Shiloh was bit at doggie daycare

[Cathy w/Shiloh~Cody]

I get a call 25 min after dropping my dog off from Daycare -that Shiloh had an altercation with another dog and his eye had been punctured, he was bleeding heavily and had been rushed to the emergency hospital. I was driving in heavy traffic freaking out!! 

I arrive at the hospital and Dr tells me Shiloh is stable and his eye is ok-that a dog ripped his eyelid apart.

Shiloh's eye is swollen and area is covered in blood, but he is his happy go lucky self wagging away. He did not even squeal when bit-they did not know anything happened until minutes later. The emergency care, surgery, antibiotics, cone, pain meds and aftercare came to $650. The daycare gave me $200.00.

Here is the story of how it happened told to me by daycare-would really appreciate your opinions?

The daycare has big ads that they keep dogs separated by Temperment and Size. Shiloh has gone there 40 times before..so they know he is very active, playful and sometimes obnoxious with toys. But very lovable!

My 60lb Shiloh is put with and is playing with a small English Bull Dog?? I doubt there is anyway the temperment or size could be at all the same...right?? The Dr says I was lucky that a bulldog has a bite diff't than most dogs, and that Shiloh was big and had lots of hair on his face and his eyes are farther back in his head-this saved his eye. Daycare says both dogs were playing with the same large ball and jumping face first over the top of it-then the Bulldog accidentally bit him playing or lost his temper and snapped at Shiloh they do not know which?..but they are pretty sure it was an accident.

I pick my dog up tonight from vet-they said the big thing now is working to keep his eye from getting infected. I just would appreciate your opinion of this situation? or if there is anything else I should be concerned with in caring for Shiloh? I feel they used poor judgement in putting my dog with that breed.

[Adriana + Copernicus]

Oh that is so frightening.  I'm so sorry for your ideal.  I hope Shiloh makes a full and speedy recovery.  I've never had to put Copernicus in daycare, but I've often worried that something like that might happen.  Sending positive thoughts your way.

[Bonnie and Kona]

I am so sorry to hear that this happened to Shiloh. I hope she fully recovers and has no fear issues develop from the incident! I would have been just as freaked out as you were driving to the ER. Yikes!

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

NO toys should be allowed at a daycare - some dogs do resource guard - I'd not be returning to a daycare that allows toys.  I'm sure that there is something in the "fine print" that obsolves them of paying for this type of thing but I would be DEMANDING that they dog that did the biting is no longer welcome although to be honest see my above point about not going to a daycare with toys.  Stuart was attacked at daycare and I pitched a fit - that dog is no longer allowed :)    Not to scare you but you are lucky Shiloh still has an eye - dogs with protruding lower teeth are know to actually "remove" the eye balls when they bite.  Follow your vets instructions to a tee to prevent infection and FIND ANOTHER DAYCARE!!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Do they temperament test the dogs before accepting them?  Our Daycare does, but even with that I do know that there is always some risk when you put dogs together.  There are no toys allowed at our Daycare because even the best dogs can get possessive.  Our Daycare does not separate the dogs by temperament or size.....they either pass the socialization testing or they don't and are not accepted.  I do recall signing some sort of liability waiver when we first started....I'll have to look for it but I'm guessing it releases the Daycare from responsibility in these situations.  In any event, I'm very sorry that this happened.  I'm sure that it will make it difficult for you to be comfortable with him going back to this Daycare....maybe even any Daycare.  I hope there is no infection and your poor guy heals quickly.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I have no experience with Daycare but I want to say how sorry I am that Shiloh was injured and hope he makes a full recovery with no lasting effects, physical or mental.

[Janice Hammond]

I think the daycare should pay the whole vet bill and not let the other dog return.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I'm really not sure what they would be "liable "for? Putting dogs together to play and not predicting that one would bite another? Isn't that an inherent risk of putting any two dogs together? Yes the toys being involved does add potential to aggression, I can see that, but really? Does everyone take their dogs to a day care and expect all dogs to behave perfectly and the caregivers to be present for every tiff? I take my dogs to the dog park and cant be near them the whole time and know that the risk is always present that they would get hurt or even possible defend themselves and hurt another dog. I would think if anyone is liable it would be the dog owner. I know if my dog hurt another's I would be offering compensation.

Now as for not allowing you to see the video, that would piss me off and I would question that further. Explain to them that it makes it look like they are hiding something.....like how did they handle the dogs during the episode?

[Ginny Nightingale]

I wonder if you remember signing a waiver that absolves them of the risk of injury--maybe the $200 is the standard payment--was there paperwork when you signed up that you have copies of?

I am glad his eye is OK and that he will heal--and I am hoping that there are no complications from this horrible event--but I will say that something happened to my then 5 year old son 16 years ago that this reminds me of. We had a 6 month old wheaten terrier who would always play with my DS with his mouth wide open in excitement--once, when they were just fooling around on the floor, the canine caught my DS in the corner of his mouth and slashed it like he had been cut with a razor blade. I would not have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. It required 8 stitches and he still has the scar--sooooo, maybe when they playing over the toy, the canine of the bull dog caught Shiloh on the eye--which would explain why only the lid was injured since there would be no puncture--just a thought--and I guess a  pretty far fetched one, but again, these things do happen. It would also explain why he didn't yip--it is a fast and clean cut--my son didn't make a sound either!

On the other hand, the people at this daycare sound like a bunch of nuts---they have a tape, but you can't see it and toys are allowed, etc. So I agree that you should find another place--or a dogwalker who will come to your house and take Shiloh out and play with him during the day.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

I am happy that Shiloh did not have actual "eyeball injury, I hope you can keep him infection free.

Oh the stories I could tell about daycare. Daisy has gone to two different ones. ONE though clean and regulated well, was at best boring. No toys and hardly any human interaction, whenever I went on like to look in on her she would just be standing there or trying to get attention from the human...fruitlessly I might add. Off to the next one.

The second daycare was great, the owner was very well informed, had a strict 8 dog limit and had a helper....then came the divorce. She then had to feed herself and this was no longer a hobby. She moved to a bigger location, threw the 8 dog limit out the window and let her staff go. At first I didn't realize and when I did there were 12 dogs...all together and all having fun. Then I picked her up and when we got home I felt a wet spot on her back, it was blood, she had been bitten. When I phoned she claims she was not aware of it at all. Fortunately it did not require stitches and of course I never went back. She called to see if Daisy was okay and I told her no and she won't be back. Two weeks later another dog was attacked by presumably the same dog (she informed me so I could bring Daisy back) and the dog was no longer welcome, sorry but no.

There are more tales from the 2nd place but they are all hearsay. Daisy NO longer goes to any.

The daycare should pay the full amount in my opinion, what was their reason for not paying that?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I ahve no experience with doggie daycare, but I'm sorry this happened to Shiloh. I hope it heals quickly and with no infections or other issues.

I would not be going back to this place.

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

I'm so sorry for what happened to Shiloh but am glad her eye is ok!  

I've always wanted to take my pups to Daycare.  Seems like a fun little place to run around and play with other dogs.  I know Zoe would do great no matter what since she's my social butterfly but cant take them because I know Benders temperament.  The thing is...i think he can pass the testing because he does so well with people and dogs one on one.  If any owner knows this about their dog i think the responsible thing to do is not take the dog to a public day care and risk these kind of accidents from happening.  

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

No daycare experience here either, but I do hope that Shiloh recovery quickly and completely.  Hope that you can get the issue resolved with the daycare and not leave the question of what truly happened unanswered!