Updated Post 6/2011
PLEASE READ IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF YOUR PET!
I JUST received an email through Yelp! from an employee of Wagtime 2.5 years AFTER I posted my review of their business. I had a negative experience attempting to adopt a dog in December of 2009 and posted it here.
This Wagtime employee - Carlos G. - just threatened me in writing and used hateful, violent and disparaging language all because he didn't like that I shared my honest opinion of a real experience. This doesn't surprise me considering I was on the receiving end of a very similar series of email attacks from Wagtime owner Lisa back in 2009.
What concerns me is that the employee apple obviously doesn't fall far from the tree and this business appears to be run and staffed by people who have nothing better to do than troll online consumer review sites and call the authors of negative reviews 'liars' and other four-letter words. Are these the types of people you want caring for you furry family members?
I have had to retain an attorney on this matter; I am sharing my experience so you don't have to.
Original Post 12/2009:
This should really read ZERO stars, expect the underpaid staff are relatively nice.
As a dog lover, pet sitter, childhood dog owner and volunteer with the Anti-Cruelty Society for Animals in Chicago and Humane Society in NYC I cannot sit idly by and let other people make the mistake of bringing their business to Wagtime. In doing additional research on dog adoptions and veterinary care options in the DC area, I have been informed by local vets to stay clear of Wagtime.
Background:
My partner and I inquired about dogs for adoption. After many emails back and forth, we scheduled an appointment with Lisa, one of the owners, to meet her and a rescue dog at Wagtime. When we arrived we were told Lisa was not there, her staff had no idea where she was and knew nothing about any appointments to meet adoptable dogs. They offered to call her, which they did. We spoke and - without so much as an apology - said she'd be in at 3PM or shortly there after.
Though the one dog in which were interested was not there, we agreed to meet other adoptable dogs which we already knew would not be a good fit with our needs. We stayed until 3:05PM playing with these dogs in hopes of meeting the one dog in which we were interested, but Lisa was a no-show. Below is a more detailed recap of our experience:
1) One of the staff told us she ""has no experience raising dogs or caring for them and doesn't know much about dogs as she only walks them... for $7 an hour.""
2) One of the staff found it appropriate to smack a dog repeatedly on its nose when he was getting excited and playful.
3) There were puddles of dog urine in the ""play"" room that I personally cleaned up with paper towels to avoid stepping in it, and to keep the dogs paws out of it.
4) The staff placed a tiny, injured Pomeranian with a full leg cast in the ""play"" room and left him unattended to hobble and cower in the corner. He was petrified.
5) For at least 10-15 minutes of our visit were were the only people watching five dogs, when we were told by staff that they would be ""right back.""
Without providing any of the above information, I sent a brief email Lisa letting her know we were no longer interested in adopting a dog from Wagtime based on her lack of consideration for prospective client's time, and our first-hand POV of how the facility was caring for dogs left in its charge. Both legitimate and factual reasons to move on to other rescue groups or shelters.
Lisa responded by email with a personal attack on my character, stating that I (and I quote) ""would not be a very nice or lovable person for him [the dog] anyway"". She went on to say she could not believe I had the audacity to comment on their facility based on our experience.
Cons: Aggressive, verbally-abusive ownership
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