Howlywood Kennels

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint The response from the business owner is a desperate defensive attempt peppered with "eye witnesses" and wrong information about phone dialog with my self (the complainant) If this business put this much effort into pleasing customers as they did preparing their carefully researched rebuttal to my complaint, then I might of felt different By careful research I of course mean finding reasons to cover up each of their mistakes stated in my complaint None of the explanations offered in the written response to the Revdex.com were offered to me when I called the owner with my concerns For example; colitis to explain the bloody diarrhea I do not accept this excuse by the owner She is not a vet and can not make that assumption My dogs have only ever had bloody diarrhea if given food other than what I feed them That is why I made it clear to the girl on the phone when I scheduled the boarded to ONLY feed them food and treats that I bring.I have to say that anyone can portray an image, but to actually be what they say they are is a different story Going as far as to say that I was belligerent and used cuss words on the phone conversation just adds to their embellishments I have to giggle at the owner saying that they do a "sniff test" before the dogs leave to go home If that actually was done on my dogs they would have noticed the smell from a mile away I did speak with my groomer and she bathed them again after I gave them a quick bath when getting home She said that they were really matted with urine To me that says that they must of been laying in urine for a while, possibly the entire time they were there That is not a clean environment and I will never accept this establishment to care for my animals ever again I see that the owner mentioned the use of web cams in the kennel This option was NEVER mentioned to me when I boarded my dogs In fact, the day after I picked my dogs up I looked up the business online and read their website On their website it said that the web cams are down at the moment, but will be up and running soon How convenient, so the webcam was not even up and running at the time my dogs were being boardedI guess all a smart business owner would have to do to an unhappy customer would be to offer some type of reimbursement and acknowledgement of their mistakes and this matter would have been resolved I do not have anything more to say about this ordeal I am not going to keep going back and forth with the owners pathetic excuses They know what they did and it will be left on their conscience thereafter

Dear Revdex.com Office,I have read the letter of complaint from this customer.We did what we learned, and according to credit card company polices given to us, to avoid fraudulent activities on any credit card used to over the phone.The customer was explained how it works if she charges over the
phone.there are only two options:1- To ship the purchase to her billing address associated with the CC used.2- To show the credit card charged over the phone and allow it to be imprinted in case of any dispute or question from CC establishment.Both above options have been developed to avoid people charging over the phone with stolen credit cards and just simply walk in and pick up the purchase.Also the imprint is for CC company because they do not accept verbal verification.On the original date of her purchase, The customer did provide her CC to be charged filed and agreed to permit us to process the balance on the date registered on her original receipt Imprint was taken at her presence at the time of initial purchasethe error of wrong charge was corrected instantly and immediatelyWhy would she complain about that?The staff at aram did everything the first wrong charge back into her account instantly before she left the store. I do not understand why she would write to your office that she did not receive the proper and professional customer service from my staff.I can assure you that this policy has been in effect ever since we are in our business, for 100% of our customers.We hope we will not have to be criticized for protecting our customers in the future!Please let me know if I can provide anymore information.Sincerely,aram I***

From: Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC Date: Thu, May 21, at 9:AMSubject: Fwd: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania complaint #***.To: *** *** ---------- Forwarded message ----------From: Aram I*** Date: Thu, May 21, at 12:AMSubject: Re: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania complaint #***.To: "[email protected]" Dear Office, I tried reaching you earlier today, over the phone, before my trip to out of the country.I also sent you an email.I not sure if the earlier email was successfully sent. Please note that my staff at the store did follow the steps to release a purchase made over the phone by a credit card as usual. We can only ship to the billing address of the CC, if a customer does not want to present her card for imprintAnd this was offered to this customer. This effort is to prevent fraudulent CC activities because anyone can call and charge over the phone with stolen credit card numbers. We have to make sure that does not happen.Also in case of a dispute if we do not provide an imprint of an actual CC to credit card companies, they will issue a charge backBanks require a proof of the CC is not swiped in the CC machine.I am sorry that the customer minded our security measures in this process.We did our best to accommodate her a payment plan and at first and did what we do in similar situation with everyone who charges over the phone.If there is anything else I can provide in regards to this complaint, please contact me after May 30TH.Thank youBest,Aram I***

Please imagine our amazement in firstly having received a complaint through your office from this individual (hereinafter complainant), but also for the content of said complaint.  We, at Howlywood Kennels are loving pet owners and began our business two (2) years ago because of our...

