Dedham's ARL To Join State House Rally Thursday To Protect Pets

DEDHAM, MA – On Thursday, March 10, the Ollie’s Law Coalition, which includes the Animal Rescue League in Dedham, will rally on the steps of the Massachusetts State House to ask legislators to step up and help protect pets throughout the Commonwealth while in the care of boarding facilities.

Currently there are no state regulations for these types of facilities. Rep. Brian H. Ashe, a Longmeadow Democrat, had proposed a bill last year to establish standards regarding animal health and employee safety. It was heard in July 2021, but it was sent to study in January, effectively killing it.

During the rally, a number of Massachusetts residents will speak of their experiences and how uniform regulations may have prevented the pain and suffering their animals endured while being boarded.

It is being held not only in support of this proposed legislation but for all bills currently before the Legislature, a representative from the Animal Rescue League confirmed.

The Ollie's Law Coalition was formed in 2020 to advocate for comprehensive, impactful regulation of the pet daycare and boarding kennel industry following Ollie's death. Comprised of victims’ families, veterinarians, dog trainers, leading animal welfare organizations, animal rights attorneys, and kennel owners, the coalition is a wide-ranging group dedicated to improving the standards and safety of pet care facilities across the Commonwealth.

The coalition also consists of a number of organizations including the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) in Boston and Dedham, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), Dakin Humane Society, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Boston Dog Lawyers, the Animal Legal Defense Fund and JM Pet Resort, among others.

In 2020, Amy Baxter brought her 7-month-old Labradoodle named Ollie to a western Massachusetts doggie daycare facility, only to receive a text shortly afterwards saying Ollie had been attacked by other dogs. He was severely injured, and Ollie died of his injuries two months later.

While the facility was shuttered by town officials, Baxter was stunned to learn that there were no state regulations regarding boarding facilities. She soon took up the fight to help ensure tragedies like this never happen again.

March 10 would have been Ollie’s 2nd birthday.

Allison Blanck, the director of advocacy for the Animal Rescue League of Boston, said Ollie's Law had been proposed in January 2021.

"Although it was essentially killed when it was sent to study, there are components of this bill in other bills currently before the Legislature," she said. "One of the biggest hurdles in the legislative process is to get a bill out of the joint committee hearing process."

She added that "a couple of similar bills to Ollie's Law got a favorable report in the Legislature," allowing them to move forward through the process. The demonstration of public support for regulations may motivate legislators to support these bills.

"This will not be the only opportunity for people to voice their opinions,"Blanck noted because of the other bills. She urged people to contact their legislators.

"The reality is that professional pet day care centers are unregulated in Massachusetts," Blanck continued. Although a person with more than four dogs must get a kennel license, there are no standards in place as to how animals should be treated or emergency protocols should something go astray.

In Ollie's case, Blanck said that there was only one person on the staff of the facility on duty.

"There was a veterinarian next door, but unfortunately that person couldn't take Ollie for emergency care because the other dogs couldn't be left unattended," she said. "The person just took him to the groomer's side of the establishment and washed him off. Ollie succumbed to his injuries weeks later."

She added that, while there are many good providers as well as people with good intentions, an attorney she works with told her that "about every 10 days, there is a report of an injury or a death of an animal."

"This is an opportunity for meaningful change," Blanck continued. "People I have spoken with are in favor of regulations. Otherwise, the responsibility is really on the pet owner to research a facility beforehand."

During the pandemic, there was a spike in the number of pets adopted, she noted. As people now return to working in an office environment, they may be looking for a place to board their pets either for a few hours or during the upcoming April school vacation.

One case she recalled where she said stricter regulations would have been helpful was when a worker cleaned around a dog's cage while the animal was still inside, causing the dog to ingest bleach.

"Amy has done great work in moving this issue forward," Blanck said. "Unfortunately it's something people really don't think about until they really need the service. This is an opportunity to create meaningful change."