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    Camp Best Friends

    4.6 (58 reviews)
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    Services - Camp Best Friends

    Pet boarding

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    Camp Best Friends

    My dog of 11 years, Chloe, died under the care of Camp Best Friends in Aug. 2021 while I was away on a family vacation. I spent months researching the best place for Chloe to stay while I was gone for a week. She was the sweetest small bundle of fluff but was shy around other dogs and preferred to be separated during boarding. The last time I went out of town, she stayed at City Dog in West LA. It was fine there, but I preferred that she wasn't caged this time. I decided on Camp Best Friends, which was next door to City Dog. It says this on CBF's website, but the owner Cathi Helfer also assured me that they don't mingle the dogs, keep them caged and are familiar with taking care of senior dogs. I decided to reserve my spot after talking to her over the phone. Before I dropped Chloe off, I tried calling Cathi to confirm that there would be someone monitoring 24/7 because the hours of operation displayed on their website confused me. I wanted to know what the space looked like, where she would be sleeping and if she needed me to email feeding directions. I never received a call back from her, which worried me. Despite my hesitations, I read good reviews and decided to trust the care of CBF. I thought it was odd Cathi didn't ask me to fill out any forms, so I wrote up a two-page guide with details on her feeding, medication, personality, emergency contact info, etc. When I got to the facility, I was thrown off by how untidy it was, but Cathi apologized and said it was because of COVID-19 and she didn't have as many people working there now. Pablo, the main handler who lives in a small room at the facility came out to greet Chloe and watch her while Cathi gave me a tour. We decided that she would have Chloe stay in a separate area away from the larger dogs that barked as that would be the best idea especially since it was going to be a full house that weekend. Cathi could tell I was nervous because Chloe rarely left my side, so Cathi said she would send me photos of Chloe while I was gone. However, I never received photos or was contacted, which kept me wondering if that was a sign something was wrong or were they too busy? Five days into Chloe's stay, I received multiple calls early in the morning from an emergency vet hospital that she was under respiratory distress with pneumonia and pulmonary edema. Chloe passed away not long after the phone call. Cathi never called me to inform me about what happened. I had to call her to let her know that Chloe had died. Cathi told me that she didn't have my phone number at the time. I consulted with multiple doctors after receiving the lab results and X-rays, and talked to the emergency vet that took care of Chloe last. She indeed contracted pneumonia over the period of days at CBF, which led to a fatal amount of fluid in her lungs. My husband and I decided to show up at CBF after we got home. We had several questions about what happened to Chloe because we discovered that CBF had violated several state of California codes for pet boarding facilities, including failing to contact us about our dog's health when she was sick. The first thing Cathi said to us was "sorry I ruined your vacation." We agreed, in which she responded with, "Hey, I didn't kill your dog." She didn't have any daily records kept of Chloe during her stay and said that everything she needed to know was in her head at the age of 72. Cathi claimed she was "traditional," not like other pet boarding facilities that keep digital records. It turned out that Pablo was the only person taking care of the dogs during Chloe's stay and was the best person to ask what had happened. He was reluctant at first to even speak to us and his limited English-speaking skills made it difficult for him to articulate any details. Cathi and Pablo said Chloe showed signs of distress and had difficulty breathing while there, which we learned about from the doctor's report, and after further questioning, Cathi admitted that she regretted not calling Chloe's vet to have her looked at. She also claimed that Chloe had those symptoms when I dropped her off, which was not true. Chloe was healthy as I would not have left her there if I noticed something was off and I would have written down any symptoms on the form I gave to Cathi. They kept her in a playpen area near another elderly, but sick dog who also "coincidentally" was sent to the hospital yet survived. They finally brought Chloe to the vet when Pablo noticed her coughing up specks of blood after he got up in the middle of the night. During my visit there, they showed me Pablo's photos a couple days into her stay and I looked at them further when I got home. It was clear she was under distress and fluid was coming out of her nose. The neglect to even call me at the first moment of concern is a clear sign CBF should not be in business. This place is completely disorganized and not fit to take care of multiple animals simultaneously.

    june j.

    I would never ever leave our girl with anyone else. Cathy is outstanding and her groomer is awesome. They truly love and care about your pet. Only the best will do for our Brookie.

    Paula G.

    I can't say enough good things about camp best friends! My cat Noir stopped eating shortly after we left. Kathy went all out - contacting me, contacting his vet and getting him hooked up to eat again. I have taken my cats there on and off over the years and CBF is my first and only choice for boarding my cats. BTW, they do dogs, birds, etc. too!!!

    Jade at CBF

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    Cathi H.

    Thank you Becca! Hope you and your mom are well! - C

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    Cathi H.

    Thank you Tamara! We hope to see you both really soon! xo - C

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    My hound, a 9-year-old poodle mix with energy, enthusiasm and a social streak, thinks this place is great.

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    Thanks Carol! We love Ginger! Hope to see you both soon! xo - C

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Camp Best Friends

    Review Highlights - Camp Best Friends

    The care that she and Amanda have shown for my dogs over the years is without equal in Los Angeles.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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