desire to develop a clean, healthy, caring environment for pets to come to when their owners need to seek temporary kenneling for their pets.  Since opening our doors to the public in 2013, we have not only developed a lengthy customer list, but have multiple repeat customers.  We enjoy a reputation of giving quality care for our customer’s pets because we really care about the comfort and well being of the pets that have been entrusted to our care.  We weren’t given that excellent reputation, we earned it!  It is with great chagrin that we began reading the complaint because it is our first complaint.  As we read the allegations it contained, we were dumbfounded, to say the least.  When the complainant greeted her pets on the day she came to take them home, she could not say enough about how pleased she was with our care and service.  She sat on the floor in the reception area and hugged her dogs and repeatedly thanked us.  Another happy customer we thought as she left our kennel that day.  How different her account of the pickup and the telephone conversation she claims to have had the following day are from the reality of the entire situation.   It was in total disbelief that we reread the complaint and the allegations it contained.  We strive to please our customers, which is why we have repeat customers from a multi county area, even from out of State.  Approximately 90% of our clients are repeat customers. We welcome this opportunity to clarify the misleading statements in the complaint.   A popular feature we offer at our facility are “in kennel” Web Cams which give the owners the reassuring ability to “visit” or check in on their pets by viewing their pets comfort and care from wherever the owners can get WiFi.  We also feature good security system cameras which protect our customers’ pets, and our facility.  In this case, they have even given us the ability to review the complainant’s pick up of her pets on the departure date in question.  Your review of all of the facts and the truth of this matter cannot be complete without considering the following relevant information. We are very selective in our hiring process.  We hire based on honesty, compassion for pets and the willingness to follow instructions for each pet boarding with us.   We spoke with the employees who cared for the complainant’s three dogs.  We reviewed the security tapes and we spoke with the individuals who heard the conversation with the complainant. Our review clearly has been thorough and undertaken with the aim at truth and objectivity.  These are the facts as we know them to be: The complainant boarded her 2 Pomeranians and 1 Golden Retriever at our kennel from 7/9/15 to 7/12/2015. She specified that she wanted all three (3) dogs to be in the same kennel during their board, with the exception of feeding time. She said her Golden Retriever was food aggressive and we honored the need to separate that dog so that the Pomeranians could eat at their own pace. This was the ONLY request regarding separating these three dogs.  The complainant supplied the preferred food for her dogs. The food was properly marked and identified as for her three dogs and placed in the feed room in the space allotted to their kennel number.  Even without specific requests, at meal time, we always separate multiple dog families at our facility. We want to ensure that all guest dogs are eating properly and to avoid any fighting regarding food amongst our guest dogs.   Howlywood Kennel is an indoor/outdoor facility. There is a solid kennel door that separates the inside kennel area from the outside cement run.  This feature allows dogs to be outside if they choose to go out especially to “relieve” themselves during our hours of operation.  At night, these doors are securely closed for the security and safety of our guest dogs.  At the time of drop off, the complainant stated that she had never boarded her animals before, and was extremely emotional at the thought of leaving her pets. We see this frequently in our business, as our guest pets are often considered by our clients to be their “babies.”   When the complainant dropped off her three dogs on 7/9, our staff member offered to show her where her dogs would be staying during their time boarding with us. This offer is routinely made to let the clients view the interior of the housing area, to enable them to inspect the quality care of our facility and to have the opportunity to check the Web-Cam option. The complainant declined the offer, remarking that she didn’t think it was a good idea.  We are very diligent with our cleaning/disinfection process all day, every day. However, there is no way for us to anticipate each urination and defecation that may occur in the outside run area. Despite our consistent diligence in cleaning up after our guest dogs, there are dogs that will lie down, sit in, or walk through an area that has been soiled before we have a chance to clean it.   This could happen at night as the dogs are confined inside for their safety and protection. In regards to the complainant’s remark about her dogs having bloody diarrhea upon returning home, it could have been colitis. Colitis (inflammation of the colon) is not an uncommon occurrence while dogs are boarding, or upon arriving home from kenneling. We have been made aware that sudden (acute) colitis can be induced by stress, such as boarding.  That is why we strive to calmly introduce the guest dogs into their new space and to monitor their activity as they grow accustomed to their kennel stay.  As I stated above, the complainant expressed that her dogs had never been boarded.  Being in a kennel environment with many unfamiliar faces and smells, can be overwhelming for even the most well adjusted animal.  Our staff did not notice any behavior which indicated any discomfort by the complainant’s dogs which would have alerted us to call a Veterinary.  At Howlywood, our staff members constantly roam through our facility quietly observing each guest dog as they do their care, and clean up rounds.  