Dr. Laura,
My husband and I are expecting our first child this June. We decided it would be nice to spend a romantic night away, just the two of us, before our baby arrived. We have a 6-month-old puppy and were referred by our friends to send him to an "elite" doggy day care facility for the weekend. They insisted it would be great for him because he would be able to socialize with other dogs, get a chance to run around outside, and receive the best care from "professionals".
When we picked our puppy up the next day he wasn't the same pup we dropped off. His normally peppy puppy personality was gone: he barely ate, his fur was matted with urine, and it took him two full days to get back to his old self.
My dog will never go to doggy day care again. If we need to leave town and cannot bring him along he will be in the trusted care of his grandma and grandpa. I can't bear the thought of leaving my dog in day care, yet parents of HUMAN children do everything they can to justify ignoring, neglecting and trusting their children with complete strangers. My husband and I agreed long before we were married that I would stay home with our children. Because of you, Dr. Laura, our soon-to-be born son and his future siblings will never have to endure what my poor puppy had to go through.
Katherine
