I am incredibly hurt and upset. I was treated with a severe lack of professionalism in every way, that resulted in me wasting a significant amount of time, money, and emotional investment into a cat I was LIED TO about.
I called and was told that if a cat was adopted then it should update in about 5-10 minutes on the website, and so if I were to check a bit after close and the cat was still on the site, it would still be available. I checked on the site a bit after close, the cat was still there, perfect. I was told it is first-come-first-serve. I arrived before 10 AM, before open. I drove all the way from Reno up the mountain just to get a specific cat, only to find out it had been adopted THE DAY PRIOR.
Why was I told if it was still on the site, it would be available, only for it to be adopted/taken off the site WELL AFTER CLOSE? And, to top it off, the sibling (which I was also interested in potentially) already had a meet and greet booked. Before 10. BEFORE OPEN. If it is "first come first serve" then how in the world could someone book a meet and greet even before open? I wasted hundreds of dollars, time, I am hurt emotionally, all because of complete incompetence and unprofessionalism. Why couldn't I book an appointment online? Why couldn't I reserve or have a cat held for me? How in the hell am I supposed to adopt a cat that I want if the website and employees lie to me and are unreliable, and "first come first serve" doesn't actually mean that?
Please change your business model and how you operate, I have never been so hurt and offended in my life. I thought I was getting a new family member today, and now all I get is a sad drive home and a sour taste in my mouth just thinking about your establishment and everything it does
My family and I had a wonderful past experience adopting a dog from Pet Network. We were there recently and saw a puppy who had just arrived at the shelter. We were told that no one had claimed her and that she was going to be available next week, once she was spayed. My kids fell in love and the adoption specialist told me that there were no applications or holds on her. I paid the $10 hold fee and she explained that I wouldn’t need a new application because I was already an approved adopter. She also told me that I would have first priority for adopting the puppy because there were no other holds or applicants. My kids were excited and we all looked forward to bringing the puppy home.
I called early the following week to check if the surgery was still on track and also to get an idea of when we could pick up the puppy. I spoke to the same adoption specialist I worked with on Friday, but she had an entirely different attitude from when we last spoke. She didn’t seem to want to provide any information and was very vague when I asked direct questions. I had a bad feeling following this conversation, so I followed up with an email stating my understanding of the situation. I received a response saying that I would be contacted with the status of the puppy.
Since I had had a great experience with Pet Network previously, I waited for a call, but never received one, so I called the office on Friday afternoon and spoke to the shelter manager, who informed me that the puppy had been placed in her new home. This manager knew of my situation and didn’t seem surprised by my call. The explanation she gave for the puppy going to another family was perfectly reasonable - there had been a miscommunication among the staff at Pet Network and the other family had already begun the adoption process before my family and I met the puppy. I explained to her that the mistake had been discovered by her staff early in the week, based on the conversation I had had with the adoption specialist, however no one had informed me even after I had taken the time to call and send a follow up email to ensure that there was no confusion. Once she realized that the issue was caused by her staff failing to communicate with me, she apologized and told me about a mother dog with very young puppies that had recently come to the shelter. She promised to send me a couple pictures, which she did. The pictures were only of the puppies, so I asked for a picture of the mother. I never heard back.
I’m writing this review not only because I have two very disappointed children, but also because this is not the first time this type of situation has happened at this shelter, based on a recent Yelp review from February. My hope is that the director, or anyone else at that level of management, recognizes the unfortunate issues caused by the lack of basic customer service skills by both the shelter manager and her staff. Training would be a good investment. This place takes great care of its animals and has clear adoption policies, but common sense is lacking. I would have written a positive review if the staff had communicated openly, honestly, and in a timely manner.
I retired and moved to Incline Village 13 years ago. When I walked into Pet Network the first time, I knew I had found a place I could make a valuable contribution. In our small village, Pet Network manages to find homes for about 600 pets each year. There are many amazing dogs and cats who transition through the shelter. Some find new homes quickly; others are cared for in the shelter for months and occasionally years before finding their new homes. No animal runs out of time. We never give up on a pet.
Pet Network receives no government funding. Each year we must raise enough money to cover expenses. We appreciate all cash donations, large or small. We hold an annual Fur Ball and other fundraising events. And we provide boarding and day care services, sell pet supplies, and provide onsite veterinary services through Quail Ridge Animal Hospital.
Visit the shelter, consider volunteering or adopting.