PetSmart review: my dog was injured while in the pethotel 5

I left my dog Mandy at the Pet hotel in Columbia Maryland. Mandy is a very shy dog. She is as sweet as a dog can be. Even though she is a small dog I put her in the suite ($41.00) per day. I added the individual playtime since she is only a 20 pound dog and the group play areas seemed too rough for her.

We arrived to drop off Mandy and since I had been there several times before everything was ready to go. I was giving instructions to the person behind the counter about what Mandy needed. I repeated several important things since the employee seemed not to be paying attention. Most Importantly was that a particular cup was to be used for water. I can’t explain why but Mandy from puppyhood would only drink from this type of cup. I should have stopped right there and taken Mandy home.

I had arranged for a relative to call about Mandy each day since I was going to be out of the country. The first day the report was that Mandy was not eating or drinking much. That seemed normal as the change in environment may cause these issues. But each day the reports got worse. After several days of not eating much or drinking I called to be sure that the cup I had left for water was being used. I was shocked to hear that no one there knew about the cup.

Things got worse. The next day I got a call from my relative telling me that Mandy now was limping. Since I knew that Mandy had no injuries when I dropped her off I called Petsmart but no one there knew how this could happen. She was taken to the vet where x-rays were done. It was the diagnosis of the vet that Mandy had a sprain.

Things continued to get worse. The following day I was told that Mandy was again taken to the vet to be given fluids intravenously. I was also told that there was blood in her feces. At this point I could no longer stand the thought of Mandy being so miserable. Even though new travel arrangements needed to be made I decided that Mandy was more important than money. I took the first available flight and returned home that day.

Upon arriving at Petsmarts pet hotel, I found Mandy in terrible condition. She could not put any weight on her hind leg. She was dirty, covered in feces. I have never felt so guilty in my life. She saw me and I believe if dogs could talk, she would have asked why I would have left her there. My main function as a dog owner is to keep my dog safe. I failed in this case. I took her home and cleaned her up.

After several days with no improvement in her leg I took her to my vet to examine her. He immediately cringed when feeling her joint. His diagnosis was a torn ligament. I received a second opinion and decided to have surgery done to repair the injury.

I know that Mandy had no existing condition. I walk her everyday and certainly would have noticed any deterioration relative to her leg. I repeatedly inquired about how this could have happened but no one at the pet hotel could give me any explanation. A dog in a private suite with individual “playtime” somehow had this severe injury but no report was made? The behavior of Petsmart personnel has been shocking. I asked the store manager if he thought that since the injury occurred while she was in their care if he would take any responsibility and after rolling his eyes and shrugging told me that it’s just a dog and he would not take any responsibility.

Take this as a warning. Do not trust your beloved pet to Petsmart. Find a friend or relative to care for your pet. A pet sitter is an option too. I hope that no one ever has to look into their dogs eyes and see pain as I have. I will never forgive myself for my poor decision in this case. Don’t make the same mistake I did.