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A Massachusetts dog daycare, grooming, and boarding facility has been shut down, its license suspended after a dog was found dead in a kennel, prompting investigators to discover multiple violations.
K-9 Daycare in Weymouth, Mass has been shut down and its business license temporarily suspended while an investigation into the death of a dog being boarded at the facility is underway.
Weymouth police responded to K-9 Daycare on May 29 following reports of a deceased dog. While investigating the dog’s death, police discovered multiple violations including failure to provide water, failure to provide adequate crates or kennels, and a failure to produce records.
In a now removed Facebook post, K-9 Daycare said the facility had “an unfortunate incident happen here at the daycare where a boarding dog passed away in her sleep.” Another post read, “We have been in business for over 7 years and have built this business because of our love for dogs. In addition to cooperating with the town of Weymouth we are also conducting our own investigation so we can understand this tragic loss so as to prevent this from ever happening again.”
In February of 2016, a 1-year-old great Pyrenees mix, Ringo, died at the same facility when another dog’s jaw got stuck on his collar. As the other dog struggled to get free, Ringo choked to death, the Patriot Ledger reported.
In Ringo’s death, police did not take any action against K-9 Daycare because it did not find any violations. Weymouth police Animal Control Officer Michael Parker wrote in a report at the time that K-9 Daycare had an active kennel license, had employees on staff certified in CPR and first aid and reported the incident as required.
But during Ringo’s necropsy, his owner Keith Ricci said veterinarians determined that his death was not immediate and likely took some time. Meaning that while his dog was being choked, K-9 Daycare staff weren’t supervising the dogs as they are paid to do.
The doctor who performed Ringo’s necropsy in 2016 called the results “very concerning” and contacted the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to further investigate K-9 Daycare. Rob Halpin, a spokesman for the organization, could not confirm whether investigators looked into the facility at that time.
Details of the most recent dog’s death have not been released, and the identity of the dog’s owner is still unknown. Police said the business will remain closed until their investigation, including a necropsy of the deceased dog, is complete.
