After coming home from a vacation, the last thing anyone wants is complications. More than that, the experience of picking up a feces-covered dog with blood in its stool is enough to nullify the effects of any time away.
“This is your warning to never use the PetSmart PetsHotel,” says TikToker Charlene Nulman in a video that’s been viewed more than 17,000 times. “Because my dog [Daisy] was returned to me covered in her feces and blood.”
Daisy was allegedly boarded at the pet hotel between August 14 to 19. This was while Nulman and her family were away on vacation. “It was during that stay that my dog became violently ill, having diarrhea, blood in her stool, and vomiting.”
Insult to injury? “Not once did PetSmart try to contact us,” she says.
It wasn’t until she went to retrieve her furry family member did the extent of the neglect became clear.
Even so, it was not until a distraught Nulman returned to the store that she was informed that a vet had to come administer antibiotics. Apparently, Daisy “wasn’t doing as well as we thought.”
“And now I’ve got a $1,700 vet bill. It was a health concern, it was a breach of communication, and it was negligent,” she says. “My dog’s life is on the line because of PetSmart. Because of their negligence.”
Viewers weighed in, with sympathy and anger
“That’s absolutely terrifying, and I’m sorry your fur baby is going through this,” one wrote. “I can only imagine how you guys are feeling [big sad eyes emoji].”
“Dude I went to drop my dog off for one night and they said nobody is in the store monitoring the dogs from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.?!” another alleged. “And they don’t even have cameras?! Leaside location but apparently all of them?! Turned right around and cancelled my plans.”
A professional also contributed a perspective: “I worked at a PetSmart Pet Hotel for 5 months and it was HELL. They consistently put together dogs who do not get along and leave you alone to deal with it. They were putting 15-20 80lbs+ in one tiny room with one staff. I got bit BAD and refused to go back in the big dog room alone and my manager told everyone I was afraid of big dogs.”
Perhaps this neglect strikes such a deep nerve because animals cannot speak up for themselves. A responsible owner places enormous trust in any pet-related service. And to return to an ill, possibly traumatized animal is likely to trigger John Wick levels of rage. Not bloody and revenge-seeking per se, but seeking accountability, acknowledgement, and change. One viewer asked if it was the very deadly disease Parvo, and that does strike deep fear into the hearts of dog owners everywhere.
Did PetSmart make it right?
PetSmart has refunded the money Nulman spent on the stay. However, she says because so many people have come forward with their own horror stories, she’s going to “unpack some things” with the company.
“PetSmart is supposed to be a reputable company; they’re supposed to hire the best people to take care of our animals, and I am hearing the exact opposite experience from so many people,” she says. “I was hoping my experience was maybe a one-off […] turns out this is a pattern of terrible behaviors.
According to a 2023 study conducted by the Pew Research Center, “Most Americans (62%) own a pet, including about a third (35%) who have more than one. And nearly all U.S. pet owners (97%) say their pets are part of their family.”
Of that 97% just over half (51%) consider their pets to be “as much a part of their family as a human member.”
In Canada, the pet ownership percentage is right around 61% according to a 2016 survey conducted by NielsenIQ.
PetsHotel
On the website for PetsHotel, one of the sanitization methods touted is “Pet Airapy,” explained as a state-of-the-art UV air purification system exclusively designed for the animal care industry to help protect against airborne germs and allergens.
Additionally, the site stated that all locations meet or exceed industry standards for cleanliness and each pet’s room is sanitized each day, for the duration of their stay.
So it should come as no surprise that Nulman is deeply dismayed by the call she said she never got.
Incidentally, Daisy is well on the road to recovery. In a subsequent TikTok, she’s cuddling on a bed with Nulman. The fashionista notes, “Not everyone wants money, I want PetSmart to do what’s right […] God forbid we hold corporations accountable for their wrongdoings.”
Most recently, Nulman said PetSmart Canada has reached out and she’s waiting to have a conversation with the corporate office.
@charlenenulman I’m going to continue posting about this until PetSmart makes this right because the situation continues to unfold and get worse and worse and I’m so concerned about my dog. @PetSmart Canada ♬ original sound – Charlene
The Mary Sue has reached out to PetSmart and Nulman.
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