Leesport Pet Resort

February 27, 2017To whom it may concern,In answer to the complainants request for reimbursement for veterinary care for a cough please find enclosed the signed contract for the pet in question ("***")Also indicated on the contract is that "***" had "very loose stool "at the time of check in which possibly compromised his immune system.We did, at the end of and in the earlier part of January, have dogs come down with coughing during their stay with us but not during the time that "***" was boarding"***" did not become ill until nights after he left our facility on Feb 6, While no pets were showing any sign of coughing during his stay it is possible for infected dogs to shed the virus days before they begin to show symptoms as well as up to days after the symptoms disappear so it is very difficult to know who may or may not be spreading a coldWe have signage posted on the counter that tells of a cold that has been seen to be running through the local dog parksWe also share a common lobby with a veterinary hospital so it is possible for boarding dogs to come in contact with surfaces that dogs going into the vet hospital do.Mrcame into the kennel on Monday Feb 13, and told me "***" had started coughing on Feb 10, I asked how the dog was doing and was his cough better or Worse than it was on Friday which he said it was better, was told that the dog was not lethargic; he still had an appetite and was drinking wellBasically that he seemed like his old self except for the coughAlso that he had been out throwing the ball with him earlier in the dayI told him the experience we'd had with the cough and in many cases the cough would clear up on its own but if the dog got worse or stopped eating and drinking he should certainly take him to the vetHe indicated to me that he did not want to pay another bill.I inquired at the veterinary hospital next door if they had seen "***" for the cough and was told that the owners had called but refused an appointmentAs of today, Feb 27,2017, ***e has not been seen by the vet next door who also happens to be his regular veterinarian.Mrscalled after spoke with MrShe was very irateBeing a dog owner myself I do understand how hard it is to hear the cough and how upsetting it can beShe indicated that because her dog, who came in with very loose stool, left my facility and soon became ill that it indicated that we are not doing what is necessary to keep the boarders safe and healthyPlease understand that only of the known Canine Infectious Respiratory Diseases (CIRD) is there a vaccine forOnly of those vaccines, Bordetella, was required at the time of ***'s stayInfluenza is now required as the veterinarians have indicated that it looks as though it may reach our area by late summer or fall and we are trying to be preparedLet me be clear...AT NO TIME HAVE WE HAD AN INFLUENZA OUTBREAKThe cough that has been seen recently has been diagnosed by the veterinarians as a cold much like the common cold in humansWhen I made that statement to Mrsshe exclaimed "How would you know? You haven't even seen my dog!” But....neither has a vet.We have UV lights in the air handler system to kill virus and bacteria as the air is circulatedWe isolate and segregate known and suspect dogs that become sickSick dogs are immediately taken to the vet for treatment and then kept calm and closely monitored until their owners pick them upWe stop play groups if we have sick dogs in the kennelWe use special chemicals for cleaning that kill bacteria, virus and adenovirus on surfaces and clean kennel, play yards and vertical surfaces especially where noses touch multiple times dailyThe CIRD are airborne and very hard to containThe only real control is to never take your dog anywhereEven for walks in the neighborhood as other dogs can sneeze and then yours can smell in the same spot and pick something upNor should you ever handle, pet or walk near another dog because CIRD can live on your clothing for a few hours and you can take it home to your dogOur staff sprays themselves down after handling sick dogs and before they leave the last time at night.In conclusion, while feel badly for [redacted] and hope that he has recovered fully, we do not accept responsibility for his illness because it is an impossibility that we could ever claim we have the ability to keep every pet in our care from ever coming in contact with a CIRD, We do what we can through required vaccinations, segregation, cleaning and preventionHaving had time to think and cool off, we hope "***'s" parents come to the same conclusion and realize how happy and loved "***' was while staying with us.Sincerely,Jill S

February 27, 2017To whom it may concern,In answer to the complainants request for reimbursement for veterinary care for a cough please find enclosed the signed contract for the pet in question ("[redacted]"). Also indicated on the contract is that "[redacted]" had "very loose stool "at the time of check in...

which possibly compromised his immune system.We did, at the end of 2016 and in the earlier part of January, have dogs come down with coughing during their stay with us but not during the time that "[redacted]" was boarding. "[redacted]" did not become ill until 4 nights after he left our facility on Feb 6, 2017. While no pets were showing any sign of coughing during his stay it is possible for infected dogs to shed the virus 3 days before they begin to show symptoms as well as up to 30 days after the symptoms disappear so it is very difficult to know who may or may not be spreading a cold. We have signage posted on the counter that tells of a cold that has been seen to be running through the local dog parks. We also share a common lobby with a veterinary hospital so it is possible for boarding dogs to come in contact with surfaces that dogs going into the vet hospital do.Mr. came into the kennel on Monday Feb 13, 2017 and told me "[redacted]" had started coughing on Feb 10, 2017. I asked how the dog was doing and was his cough better or Worse than it was on Friday which he said it was better, was told that the dog was not lethargic; he still had an appetite and was drinking well. Basically that he seemed like his old self except for the cough. Also that he had been out throwing the ball with him earlier in the day. I told him the experience we'd had with the cough and in many cases the cough would clear up on its own but if the dog got worse or stopped eating and drinking he should certainly take him to the vet. He indicated to me that he did not want to pay another bill.I inquired at the veterinary hospital next door if they had seen "[redacted]" for the cough and was told that the owners had called but refused an appointment. As of today, Feb 27,2017, [redacted]e has not been seen by the vet next door who also happens to be his regular veterinarian.Mrs. called after spoke with Mr. She was very irate. Being a dog owner myself I do understand how hard it is to hear the cough and how upsetting it can be. She indicated that because her dog, who came in with very loose stool, left my facility and soon became ill that it indicated that we are not doing what is necessary to keep the boarders safe and healthy. Please understand that only 2 of the 12 known Canine Infectious Respiratory Diseases (CIRD) is there a vaccine for. Only 1 of those vaccines, Bordetella, was required at the time of [redacted]'s stay. Influenza is now required as the veterinarians have indicated that it looks as though it may reach our area by late summer or fall and we are trying to be prepared. Let me be clear...AT NO TIME HAVE WE HAD AN INFLUENZA OUTBREAK. The cough that has been seen recently has been diagnosed by the veterinarians as a cold much like the common cold in humans. When I made that statement to Mrs. she exclaimed "How would you know? You haven't even seen my dog!” But....neither has a vet.We have UV lights in the air handler system to kill virus and bacteria as the air is circulated. We isolate and segregate known and suspect dogs that become sick. Sick dogs are immediately taken to the vet for treatment and then kept calm and closely monitored until their owners pick them up. We stop play groups if we have sick dogs in the kennel. We use special chemicals for cleaning that kill bacteria, virus and adenovirus on surfaces and clean kennel, play yards and vertical surfaces especially where noses touch multiple times daily. The CIRD are airborne and very hard to contain. The only real control is to never take your dog anywhere. Even for walks in the neighborhood as other dogs can sneeze and then yours can smell in the same spot and pick something up. Nor should you ever handle, pet or walk near another dog because CIRD can live on your clothing for a few hours and you can take it home to your dog. Our staff sprays themselves down after handling sick dogs and before they leave the last time at night.In conclusion, while feel badly for [redacted] and hope that he has recovered fully, we do not accept responsibility for his illness because it is an impossibility that we could ever claim we have the ability to keep every pet in our care from ever coming in contact with a CIRD, We do what we can through required vaccinations, segregation, cleaning and prevention. Having had time to think and cool off, we hope "[redacted]'s" parents come to the same conclusion and realize how happy and loved "[redacted]' was while staying with us.Sincerely,Jill S.