My wife and I have had the most regretable dealings with Puppy Pals aka Lynn Adams. So I guees I should start at the beginning...
After finding Puppy Pals online my wife contacted Lynn and had a long conversation about how our dog would love it at her ranch because they have 20 employees with two people to every dog. Lynn also rambled on about her business degree and how she was such a great business major.
Lynn then calls me right away at work and gives me the same long pitch except she adds that my wife said that 'I probably wouldn't like her'. Ok... After I get Lynn to finally hang up the phone 20 minutes later I call my wife and tell her what was said. She NEVER said that 'I probably wouldn't like her' Lynn must know something we don't...
So, ok we have decided to use Puppl Pals because My wife liked the way Lynn sounded on the phone.
So we try to arrange when we can drop our boy off at Puppy Pals.
Hi, Lynn may we bring our dog out to see the ranch. To see how he likes it?
Umm sorry but we dont let people come out to our ranch because that would take away from the playtime for our dogs. You have to use our van service which we charge for and by the way we only pick up two days a week.
Hmm that might not work for us 3 more days of boarding and a pickup fee.
Well if you want I will meet you half way and you can pay me two dollars a mile.
Ok we will work with it.
We met Lynn at the Dennys Halfway to her ranch, and as she drove off with our baby in the back of a broken down old and trash filled SUV we felt as if we would never see our dog again.
We called over the next few days sometimes reaching someone sometimes not. Lynn emailed us pictures and our boy seemed happy so we didnt worry too much.
The day before he was to come home we received the last email with pictures. We emailed lynn and asked if she could drop him off at home instead of my work since my wife would be home, no reply...
The next day Lynn shows up at my work with obi drops him off and speeds away in her van, remarkably Lynn had very few words. Upon Inspection of my dog I notice his ear had been bitten severely and almost severed half way down. I took him to the vet at a tune of $360. When we contacted lynn she claimed no knowledge and said it was probably an errant paw.
Upon closer inspection of lynns own pictures emailed to us. It ws obvious he had been fighting unsupervised with pittbulls and dalmations. Lynns personal dogs that are in her website pictures also.
When we contacted lynn about our dogs ear, she called us stupid and said obviously we didnt know our own dog. And that she got our email to drop him off at home but ignored such a stupid last minute request.
Btw my work is less than 2 miles from my home and closer so it wasn't a stupid request we were making seeing as we were paying for the service.
Anyway, Lynn procedes to call my wife at work and harrass her and call her names, total lunacy... I will provide a transcript of the multiple phone messages she left cursing and screaming.
DO NOT use Puppy Pals ranch.
Michael GHollywood, CaliforniaU.S.A.
Listed below are the emails between us and lynn. They are in chronological order and unedited. You be the judge as to her mental stability.
1/9/08 Lynn wrote
Michael,
I was a tad worried in advance about Obi given the feedback you received (thank you for being honest) from the other boarding facility. But I'm not sure that they weren't thinking about some different dog, given how GREAT OBI IS HERE! His play style with the other dogs is wonderful... He has put life in my dogs' post-holiday doldrums, made my place once again A PARTY.
Obi's play group is perfect for him - small to start, only 4 in his playground. Has girlfriend Samantha (the one who is gold, a little uncertain in the photos when Obi is kissing her face); best boy buddie Leo (sharpei/shepherd mutt); and Sam's bro who recently had chemo/cancer surgery and is on the mends while here (until May) - not a player yet for Obi but on the up and up gaining strength, health daily.
Obi is just wild-child (mostly his eyes) CUTE! When he first met Leo, he acted like he was ABOUT to hump to get Leo going, but before that Leo became his play match (Sam too but he didn't want to hump her). These are like the THREE STOOGES here, cracking us humans up with their antics, goofiness. TONS of running, chasing. Sometimes Obi's out front, other times he's in the back chasing. None of them are "ball/cong dogs, " all just get great entertainment with the room-to-zoom.
I've seen 3 modes from Leo - sniffing around, getting his bearings, chasing after or being chased by Sam/Leo, and then going into his own zone for R&R breaks on this favorite piece of ground he likes to paw-paw and then flop his belly on - where he zones out.
Truth is, it's early for me to "assess" him, still the honeymoon stage. But he's relaxed, happy (per pix - hope I didn't send too many but DOESN'T HE LOOK HAPPY?!), and is from his heart/soul enjoying all the space-to-race in the fresh chilly clean mountain air (can you see the snow behind us in the pictures?).
