Dog Training College, based at offices on Broadland Business Park in Norwich, claims to have helped more than 16,000 people become professional dog trainers through its flexible online learning programme.
But thousands of people say they can no longer access the platform or app for the courses they have paid for, and are now completely unable to get through to the company.
“It’s as if the company has disappeared off the face of the earth,” one student told this newspaper.
“Their phone lines are dead and they’re not responding to emails.”
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Innovaze Ltd, which trades as Dog Training College, was issued with a winding-up petition last month. Its latest accounts show it lost £181,000 last year.
Students say their mentors – senior dog trainers who taught them various skills and techniques via weekly video calls – have all left the company.
Leanne McWade, a former director of the business and qualified dog trainer who taught at the college for more than a decade, resigned in September.
“The company no longer aligns with my values or ethics,” she said in a statement posted on Facebook announcing her resignation.
“Over the years, I have felt my voice grow smaller, and my role has become increasingly restricted by third parties.
“This has made it near impossible for me to shape the version of Dog Training College I always envisioned and worked tirelessly towards.”
The company’s current sole director is Ben Nichols.
Single parent Lucy Sparks enrolled on the college’s dog training certificate programme earlier this year.
She paid £1,998 for the online course, which the company advertises as a flexible programme teaching people everything they need to know to work as a professional dog trainer.
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“I started my course and three days later I couldn’t access the online learning resources,” she said.
“I took four years to save for that course because I’m a single mum to a disabled child.
“My life savings went on that course.”
Dog Training College claims it offers a fully accredited and mentored program independently assessed by the CPD Standards Office, an accreditation service that provides certification to training providers.
Dog Training College did not reply when approached for comment.
The company’s headquarters in Meridian Way, Broadland Business Park, is empty, with a notice on the door from the landlord to say it has re-entered the building.