Poor Belle lost an ear...

natalie78

natalie78

Did you die?
O.G.
May 6, 2008
4,990
14
#1
I left my three dogs with a local kennel for the holiday while I went out of town. I had used this particular kennel several times before without problems. Last night, I picked them up and since it was dark, I couldn't get a good look at them. When I started up my truck and the interior lights came on, I saw blood everywhere...the seats, dashboard, door...freaking everywhere!

I immediately grabbed Belle, who was also covered in blood, to see that she only had half a right ear! Half of her ear was gone and blood was gushing out! I ran inside and yelled at the kennel owner to get towels for me. He ran out and took Belle back inside so he could put some blood clotting stuff on her ear. I called the vet, who graciously offered to open the clinic at 9:00 at night to see Belle. The kennel owner rode in the backseat to hold Belle and he cleaned up the backseat for me. In order to clean up the wound for stiches, another inch had to be cut off her ear. My poor baby now has one ear.

The kennel owner apologized, but denied that anything happened in the kennel. He tried to say that one of my other dogs must have bitten her ear off. I told him that there was no way and the vet confirmed that it was not a bite, but a clean cut, and it was not recent. Essentially, it look like someone simply cut off her ear on Friday or Saturday. I took him the vet bill this morning and without even looking at it, he handed me money. Yeah...that didn't do a lot to convince me that he didn't know what happened to her.

I just need to vent so badly...I keep going from being angry to being sad.
 
#2
I so sorry this happened to your dog. You showed a lot more restraint than me or my husband would have. My husband would have to be held back to keep from popping the kennel owner in the face!!! I don't know how much good it would do, but file a complaint w/consumer protection or the Better Business Bureau (Is the kennel a member of the BBB?) so at least if someone is looking for a place to board their dogs/cats, they'll know about the incident.
 
#3
OMG I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine how livid you must be. Those are the people that you trust to take care of your animals and somehow they hurt them?! Is it possible she somehow got it caught in a door or something? I hate to think someone would purposely just cut off part of her ear for ****s and giggles.
 
#4
Good God. What an horrific experience! I would have gone from pure adrenalin trying to get her stitched up, to a sobbing wreck once the shock had worn off.

How is she?

Is this kennel manned by several people, i.e. with employees on shifts? Are they ever left alone overnight?

It sounds like someone cut her, and then no-one looked in on her and saw the damage?? Am I understanding this correctly??? If so you need to report this!

It sounds like the kennel owner was not involved in her being cut, but clearly he realises he looks negligent. I can't see how he would have allowed her to get in your car if he realised she was bleeding -- he would have tried to cover his tracks if he had known she was injured by someone, or if he had injured her himself. But the rest of his reaction points to him knowing that if you had him investigated, he would be held responsible for some sort of negligence.

I am so sorry this happened to you and Belle. How awful.
 
#5
wonder how the kennel owner would look with one ear? :mad:

Is there an agency or somewhere that can be reported to? People need to know about this before they go off and leave their dogs there
 
#6
^I really don't think someone cut off her ear...I think she jumped on a fence, rubbed against a wall, or something snagged her while she was running. But, it really ticked me off that his first reaction was to blame one of my dogs. It was clearly not a bite. I can forgive an accident, but I cannot forgive a lie about what happened.
 
#7
Coco Belle said:
Good God. What an horrific experience! I would have gone from pure adrenalin trying to get her stitched up, to a sobbing wreck once the shock had worn off.

How is she?

Is this kennel manned by several people, i.e. with employees on shifts? Are they ever left alone overnight?

It sounds like someone cut her, and then no-one looked in on her and saw the damage?? Am I understanding this correctly??? If so you need to report this!

It sounds like the kennel owner was not involved in her being cut, but clearly he realises he looks negligent. I can't see how he would have allowed her to get in your car if he realised she was bleeding -- he would have tried to cover his tracks if he had known she was injured by someone, or if he had injured her himself. But the rest of his reaction points to him knowing that if you had him investigated, he would be held responsible for some sort of negligence.

I am so sorry this happened to you and Belle. How awful.
Click to expand...
I was a sobbing mess! I didn't sleep at all last night. I picked her up this morning and she is confined to the garage until I get home. She's not a happy camper because of the wrapping around her head. In a few days, the bandages can come off, but she will still be confined to the house (which will drive her insane).

