Dog Boarding Facilities in Illinois

Julie says:
2012-08-13 21:50:14

I would not recommend A New Dog. We recently boarded our dogs and the end result was almost fatal. They ignored the signs that something was wrong until it was almost too late. We dropped them off on a Friday giving A New Dog owners instructions and told them that our dog Nikko had a urinary tract infection and would be taking an antibiotic. I provided them with cheese to wrap the pills in to ... view full comment

I would not recommend A New Dog. We recently boarded our dogs and the end result was almost fatal. They ignored the signs that something was wrong until it was almost too late. We dropped them off on a Friday giving A New Dog owners instructions and told them that our dog Nikko had a urinary tract infection and would be taking an antibiotic. I provided them with cheese to wrap the pills in to make it easier for her to take. I also let them know my sister would be dropping off a refill for this later in the week. They did not provide me with a profile sheet so I wrote out my instructions on a piece of notebook paper. My sister stopped by to drop off the refill on the following Tuesday and they told her the dogs were "doing great and that Nikko probably wouldn't even need that prescription". Last I checked the owner is not a vet-not sure what qualified him to say that. I called on Thursday and again was told the dogs were "doing great". I was told that one of the dogs didn't like going out on a leash but what she didn't tell me is that she wasn't urinating when they took her out. On Friday I received a call from my Vet stating that they had Nikko in their office unresponsive with a tempurature of 106. She was dehydrated and hypothermic and they were going to try and stabalize her but gave her a 50% chance of surviving. Our vet was unable to make a diognosis and suggested we ask the kennel to give us the details and timeline leading up to her hospitalization. When we returned to A New Dog to retrieve our other pet we began to ask questions about what they remembered. They immediatly became defensive and showed little compassion. They told us that Nikko picked at her food but since there was no change in her eating habits they assumed it was normal for a dog that hasn't been boarded very often. This is also when we learned that she wasn't urinating for them outside on a leash. They denied knowing she had a urinary tract infection even though it was in their instructions and that they were administering meds for this condition. We also learned that she had thrown up twice. We asked if they monitored what the dogs ate and drank during their stay and they said they had over 20 dogs staying there and they didn't have time to monitor this. We asked why they wouldn't have called us with any concerns they had about Nikko and they said she was "doing great" and they didn't see any reason to call. I asked the vet who also boards dogs and saw her when she first came in if they would have called the owner if they noticed a dog wasn't eatiing. They said if this was the first experience with the dog -yes they would contact the owner to ask if this was normal and ask what we would like them to do. A New Dog did not do this. In fact-it was never mentioned to my sister when she stopped by nor was it mentioned when I called on Thursday. We decided that since we were not getting the answers we needed it was time to leave and we asked what we owed and wrote a check for the amount they asked for. We had to repeatedly ask for a receipt but all they provided to us was a copy of the check we had just written. The owner crumbled it up and threw it in my husbands face. They apparently didn't like our questions. I have asked for a detailed receipt on two ocassions which they have failed to produce and are now saying they undercharged us and want more money. The Vet's report very clearly states that when A New Dog brought Nikko in-she had not eaten or drank anything for 2 -3 days and vomited twice. This is documented in the ER vets report-So why weren't we notified at this point? Why did they wait until she was unresponsive and had a temp of 106? Clearly the signs were ignored. All we were ever told is that are dogs were "doing great" and not that my dog stopped eating and drinking for 2-3 days and wouldn't urinate for them on a leash and was going to the bathroom in her room. This is a dog with a urinary tract infection -that should have been a red flag. Our first call that something was wrong was from our vet saying Nikko was unresponsive when they brought her in. I wish I had done my research on this place -I am hearing other stories similar to mine. Yes my husband and I were upset but he did not punch any glass doors or become violent as suggested by the owner. And if you consider asking questions about what happened during the dogs stay "badgering the groomer" -I believe we have that right and were owed some answers. After more tests the vet concluded that Nikko had pancreatitis -not eating and drinking, vomiting, fever and dehydration are all symptoms of this condition. A New Dog has great curb appeal but if you are looking for a place that will pay attention to the detail- is not this is not the place to go. We are not after monetary compensation-we just don't want anyone else to have this experience. Are we guilty of being emotional? Absolutely-we came very close to losing our pet. view short comment

Marian Zmuda says:
2012-04-19 11:04:57

A New Dog is the only place I will take my Golden. It is a great place for doggie day care as well as vacation stays. Each room is decorated with a theme. Even though your pet may not know the difference it shows the energy and commitment the owners Mike & Jennifer (Dirty Dog Grooming) have for their business and the pets they care for. They give each dog individual attention. The pictures on t... view full comment

A New Dog is the only place I will take my Golden. It is a great place for doggie day care as well as vacation stays. Each room is decorated with a theme. Even though your pet may not know the difference it shows the energy and commitment the owners Mike & Jennifer (Dirty Dog Grooming) have for their business and the pets they care for. They give each dog individual attention. The pictures on their website are not staged they are always in the play area watching playing with the dogs. Stop by and see for yourself and treat your four legged friend to a vacation, a play day, or expert grooming. view short comment

John M. Flynn says:
2011-09-24 09:24:20

Met the owner at a garage sale. Sounded like a different type of place so we took a tour of the facility. We had never seen anything like this! The facility was clean, the rooms were stellar, the staff were very personable, gave our pet one on one attention, and all with NO EXTRA CHARGES. They even gave our dog a free bath before we picked him up. We highly recommend this place for anyone that ca... view full comment

Met the owner at a garage sale. Sounded like a different type of place so we took a tour of the facility. We had never seen anything like this! The facility was clean, the rooms were stellar, the staff were very personable, gave our pet one on one attention, and all with NO EXTRA CHARGES. They even gave our dog a free bath before we picked him up. We highly recommend this place for anyone that cares about their dog! view short comment