vet take a look. I also offered to have his dog stay in the fancy boarding area where we have more expensive “cageless” boarding options. I offered to provide this service for the less expensive standard run option price they had chosen for their dog’s last long visit. In other words, a free upgrade to the most luxurious/pampered option. I even mentioned that I would personally observe their dog every day in this cageless area adjacent to my personal desk. The owners seemed thrilled when they checked out after their dog’s day stay and they seemed excited to come back for their dog’s next week of boarding. I would like to make note that this client chose the least expensive kennel/run option for their dog’s lengthy stay and did not sign him up for any of the popular extra options that include playtimes, nature walks, bath before departure etc.. The cheapest option for boarding one night at this facility is $19.00. When the dog arrived the following week for boarding, I mentioned to the owners that I would be willing to run a fecal and giardia test free of charge to see if their dog was free of internal parasites. The testing all came back normal/negative. During this stay I emailed the clients many times and did daily monitoring of the dog’s weight (copies of this email exchange was sent to a Revdex.com representative via email last week). The e mail exchange demonstrates how pleased the owners were about our services and treatment of their dog. The owners asked that I examine their dog and run the heartworm/tick blood screening test to make sure his lameness was not associated with a tick-borne/lyme disease in infection. I examined their dog and the testing was all negative/normal. I expressed to the clients that I was very confident that their dog had a ligament+/-meniscal injury in his knee and that this injury should be confirmed/treated asap. The owners elected not to pursue further diagnostic testing. A few days into his stay, staff had reported that this dog was having loose stool periodically when he was taken out on walks around the property. I asked the owners if they wanted me to give him a special food and medication to help with stool consistency . Their response was no. The dog’s monitored weight before his first stay and daily during his final weeklong stay fluctuated between 60-63#. It is not likely or realistic that this dog lost 20# during his week stay and then miraculously gained it all back a week later. All staff that had interacted with this dog daily stated to me that they never noticed any weight loss. Again I will note that this dog was a ravenous eater and we have video to document this behavior. The owners came to pick up their dog minutes before closing time and told our front desk that they did not want to pay for any of the boarding and veterinary services rendered during this week long stay. They said they wanted to talk to me first. Our business, like most other veterinary practices and businesses, require payment upon services rendered. There is a big sign at the check in/out desk that states the payment requirement. We do not bill clients or have payment plan options. A day or so later I received an email from this owner that was so unethical, shocking, and undeserved, I decided it was time to discontinue any further communication. I have a strong gut feeling that this particular client had a plan all along to try and receive free services. I mentioned in my final e mail to him that “Theft of Services” was not ok and that I would no longer be communicating with him going forward. In the days that followed I received a notice from the Revdex.com and a phone message from a local newspaper reporter who wanted to investigate a complaint from our client. This client also sent off a barrage of complaints on our social media sites and our accredited review companies. I even received a notice from my credit card processing company that this client is trying to have his credit card payment reversed from his initial invoice payment for the dog’s day stay. This client will be served with a small claims filing and likely harassment charges if these abrasive actions continue