Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/05/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Feb.22, my family and I made the difficult decision to have our beautiful 16 year old cat ***** put down. Dr. ******* from ******* *** came to our home and we let ***** go. This is not relevant but will show you the importance of ***** in my life. She was my companion through breast cancer, multiple surgeries and my divorce. She slept on my pillow. I can not stress enough my attachment to *****. We had found her at a rescue. She was a beautiful silver tabby rag doll polydactyl. She had 5 toes on each front paw, plus an extraordinary large dew claw. The night before ***** died, I made an impression of her front left paw. It showed her 5 toes plus her dew claw but I decided when Dr.******* was here to order a professionally made one. What arrived on April 15 had 7 toes in the impression. I have been trying to get an answer from Gateway Pet Memorial. They are insisting it is *****. This is incorrect and impossible. She did not have 7 toes on any paw. I have multiple photos and our own impression. Last Friday the business said they were sending me a cheque for 172.50 for a full refund. It has not arrived but that could be a result of slow mail delivery. I am not satisfied with this. There has been no accountability, only apologies that I am unsatisfied with the finished product. This is only part of the problem. I trusted them with the care of my companion. This can’t be tried again. ***** is gone. I feel like I have lost her all over again. They are being dishonest and taking advantage of grieving pet owners who are putting their trust in them. I am frustrated and heart broken. After reading online reviews, I can see now that this is not the first time they have done this.

  Business Response

  Date: 15/05/2025

  We are sincerely sorry for the distress this customer has
  experienced. We understand how deeply meaningful pet memorials are and we take
  these concerns very seriously.
  

  Below is a factual summary of the events related to this
  complaint:
  
  Information entered at Clinic: Feb 25th 2025
  Pet Picked up: Feb 27th 2025
  Completed Delivery to clinic: Apr 7th 2025
  Pet Parent’s first call in: Apr 22nd 2025
  
  April 22nd
  Customer (pet owner) contacted Gateway, stating the paw
  impression had seven toes and did not match their memory of their pet. A photo
  of the paw print was requested.
  
  April 24th
  Photos of the paw print were received and reviewed by both
  our Client Care and Paw Print Studio teams. Based on the impression, it
  appeared that the dew claw or dew claw pad may have been captured, which could
  account for the extra visible mark. This was communicated to the customer via
  phone and a follow-up email. The customer requested a refund.
  
  April 25th
  Gateway offered to take the paw print back, as we did not
  want the customer to feel obligated to keep something that was upsetting. We
  also advised that we would ask the referring veterinarian for a copy of the
  original invoice to process the refund and then requested the customer’s
  mailing address. We also offered the option of creating an alternative form of
  memorial if the customer had a photo of the underside of the pet’s paw.
   
  
  April 25th
  The referring veterinarian was informed of the situation and
  asked to provide a copy of the invoice.
  

  April 28th
  Customer responded to arrange return of the paw print. The
  veterinarian later advised they did not want the paw print returned to their
  clinic.
  
  April 29th
  Gateway communicated with the customer regarding alternate
  return arrangements and reiterated we were waiting on the invoice to issue the
  refund.
  
  April 30th
  Gateway informed the customer that return of the paw print
  would not be necessary. The customer also sent a photo of a homemade clay
  impression from the day the pet passed, with markings identifying the paw
  structure. Images attached.
  
  May 1st
  Gateway replied again, confirming our understanding of the
  concern and reiterating our intent to issue a refund once the invoice was
  received.
  
  May 2nd
  Invoice was received from the veterinarian. A full refund of
  $172.50 was processed and a cheque was mailed to the customer’s address. The
  customer was notified by email.
  

  May 7th
  Veterinarian contacted Gateway to review the case.
  
  May 9th
  BBB email received.
  
  While our internal review confirmed that the paw print created was the only one produced for this pet and aligned with our tracking and documentation protocols, we sincerely acknowledge and respect that the customer’s personal experience and perception differed. We deeply regret any distress this may have caused during what is already a very emotional time.
  As a gesture of compassion and understanding, we issued a full refund. Our quality control and tracking systems are in place to support accuracy and consistency, and while we remain confident in the integrity of our process, we recognize that no system replaces the importance of empathy and personal connection in moments like these.
  We are here for the customer and welcome the opportunity to speak further—whether to offer support, answer any additional questions, or explore alternative memorial options that may help bring comfort and closure.

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 15/05/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This is not a matter of my “memory” or perception of *****’s paw being different from the print I received. It is fundamentally different and inaccurate as my print of *****’s paw clearly shows. What I received is physically impossible to be ***** which I have clearly stated and shown in multiple ways, multiple times. I captured her dew claw pad in the print I took, hence the 6 dents/impressions. There is no 7th pad, toe, claw, or anything else for that matter. I appreciate the refund which arrived today but I am still not satisfied at the lack of accountability, honesty and transparency. I have received an apology for being disappointed but this is a complete avoidance of the true issue at hand. A mistake has occurred whether deliberate or not, and what I received is a misrepresentation of my dear ***** who I entrusted to Gateway Pet Memorial’s care. This is the issue. It can not be redone. I have lost the opportunity to have a paw print made of her to remember her by. I do not need photos of ***** to be made from photos I took. I have hundreds of photos of *****. What I wanted was an impression and now that will never happen. I will now be looking into other avenues to take this further. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 02/06/2025

  We are truly sorry for the continued distress this experience has caused. We understand how profoundly important memorials are when honoring a beloved companion, and we take that responsibility to heart.
  As shared previously, a full refund has been issued and received. While our internal review supports the integrity of our process, our commitment to care and compassion remains unchanged. We remain available should the customer wish to connect further—whether for support, to answer any remaining questions, or to explore a different memorial option that may bring some measure of comfort in *****’s memory.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/06/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I feel we are going in circles.  I don’t accept platitudes. There was an error made and it should be admitted. The print I received was not my cat’s paw. It is physically impossible for ***** to have suddenly acquired a 7th toe or pad. Please look again at the print I took. It is obviously too late to rectify this. I do not need a memorial made of photos I took. I am looking for honesty and transparency. I am truly hoping this can be resolved here. 

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 27/06/2025

  Hello,
  As noted in our previous response, we conducted a thorough internal investigation and confirmed that our team followed all tracking and documentation protocols throughout the process.
  Based on our review, it appears that the impression may have captured a dew claw or dew claw pad, which can sometimes create the appearance of an additional mark — something we have observed before with polydactyl companions. We understand and respect the customer's position, and we sincerely regret any distress this has caused during an already difficult time.
  At this point, we have shared all available facts and do not have further information to add. That said, our priority remains supporting the customer, and we welcome the opportunity to connect directly — whether to offer additional information, answer further questions, or explore alternative memorial options that may help bring comfort and closure.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 30/06/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  As I have said and I proven countless times, that is false. This company’s dishonesty is appalling. Repeating something again does not make it true or honest. I am thankful I took my own impression the day before ***** died as that is proof enough that **** ******* ** *********. The paw prints are completely different. Mine is *****’s. 
  

  I do not know what to do at this point but they should not get away with this. 

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******** ******