Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  03/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I hired Zoomies Pet Care from October 25, 2023 through November 1, 2023 when I had to make a trip to ****. I made ***********************, the owner, aware of the need for three visits each day, and that the first visit required an hour as I have 5 cats in addition to my 5 dogs and 1 horse that needed fed, watered and the litter boxes cleaned. It was okay for the other 2 visits to be shorter visits. I also went onto the Zoomies portal and scheduled the visits. On November 1, 2023 the day I was returning home, I received a call from ******* that there was a problem. She went on to tell be that ***** popped the gate open and my dog ***** immediately jumped on him and then my other dog Clover did too. She informed me that the ************************ had taken ***** to the vet with only minor injuries and that she didn't even see any puncture wounds. When I returned home, there was blood at the front door. No blood was by the gate that kept the dogs separated in two areas of my house. Prior to the visits, I spoke with one of *******'s employees at length and explained the ***** and ****** must be kept separated from my ********** and Spice as they have been in fights before. That fact was also written by me on the Zoomies portal. In addition, my horse was completely out of water when I returned home. I can't say that anyone filled his water the whole time I was gone as it is a huge water trough and there is no justifiable reason the he should have been left with no water. The care of ***** was $700. I asked ******* to reimburse me as the fact of the matter is that the instructions were not followed resulting in my dog being injured requiring veterinarian care placing a financial burden on me. In addition paying over $500 for Zoomies services. I contacted ******* and asked that Zoomies pay the vet bill, but she refused. I would be satisfied if Zoomies would refund me the total amount paid to them.

  Business response

  03/04/2024

  I am re-typing the original email I sent to the client previously, back in November, in regards to this incident. I have attached a note from the owner herself speaking to one of the multiple times that her dogs got into a fight while she was at home, resulting in a vet visit. 

   

  The  two groups of dogs were NEVER let out together. When ****** went through the gate from the room off of the kitchen into the kitchen itself, ***** pushed past her into the room with ***** and ******. The dogs immediately jumped on ***** and there was no time to be able to grab him and put him behind the gate.
    As I told you on the phone, that baby gate doesn't even latch and is only secured by a shoe lace, which is not nearly a secure enough barrier or deterrent for dogs that can cause that kind of harm to each other. You even agreed with me in that conversation by saying you know it's not but you didn't know how else to separate them. Unfortunately, as you're aware, dogs can be unpredictable and when you have dogs that have had fights in the past and been aggressive with one another, even to the point where one of your own dogs died due to injuries from an attack by one of the other dogs while under YOUR watch, there's always a risk of it happening, whether on your watch or ours. 
    If I feel that ****** did not follow procedures and did in fact let the dogs out together on purpose, I absolutely would be willing to pay vet bills. However, that was not the case. ****** herself was even bitten by one of the dogs in the altercation, but was able to separate them quickly and to the best of her ability. ***** also was not negligent in her handling or care of the dogs when it resulted in a fight breaking out b/c of behavioral issues in the dogs. We honestly should have discontinued any future services at that time due to the fact that it was a risk and liability for my sitters to handle them, knowing what they are capable of. We will not be able to render further services due to the risk to the sitter and the unsafe housing situation knowing how aggressive and unpredictable the dogs can be towards each other. 
  

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