Terrible grooming experience :(

[jenn D]

I have been working over the last few months to groom my own doodles. I'm doing ok so far but still having difficultly clipping between paw pads, around the ear on the inside and the webbing parts of their bodies like where their bodies meet their back legs.
Since the backyard redo left everyone frazzled and since I did not spend an adequate amount of time grooming like it normally do I decided to get the doodles really good trims at a groomers. I thought then paw pads will be done, etc. You know all the places I have difficulty with.
I would have asked the lady who taught me but she is older and just does small breeds (Jake was a favor when she was teaching me ).
I remembered talking to the grooming manager at our local petco a few months back. He was really knowledgable and when I mentioned my issues with clipping paws he offered to help teach me if I came in. So I decided to book a few appts and I took a Brisby and Pickles.
When I got there I found out that the manager no longer worked there. That should have tipped me off to leave but I didn't. I talked with a groomer about a basic bath brush and trim of feet and face for P&B. They said they could take them at 2:30 so I thought what the heck.
WHAT A DISASTER! First of all, I did not get the boys back until 9:30 tonight! They had to leave the store open do I could get them. I guess they got behind but my boys were there for 7 hrs! In addition, to try to speed things up they turned the blower on full blast and it almost knocked pickles off the table. I was there by 8 and stayed for the remaining hour and a half and I know now I should have just left with them when they were wet and not waited for the rest. To be done.
The groomer who had Brisby was so incredibly harsh with him. He was crying and whimpering. I should have stopped her but I honestly didn't know what to do in the moment. She was so aggressive with the stripping blade. I guess I was setting there wondering if that is the way groomers do it because I take my time and do not yank, yank yank. :( when she went for his ears I heard him yipe very loud. I didn't see what she did until I watched the other ear. She reached in and grabbed all of the hair in his ear, I mean all in one big grasp and yanked it all out. At that point I said enough, they boys need to be brought to me. When I finally got them home I looked them over and Brisby's paw pads are raw and cut up. His ears are red. She shave him to a 1/4 of an inch all over except his head. I can't tell you how bad I feel for him. I should have gotten him out of their sooner. Pickles faired better because his groomer wasn't as aggressive but his paw pads are cut too.
After the groom when we got home brisby just laid next to me practically in my lap barely moving.
I feel terrible for not intervening sooner, I just had a hard time telling how bad it was. Now I'm thinking it was pretty bad. And 7 hours there! It was loud, noisy and crowded. Never again, I'll need to learn to do paws, if a Brisby will ever let anyone touch them again.

I could go on and on but I am really upset right now and need to get to bed. If your gut says something is off about a groomer, please go with your gut. I really wish I would have today.

[jenn D]

Thanks everyone. I did go to petco today to complain and they said it was because Brisby was a difficult dog that he got cut up.what?! They would not refund my Money and instead said that I need to take him to the groomers more often so he gets use to it. I told her, nope not buying it, my dogs are on my grooming table every 2 weeks (with exception during backyard make over). I told them I will not be going back and will spread the word. I should have taken video of how brisby was treated last night. I almost did but felt like I was overreacting. Uggh.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Jenn, good for you. I'm outraged on your (and Brisbee's) behalf. I'm sure you so want to be done with this -- but given what you witnessed and that both dogs were injured, I would get the names of both groomers, the grooming manager and the store manager.  Not sure who you talked to but I'd make sure I talked to the General Manager or Store Manager before I took the next step.  If they still don't want to give you your money back and acknowledge that they'll do something about the groomers, I'd send a letter of complaint to Customer Relations with all of their names to the corporate offices.  Be sure to tell them you're on a dog site with over 12,000 members across the country and you'll update us on their response -- good or bad.  Glad to hear Brisbee's bouncing back :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with this, but I'd go higher. E-mail or call corporate. 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Yep, Petco Corporate Offices should have a Customer Relations Division and I'd send the communication to the Director AND copy the Public Relations Director.  Not that grooming is that big a revenue source for them --but nobody wants bad press --which is pretty easy to mobilize on the internet.  If Brisby was that difficult, they should have stopped. Poor boy. Today, another dog may be getting hurt.  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

AND...even if Brisby was a "difficult dog", that would still not justify their telling you that they could take them at 2:30 in the afternoon and then not having them done until 9:30!!! Any dog would be "difficult" if they'd been at a grooming salon that long! In most places, they get the "difficult" dogs done ASAP just because of that. I would emphasize the time span when you contact somebody higher up. 

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

We had a Petco about 45 minutes from here, I went to look for something a few weeks ago and the store was gone, empty, no signs, nothing.  If this is how they handle customer complaints I can see why they just disappear.

[jenn D]

Here is Mr. Chicken Legs(AKA Brisby):

There were NO mats on his legs and they totally shave him down! At least he is bouncing back today thanks to his brothers. Pickles is not too thrilled with his snauzer muzzle nor his backside area shaved in a perfect circle around the rest of his fur. No blending at all there and it looks like a big bald 3 inch circle around his potty area....I figured you all didn't need to see that photo.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

aw- the thing is it will grow!  I would still write to Petco with a complaint -  go over the manager's head, so to speak.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

That's shocking. I would post as many online negative reviews as you can as well as making a formal complaint up the management chain.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Jenn, in addition to contacting Petco Corporate, you may also want to contact the Better Business Bureau and lodge a complaint. I'm really shocked in how Petco responded to your complaint, making excuses for their negligence. Unacceptable!

[jenn D]

Thanks guys. I'm going to get it all down on paper as things progressed from 2:15 pm when we got there and dropped them off, to 6:45 when I had to drive down there to see what was going on because no word on my dogs and grooming would not pick up incoming calls, to going back there at 8 pm seeing both dogs on the table just starting to get dried from their baths, to staying there watching
everything until 9:30 when I finally said enough! Then I'll send complaint letters and call up the chain. So frustrating. And here is the kicker: the meanest, harshest of the groomers said she use to groom rescues for rescue groups all the time. Can you imagine those poor dogs already under stress and then enduring what Brisby went through?

[Julie and Max]

Jenn I am so sorry that you had to go through this. :(