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:03/06/2025

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I do no recommend taking your dog to Bark and Bean. My 75 lb rescue dog was left unattended and jumped out of the tub (as admitted by Bark and Bean). She has a torn ligament (as assessed by a surgeon) and will require a $5k surgery. Because the vet wrote she was geriatric, Bark and **** wont pay for the surgery. My dog was fine before taking her to be groomed and now she cant walk. I dont have $5k for surgery and am not strong enough to continue carrying her to the bathroom. I will be forced to euthanize her. My poor beautiful baby!! I am disgusted by Bark and ****.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/07/2025

  On February 14, 2025 I took my dog to Bark n Beans to be bathed. When I picked her up, she had a severe limp. I was told by the employee that she had jumped out of the tub which stood approximately 5 feet high onto a hard, tiled floor. The limp got worse and when I took her to the Vet, she was diagnosed with a ruptured or torn ligament. Bark n Beans was not only negligent while my dog was in their care, they are evading responsibility by refusing to pay for her recommended treatment, which is surgery. They are responsible for her injury, and should have to pay to correct it. I have also not been refunded for the bath that resulted in the injury. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/07/2025

  These are estimates for the surgery and post-opp visit my dog needs because of the injury she sustained at Bark n Beans.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/07/2025

  These are estimates for the surgery and post operation follow up.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/07/2025

  Hello,

  We regret that this customer's pet (*******) suffered a ligament injury while at ******************** We must however, dispute some of the facts provided in the complaint.  We told the owners about the incident when they picked up and offered to pay for a vet consultation to diagnose the problem.  When that diagnosis resulted in a recommendation for a surgery consult, we agreed to pay for that upcoming consultation.  We opened a claim with our insurance carrier before the surgery consultation to inform them that added expenses were possible.

  We then forwarded the veterinarian documents to our adjuster to handle the claim.  The issue with the injury, as I understand it, is that the surgeon stated that it wasn't from the trauma of the incident but rather due to a progressive degenerative process ("This is a degenerative condition in the dog, rather than a traumatic injury like we see in people.").  It was not rejected, as claimed, because the dog was geriatric. The factor at hand is that it's degenerative.
  

  I understand that our pets are precious and our emotional attachments are strong, but if we didn't cause the issue I don't think we should pay for the treatment.   This surgery was scheduled quickly without a second opinion, without a review of past medical records, and without approval from our insurance provider. The surgeon noted the option of conservative treatment options implying that more economical options exist.
  

  We see many pups that have been treated successfully using conservative treatment plans (some even improve without treatment).  Many people opt against surgery for different reasons choosing to use knee braces, medications and exercise.  To vilify us and blame us on social media for even contemplating euthanizing ******* because we denied paying for surgery is wrong, unfounded and possibly legally consequential.  We didn't deny the claim as that decision is made by our insurer based on their determination of liability. My understanding is that the adjuster talked with the client, an offer was made to cover the vet visits and that the claim is still open.

  I hope I have explained our position.  We have tried to do the right thing - I do not believe that includes paying for something if it wasn't our fault.  And most importantly, we **** ******* overcomes this injury.
  

  Best regards,

  **** *****, General Manager
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/10/2025

   
  Complaint: 23029404
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  

  As stated in the clinical summary attached At this time, ********* left hind limb
  lameness is due to a complete cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) tear. This is typically a degenerative condition in the dog, rather than a traumatic injury like we see in people. However, given that ******* jumped out of the tub and came up immediately lame there has to
  be given the possibility of this being a traumatic injury rather than degenerative. In addition, dogs with degenerative breakdown of the
  CCL present with a lameness at younger ages (literature would suggest around 3-8 years of age).

  There is video evidence of ******* walking fine before entering Bark n Bean, and clear lameness upon exiting. The staff at Bark n Bean did immediately inform me that ******* sustained an injury when she jumped out of their tub; they acknowledged fault. ******* is ************************** the quote and attached document, degenerative diseases present between 3-8 years of age. Older dogs like her will have to either be euthanized because of these types of injuries, or suffer a slow, declining and painful demise in health and quality of life. As a grooming business, I would think Bark n Bean would be aware of that. Dogs, especially older dogs, dont heal easily if at all. 
  

  Furthermore I will use and continue to use my social media to inform the public about what our experience with this business is, and warn them not to trust their pets with the staff as it is not safe. The audacity to threaten legal action is astounding; the company shows no remorse for its negligence. This type of attitude makes them a danger to anyone seeking their services and unfortunately, ******* is a victim of said attitude. Nothing I have said is a lie. Whether or not the insurance company covers the cost, Bark n Bean is responsible for her injury and should pay for the treatment, period. 

