Lochinvar Pet Motel

3.5
based on 11 reviews

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11 reviews about Lochinvar Pet Motel

verified email - 08 Jul 2022

They used to be good...
We boarded 3 dogs with them. They were boarded together. At the outset we werre told that if we left beddings and they became wet or dirty they wouldn't wash them. Because of this we left 2 extra blankets which were not with their belongings when we picked them up. Neither were the toys. In fact there was nothing at all in the dogs pen, not even the kennel provided beds. The 3 dogs were outside, 1 of them cowering in a corner. She doesn't appear to have eaten much, if anything, as she has lost a noticable amount of weight. They were there for a total of 91 hours.
When i contacted them about the blankets the woman was rather curt telling me that i would have been advised at sign in that they wouldn't wash them and would probably throw them out. This was untrue. They never mentioned throwing their bedding out. After this phone call we decided that we would never subject our pets to this level of unreliable level of care or lack thereof.
When they called us back we told them to keep the blankets. It was after this that we remembered the toys.
It's unfortunate because they had cared for the dogs so well the previous times that we had been there.
The quality of customer service has been acceptable previously, except for the time that they locked the gates on us.

Approximate cost: $300

verified email - 19 Jul 2021

We had our cat boarded with Lochinvar Pet Motel for 8 days. Our mini poodle was having hip surgery and because the cat likes to initiate play by jumping on her head or back end we decided it would be much safer to have her boarded for the first week of recovery.

Our feedback is based on the comparison of the previous boarding experience at another establishment she was at 9 months ago.

This time the cat, 2yrs, when she came home, didn't hide in the wardrobe for 2 days, refusing to come out at all. Neither did she behave as though she'd been traumatised and couldn't think straight. She ate immediately and then was her usual smoochy self. There was no transition period to back home.

The previous place did not follow our feeding instructions, that was clear to us immediately. This time she ate her regular food without a problem. It took 4 months to get her back on her proper food schedule last time. If she is only fed dry food and it's available all day she will refuse to eat her proper nutritious food for days afterward. Finally she will get hungry enough to eat a serve of regular food but, will go back to stubbornly not eating to get only kibble. This is not healthy for her and the stress it caused wasn't good for any of the household either. Thankfully, we have had the opposite experience this time.

Based on the emotional and physical state of our cat we would use this facility again if we needed it.

19 Jul 2021

Left our tibiten spaniel with these wonderful people, it was his first stay way from us ,they looked after him like he was their own. I don’t believe you will ever find a better place to place your little boy .

verified email - 02 Jan 2020

Took 3 very healthy Shih Tzus for them to stay three nights on getting them back when I put them in the car my middle dog was coughing so badly to cut a really long story short they all had kennel cough and my eldest dog ended up with bad diarrhoea and ended up having to have an operation would not recommend these people to anyone and I'm hearing that they've lost dogs and the treatment and response that I got when I called to notify them about the kennel cough was disgusting I don't think they should be in business So anyone that takes their dog their expect them to be treated badly from what I've heard seen and my own experience

verified email - 26 Mar 2018

Had the pleasure of boarding my 4 dogs and cat at lochinvar pet motel and have found the facility to be home like even for a bigger boarding kennel and they were much cheaper than the other kennels in the area. They feed the animals well and seemed to really care. We've had our fur babies stay there several times. Highly recommend LPM

verified email - 15 Aug 2013

My cavoodle stayed here for 24 days, when I picked him up up, he appeared to be much skinnier then when I dropped him there, his back bone and ribs seemed to be protruding, I also felt that he was extremely dirty and for some reason he wasn't using the warm bedding I had supplied. I contacted the owner and she explained that in fact my dog had actually eaten all his dinner, and as for him being dirty, well a worker also explained that I had been offered a wash before I picked my dog up for an extra charge, in all fairness this is true and I declined, a mistake on my behalf due to my fluffy cavoodle being extremely dirty. I just expected to pick my dog up in the same condition I dropped him off in. The owner also explained that she would note my complaint in their complaints folder. I wouldn't send my dog here again as I feel my dog had a bad experience at this Kennel.

Approximate cost: $486

The Management of Lochinvar Pet Motel are in the process of commencing legal action against the comments posted by Ms Fogarty. The Department of Fair Trading declined to act on Ms Fogarty's complaint.

anonymousc 19 Aug 2014

What would someone have to gain by making this up? Thanks for the heads up. Maybe they should concentrate on better pet care instead of threatening legal action...

Anonymous
01 Mar 2013

I've been using Lochinvar Pet Motel since they opened in 2006 and simply cannot fault the care the staff have shown my dog. I've watched the facility grow and grow. It's grown because there is no other facility that comes anywhere near it. Its clean (no smell anywhere) and they exercise the dogs all day.

