Houston DogWorks

Alexander, let’s deal in verifiable facts, not fabrications. As with the small number of other negative reviews we have over our years in business, your post contains multiple inaccuracies, key omissions, and statements that are demonstrably false. First, the missed appointment. Your consultation was scheduled for 1:00 PM yesterday, January 14. Our policy allows a 10-minute grace period before appointments are considered no-show and cancelled, which is clearly stated in the client agreement signed when your wife created the profile. This is all done before an appointment can be booked, and reiterated in reminder communications generated by our software. By 1:10 PM, we had received no communication. When I called, I was informed by your wife that she would be an additional 20 minutes late. At that point, the appointment was no longer viable. We do not and cannot start consultations 30 minutes late. When reminded of the $100 rescheduling fee (also outlined in our 24-hour notice policy in the user agreement), your wife declined to reschedule and stated, “Just forget it… just charge the card on file…” before ending the call. The $250 no-show fee was therefore applied appropriately and in compliance with our written policies. Now, the reason your wife contacted us in the first place, your dog. Your two-year-old Golden Retriever, Buddy, was described to us as having a history of resource guarding that began early in life and had already escalated to acts of aggression toward your older dog. Despite this, you chose to introduce a new puppy into the household. Buddy subsequently inflicted injuries on that puppy severe enough to fracture facial bones, also stemming from the known resource guarding issues. Those are not speculative claims; they are the facts relayed to us both during the initial call and again in writing in the profile in the client portal. When your wife expressed concern about whether this behavior could escalate toward humans, including the “nieces and nephews”, explaining the nature of resource guarding, its motivation, and its risk factors is not a “scare tactic.” It is responsible, evidence and experience-based guidance. Resource guarding is, by definition, rooted in a dog’s perceived threat to valued resources. Minimizing that reality does not make it disappear. No-shows impact more than the single appointment. They waste staff time, disrupt scheduled operations, and take opportunities away from other clients, existing or prospective, who would have liked to have had that time. This response will be the only clarification on the matter. The record is clear and the facts are clearly documented in order to protect everyone. I will not entertain further with mischaracterizations of events or attempts to shift responsibility and the associated consequences. Houston DogWorks remains available to clients who are prepared to engage honestly, responsibly, and in good faith.