I called Gary Smith with Benson Brook Pet Cremations the morning I was to take my cat Ivan to the…read morevet. Gary seemed like a good guy on the phone and though it was to be an hour and ten minute drive from Portland, I decided to take Ivan there when it was over. In the first place it was just a really good drive and maybe I needed that to clear my head. In the second place, Benson Brook seems to be at the end of a peaceful road in Parsonsfield, Maine. It seemed appropriate. Gary runs the business in what looks like his garage, which gives kind of a hoakie first impression. That impression quickly goes away when you meet him. He demonstrates a genuine sympathy for people and their lost pets. He has a nice lobby area and will gladly show you everything involved and answer any questions. At my request, Gary allowed me to place Ivan into the crematorium myself, which afforded me one last look at him, as if he was just taking a nap curled up against the bricks. Gary closed the door and started the process while I watched, and I can truly say I was there with my cat Ivan until the very end. The next morning I returned and Ivan's ashes were in a very nice ceder box Gary made himself. It was a nice touch on top of the many other nice touches. I am not looking forward to seeing Gary again or making the drive to Parsonsfield, but (at least), two more times, I will. It is kind of a long drive to Benson Brook, but I recommend you make it. The terrible sadness I feel has not abated even a little bit, but I have peace of mind that my cat Ivan's remains were treated with care and respect. I know, because I was there.

I took my favorite kitty, Sinbad, here a few years ago and ,unlike other places, you can be assured…read moreyou will get your very same animal back. Gary gave me all the time that I needed to mourn and was very sympathetic when I cried horribly. He promised I would get my same animal back and he showed me his set up. He gave me a snippet of Sinbad's fur as a momento. I picked up my ashes the next day and Sinbad was in a nice box with a very nice bag. Gary really is very kind and he runs an ethical business. He is flexible and reliable. I will be bringing him my eldest kitty, Topaz, of 14yrs either today or tomorrow after he is put into his eternal sleep - and I KNOW I will be getting my very same animal back. Gary runs a very small operation and his customer service is flawless. He is very helpful during this difficult time and I will always return - no matter how far I move away. I would not trust my animals with anyone else.

Showed a picture of my cats ruptured anal gland and they confirmed that is what it was they were…read morevery prompt in reviewing and responding to my concerns

We had our 16 year old girl who could not walk anymore. She progressed to the stage of starting to…read morehave a hard time walking, to not walking at all within weeks. I always said she would go quick. I made the hard call and within a few days they were out in our yard. They made the experience as peaceful as possible, and when I am losing my mind I just lost my girl, they had the greatest compassion and were there for the whole process. Having never had met or even used their services, they acted as if we had been with them for years. I cant thank them enough.

Had to pay an early morning visit for Mr Ziggy again. It seems problems always seem to happen on…read morethe weekend or after hours. Luckily, this clinic exists, and they are amazing angels!!! Thank you to all who were there tonight to help my kitty. The veterinarian is someone I've seen before, so it was comforting that he remembered us. They took very good care of Ziggy, he received an antibiotic injection, the vet gave some helpful suggestions, and they sent us home with a trial of meds for pain and comfort. I am always impressed with this clinic. Thank you for what you do! Arrived at 5:35am, and left around 7am. Not bad for an ER, they are super quick here!!

God awfully slow. Extremely overpriced. Staff is the only saving grace to this place.read more

This breeder is extremely honest, diligent and in love with each of the beautiful puppies she…read moreraises. This is a small home business and their pups are raised with her family inside her home, litter by litter. The love my sweet pup felt from birth shines through his charming demeanor and love for every human he meets.

Hello, I am writing to report a puppy purchase scam and to…read moredocument the circumstances surrounding a $500 deposit I paid. I initially contacted a breeder advertising dachshund puppies through a website and Facebook page associated with "Mainely Dachshunds." The website and communication appeared professional and knowledgeable about the breed, which led me to believe the breeder was legitimate. I placed a $500 deposit through their website using my Bank of America debit card to reserve a puppy. Shortly afterward, I was told there had been an issue with their website deposit system and was asked to send the deposit again through Venmo. I declined and explained that I would only consider sending another payment once the original deposit had been refunded to my account. They sent photos claiming the refund had been issued on their end, however the refund never appeared in my account. Approximately seven weeks later, I traveled to pick up the puppy as previously arranged. When I was about one hour away from the breeder and approximately 1.5 hours from home, I received a phone call stating that they had an emergency trip and that I would need to send the remaining balance of $3,000 immediately via Venmo. This new payment demand and the requirement to send funds through Venmo had never been mentioned previously. I explained that the situation made me uncomfortable and that I did not feel safe sending additional money under those circumstances. The breeder became very aggressive and stated that we were "not the right family" for the puppy. I attempted to call back to resolve the situation, but I was again asked to immediately send additional money via Venmo. At that point I determined the situation was fraudulent and unsafe, so I turned around and returned home without completing the purchase. I still have all written communication related to this transaction, including emails and messages documenting the deposit, payment requests, and the changing payment instructions. The only information not documented in writing is the verbal phone conversation that occurred while I was driving to pick up the puppy. Because of the sudden change in payment terms, the pressure to send a large payment through Venmo, and the demand for immediate payment due to an "emergency trip," I believe this was a fraudulent operation. I am happy to provide any supporting documentation, screenshots, or correspondence needed.

Had an incident at my property that was INITIALLY thought by the fire department to be caused by…read morethe fence but later determined to not be the case. The manager was combative and rude to me when I reached out to them with this information and hung up on me... Dave the owners response to my previous review about this incident was not actually a true account of what was told to me by the Fire Department and my interactions with his office and that's why it was removed... I WAS initially told that they believed the fence may have been the cause. After speaking with Dave who explained it wasn't possible, They changed the cause of the fire to undetermined. Unfortunately, that is not the story Dave gave in his response to my previous review which was removed because what he said wasn't true... His account of my conversation with the Fire Chief is not actually what happened... I WAS INITIALLY told, (by fire professionals) that the fire likely cause was the fence. Dave's account that they CLEARLY told me they didn't know the cause of the fire and just found pieces of the fence was not ACTUALLY what was told me in my email correspondence with the Fire Chief... I am disappointed in the very unprofessional reaction i received from what was a a very stressful situation. I was only going by what i was being told by the professionals... To be yelled at and hung up on by the manager, TWICE and then have the accounts of that incident and what was told to me by the Fire Department be misconstrued in Dave's response to my initial review is dishonest and disappointing...

The Invisible Fence Company met and exceeded our expectations!…read moreWe had about 8 acres enclosed with the underground wire and even with a low setting our border collie would not go near the flags. A squirrel showed up and she ran across. Today Wayne showed up for the last training and increased the power setting. We tried to encourage her to cross the flags and she jumped about 3 feet in the air. I don't think a squirrel will draw her across the flags again!