Skip it

Let me preface this by saying I don’t like to complain. But, I’m picky when it comes to my animal’s well-being and instead of being silent I’m going to warn anyone thinking about boarding their animal at this location. I gave this location ample chances to make this situation right, and they refuse to even return my phone calls. So I’ll post an honest review.

My corgi puppy stayed at the St. Augustine location for 5 days while I had my wedding in St. Augustine. He was 9 months old and I was worried about leaving him when I got there. My puppy was extremely skittish and wouldn’t go near the handler that came out to get him. He’s normally so friendly, curious of new locations, and enjoys day camp at his vet, so I was concerned this was his reaction. My husband had to take my puppy back to his kennel because he would not go with anyone that worked there. My husband said the back smelled strongly of urine, but I paid extra for regular check ins and felt like my animal would be taken care of.

I did not receive all of the check ins I paid to receive, (which makes me wonder if my dog received the extras like treats and extra playtime that I paid for) but on the updates I did receive my puppy looked happy. I was concerned there were SO many dogs in the pictures with no care takers in sight however. And given that my dog was sick when he came home from something caused by overcrowding, I wish I had called to voice my concern during my pet’s stay.

After 5 days there my dog was sick and came home coughing and wheezing uncontrollably. He literally kept crawling in my lap and crying while wheezing. I took him to 2 different vets that said it was kennel cough from overcrowding and poor sanitation. My sisters dogs then caught kennel cough from my puppy, and they’ve been passing it back and forth. My dog still wheezes a little when he overexerts himself. This is almost TWO FULL months after his stay.

I brought this to the attention of managers. They basically told me it wasn’t their fault and no other animals had this issue. While I’m thankful other dogs are fine, mine was not for over a month after his stay, and their indifference and how rude they were about the situation was off putting to say the least. They never answer their phones and when they do they have poor communication and don’t relay messages.

I paid over $300 to have my animal boarded here just for him to come home sick and now more skittish around vets and vet techs than usual. Several hundred dollars in vet bills later, I advise anyone skip this establishment and find another solution. Honestly, I wish I had kept my dog home with a sitter. I’m seriously disappointed with the lack of professionalism and complete disregard for my animal’s health, especially when I paid so much extra for services above and beyond regular boarding.

TLDR This place won’t care when they get your dog sick. Skip this place and find another.

Dec. 16, 2020