Wa — Boarding Facility Added $4,200 In Special-handling Fees After A Dog-bite Incident. Original Agreement Was $95/night/dog. What Are My Rights?

Hello. I’m hesitant to post this because I don’t want to unfairly criticize a small, family-owned business or minimize the seriousness of what happened. I’m looking for an outside perspective on what is reasonable and what my legal options may be.

I have two nervous/difficult dogs who are currently staying at a family-owned boarding/training facility in Washington State. This was their third stay with this business, so the facility was already familiar with both dogs.

I booked 23 nights at $95/night per dog, for a total of $4,370, which I paid. Their terms state that additional fees may apply if a dog requires additional handling or training.

During this stay, one of my dogs bit the owner/trainer while he was attempting to leash her inside her crate. The trainer went to Urgent Care and I was told he has since gone twice and has missed approximately a week of work.

After the incident, the trainer told me by text that he may have “moved too fast” and “crossed a boundary” when my dog felt cornered in the crate. He also specifically told me that my other dog was “doing great.”

The business subsequently added $90/night per dog for all 23 nights, totaling $4,140 in additional charges. This brings the total cost of the stay to approximately $8,510, essentially doubling the original boarding cost.

They say both dogs now require “special handling.” Their explanation for my second dog is that he requires additional time outside his crate to relax and eat. He was not involved in the bite.

I understand that the business may legitimately need to charge more if my dogs require substantially more care than ordinary boarding, and I am not disputing that additional work may justify an additional fee. My concern is the fixed $90/night charge for both dogs for the entire stay, particularly for the second dog, and how that charge was determined.

The original invoice stated that additional services/charges could be post-invoiced if necessary, but I did not specifically agree to an additional $90/night per dog for the entire stay. The additional charge was presented after the stay had already begun.

I have asked the business to explain the basis for the $4,140 charge and provide an itemized breakdown of the special handling/training provided to each dog, but I have not received a specific breakdown.

I am currently out of state because of my father's recent cancer diagnosis, so changing my travel plans or ending the stay early is extremely difficult right now.

My questions are:

Can the boarding facility legally add this $4,140 charge after the stay has already begun based on a general provision allowing additional fees for special handling?

Can they charge the full $90/night rate for both dogs for all 23 nights, particularly when only one dog was involved in the bite?

Does the bite incident create a separate liability for me that could affect the disputed boarding charges?

If I dispute the additional charge, what are my options under Washington law?

If they require payment of the disputed amount before releasing my dogs, what should I do?

I have the original invoice, additional invoice, the relevant contract/policies that was attached as part of the invoice, and text messages documenting the incident and the trainer's statements.

I would really appreciate advice from anyone familiar with Washington contract/consumer law or similar boarding disputes. I am trying to handle this fairly and don't want to avoid legitimate expenses; I just want to understand whether this additional charge is actually justified and enforceable.

Location: Seattle, Washington