This observation is enhanced with the “Cuddle Time” option, which the Complainant’s dogs enjoyed.   Guest dogs get what we call the “sniff test” in the morning of departure.  At that time, our staff did not notice any “very foul smell of urine or barnyard” on the complainant’s dogs. On our Website, there is the written requirement that owners prepackage their dogs’ meals.  Each dog needs to arrive at our kennel with a prepackaged meal for every meal. This is also stressed in our conversations with clients during the reservation process. For dietary continuity, we HIGHLY recommended that owners supply their dog’s current diet, in a prepackaged form for each mealtime they will be in our care. We believe this helps alleviate unnecessary digestive stress on our guest pets. We do not want our guest pets to have digestive issues during their stay with us.  Not only would these issues cause discomfort for our guest dogs, but, would create more clean-up work for our staff as well.  We would never compromise our guest dogs’ health by feeding a diet that could result in a less than comfortable stay with us.  With all certainty, we did not in this case. The complainant provided the dogs’ current diet, and that was precisely what we fed them. They were fed their personal diet with no deviation! Not one of the complainant’s three dogs had digestive distress during their stay with us. Many dogs have solid stools at the kennel and then develop diarrhea the moment they are sent home. All of the excitement of seeing mom and dad after their absence and being home again can have an unusual and generally temporary effect on the dog's gastric system.   Prior to leaving our facility on 7/12 at approximately 4:15 P.M., the complainant never stated that she was dissatisfied with our services or the condition or odor of her dogs.  Upon review of our security cameras, there was not even a look of dissatisfaction on the face of the complainant. Our staff relayed to us that, prior to leaving our facility with her dogs, as she sat on the reception area floor hugging and cuddling with her dogs, the complainant repeatedly thanked us for our exceptional care.  After the complainant left our kennel with her dogs, our staff noticed that she left without taking the dog beds which were on the floor behind the counter ready to be taken home.  Our staff placed a call to the complainant trying to catch her before she got too far away, so that she could return and retrieve the beds.  There was no return call from the complainant.   The following morning, at the beginning of the complainant’s call, our staff member explained the beds were waiting by the counter.  The complainant very curtly stated, in effect, that if they smelled like her dogs, she didn’t want them back.   Also, upon reviewing our security tape, we observed that the complainant’s husband took it upon himself to go behind the counter area and open the door leading to the kennel area that is clearly marked EMPLOYEES ONLY!!! We have a safety procedure in place to ensure all employees, guest pets, and clients are safe. He jeopardized not only their dogs’ safety, but the safety of our other guest dogs and staff as well.  We explain at the intake or registration, that there are odors and smells of disinfectants and sanitizers, unique to kennels. That is why we offer departure bathing and grooming services.  Granted, these are optional services, each with an additional fee.  Generally, clients understand this and gladly pay for the departure bathing and grooming service.   However, the complainant did not choose to utilize any of the aforementioned services.    At the time of her telephone complaint on the morning of 7/13, we clearly stated to the complainant, that, if any of the three dogs came back with a positive result from the Vet, of a bacterial related infection that clearly had been contracted at our facility, we would reimburse her dogs’ boarding fees as well as the Veterinary office visit fees.  To date, we have not received any confirmation from the complainant that her Vet diagnosed any such illness.  The verbal manner in which this complainant conducted herself on the morning of 7/13 during her telephone complaint to us, was completely and totally uncalled for. She was screaming, belittling, accusatory, rude, obnoxious, and using profanity. She would not even allow us, as the owners, to respond to her ranting. Her language and accusations were despicable and could have justifiably warranted an abrupt discontinuance of her verbal abuse by our hanging up the telephone. However, being the professionals that we are, and that we strive to be, we continued to stay on the telephone despite her abusive language.  We were hoping that she would allow us to speak rationally and honestly in our attempt to resolve the issues. We placed the call on speaker phone at the beginning of her complaint, and we, therefore, have witnesses to that particular conversation on the morning of 7/13.          The complainant also seemed to change her story on the day of the complaint, stating that she had boarded her dogs at a neighboring kennel once before. In retrospect, it seems odd to us that the complainant would misrepresent the truth, when, at the time of drop off, she told us she had never before boarded her dogs.   Which statement is true? Further, in her letter of complaint, the complainant states “Bloody diarrhea is not stress, it is my guess that it is from them getting food other than what I brought.” The complainant GUESSES??? This statement is also without credibility in truth or in fact.  Her dogs were fed the dog food which she supplied, period.  That is a strict rule in our kennel and one from which our staff never deviates. The complainant was quick to contact the Revdex.com in an attempt to impugn our integrity and sterling reputation.  That she did not feel her dogs were compromised sufficiently as to require immediate Veterinary care further reinforces that her “guess” was totally unsubstantiated.  