A distraught Richmond animal lover wants to get the message out that her kennels are not death row for dogs.
Sylvia Goldmanis, who owns Richmond Dog Boarding and Play at the foot of No. 3 Road, has had to deal with two disturbing incidents in the last few months that she doesn’t want repeated.
On both occasions, owners have dropped their elderly pets off at her business, only for Goldmanis to subsequently discover the dogs – a 16-year-old springer spaniel and a 13-year-old German shepherd - had recently been recommended to be put to sleep by veterinarians.
There were no obvious signs, initially, of ailing health in the animals, however, in hindsight, the owners of both pets seemed a little more emotional than her customers usually are.
“They were basically saying goodbye to their pets, it’s easy to see that now,” said Goldmanis, angry that she had to watch the dogs suffer in her kennels before they were eventually euthanized.
“They knew those dogs were going to die before they dropped them off; I’m shocked people would do this. I’ve been in tears, my daughter has been in tears.
“Think about your dog that has been loyal to you. To leave it suffering in a kennel is heartbreaking. Think about the people that the dog’s suffering affected.
“This is not a medical facility for dogs to come to die.”
For the most recent incident, Goldmanis recalled a member of staff saying she noticed the German shepherd could barely get out of the car, but didn’t think too much about it at the time.
“A day or two later, it was clear there was something seriously wrong with the dog, it had what we call the ‘death poos.’ It’s like black tar, it’s not pretty,” she said.
“I managed to track down the dog’s vet, through its medical records, and I was told they had recommended the dog be put down. I couldn’t get hold of the owner straight away.
“When I did, she admitted they knew about the failing health of their dog, but they couldn’t cope with cleaning up the poo.
“And they somehow hoped the medication from the vet would be some kind of miracle cure and they would come back in a week and their dog would be fine. I think they were a loving family, they were just very confused.”
The same day, Goldmanis took the dog to Richmond Animal Hospital, where the owner’s mother met her.
“She didn’t speak English, but her daughter called later that day to thank me,” added Goldmanis, who only took over the kennels about two years ago.
“They were very worried what was going to be in the medication for the euthanization. I think that was part of their reluctance to have the dog put to sleep. They finally had the dog put down.”
Back in December, the 16-year-old springer spaniel was brought in and was walking in circles all day, recalled Goldmanis.
“There was crap everywhere and it was walking head first into the gate and walking through its water bowl. I was crying, it was awful to watch,” she said.
“I couldn’t get hold of the owner, so I called the dog’s vet, who said the dog had been in there a week ago and was recommended for euthanization.
“Maybe the family wanted one more Christmas with the dog, but they clearly couldn’t cope with the poo.
“Again, I couldn’t get hold of the owners, so I took the dog to the vet just after Christmas and had it euthanized.”
Despite being stiffed for the boarding fees and having to pay for the dog to be put down, Goldmanis said it’s not about the money.
“It’s about the suffering of the animal and the pain they put me through, watching their pet suffer,” she said.
She’s now had to change her policy and is requesting half the boarding fees on arrival.
