When my husband and I were expecting our first child, we decided it would be nice to spend a romantic night away before the baby arrived. We had a six-month-old puppy and were referred by our friends 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 up our puppy 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 never went to doggy day care again. If we needed to leave town and couldn’t bring him along, he was left in the trusted care of his grandma and grandpa. I couldn’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 to complete strangers. My husband and I agreed long before we were married that I would stay home with our children. Our children never had to endure what my poor puppy had to go through.
Katherine
Even Doggy Day Cares Can Be a Problem