We verily believe that we are justified in believing that it is the complainant’s character which has been impugned and has been compromised by her own verbal contradictions and baseless accusations.  We are in this business of taking care of pets because we love our own pets and opened Howlywood Kennel to give other peoples’ pets the high level of care we would want for our pets.  We are experienced professionals in this business. We do not think it is unreasonable for us to now demand to see this complainants credentials concerning her pet care/veterinary experience. Her condemnation of our facility requires more than supposition and guessing to be accorded any credibility. Since we opened for business in November of 2013, we have successfully boarded over 2,374 dogs. A high percentage of those are owned by repeat customers from as distant as out-of-State.  To us, this business is a labor of love.  We take great pride in knowing that our clients can enjoy their vacations assured that their beloved pets are in compassionate and capable hands.  This is our first complaint.  Over the telephone, we made what we believed to be a reasonable offer and conscientious attempt to resolve the issue with the complainant.  We suggested she get a Vet’s opinion and diagnosis and if it proved conclusively that the diarrhea she said her dogs had, was caused by a bacterial infection clearly contracted at our kennel, we would reimburse all the kennel fees and the Vet office call fee.  We are taking this complaint seriously.  Our sterling record attests that we truly care for the guest pets entrusted to us.  We have clients who are willing to testify on our behalf in a Court of Law if necessary to verify and uphold our levels of care for the pets in our facility.  We welcome you, as the Revdex.com, to come and tour our facility without an appointment to see for yourself our accommodations and observe our staff as they provide loving care to our guest pets.  The level of care we provide our guest pets is above and beyond any kennel in our area. For your immediate reference, we have attached a copy of the complainant’s signed contract.  It clearly states no refunds.  We offered to negate that policy in her case, if the complainant could offer conclusive proof that we deviated from our expected high level of health care.  She has offered no proof. She chose to not spend the extra money to have each dog bathed and groomed on the day of pick-up.  She has chosen instead to try to force us to grant a refund by involving your organization.  Our reputation in the community, countless testimonials from satisfied and repeat customers, coupled with our attempt to offer the complainant what we believed to be a reasonable and generous settlement, reinforces our stand that the Revdex.com should mark this complaint as “Unfounded” and close your file.  We are truly appalled that, after her glowing appreciation to our faces at the kennel, then the verbal abuse to which we were subjected over the telephone the following day, and the absolute lack of a professional Veterinary’s diagnosis,    that this complainant would revert to such means as this.  We will protect our reputation even if it requires pursuing this matter further through our legal counsel.  On behalf of Howlywood Kennel, please permit us to Thank you in advance for your anticipated fairness in this matter.  We are . . .  Sincerely yours,    Bianca B[redacted] and Kelly B[redacted] Co- Managers                                         ...⇄ ,

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  The response from the business owner is a  desperate defensive attempt peppered with false "eye witnesses"  and wrong information about phone dialog with my self (the complainant).  If this business put this much effort into pleasing customers as they did preparing their carefully researched rebuttal to my complaint, then I might of felt different.  By careful research I of course mean finding reasons to cover up each of their mistakes stated in my complaint.  None of the explanations offered in the written response to the Revdex.com were offered to me when I called the owner with my concerns.  For example; colitis to explain the bloody diarrhea.  I do not accept this excuse by the owner.  She is not a vet and can not make that assumption.  My dogs have only ever had bloody diarrhea if given food other than what I feed them.  That is why I made it clear to the girl on the phone when I scheduled the boarded to ONLY feed them food and treats that I bring.I have to say that anyone can portray an image, but to actually be what they say they are is a different story.  Going as far as to say that I was belligerent and used cuss words on the phone conversation just adds to their embellishments.  I have to giggle at the owner saying that they do a "sniff test" before the dogs leave to go home.  If that actually was done on my dogs they would have noticed the smell from a mile away.  I did speak with my groomer and she bathed them again after I gave them a quick bath when getting home.  She said that they were really matted with urine.  To me that says that they must of been laying in urine for a while, possibly the entire time they were there.  That is not a clean environment and I will never accept this establishment to care for my animals ever again.  I see that the owner mentioned the use of web cams in the kennel.  This option was NEVER mentioned to me when I boarded my dogs.  In fact, the day after I picked my dogs up I looked up the business online and read their website.  On their website it said that the web cams are down at the moment, but will be up and running soon.  How convenient, so the webcam was not even up and running at the time my dogs were being boarded. I guess all a smart business owner would have to do to an unhappy customer would be to offer some type of reimbursement and acknowledgement of their mistakes and this matter would have been resolved.   I do not have anything more to say about this ordeal.  I am not going to keep going back and forth with the owners pathetic excuses.  They know what they did and it will be left on their conscience thereafter.