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Boarding Facility Complaint
PAWS suggests the following steps in order to resolve complaints with a boarding facility. For example, is the boarding facility keeping animals in poor conditions, is the health of animals neglected, or is there suspected mistreatment of animals in the facility.
- File a complaint in writing to the boarding facility, and if possible back it up with photographs. Follow the next steps to determine if the complaint will need to move to another level involving the authorities.
- When writing a complaint letter, it should include as many details as possible, and the response received from the staff on duty when you expressed your concerns. Remember that if you attempt to negotiate before the concerns are documented, you may lose your chance to document the abuse because the wounds may have healed or the establishment may have cleaned up their act in response to a verbal complaint. Get it in writing for future as well as immediate use.
- Once the complaint is given in writing to the facility, attempt to resolve the issue with the boarding facility. Or work with the person who owns the facility. You can speak to the facility manager or to the facility owner or both.
- In the case of poor customer service or animal care, you may simply have a bad employee who needs to be retrained or fired. However, it may not be an isolated incident or may fall under animal cruelty (refer to Report Animal Cruelty page).
- If a veterinary clinic is offering boarding services, contact the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). The veterinary clinic is probably operating under guidelines established by the AAHA, which may help from the animal care perspective.
- If you have contacted the facility owner, what were the results? If you are unsatisfied with the results, do you wish to file a complaint with the authorities? If yes, see steps below.
- The type of complaint will determine with whom you should file it. The Attorney General's Office can handle complaints on services not performed, charges for services not received, etc. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) should be informed on most types of complaints, as they can act as an intermediary to correct the problem. For questions on business licensing issues, contact the Business Licensing Department for the county/city. In cases of suspected cruelty, contact your local animal control office. Refer to our Report Animal Cruelty page to find your local animal control numbers in the Puget Sound region.
- Submit the original complaint letter and provide another document telling of the problems occurring with the animal(s). If available, include copies of vet records or other documentation to support your position. Make notations on what the overall establishment is like. Note if the facilities are in poor condition. If the facility or equipment appears in disrepair, add that to the complaint. If possible, document with photographs.
- Send a copy of the complaint(s) to the property manager/landlord that the business leases the property or building from.
- Remember that the Licensing Department often has the most power to act. And, the more complaints they receive, the more likely they are to act and investigate the facility and its practices.
Contacts to make complaints:
The State of Washington requires that all businesses operating in the state obtain a State of Washington license. To inquire if a business is licensed by the State, call the State Department of Revenue at 1.800.647.7706.
King County business licenses complaints
Snohomish County business licenses 425.388.3627
City of Seattle business licenses 206.684.8484
Washington State Attorney General's office 1.800.551.4636
Better Business Bureau (Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington)
P.O. Box 1000
DuPont, WA 98327
206.431.2222
Fax: 206.431.2200
info@thebbb.org
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