COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Authorities shut down a dog boarding and training facility following a dog's death from apparent heat exhaustion.
Animal control officers responded July 24 to a report that a dog had died the previous weekend after being boarded at Faithful K9 Trainer in Coeur d’Alene. Founded in 2021, the kennel offered training, boarding, day care and grooming services for dogs.
Officers noticed deficiencies at the kennel, including high temperatures and lack of food and water, according to the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.
Police said that because the deficiencies weren’t resolved by the time animal control officers returned the next day, they shut the place down. The city of Coeur d’Alene has revoked Faithful K9 Trainer’s kennel license, according to police.
Law enforcement coordinated with the facility and Companions Animal Center to house all dogs that had been boarded there until their owners could retrieve them.
Hayden resident Tiffany Price-Eddington said her family boarded their three dogs, including 13-year-old golden retriever mix Bellatrix, July 18 before leaving town to see a dying relative. She said they had boarded the dogs at Faithful K9 Trainer in the past without problems.
But when the family returned the night of July 20, something was wrong. Price-Eddington said an employee noted that one of the dogs was “really old and really hot” before bringing the pets out. The dogs were panting, their tongues lolling, according to Price-Eddington, who said Bellatrix struggled to walk and had to be carried to the car.
“I knew then she was going,” Price-Eddington said Monday, her voice wavering. “She could hardly lift her head.”
A few hours later, Bellatrix died.
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