I won't have him go out on a hike this eve, he needs to gain confidence (yikes, MORE?!? Ha) with my beautiful place/people/fur friends, more important learn/become accustomed to the very structured routine we have here (until he learns to ANICIPATE the next fun activity du jour). Tomorrow morning ditto, but I plan on hiking him with Sam and Leo midday tomorrow when he'll start needing his huge bursting husky brain to be challenged with another agenda fun, - PLAY PLAY PLAY.
Obi very respectfully followed his playground buds into the cages for the salmon grilled meat treats just a few minutes ago. I was surprised. Usually newbies FOLLOW but don't elegantly ENTER one of the cages. He either was real hungry for the good-smelling treat, or he has been trained, or he's just a PERFECT NEWBIE. Whatever, just BE VERY PROUD of your boy! An A as a newbie, and I don't even dish out "A's" readily.
It's early with him, but I already have enough experience with Obi to know that he is respectful of the 2 species here, and he understands that this is a real happy dog place. I think he will be close to passed out tonight, but have baby intercom on to my bedroom in case he wakes up and "wants to talk" (that is still pending, ha). He is GRAND, GREAT.
After the first time, I don't over communicate like I am doing now, your anxieties and worries will vanish (I'll still send photos but only a few, every few days). But I truly understand how heart wrenching it is to be away from your boy, let alone to pretty much DUMP HIM at a place you've never even seen. It took a huge leap of faith which I'm thankful to you for and hope that I earn with your building trust.
As I told you yesterday, I do not invite around 1 out of 5 dogs here after their first time (barking, aggression, destruction, etc. But I am comfy that Obi is REAL HAPPY, and you have found a match that is good for us both - a home away from home for Obi in LA.
I truly congratulate you on how well behaved, socialized, and respectful that you have made this boy (I know it's not easy and it is not in the genes of dogs - so you have done a real wonderful job with him).
Enjoy your vacation/family. This is just the frack of the frick/frack (verbal/pictures) I promised you. These folks at the other facility really lost out on a super cool great dog - YES?!?!
My team and I year-round do all we can to continue to earn the trust/confidence of our clients. We would like to welcome you to the official fold of being a client.
It takes time, experience for us to get to know a dog SO WELL that he/she is in our hearts and souls. Half a day with Obi of course is too short, but I promise you he is well on the way. We thank you!
Bye, thanks, Lynn/PPALS
OK everything seemed "normal" from lynn's email we have no concerns at this point. We get another email the same day.
1/9/08 Lynn wrote&
Just a ps - NO NEW DOG FIRST EVE ever is relaxed enough to come inside one of the "dinner cages" readily and chow down on the kibble. BUT guess what your Obi is doing... He went straight into a den (4' x 6' cage), hunkered on the bed and is chomping down his kibble faster than his new-found fur friends. No fear. No stress. Just totally comfy.
I AM AMAZED at little OBI! Any way, just be MORE PROUD. He is SOOOOOOO happy, relaxed. I can't believe how EASY he is DAY ONE - NO DOG is usually like this. But Obi has no qualms about life. Go figure?! Usually night one dogs never eat, and they weasle around about the digs. OBI GETS 5 STARS!
Later more, bye, L&
Two emails in one day with lot's of praise and compliments, we think we made the right decision to leave our loved one Obi with a total stranger.
1/11/08 Lynn wrote - Dear Client,
Your dog is/dogs are scheduled for:
Drop-off
On Monday, 1/14 at AROUND:
10:00 am.
Thank you, PUPPY PALS RANCH&
Ok with this email... Since my wife got the day off we requested our dog be dropped off at home instead of my job, only1-2 miles away and actually closer to the 101 and puppy pals.
1/13/08 we wrote//Hi Lynn! Thank you very much for sending us pics of our boy, and for your great feedback! You got to know the Obi who we know. We were at ease during our vacation after seeing his grinning face! Love the kissing pic of him and Samantha!
We can't wait to see our boy tomorrow. Change of address though, if this email is not too late. I'm going to be at home tomorrow. If you could drop him off at home instead of at Michael's work, that would be more convenient for us. If this works for you, it would be awesome. Here's our address:
Cahuenga BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90068
We don't have a code to get in, so call me when you get here and I'll run down.
Thank you, //
We never received a reply from Lynn, and she showed up at my job the next day, dropped off my dog and sped off in her van. At first I thought maybe she is in a hurry, but then I started playing with my dog and he yelped. Then I noticed his ear had been severely bitten. I think that explains the hurried rude dropoff.
1/14/08 we write//Hi Lynn,
Thank you for bringing our Obi back, and for the beautiful pics. However, we do have one concern. What happened to his right ear? Michael was playing with him when Obi yelped. When he looked carefully, he noticed his ear was wounded. Please let us know what happened. Looking forward to your reply.
