The manager of Playful Paws Pet Center in Saskatoon where 14 dogs died last weekend has apologized and disagreed with comments made by a former employee.
“This is a tragic, tragic event that’s occurred and we are so, so sorry,” said Playful Paws manager Bonnie Clark.
READ MORE: Autism service dog one of 14 dead at Playful Paws Pet Center in Saskatoon
The dogs were found dead Saturday morning having suffered heat exhaustion, according to the business. One employee said it was 37 degrees in the boarding room when they were discovered.
Fred Glawishnig, a former employee, is a certified master trainer who was hired by the kennel in January. He told Global News he had 12 “major points of concerns” with the facility.
His concerns included poor air quality, no proof of vaccination history and a lack of proper disinfectants.
Also of concern was the fact that dogs were often unsupervised “for more than 12 hours” without anyone in the facility, he said.
Those concerns were brought by Playful Paws staff to animal protection services, Clark said.
“They toured the whole entire building … the ventilation system was given a clean bill of health,” she said.
READ MORE: ‘Glaring’ issues previously brought forward to Playful Paws months before 14 dogs die
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The Playful Paws website once stated dogs were under “constant supervision.”
After the fatalities, it was changed to read: “Due to the tragic circumstances that have arisen we wanted to clarify that our constant supervision of our pets is only during daycare hours.”
The Saskatoon SPCA continues to investigate the deaths of the dogs. There is no timeline for its completion, according to an SPCA official.
Some of the dog owners are now considering legal action.
“We can only wait until all the investigation has been done. If the owners would like to talk to us, which they don’t, we’re here to help them through it, however we can,” Clark said.
A public memorial service for the dogs is scheduled at Acadia McKague’s Funeral Centre Saturday at 11 a.m. CT.
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