EVERETT, MA – It was a hot July day as Ed Farris walked the family dog to the car.
“You could tell he was excited,” said Farris.
Ed’s six-year-old English Bulldog named Gunny could hardly hold back his excitement. His body wiggling in joy.
“You could tell he was looking forward to going somewhere fun,” said Farris.
Gunny was headed for a day at Best Friends Pet Hotel in Wakefield. Farris and his wife Jennifer say the staff reassured them many times that their dog was in good hands.
“That was the last time I saw my dog,” said Jennifer.
Four hours later, Jennifer received a devastating phone call.
“She says gunny has died,” said Jennifer. “I freaked out.”
MSPCA investigators suspect while Gunny was outside he started to overheat. They say a staff member brought him inside where he was unresponsive. Gunny was already dead before a vet could help him.
“We trusted them for one day and we never got him back,” said Jennifer. “I personally feel like that I failed him.”
7 investigates uncovered court documents that show Gunny isn’t the only tragic case at Best Friends Pet Hotels in Massachusetts. Regional District Manager Jennifer Cyr faces animal cruelty charges after two other dogs died at their Sudbury and Tyngsboro locations.
“That there were other dogs that died, I said how come nobody knew” said Ed.
Investigators believe Cyr’s “failure to properly care for and supervise the proper care” of the two other dogs led to their deaths. Employess tell 7 investigates Cyr still oversees all the Best Friends locations in the state.
“No one from that place has reached out to this day,” said Ed.
“We didn’t even get an apology,” said Jennifer.
The MSPCA says a doggie daycare needs to have a kennel license to operate. Although, that license doesn’t require supervision of the animals, trained staff or plans in case of an emergency.
MSPCA officials say keeping track of incidents like this is difficult.
“There’s no central reporting place,” said MSPCA Director of Advocacy Kara Holmquist.
The MSPCA has been calling for more kennel safety by implementing minimum care standards. They also want to keep a public record of incidents.
“If there is an injury to an animal or a human that that is reported to the state, and if the investigation results in an enforcement action, that information will be publicly available.”
7-investigates reached out to Cyr and her attorney but they did not respond. A spokesperson for Best Friends Pet Hotel tells us that the company is aware of the court proceedings and that its top priority is the well-being of the pets in its care.
Gunny’s owners don’t want anyone else to suffer the pain they experienced.
“We’re trying to get in touch with the other families involved so maybe what happened to us and them won’t happen to another family,” said Ed.
The Middlesex District Attorney as well as MSPCA law enforcement are still investigating Gunny’s case in hopes of providing answers to his family.
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