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Boston for the Dogs

14 Brookley Rd, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, United States, 02130-3602

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Reviews Dog Daycare, Dog Boarding, Dog Training, Pet Exercise Boston for the Dogs

Boston for the Dogs Reviews (%countItem)

My service dog in training was severely injured after being attacked by an adult male Pit Bull during a group training class. The trainer was not monitoring the class when this occurred and was inside while everyone else was outside unattended. My puppy was bit in the face and had her ear partially torn off. The owner and trainer, ***, examined my puppy and we were told that she was overreacting and being dramatic. We took our puppy to the vet the next morning and our doctor was horrified at how the facility responded to the event. She prescribed us antibiotics and examined our puppy. We were told that this was an unsafe facility and we should no longer take our puppy there for group classes. My issue is in the following:
1. Aggressive dogs should not be allowed into group classes
2. Class should be supervised at all times by a professional trainer and not left unattended
3. Trainer/owner should not claim medical knowledge over dog bites
4. After reaching out to complain we received no email response. We have requested a refund for the class and that they pay for our dogs medical bills. We also requested a refund for future classes that we purchased that we will not be using.

We understand that in a dog class, things like this can occur. We are more upset about the way it was handled and the fact that the class was left unattended which likely attributed to the attack. We have also observed this trainer/owner drinking alcohol during classes prior to this event and wonder if she was intoxicated during this lesson. We believe we are entitled to financial compensation and a refund.

Boston for the Dogs Response • Sep 29, 2020

Thank you for your message. Boston for the Dogs strives to help dogs of all backgrounds with any training struggles that may exist. In that vein, we do not believe in turning away clients who are working through behavioral issues. On the night of the complaint, BFTD was hosting a group class to practice various skills with dogs and their owners. A separate section of the outdoor location had been set aside for our more reactive dogs. Class was dismissed, as it had become too dark to continue class. As the class attendees were leaving, the trainer hosting the class went inside our facility to tend to another dog. It was at this point that there was a commotion outside, which was discovered to be two dogs that had gotten into a small fight. The client who filed the complaint had let their dog approach another dog, in the dark. Which is a break from our protocol. Dogs are never supposed to great unless otherwise instructed by the trainer.By the time the trainer came outside, both dogs were separated, and the dog owned by the client who has filed the complaint was brought inside to be evaluated. The dog was wiped down with soapy wet paper towel to check the entire dog for any wounds. Both the dog who was attacked and the dog who attacked were checked over, and both owners were also checked in with to see if they were ok. Based on past experiences with dog bites, the injuries found seemed superficial, and the client was told as much. Medical advice was not provided outside of the statement that wounds did not seem to require emergency vet care. The client also stated, in text message correspondences to the trainer both later that night and the following morning, that they did not blame the dog who attacked. The trainer of the class followed up with the client in under 24 hours. The dog of the client who filed the complaint was NOT following our posted rules for class, which include "No face-to-face greetings" and was also not following social distancing guidelines. The client who issued the complaint was instructed by the trainer, at the end of class, not to remove their SDIT vest, or their training collar. The client did not follow these guidelines. Prior to the attack, the dog of the client who issued the complaint did not have the dog in a close heel, and allowed her dog to get close to and spook the dog who attacked. The owner of the dog who attacked was assisting in cleaning up items used for the class, as the class was over. As class was over at the time of the attack, the trainer was not neglecting their class, and the responsibility for the dog's behaviors belongs to the owners of the dog. All our class attendees sign a waiver stating that they will follow the rules of our classes, including no face-to-face dog greetings. This waiver also states that owners understand that the clients are responsible for any risks of attending classes, including vet bills. Regardless of this waiver, per the client's request, we have already processed a refund for the vet bills, and for the remaining unused classes. Other attendees of the class have stated that at the time of the attack, class was clearly dismissed, so the statements that the trainer had left class unattended are untrue. Class was supervised by the trainer for the entire duration of the class. It is also untrue that the trainer was intoxicated during class at any point, a fact also corroborated by the other class attendees. We at Boston for the Dogs take great care to provide an environment for all our clients to learn and train with their dogs, no matter their skill level or training struggles. It would be against our core beliefs to turn away dogs with training struggles. While we do our best to avoid negative dog interactions, it is not entirely possible. We encourage keeping dogs at a distance from each other, and at the owner's side. We wish the best for the client and their dog, and hope they have a speedy recovery.

Customer Response • Sep 29, 2020

Revdex.com:

I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ***. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered.
-I was never sent a Class Incident Form to complete. Also, there were several folks who were at class who were not sent the form, or their form is not included. - I only said that ***, the owner, had been drinking at previous class and wondered whether or not she had been drinking the night of the attack. BFTD clearly has a "Beer Fridge" labeled on display in their training facility. I have three other witnesses that can corroborate drinking while training and even certifying dogs.- The attack occurred at 7:15PM. Class went from 6:00PM-7:30PM. Therefore, the bite occurred during the class time. I have no recollection of class being let out early. - Mercy (my dog) did not "greet" Hank. We were walking by them when the dog turned and snapped.- During class, social distancing was attempted to be observed, however even the owner and trainer said something along the lines of "this is not social distancing" when assisting people with their dogs and commands. I cannot control staying six feet from someone when passing by them to leave a class.- The dog bite was never reported to local authorities or animal control. I am realizing now that I will have to do that separately. I was under the assumption that the facility would be aware of these laws and expectations. -Mercy does not have a vest that she was wearing as we are waiting for one to be delivered. I'm unsure as to why that part was included in their response. Per ADA law, Service Dogs do not have to wear a vest.-BFTD has threatened legal action and has now taken down honest and factual reviews. I have not been contacted by a lawyer and am wondering why reviews were taken down. - Agreed, I do not blame the dog in the attack. My blame is with the way the situation was handled by the facility and the owner of the dog.- Medical advice was given - that it was a "soft tissue wound that only required soap and water" and that we "did not need to go to the vet" which was later proved wrong by a medical doctor. I accept the apology and the refund. I am only disputing the details. Thank you for providing the names and information of the people who filled out the incident reports as I will follow up with them. Best,*** I accept the refund and the apology from the facility.
Regards

Boston for the Dogs Response • Sep 29, 2020

Thank you for your response. We have already processed your refund. Best of luck with your training going forward.

Customer Response • Sep 29, 2020

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

Revdex.com:

I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #***. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved.

Regards

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Address: 14 Brookley Rd, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, United States, 02130-3602

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