The kennel is family-run, with the owner, his wife, mother, and children. I really don't think anyone hurt her on purpose...or should I say that I refuse to even think about the possibility that someone hurt her on purpose. The vet and the entire clinic knows about what happened, so they will spread the word. I am also spreading the word to other dog owners I work with.

I ran out to my truck a few minutes ago and it was the first time to see it in daylight. I thought I cleaned up most of the blood last night, but I was sooo wrong. It is still everywhere...on the backs of the seats, running boards, smeared across the doors! It completely breaks my heart!
 
#8
icon0.gif

Poopsie 2 wrote: wonder how the kennel owner would look with one ear? :mad:


I was wondering the same thing myself! Lying to a pet owner about an injury is beyond unprofessional, not to mention insulting to the owner's intelligence. I have four dogs and can tell the difference between a bite, cut or scrape!
 
#9
IMO they had to have noticed it. Not to have immediately taken the pup in for care and notified you is inexcusable.
Seriously......what were they thinking?
 
#10
natalie78 said:
I was a sobbing mess! I didn't sleep at all last night. I picked her up this morning and she is confined to the garage until I get home. She's not a happy camper because of the wrapping around her head. In a few days, the bandages can come off, but she will still be confined to the house (which will drive her insane).

The kennel is family-run, with the owner, his wife, mother, and children. I really don't think anyone hurt her on purpose...or should I say that I refuse to even think about the possibility that someone hurt her on purpose. The vet and the entire clinic knows about what happened, so they will spread the word. I am also spreading the word to other dog owners I work with.

I ran out to my truck a few minutes ago and it was the first time to see it in daylight. I thought I cleaned up most of the blood last night, but I was sooo wrong. It is still everywhere...on the backs of the seats, running boards, smeared across the doors! It completely breaks my heart!
Click to expand...

Oh honey :sad: I got a little lump in my throat for you. Looking at the car must just make you feel sick all over again. Belle is really lucky to have such a caring owner. If only the stupid kennel owner was so caring! What was he thinking??

Clearly no-one looked in on her over the weekend. They couldn't possibly have missed that sort of injury if she was being seen to each day.

Has she ever come back from the kennel sounding hoarse? That was how we realised our Maltese was crying/howling incessantly in the kennel because she wasn't being looked in on :sad:
 
#13
WOW! What a horrific scene. I can't even imagine it was done on purpose. Most likely she hurt herself running or playing. I'm sure they knew what happened. They probably tried to cover it up hoping you wouldn't see it until you got home and would think it was from your dogs playing too rough. Their behavior is completely unacceptable. I would be beyond livid. I hope Belle is feeling better today. Luckily she probably won't even notice the missing ear after it heals. Poor baby.
 
#14
I really think I would kill someone for doing that to my dog or for not paying attention even if it wasn't intentional. I would be even further enraged had the person not admitted to what happened. GRRRRRRRRR
I am mad FOR you! Ticks me off when caregivers are so negligent. Don't they know these dogs are like babies to us?
Glad your baby is okay but I hope that you are able to find another kennel if you decide to go away again.
I took my dog to doggy day care two or three times not long after I brought him home (maybe after two months). I adopted him at 6 or 7 months. Anyway, when I picked him up from Doggy Daycare on the last day he had something called a "cherry eye" which they decided wasn't a big deal but big enough a deal that he was sequestered in a little room away from the other dogs. I was SPITTING mad! The place has cameras where you can check in on your dog and prides themselves on providing an excellent service but they really let me down. I had to explain very slowly that this dog is a child to me and I deserved a phone call had it been a scratch or cherry eye. I would have rushed home sooner and the vets office is next door.
It turned out not to be a major thing but the first time it happened it did not pop back in right away. That was his last time at doggy day care.
Hope your baby feels better!
 
#15
I have cats. The few times I have had to be away from home I have friends come in and feed and scoop. It helps that cats are endlessly self amusing (read sleep all day/night) and relatively low maintenance. Plus the cost of kenneling 6 cats would cost more than the trip. LOL---I had one friend who didn't believe I even had cats, but for the fact that upon his return the bowls would be empty and the litterbox full. He never saw them.

I hope that your baby mends quickly and is able to put this horrible incident behind her.

Any word from the kennel owner----- have they even bothered to check back and see how she is doing?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Back