A former Winnipeg resident is warning other dog owners after her pup lost an eye at a local pet centre.

It’s the same centre in Winnipeg that faced backlash a few weeks ago after a couple found a shock and vibration collar that was put on their dog without their permission.

Now, another dog owner is speaking out.

Vena Nguyen left her French bulldog, Sterling, under the centre’s care last October. Late that night, she got a call from the centre’s owner, who told her she didn’t know how but Sterling had lost an eye.

“Disbelief. I wasn’t sure what happened or why because it was close to bedtime so, to me, he should have been in his crate, by himself, sleeping by then. So when I got the phone call, I was pretty shocked to hear he was on his way to the vet with an eyeball hanging out,” she said.

The veterinarian who cared for him suspects it was a dog bite.

Nguyen considers Sterling to be like a child, and says the incident changed him.

“Especially in the first six months, he would run into things, he’d get frustrated…He’s fallen off the curb a few times because the depth dimension he couldn’t get. That was always heart breaking to see. Especially just watching your dog hit the wall and not understand,” she said.

Nguyen spent over $2,400 in veterinary bills stemming from the incident.

Court battle “defeating”

Nguyen took Tara Wuenneberg, the owner of Muttley’s Pet Center, to court but lost. The court officer said there was no evidence the two agreed to keep Sterling away from other dogs. In the decision, the officer also said Nguyen wasn’t able to prove Sterling was left loose with another dog. As the claimant, the burden of proof was on Nguyen.

Wuenneberg said she still doesn’t know how it happened, as she was upstairs and the dogs were on the main floor. She said she had left Sterling in a pen by himself.

“We’re still at a loss at how exactly that happened,” she said, noting nothing was out of place when she re-entered the room.

Nguyen said she felt defeated after reading the decision.

“People who decide to take care of dogs should be held responsible for the actions and whatever happens under their care. Because as of right now, it doesn’t seem like she’s getting any repercussions or reprimanded for ill behaviours toward treatment of dogs,” she said, pointing first to the shock collar incident, then her own.

Rare line of French bulldog

Nguyen says she’s also missing out on breeding contracts her $9,000 rare French bulldog would otherwise get.

“For a dog, you have to show off everything about them, because it’s quite a competitive market. And the fact that he does have another dog from the same lineage in Canada, he loses out on future contracts,” she said.

Sterling before losing his eye at a Winnipeg pet centre.

“Incidents do happen”

“Unfortunately, incidents do happen, regardless if it’s a small facility or a large facility. When dogs are in contact with each other, things can happen. That’s not to say we don’t feel bad about it. Absolutely, we do. It was heartbreaking seeing him,” Wuennenberg said.

Nguyen says Wuennenberg didn’t take responsibility for what happened or show remorse.

“You want to feel like, when you allow your dog to stay at a daycare that they’re going to be taken care of. And that the person who cares for them has some remorse if something does happen to them,” she said.

Wuennenberg says that’s disheartening to hear but doesn’t think she should have to pay for any medical bills from the incident.

Nguyen wants to see stricter regulations or certifications for dog care centres.

Right now, dog daycares are not regulated by the city. Owners need a conditional use approval to operate a dog daycare as a home-based business.

“There’s no real way of finding out if there’s accidents or ill care,” Nguyen said.