A Nowra resident is campaigning for greater regulation of the boarding kennel industry.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Vicki Wallace booked Honey, a seven-year-old golden retriever into a South Coast kennel and cattery from December 29 to January 3.
Mrs Wallace’s said her husband picked the dog up and found her with mud down one side.
After bathing the dog Mrs Wallace found Honey had ‘hot spots’ under her neck and on each leg.
“When I took the collar off I noticed she was red and inflamed under her neck,” Mrs Wallace said.
Honey was taken to the vet and placed on a course of antibiotics and cream.
Mrs Wallace said Honey has suffered hot spots before. However, she is concerned with how the incident was dealt with by the owner of the kennels.
“I know hot spots can happen at any time, particularly with this breed and I’m not blaming him but the way he handled it wasn’t professional
- Vicki Wallace
“I know hot spots can happen at any time, particularly with this breed and I’m not blaming him but the way he handled it wasn’t professional,” she said.
“I called the gentlemen to tell him about the hot spots and he didn’t seem too concerned at all.”
Mrs Wallace said she posted her concerns on Facebook but later deleted the post.
“I’m just hoping to bring greater awareness to the boarding kennel industry and I don’t want this to happen to someone else’s pet,” she said.
Mrs Wallace lodged an online claim with the RSPCA in regards to the incident.
“We received a complaint and have attended,” a spokesperson for RSPCA said.
“Generally investigations take some time and further information will be provided down the track.”
The owner of the kennel was contacted but declined to comment.
Mrs Wallace recently shared her experience with Jayne Cvetanoski, an animal activist.
Ms Cvetanoski has started a petition calling for a Standard Code of Practice to be adhered to by all boarding kennels.
Currently the NSW DPI has an Animal Welfare Code of Practice in place but Ms Cvetanoski is concerned the code isn’t being adhered to by all NSW kennels.
She is also calling for a registry to be established to record any animal deaths in boarding kennels across NSW.
The petition has received almost 14,000 signatures and can be found at change.org