Investigation Launched After 2 Dogs Die At Bucks Co. Kennel

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — The Bucks County SPCA is investigating the recent deaths of two dogs in the care of a Warminster kennel.

Cindy Kelly, the SPCA's director of communications and development, confirmed the investigation to Patch on Monday after the agency was asked by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, which oversees licensed kennels.

R.C. Dog Care — a cageless kennel on Patricia Drive — issued several Facebook posts this past week about the incidents, in which two dogs boarded there died about a month apart.

Since the investigation began on July 25, R.C. Dog Care announced its temporary closure "out of an abundance of caution and care."

Brooke Anderson, a Hatboro resident, told Patch in an email that her dog was boarded at R.C. Dog Care while she was on vacation.

Anderson said the dog named Phoebe was "perfectly healthy" after being dropped off.

Anderson said the kennel never contacted the family that anything was wrong until the last day of the vacation.

"They said she had mucus and was gonna go to the vet. Our next call was hours later from the vet that she had a heat stroke, and then she was gone," Anderson said. "My dog is not the first that died in their care. Someone reached out to me that the same thing happened to their dog a month ago."

Pauline Sazon of Huntingdon Valley said in a Facebook post that her dog Bunny (8 years old and healthy), also died while in the care of R.C. Dog Care in Warminster on June 23.

Sazon said she and her husband were on their honeymoon last month and out of the country for three weeks, and left their dogs, Bunny and Huckleberry, at R.C. Dog Care.

"We were hoping to see our dogs on their posts on Instagram, but two weeks went by and nothing. I finally commented on one of their post if they could post our dogs, and then a few hours later we get a call," she said.

Sazon said R.C Dog Care left a voice message that Bunny wasn't eating for a week, then collapsed, and had to be taken to the emergency room, but didn't make it. (Her sister-in-law picked up Huckleberry, who did not experience any issues.)

"If they told us she wasn’t eating, I immediately would’ve known something was wrong because she is always so excited to eat her food," Sazon said. "She would never miss a meal. Instead, they basically waited until she was dead under their care to take her to the ER. They said it was acute liver and kidney damage, which they made me believe could’ve been from a tumor or a fast-growing cancer. However, after hearing another dog had died under their care, it’s making me think this was organ damage related to heatstroke. There was never anything wrong with them when we dropped them off."

Kelly said she could not provide further details about the investigation at this time.

RC Dog Care said it was conducting an internal review of all procedures, training protocols, and communications in the wake of the dog deaths.

"We have always strived to provide a safe, loving, and cage-free environment for the dogs entrusted to our care. The recent loss of two of our clients’ cherished pets has been heartbreaking for everyone involved, and we continue to extend our deepest condolences to their families," the kennel said in another Facebook post. "We understand the seriousness of these tragedies and the emotions they have understandably stirred. We are devastated as caregivers, and we are committed to learning everything we can from what occurred."

With the temporary closure, R.C Dog Care said it would refund any prepayments for services that had been arranged.