Tragedy in Gilbert, Arizona. June 24, 2014 ![]() By now you
must have heard about the horrible tragedy that took place in
Gilbert, Arizona at the Green Acre Dog Boarding Facility. If not, you
certainly will be in for a shock. Kelly's Pet Sitting LLC is located
in Medford, Oregon. Why then you ask, am I writing about a kennel
located in Arizona? Because I am absolutely sickened and horrified by
what took place and continues to take place by the owners of this
facility. The Story. The original
story was that one of the dogs allegedly bit through a cable and
knocked out the air conditioning. After which, all 20 boarded dogs
perished from heat exhaustion. Do some research on google.com and you
will see that after investigating, this is proving to be false. The
owners of the facility piled these dogs up on top of each other like
pieces of stacked wood in their shed. They didn’t contact the
owners right away but instead tried to hide what was happening. The
Reality. Past clients
are now coming forward stating that when they had previously boarded
their dogs, that they were told “they had run away”. What???
Clients are stating that while that tragedy unfolded, they were
booking NEW reservations and the owners were accepting them. Not one
word was mentioned about what was taking place behind the scenes. Not
one! One particular client was referred to Green Acres Dog
Boarding facility by Rover.com. The reality is, this boarding
facility was in way over their heads and were not the least bit
professional in any way. Pet
Care Services That brings
me to my next problem. I mentioned before that rover.com referred one
of the clients to Green Acre’s Dog Boarding. These “services”
such as Care.com, Rover.com, DogVacay.com do not know who is working
for them and do not always offer a safe place for your pets. These
sites are popping up all over the place and they mention how easy it
is to watch a few dogs. Let me be the first to tell you that it is
not always “easy”. There is so much more than meets the eye with
a business such as what I am running or a legitimate kennel runs. Hard
Work, Dedication, Honesty and Trust Let me say
that those of us who consider ourselves “professionals” would
never, ever act in such a way as this kennel operator (s) is doing
now. They are placing the blame everywhere but where it squarely
needs to be and that is on them. As a business owner, I have put
everything I have into this business to make it what it is
today. Yes, it has been very hard work. Lots of sweat and tears
have taken place. Above all else, I run this business on honesty and
trust. I get to know my clients and their families and pets. The
people that I hire to work for me must pass background checks, have
knowledge of animal behavior and have exemplary customer service
skills as well. It’s not enough to say “I’ve lived with dogs my
whole life”. Granted, a lot of people get into this business
because of their love of animals. That is not enough!! It simply
isn’t. Loving dogs or cats doesn’t mean you can handle a crisis
if it comes up. Do you trust a “hobby” pet sitter with your home
and pets? Certainly that is not to say that everyone that posts on
the above sites I mentioned isn’t trustworthy, but most are trying
to make quick money. The
Final Point My final
point is that you MUST do your homework and check out the people you
are leaving your pets with. They are family members, right? I know
that some of you can’t afford a professional pet sitting and dog
walking company like Kelly's Pet Sitting. That doesn’t mean you
should pick the first person you find online. It doesn’t mean that
the local dog boarding facility is the right place for your dog or
cat. Ask hard questions. How would they handle an emergency? Do they
update you daily? Would they take your pet to the vet and stay with
them until further instruction? Does the kennel have people on site
at all times? Most don’t! All I can say is do your homework. It is
your responsibility to make sure you are making the best decision
possible for your pets. May the 20
dogs that perished at Green Acres Dog Boarding in Gilbert, Arizona
rest in peace. Your death will not be in vain. We must have stricter
laws to protect our pets, our family members. Want further
information on this story? You can log into facebook and go the
following
page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Tragedy-at-Green-Acre-Dog-Boarding-Gilbert-AZ/1523156181236576. If
you are in need of a PROFESSIONAL pet sitting service, please give
Kelly's Pet Sitting a call at 541-601-7461. You can also find us on
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kellys-Pet-Sitting/113658275375055?ref=hl&ref_type=bookmark Or
on our Website: www.kellyspetsitting.net |