verified email - 01 Jan 2013

How striking to find such positive, rave reviews - our experience over many years was similar and we had recommended Lochinvar Pet Motel to many friends and acquaintances. But the business has grown substantially over the years, and in our opinion the standard of care has fallen correspondingly.
This year, as usual, I left our beloved Lab, Phryne, with LPM over Christmas. When I collected her, around midday on 30 December, I was told by a staff member, in response to my polite question, that Phryne had had a good time but she also said she had been moved recently and that two dogs in the adjoining pen had dug under the dividing fence and invaded her pen. This fact was also acknowledged by the owner of LPM later in the sequence of events I shall immediately describe.
When Phryne was brought to me I noticed that her coat around her neck area was matted and smelled putrid. One ear was badly skinned and slightly torn. I drew this to the attention of the staff member and the owner of LPM.
Phryne was then given a wash and inspected by the owner of LPM, who clipped away some of her coat in the neck area and pronounced that she had 'canine hot spot' and sprayed her with a disinfectant. She also advised me that there was no point in seeing a Vet about hot spot, and that the best treatment was washing with salt water. It was during this exchange that she also declaimed that it had been a ‘week of problems, what with dogs digging under fences and other things' (or words to that effect). She did not say that Phyrne was the 'guilty' party and I took the plural 'dogs' to confirm the staff member's account of this incident.
When I returned home, I became very concerned about the amount of infection in Phryne's neck area, and the fact that she seemed to have a deep wound. I took her to the Vet the next day (Monday morning), who reeled at the smell of the infection, shaved and washed her and placed her on a course of antibiotics and cortisone cream. At that point the swelling from the infection was so bad that it was only evident to the Vet that Phryne had one puncture wound in the back of her neck (and, of course, that her ear was badly grazed and slightly torn). The Vet's opinion was that these wounds were at least two days old, ie at least a day old - and unnoticed and untreated by LPM - when I collected her. A few days later, when the swelling had subsided, it became clear that in fact Phryne had two, deep and connected puncture wounds in her neck that, again in the opinion of our Vet, were consistent only with dog bite. By this stage it was necessary for the Vet to cut away some necrotic tissue around one of the punctures that also involved a tear wound. It also became clear that her other (we thought uninjured) ear had slight injuries likewise consistent with dog bite. In other words, Phryne's pen had not merely been invaded but she had been mauled.
My wife wrote to the owner of LPM informing her of these facts and requesting that she pay our Vet bills. Her reply was that she 'hated email complaints', suggested that if we had rung her something might have been worked out, but she was unwilling to discuss the matter any further and we should read the terms of our contract. She has not acknowledged any responsibility, or even regret, for what happened. She has never made any inquiries about the well-being of our dog.
I should acknowledge that, in response to an earlier version of this post, the owner of LPM has asserted a number of facts that readers of this review may consider relevant:
First, she has said that Phryne only had 'a slight graze on her ear' and that this was attended to by her. It would seem that even the misdiagnosed hot spot has been eradicated from her memory. I am, of course, truthfully conveying the facts as to the nature of Phryne's wounds and the opinion of our Vet as to their cause. But have a look at the photo and judge for yourself as to whether her wounds consisted only of a graze that could be considered slight.
Second she states that security video records show that Phryne was not attacked. What she means, of course, is that the security videos do not show the attack. There is a world of difference. She has offered no information as to what the videos do show that would explain her injuries.
Third, she has stated that "I stay up and supervise the dogs every New Year's Eve. During my supervision time I filled in the hole that had been dug. The hole was actually in the yard that Phryne was in. It appears that the two dogs in the adjacant kennel took advantage of the hole that had been dug."
I note again that I collected Phryne on 30 December, and that the opinion of our Vet is that her wounds were at least a day old at that time.
The fact that the hole was filled on New Year's eve is obviously completely irrelevant; and even if it was filled in on some other date, it was done either after the harm had occurred or not done adequately to prevent the harm.
The implication that Phryne dug the hole is at odds with what I was told on the day I collected her, nor is its relevance in any way clear. All that is clear is that there was a hole between two pens and, as the owner of LPM herself admits ‘it would appear that the two dogs in the adjacent kennel took advantage of' it. I would merely note one further fact: LPM proclaims on its website that it does not take vicious dogs. This statement is obviously intended to assure pet owners that their pet will be safe from attack by other dogs. We were aware of this promise and relied on it. The fact that our dog's serious injuries were caused by dog bites is irrefutable, regardless of what security videos, available thus far only to the owner of LPM, do not show.
I summarise what seem to be to be the essential facts:
1. Our dog was mauled by by another dog or other dogs during her stay at LPM.
2. It is our Vet's opinion that her wounds had been untreated for at least a day when I collected her from LPM. They were seriously infected and required three courses of antibiotics over two weeks to treat them.
3. When drawn to the attention of the owner of LPM, the injuries were diagnosed by her, incorrectly, as canine hot spot, and inappropriately treated as such by LPM.
4. I was advised by the owner of LPM not take Phryne to a vet.
5. The owner of LPM has not at any stage acknowledged any regret or concern for the well-being of our pet following this incident.
If you assume your pet will be safe and showered with love at care at LPM, you might wish to think again. We would not think of placing an animal in LPM's care again.

Approximate cost: $260 pw

verified email - 30 Aug 2011

When we go away, we always tell people that our little dog is going to her own resort. She loves going there. They make sure of the personality of the dogs before letting them play together so there is no trouble. Buffy has been going there for about 3 years now and loves running around with the other little dogs.

verified email - 15 Jan 2010

I love this place. The animals are always happy, clean and well cared for while they are in boarding. The enclosures are air conditioned on the inside the dogs have the option of going to the outside area of their run or they can stay indoors. The floors in the boarding facilities have underfloor heating.

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