Horrible dilemma

Feral_Moon

The first thought that entered my head on reading the OP was to question whether the dog had actually died or could it have been sold on? What breed is/was it?

I would be absolutely furious if I were the owner and somebody cremated my dog without permission and without seeing a vet to establish cause of death. Certainly something dodgy going on here.

Torry_Quine

That's awful. It's made me think as my cat goes to the cattery this weekend for a fortnight and have never left a contact phone number!

Ilona

My friend puts his dogs in a kennels when he goes on holiday. If he is out of the country I am the first point of contact should anything happen. They have my phone numbers.

Always insist that a kennel or cattery has contact numbers if any emergencies arise. I don't put my cats in a cattery, but my friend has my authority to do whatever she thinks fit if a cat falls ill or is in an accident. I trust her to make the right decision.

Ilona

[Deleted User]

Very sad situation.

I work at a pet boarding facility and in the contract that we and owners sign, there is a section in which the owner must choose from a series of options in the event that their pet passes away. We also hold emergency contact details and the pet's own vet details.

Did your friend sign any kind of contract or agreement with the kennels?

danih

Why was your friend not given her pet's ashes?

Seems odd.

elsien

My dog was pts in kennels while I was on holiday - I was not contactable so they rang the emergency contact I had given them. Did your friend not give an alternative person to ring? I had told the contact to go with whatever the vet recommended, which was pts.
The kennels was on a farm so they put mutt in the freezer till I got back. TBH, when told she's in the freezer if you want her back, my first thought was no way. I had no idea what I was going to do with a large frozen lump of dog, ashes would have been far more preferable. Although in the end, because she was one of their favourites, they buried her (with my permission) in their garden at the kennels, and said I could plant a rise bush on here if I wanted to.
Having said that, in your friends position with no independent verification, I'd be suspicious as well. You'd think in the case of a genuine death, the kennels would check with a vet to cover their own backsides.

Slinky

I'd be very suspicious if they haven't presented your friend with a bill for cremation as it isn't cheap. The whole situation sounds a bit dodge, why are there no ashes for example?

catkins

Slinky wrote: »

I'd be very suspicious if they haven't presented your friend with a bill for cremation as it isn't cheap. The whole situation sounds a bit dodge, why are there no ashes for example?

That's a good point, cremation is quite expensive. I know I recently had a cat cremated and I paid about £70

Rev

This all seems rather odd.

Did the kennels say exactly what caused the poor dogs sudden death?

As upsetting as it may be I'd be asking your friend to call them requesting the details of the vets the dog was taken to and be going there to the vets to check their story was legit (I would visit as well, not just call).

If my friend didn't want to go herself I'd be going for her and getting the needed info.

So many things don't add up. There seems to be no license. Your friend wasn't contacted. They haven't given her the vet details or the bill for the vet, and just had the poor dog cremated without asking first, and not even in the way that retains the dogs ashes for your friend should she want them.

Sorry but I'd be asking them for concrete proof their story is at is seems and telling them if they couldn't provide it I'd be reporting them to the police for the theft of my dog.

mum2one

I'm of the thoughts as well that things dont seem to add up here....

Its a long time since we have used kennels, our dog is homw with family members or holiday with us.

I hope u get sorted x