CULLMAN, Ala. (WBRC) – A Cullman family is grieving their dog who died after they say it was attacked while staying at a kennel in Cullman.
Tomica Witcher booked her dog, Pepper, to stay at Tangled Tails in Cullman while the family was away for spring break. In the middle of her trip, she received a call from an employee that Pepper had died.
Shortly after, the owner of the kennel called Witcher, apologizing and offered to handle cremation, while Witcher said yes, she had several questions on what exactly happened to her dog.
Witcher said the owner told her they found Pepper lying on the ground with a bite mark on her leg, but did not know what happened.
“I asked her ‘How can my dog die from one bite mark on the leg?’ I said myself, ‘Did she just go into shock and shake to death?’ Her exact words to me were ‘Yes, your dog definitely died from the shaking’,” said Witcher.
Witcher felt like something was off, so she asked to see the security camera footage. In the video, you can see two larger dogs attack Pepper.
Witcher said the owner apologized and said the two dogs were supposed to be kept in a kennel, but a worker left the gate open, leaving Witcher to wonder why her dog was also not in the kennel she paid for overnight.
“I found out that my dog never went into a kennel. They had no room, they were overbooked. Five dogs were left out in an open area for the entire six days.”
WBRC reached out to the owner of Tangled Tails who said in a statement:
“It’s truly heartbreaking. It’s been heartbreaking for everyone involved. I’ve asked the owner what they would like me to do. I’ve fulfilled every wish, every demand that they wanted. I settled up that day, I never hid anything. I’m just really sorry.“
Witcher said she is looking into legal action, but attorneys tell her there aren’t many laws in Alabama about boarding facilities. She is hoping to see that change.
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