holly30

Hi,
We have recently returned to the u.k from oz with our dog and 2 cats.
They had to stay in oz 7 weeks after we returned home due to their rabies vaccination and for them to return back to the u.k on the...Pet scheme!!

We left all 3 pets in Shepard Hill Kennels in nerang on the gold coast, we were under the impression that they would be looked after, they had kennels that had outdoor runs in, piped music,hydro bath facillities.
We contacted the owner every week as they are our babies and we were worried about leaving them, we were informed by the owner that all is well the dog was fine bit timid but that was understandable.

The day before they were due to fly home the owner contacted us and said that our dog was very scared and he couldn't get her out of the kennel into a crate...well to cut a long story short....my poor dog had not been walked for 7 weeks had any form of excersise and was in a kennel with no outdoor run
My and husband and i were absolutley mortified our children were in tears!!!
We left our pride and joys with a cruel man!!
I am warning all you people to NOT use these kennels.

Thanks

DEEDEE01

Hi Holy30,

Thanks for the pointer, I will remember that !!

Did you complain to the guy and if so, what happened. I would have given him the sharp side of my tongue and FIST !! :curse:

Poor animals, are they ok now ?

Donna.

DEEDEE01

If you don't mind me asking, why are you returning to the UK and where were you living on the GC ?

Donna.

holly30

Hi Donna,

They are fine now they have only been home 3 weeks but there good.

i have reported him to the RSPCA.
It was very hard being over here and having to deal with it...but all's good now.
thanks

holly30

Long story.........
Loved it spent a year in Burleigh Waters on GC

Came over on the wrong visa just made lots of mistakes a long the way, didn't plan properly...all the usual things that bring people back to this sad,boring country.

In the process of trying to return it's gonna take a while though

DEEDEE01

Glad the pets are doing good.

Arrrrh hun, sorry to here that, but it is true what people say, you learn from your mistakes. Don't look at your mistakes as 'mistakes', use it as a learning curve. You never know what will happen until you try it, your not the first and I'm DAMN sure you won't be the last.

I wish you all the luck for the future and I hope you achieve you goals.

Good luck hun and keep your chin up

Donna.
x

holly30

Thankyou...

Hollyxxx

Keif Miller

I hope you are ok, that really shook me up as when we finally got our dog here from the UK he was a mess & it was awful but i think that was more so him pining than ill treatment. If you need any help with reporting this kennel let me know & i may also contact AWL or somewhere if you dont mind. there is no need for this sort of abuse when you put something you love so much in their trust.
I hope you & the doggies are ok xxx

holly30

Hi,
It was a very tramatic time for us all.....It was lucky we had friends in oz that went over and sorted the dog out..they were life savers!!!

She was covered in urine had sores on her legs and was very,very scared...i don't blame her!!!

i'm just so glad she's back in one piece...
We have reported it to the RSPCA but can't really do much now from this end...so if you have the time to report him from this end that would be great...but its up to you.

Thankyou so much

Timber Floor Au

Always amazes me, and no offence here.

That first time posters on British Expats, post bad things about Animal husbandry, welfare or transportation.

Is it me or is there a pattern emerging.

Why canvas ppl on a British Expats forum, to contact animal welfare in Australia, to report "alledged" cruelty or mishandling of your animal.

1. all you need do, is write a letter of complaint to the said kennels.
2. contact the local council for that kennels, and ask to speak to animal welfare section.
3. contact the Australian RSPCA.
4. see if the kennels is part of an affiliated scheme, and contact them.

That is the correct procedure, the correct way, and will yield the result, I am sure you are after.

No one likes to see any animal cruely treated, or mishandled. So posting on a British Expats forum, seems to me quite futile.

I for one, am not standing in judgement here, but what are you trying to achieve by reporting this on a public forum. Without first having complained thru the correct channels.

If Halfords dont fix your car correctly, do you go on a Pet Cat forum, and warn ppl about Halfords, and their bad service?

No you contact all the necessary bodies, that are there to protect you, and the public, and administer safe procedures and workplace methodology.

So whilst I for one totally empathise with your situation, I find it increasingly dubious that 1st time posters, bag, the animal welfare/care system in Australia, on what is essentially a public forum, where the majority of posts and contributions are of a migratory nature.

I am sure, as I have said on previous occasions, that should the "owner" of a business, find that comments are made on a public forum, where they have no knowledge of any issues relating to the original poster, then it could be construed as defamatory, and could at the very least ask for certain information to be vetoed, until they had ample chance to respond.

Whilst its admirable that you are posting because of the situation, and the desire to "warn" people, I for one get totally pissed off, with the roundabout way ppl do things.

I would have thought, it more appropriate, that you contact the kennels in question, informing them of your feelings about their service, and "treatment" of your dogs, and given them the opportunity to respond, and perhaps then made it fully known to them only, that you were going to pursue matters further with legal bodies/animal welfare and associated professional bodies.

Bagging a Company by name I think, in this instance, without formerly using the correct channels of complaint, that are available to you, is tantamount to slander.

It would not bode well, if you were to pursue matters legally, that this thread came to light, even before you had given the kennels adequate recourse to reply, and to answer to the situation your dogs experienced.

Ste

Oh welcome to the forum too !

holly30

I just want to add that i have reported this company to the RSPCA who have done a full inspection o my complaint.
I have also written and verbally spoken to the kennels over the matter.
They are well aware of the sitution.

I have posted this because when you are in australia and things don't work out for you and circumstances arise and you don't have family to turn to..every little advice that an expat can give is always taken onboard.

I feel this company did not meet it's requirements for my animals, so i am well within my right to let people no.

I have not meant to offend people...but this is an expat forum giving people information whether good or bad.
If i'd of known this information before hand then my animals would not have been treated this way.

harrip

I thought the forum was about all things Oz so I can not see what is wrong with bringing this topic up for discussion. If its not of interest/relevance to you, just move on.

holly30

Thankyou Harrip,
I totally agree...get over it!!!!!

Timber Floor Au

Fair comment.

I have also contact Shephill and notified them of this post.

I will happily report any response on here regarding this matter, in communications with this company.

You are quite right, the forum, is for open matters good or bad.

However, it seems to be a ongoing trait that new members come on here, and only report mistreating of animals. Which in the grand scheme of things is of course pertinent, but just seems a tad suspect.

Perhaps the removal of the kennels name, and a message saying, PLEASE CONTACT me personally so I may give you the Companies name would be more appropriate.

However I am not judge and jury.

All i do know is, a forum such as British Expats, gets indexed by google within hours of posts being made. When someone bags a company, then the results of those remarks are on the search engines almost instantly. This can seriously harm a company, who may be totally genuine and have had a hiccup.

So by naming the company publicly, is I feel inappropriate, given that the company isnt aware that they have a right to response, thru the sheer fact they have no idea this thread is in place !!

Kinda unfair, dont you agree?

This does not in no way detract from the experience you have had, or are sharing.

bridie

Glad it's not just me that has a suspicious mind....