Response to Yelp Review from a Shay B. 09/15/2023

Video: https://video.nest.com/clip/af3120434fc2432399f995826d8fc99d.mp4

Original Review from Yelp:

I don't own a dog just happened to park in front of "Cookies N Clean " 9-15-23 at 5:00pm and witnessed this groomer (Justin Carpenter as identified as a groomer on web site) brutally harming a dog. I believe it's a black poodle. Unfortunately Yelp only allows 12 seconds of video so let me tell you what happened. He started by taking a wire brush and hitting the dogs head to get the brush to grasp this poor dogs hair over his ears and without supporting the dogs head in any fashion, forcefully pulling straight down on his ear flap. This poor dog responded by collapsing from the force Justin was using and was then yanked up by Justin by the collar and forced to stand back up and only to repeat several times. This dog was standing quietly the whole time. He was not misbehaving or anything. Then he takes the dogs ear flap and is cutting hair underneath and clearly at one point yanks the dogs ear flap up as if the dog is fighting him (which he wasn't). In the video you see the dog trying to get away. As most poor dogs being hurt would . At this time Justin notices me and walks and slams the door. Leaving the dog unattended on the high table only secured by leash attached to a collar around his neck. Why would he stop, leave the dog unattended to go slam the door shut if he wasn't doing anything wrong? I was shaking and not sure what to do. I wanted to go in and make a complaint but I was pretty scared. I instantly got on line and I found I can make a complaint with humane society and sheriff department which I will follow up with. This is inhuman treatment of a dog. I went home shaking and tearful after witnessing that sweet dog being treated so poorly. He/she must have been terrified. I drove back hoping to see the owner of this dog. I sat in my car until 6:10pm I never saw the dog/owner. Apparently had been picked up when I went home. I looked everywhere for management phone number and or how to contact management/owner on all social media platforms that they advertise on and found none. Only a email that who knows where it ends up. After reading a terrifying review on yelp from about a year ago (similar experience) it was clear I needed to write a review. I don't have a dog but if I did this business is one I would run from. Animals are family and under no circumstances .... NO CIRCUMSTANCES do they deserve to be treated in a bad manner. I'm hoping someone will recognize this dog and alert their owner of what happened . Videos don't lie. Unfortunately I found out my daughter takes both of her dogs to this establishment but after showing her the video she's not going back. The video is much longer than what is allowed on Yelp so hopefully I captured enough in the time allowed. Dog owners beware.

 

Response from Cookies N Clean on Yelp - 09/19/2023:

Dear Shay,

Thank you for expressing your concerns regarding the well-being of dogs. We acknowledge that you were unable to post a longer video, so we have taken the initiative to upload the complete grooming video on our website. You can access it by visiting the following link: https://video.nest.com/clip/af3120434fc2432399f995826d8fc99d.mp4

While it is commendable to be vigilant about such matters, we encourage you to do more than simply capturing a video from a distance and posting it on Yelp. If you genuinely believed the dog was in danger, why did you choose to leave instead of taking immediate action within our facility to address any potential animal abuse? Yelp alone is not a sufficient solution, and informing the owner afterward would not have helped the dog in distress.

In situations where you witness a pet in an emergency, we strongly advise you to call 911 and actively involve yourself to ensure their safety.

We are deeply concerned that despite your belief that the dog was in distress, you did not take any steps to assist the animal. Furthermore, your assessment of the situation seems to be based solely on observing our staff from across the parking lot and conducting online research, which we find highly inappropriate. Instead of solely recording a video, posting it on Yelp, and repeatedly visiting our facility to locate the owner, we urge you to have entered the premises and personally witnessed the situation.

This behavior is unusual and a violation of privacy. We make it a priority to maintain transparency by keeping the grooming room accessible as often as possible. We are forward and protective in ensuring that everyone, including those observing from the parking lot, understands that all pets are safe and well-cared for, as they cannot advocate for themselves.