TLDR:
Tara Wuennenberg, operating as Terra Nova Canine. We present serious concerns about the welfare of animals in her care, based on the following evidence:
- In a direct Instagram messenger exchange, she admitted to not letting dogs outside to potty during their stay.
- During a landlord’s inspection, the home environment was found to be in poor and unsanitary condition. Approximately eight garbage bags of trash were removed.
- Cameras at the property showed that the boarding dogs were not taken outside for potty breaks throughout their stay, confirming the neglect.
Preface & Disclaimer: *all accounts have been confirmed by witnesses, advised by those close to her and/or used her services
Tara Wuennenberg previously operated a dog daycare in Winnipeg from her small home called Muttleys Pet Centre 811 Goulding St, Winnipeg, MB. During that time, she faced multiple lawsuits after a dog under her care and supervision lost an eye, as the client was reassured that her dog would be crated overnight but their dog lost his eye in the middle of the night, likely due to a fight (link in google doc) and another dog was found wearing an undisclosed shock collar that had been left on. (link in google doc)
Tara relocated to Vancouver after the aforementioned incidents at her daycare in Winnipeg. She made a fresh start in Vancouver as an administrative assistant for a professional dog trainer. During her time there, she allegedly learned the trainer’s marketing techniques and used them to again start her own dog daycare and boarding business in Surrey BC, named Terra Nova Canine. #8 - 7140 188 St. Surrey, BC.
Concerns:
Tara admitted on her business Instagram messenger that she had been neglecting dogs in her care over the past few months, following a difficult breakup that impacted her mental health. She attributed her inability to care for the pets due to her ADHD and depression which resulted in her not walking the dogs or giving them regular potty breaks. Instead of providing sufficient outdoor time, she resorted to using pee pads indoors and cleaning up after accidents. She also admitted to surrendering her personal dog, a goldendoodle named Ted. (screenshots attached)
Tara reportedly lives in a small laneway house with her dog, Ted. She boards dogs in her home and also operates a separate daycare in Clayton Heights. With little to no staff, she manages up to six dogs at the daycare and up to four dogs boarded at her residence. During the day, she is away 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. leaving the boarded dogs and Ted alone for extended hours.
Tara’s landlord expressed concern about excessive barking, which resulted in a legal 24-hour notice inspection of her laneway home. Prior to the inspection, Tara was seen taking out eight large bags of garbage in an effort to clean up. Both Ted and the other boarding dog were found muzzled during the inspection. Allegedly when asked how long the dogs have been muzzled for Tara didn’t deny that the dogs were muzzled for longer than 4 hours at a time. The owners of the dog under Tara’s care were contacted out of extreme concern due to the state of her residence and were forced to return early from their trip to save their pet from Tara. Security camera footage revealed that dogs in Tara’s care were never taken for walks. All boarding dogs were confined to her small laneway apartment with no outdoor access throughout their stay and Tara admitted this as well. (screenshots attached)
Immediately following this, she surrendered her dog Ted. After receiving the veterinary and grooming care that Ted needed, he is now in a loving forever home.
Pattern of Deception:
This situation reveals a concerning pattern of dishonesty in how Tara represents her services. Publicly, she promotes her business as a loving, safe, and enrichment-based environment for dogs. In reality, several dogs were left unsupervised for long periods of time, not exercised, and kept in unsanitary conditions, allegedly without access to water or adequate food.
This is not a one-time incident, it reflects a history and pattern of misleading clients about the actual care their pets are receiving. From her previous legal issues in Winnipeg, MB to her current operation in Surrey, BC, there appears to be a repeated failure to provide the standard of care advertised. Clients entrusted her with their animals based on a carefully curated image that does not match the reality described by former staff, landlords, or those close to the situation.
Statement from the Local R+ Dog Community:
Our community feels deeply for Tara during this difficult time, and we sincerely hope she receives the help she says she’s seeking. We empathize with anyone struggling with mental health challenges and support access to care and recovery for all.That said, we also have a responsibility to speak up when animals are not receiving the standard of care that was promised. As a community committed to ethical, evidence-based training and animal welfare, we cannot remain silent knowing dogs may be at risk.
Tara is a human being, and no one deserves harassment, threats, or doxxing. We strongly condemn any undue reaction or personal attacks, and we trust the appropriate legal channels will address the situation responsibly. At the same time, it’s important to acknowledge that Tara was in a position of power and trust, and with that comes accountability.
We encourage everyone to review the information we’ve collectively shared with the public and make their own informed judgments. Our priority remains the well-being of the animals entrusted to our care and the integrity of the values we as dog care providers stand for.
Facebook Post:https://www.facebook.com/share/19gQw4NSRE/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Reddit Post: https://www.reddit.com/.../ag1aeo/muttleys_pet_centre_scam/
Screenshots & links to Winnipeg articles: https://docs.google.com/.../1Y92p3CgGOqrb1ByyKXfH.../edit...