  If the company was truly concerned for ******* they would respond to my emails and contact me directly. They have ceased to do so, leaving me no other recourse than to seek outside solutions. In the meantime I will continue to carry my dog outside and around the house so she can walk, relieve herself, be social with the family and have some sort of normal life while she is in pain. 
  
  

  Sincerely,

  ******* ******

  Business Response

  Date: 03/16/2025

  Sorry for the delay, I wanted to check on the claim status before responding.  I was put off reading her rejection as she was now quoting surgeon notes that I didn't have.  Without noting the revision, she went on to complain as if my earlier actions and reply were made to the changed notes and not to the one she originally submitted. 

  I know the appraiser has made her an offer based on the assumption that the new notes are valid.  So as I wrote before, the process is continuing.  She may not like the process but this is how it works and why we have insurance.  
  

  Again, I am sad that ******* is injured and treatment is needed.  What is still a question to me is if Jamesons knee was degraded to the point that the ligament was bound to tear from any increase of activity.   Jumping from a height (similar to a couch, your car or bed) onto a rubber mat is more than walking but something dogs handle routinely.  And as Ive said, if it wasnt our fault, I dont feel responsible.  Id like to help every dog in need but everyone has a budget. 

  We have insurance to address disputes and we are following that process.  In fact, while the claim is still open and Ms. ****** is in continued discussions with the adjuster, she continues to bash us here and on social media.  It's hard to want to work with someone who posts that we're the reason she has to euthanize her dog.  That statement alone strikes me as defamatory and libelous which is why I included a gentle reminder in my earlier reply.  I have not posted our thoughts or attacked her on social media.

  In her recent reply, Ms. ****** states, Nothing I have said is a lie.  But she's posted that we've denied reimbursement when it's the insurance company evaluating the claim; she submitted edited clinic notes then used them to retroactively dispute my replies; she's blamed us for having to euthanize the dog: andshe posted we denied her request because the vet described ******* as geriatric (makes it sound like we don't care about senior dogs). 
  

  If interested, I've noted below how the vet appt. record was changed.  To summarize, I stand by my previous reply describing the actions we took after the accident.  And I'll reiterate, I have never denied the claim despite her assertions and social media posts.   Questioning whether we care and making defamatory social media posts saps my willingness to work with her.  It feels like the well has been poisoned and I hope the appraiser reaches a settlement and verifies the edited records.
  

  Regards,

  **** *****
  

  RECORD CHANGES
  

  The changes were significant and I've summarized them here:
  

  Initially (as submitted in the Fusion vet clinical summary notes): Left cranial cruciate ligament (***) tear
  Changed at a later date to:  Left cranial cruciate ligament (***) tear - possibly traumatic in origin

  Also a narrative was added under Comments in Recommendations.pdf:
  From: This is typically a degenerative condition in the dog, rather than a traumatic injury like we see in people."
  To:      This is typically a degenerative condition in the dog, rather than a traumatic injury like we see in people. However, given that
  ******* jumped out of the tub and came up immediately lame there has to be given the possibility of this being a traumatic injury rather than
  degenerative. In addition, dogs with degenerative breakdown of the *** present with a lameness at younger ages (literature would suggest around 3-8 years of
  age).

  
  The adjuster will assume that her new information is valid and is continuing to work on the claim (it could be resolved as I write this). As I said before, the incident happened, we informed the client, offered to pay the vet consult, then offered to pay for the surgery consult and then opened an insurance claim.  The insurer, of course, has to determine fault before paying on the claim. If someone eats something spicy and has a heart attack, is that causal or coincidental?  Those are determinations I leave to our insurer. Was this knee injury bound to happen (we never got vet records covering existing conditions) and did it unfortunately and coincidentally happen during this visit?

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/19/2025

   
  Complaint: 23029404
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/19/2025

  The age of my dog is irrelevant to this matter. The veterinary surgeon did not attribute my dogs irreversible injuries to her age, nor did he state that her condition resulted from any preexisting issues. The fact remains that I entrusted my dog to this establishment, and due to the negligence of an employee, my dog suffered significant harm, drastically reducing her quality of life. This negligence has profoundly impacted both my pet and my household.
  
  
  I have video evidence from my Ring camera showing that my dog was in good health and walking normally just one hour before I entrusted her to this business. The responsibility for this injury lies with the business owner, just as any establishment would be liable if an elderly individual were injured due to neglect on their premises. Liability does not fall on the victims family or an insurance companyit remains with the responsible party.
  
  
  It was the owners responsibility to address this matter appropriately long before I was compelled to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Additionally, your threats are unwarranted and unacceptable. Your interpretation of liability and slander is incorrect, as confirmed by my legal counsel.
  
  
  No amount of legal rhetoric or discussion about my dogs age changes the fundamental fact that your employee failed to properly secure my dog while she was in your care, leading to her injury.