Now exclusive photos you’ll see on just one station–inside the Weymouth doggie daycare where a dog died this summer. Hank’s discovered town officials knew there were problems at the daycare before the dog died, but let it stay open. And she’s got info you need to know to keep your dog safe.
Guy Reynolds loved his English bulldog Cooper. And he still can’t believe the fun-loving pooch is gone.
Guy Reynolds, Cooper’s Owner: “The most disturbing part is to go home and put his pillow away, and put his dish away..and he’s not around.”
Guy dropped Cooper off at this daycare. A few hours later he got a call saying his dog was dead.
Guy Reynolds, Cooper’s Owner: “I just couldn’t understand, I’m like, how did this happen?
How? We exclusively obtained these reports from Weymouth police after Cooper’s death. And look: they say a day care employee noticed Cooper “panting a lot” and “not breathing” ! After the staff realized the dog had died, they told police they just moved Cooper’s “lifeless” body out of the way and called Guy.
Guy Reynolds, Cooper’s Owner: “I said..did you call animal control? Did you call a vet, anybody? He said no.”
Guy took Cooper’s body right to a vet. He says that vet told him Cooper died from heat exhaustion.
Guy Reynolds, Cooper’s Owner: “I left my dog in the care of someone who didn’t care for my dog.”
And we found that wasn’t the first problem at this day care. Weymouth board of health officials took these pictures a month before Cooper’s death—while responding to a complaint about unsanitary conditions.
The town animal control officer found: “feces and urine on the floor” “Two employees watching” “about 34 dogs running free” in a “25 x 25” room with cement floors and walls – and “no water in the room”. They let the daycare stay open – and ordered that the bad conditions be corrected.
So what happened to Cooper? We tried to contact the daycare’s owner—even left a message in person—but he never replied.
After Cooper died, Weymouth officials showed up again—this time they suspended the daycare’s license—and ordered a whole list of changes.
These photos show what it looked like before…Now it looks completely different.
Could your dog be at risk at daycare? We found in Massachusetts—there are no minimum standards for these places—each city and town can create its own rules – or have no rules at all – for staff training, insurance and emergency care.
Before you leave your pet in a daycare…
*Insist on seeing where your dog will be kept
*Check there’s enough water and shade
*Make sure there’s enough staff
*Confirm workers know pet first aid and emergency procedures
*And ask if the daycare has insurance in case something happens to your pet
Guy Reynolds is taking legal action against this doggie daycare.
And he hopes the law will change–so these places are held to safer standards.
Guy Reynolds, Cooper’s Owner: “The difficult piece is no matter what happens now—I can’t get my dog back. What matters to me is this doesn’t happen to someone else’s dog.”
This month a new state law takes effect – requiring local animal control officers inspect doggie daycares once a year. When you check a facility—make sure it’s been inspected—and ask to see the report.