Couple furious after pet mauled at kennel

UNITED KINGDOM -- A Wellington couple may have to have their pet put down and are facing huge vet bills after the dog was attacked by another in a boarding kennel.

Mark and Carol Neilson were in Auckland when Smart Dogs boarding kennel in Churton Park called to say their eight-year-old jack russell, Macs, was at an after-hours vet.

"He had damage to his intestines, he'd lost a lot of blood and he was very flat and in very big shock," said Mr Neilson.

"He's our baby, my wife and I, he's been with us since he was six weeks old.  We were quite emotional, and we grabbed the next plane back to Wellington and went straight to the vet."

The dog is now in critical condition at a vet in Tawa, and it will be at least a week before they know if there is permanent nerve damage to its back legs.

The couple may need to have Macs put down if the feeling does not return.

Smart Dogs owner Carl Orams said his main concern was the dog's recovery. He was talking to the owners about helping with the vet bills, but would have to "play that one by ear".

He declined to give details on the incident, to say if it was an unusual event or what measures the kennel had in place to prevent injuries to dogs.

Mr Neilson said he was frustrated by the lack of communication from Mr Orams and that the couple were now facing big bills.

They would like Smart Dogs to pay $710 for the couple's flights back to Wellington and the continuing costs for the dog's care, which are likely to be about $2000.

Mr Orams has paid the after-hours vet bill of $1200, but has told Mr and Mrs Neilson the other costs are their responsibility, as outlined in the contract they signed on boarding the dog.

Mr Neilson said he had paid vet bills after previous stays at Smart Dogs, including treatment for conjunctivitis, but he draws the line at this incident.

"There's no way in hell we should pay to get my dog put back together because of a vicious attack because no-one had been supervising those dogs or the person supervising the dogs did not look for the signs of a fight."

Mr Neilson has complained to Wellington City Council's dog control service, but was surprised to hear that there was little monitoring of boarding kennels unless there is a breach of animal welfare laws.

The SPCA told the couple it would get involved only if there were animal welfare concerns such as dog fighting or neglect.

Kennels are subject to the same legislation as anyone looking after animals - the Animal Welfare Act and animal welfare codes.

(Independent Community Newspaper - Sept 4 2013)