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Wag Hotels, a pet boarding company with facilities across the country, including in Redwood City, San Francisco and Santa Clara, has agreed to pay $150,000 and implement a series of reforms, without admitting wrongdoing, to settle claims it violated California’s Pet Boarding Law and failed to properly report dog bites.
The settlement comes after the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with the Santa Clara County and San Francisco District and City Attorney Offices, filed a civil suit against the company on Aug. 22 claiming numerous violations of California’s Pet Boarding Law and local ordinances.
Among the company’s alleged violations of the pet boarding law, the lawsuit claimed Wag Hotels allowed the population of pests in its facilities to become large enough to become harmful, threatening, or annoying to pets in its care, did not properly clean or maintain its facilities and did not adequately observe pets for signs of sickness, injuries or distress.
The suit also alleges that Wag Hotels did not inform owners immediately if their pets are sick or injured, did not appropriately treat sick or injured pets and did not isolate pets with contagious diseases.
Additionally, the suit claims that Wag Hotels did not follow state and local rules regarding the reporting of dog bites at its San Francisco, Redwood City and Santa Clara locations.
The California Department of Public Health claims the reporting of dog bites is to ensure the biting animal is healthy and not to get the owner or pet in trouble. One of the most prominent diseases that can be spread by dog bites is rabies, which has a nearly 100% fatality rate once symptoms appear. However, there are fewer than 10 deaths in the United States annually, due to the disease.
The suit does not mention rabies at Wag Hotels.
“We reached a mutual settlement with these agencies in which Wag admits no wrongdoing for isolated incidents that occurred several years ago that are exceptions to the hundreds of thousands of visits to our facilities over our 20-year history and have been addressed by the practices we have in place,” Wag Hotels said in a statement.
As part of the settlement, Wag will need to create an animal welfare department, playgroup safety program, employee training program and area for overstimulated or tired pets.
Under the settlement, Wag Hotels must establish an animal welfare department, implement a playgroup safety program, expand employee training and provide space for overstimulated or tired pets. The company is also required to improve hygiene and pest management, keep detailed records, report dog bites in a timely manner, maintain an on-call veterinarian or animal hospital, submit to quarterly and annual inspections and audits, and retain surveillance videos in certain cases.
The reforms must remain in place for at least five years.
“When people leave their pets in someone else’s care, they are placing immense trust in that facility. This settlement ensures that Wag Hotels will meet the standards the law requires to safeguard the health, safety, and dignity of every animal entrusted to them” San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said in a press release.
The monetary fine of $150,000 consists of $75,000 to cover investigative costs and $75,000 in civil penalties. The settlement was approved on Sept. 25 in the San Francisco Superior Court.
Concerns about animal safety or welfare in San Mateo County should be reported to the Peninsula Humane Society at (650) 340-7022 ext. 601 or reportcruelty@peninsulahumanesociety.org, the San Mateo District Attorney’s Office said.
The reporting of animal welfare in Santa Clara County varies by city but residents can check who has authority here.
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