Thank you, Seema & Michael//
1/15/08 Lynn wrote — Hi Seema,
Obi never got into any altercations/fights. He never yelped either. He DID PLAY PLAY PLAY hard so I figure that another dog's paw caught it. Obi has a very physical play style with chasing and then physical jowling. With this, scrapes on the playground can happen. IF he had gotten into a fight, you would see bite wounds. A scrape on the ear is probably a paw, an errant mouth maybe too.
Usually my dogs go home scrape free. With Obi and Schatzi (dalmation), Leo (shepard miitt), they mixed it up physically a lot but never went over the line. If you are really heavily concerned about this, you should make other arrangements in the future for Obi which are not free, are dog runs. Otherwise, we would welcome him back.
Thank you, Lynn/PPALS
We spent the next couple days at the vet cery concerned about our dog so we had yet to respond to lynn's last email when we got this...
1/18/08 lynn wrote&You don't seem to even have half an appreciation for what my team and I did for Obi. Fine. Use another in the future. You didn't follow my policies, I bent over backwards for you because you were off at the start van day. You don't seem to know your dog's play/social style. Just look at the photos. If he got a boo-boo, like so what. He had a great time and has a huge physical play style with other dogs.
I resent that we were not thanked. You should have taken my dog to home instead of here. My dog has an ear boo-boo what happened. I do not believe you even know your own dog.
Please don't use my service in the future unless you can get in line with my policies. I resent you deeply for your attitudes when my team and I went the extra to serve you, and do not need/desire your business in the future.
Lynn adamspuppy pals ranch
We honestly didn't know how to respond when we received this email...
1/18/08 lynn wrote//More on you not knowing your dog. Obi plays HARD-OF-HEARING when he's called into us, the playgrounds. That precluded us from putting him into the "trusted dog" zone for outings. We worked on him but he was not in the training mode/zone until his last morning, when he went home. When you say that he responds perfectly, he doesn't. But we worked on him as a future PAL. Again, I am unwilling to move forward with you at any level given your treatment of the outcome where Obi had a grand time but you seemingly have no understanding of dogs nor respect for my policies.
I wish you all the best in your continual search for a dog place for Obi. WIth your treatment to me, unless you modify it is not my Ranch.
Lynn/PPALS//
We still have yet to respond to the hostile emails when we received another, aparently from sherri and the entire puppy pals staff.
1/19/08 puppy pals staff wrote//Dear Seema,
You have blown the best chance for your dog to have a home-away-from-home happiness by how ungratefully you have deal with us We know that the Owner has emailed you to let you know that you are not a welcome client due to your insane attitudes, we just want to be the echo. There are 12 of us who work her and gave Obi the time of his life. It is unfortunate that you are so unknowledgeable about your own dog and disrespectful of a a company such as ours that your dog has lost the best place in LA County. YOU NEED TO LEARN badly.
WE just want to add to Lynn's message to you. Go find a sub-place for Obi. He won't thank you for it. Otherwise LEARN and GROW UP.
Puppy pals staff//
1/19/08 we responded — Lynn and the staff at Puppy Pals,
We're not going to comment on your previous 3 emails, though we were quite surprised to have received them. Regarding Obi's wound, we're not sure what's more disturbing, the fact that you did not notice his ear, or that you knew but failed to tell us upon dropping him off. Before we go any further, see attached pictures...
<!--dle_image_begin: http://i17.%20Photobucket.com/albums/b66/djspice/obisear.jpg|--><img src="/albums/b66/djspice/obisear.jpg" style="max-width:100%;" alt="Puppy Pals - Lynn Adams - Puppy Pals injured my dog Not recomended! Psycho behaviour, beware"><!--dle_image_end-->
2/16/08 lynn finally replied//Seema, Michael,
I am going to tell you 3 things which are very important, please follow.
ONE. When I was 7 yrs old and playing dodge-ball on the playground, I got hit by another kid/fell over/broke my arm. Now my parents didn't hold the school responsible, they paid the bills as would be expected. NOW if that kid had been punching me and the PE Instructor hadn't stopped it, clearly the school would have been at fault, should have paid the bills. But that wasn't the case. And the case with your dog is that he simply was playing with the other dogs and got a boo-boo as a result.
TWO. PLEASE SEE THE AGREEMENT you emailed checked onto (equivalent to a signature) which says that... Dogs are prone to getting injuries because they play with one another. READ THAT AGAIN (you idiots).
THREE... I would never take you as clients ever again. You are rude and inconsiderate and totally un-understanding of how my ranch works. You tried to fry me at the beginning - YOU DID. You tried at the end - I IGNORED YOU LAST MINTUE SUNDAY (
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