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Clayton kennel faces civil penalty after boarded dog dies after pitbull attacked

A kennel is facing legal action after a dog died while in its care. That dog was bitten by another dog and was never adequately treated.

Posted Updated

By
Chris Lovingood
, WRAL anchor/reporter
CLAYTON, N.C. — A kennel is facing legal action after a dog died while in its care.

That dog was bitten by another dog and was never adequately treated.

Maureen McGuinness is frustrated and said the whole thing was preventable.

Her dog Winnie was attacked back in October. The state has now issued a civil penalty notice against the owner of the boarding facility.

"It's grueling thinking about her last days alive," said McGuinness.

McGuinness said Winnie, a Pomeranian-Poodle mix, crossed that rainbow bridge too soon.

McGuinness was overseas when Winnie was attacked; She learned about Winnie's fate through an emergency contact.

"These were professionals that should have known better," said McGuinness.

According to the civil penalty notice from the state, Winnie was attacked on October 9 at Lucky Paws off U-S 70 in Clayton.

A pitbull 10 times her weight, already barking at another dog, was placed in the same enclosure as Winnie; That was strike one.

"The Animal Welfare Act states that animals should be housed in enclosures with compatible groups," said Heather Overton with the NC Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services. "This was not the case in this situation."

The pitbull was seen biting and tossing Winnie.

The staff cleaned her wound but didn't document what happened; That's strike two.

Lucky Paws staff told McGuinness a dog "went after" Winnie, leaving her with a scratch and puncture. They said they didn't think Winnie needed to see the vet, but gave McGuinness the option to have her dog picked up.

McGuiness wanted Winnie monitored and said to reach out to her emergency contact if needed.

"had I had all of the information, I would have been able to make a different decision at the time," said McGuinness.

That's because Winnie was taken to the vet the next day, but she never made it; She died from her injuries on the way there, strike three.

"She should have been provided the best care," said McGuinness. "It breaks my heart that in her last hours alive she suffered."

Lucky Paws is facing $2900 in penalties including failure to provide adequate veterinary care to Winnie.

The owner plans to appeal, telling WRAL in a statement:

"I feel that although the outcome of this incident was tragically the death of a dog, I don’t believe the staff acted inappropriately. As soon as they noticed her demeanor start to change, and at first indication there may be something more wrong with her, they acted immediately to get her taken to a vet. In this case, Maureen said her friend would come pick her up, which she did. We go to great lengths to keep enough staff on or nearby in order to take animals to receive medical attention whenever necessary. We have no incentive to not do this. Many times we have had off-duty staff come and help transport animals who need special care. I believe civil penalties should be reserved for those who truly neglect animals. That’s not who we are ... We always strive to provide the best care possible for all animals who come to our facility, and we will continue with that commitment more than ever going forward. That was our commitment when we opened in 2009, and it will continue to be."

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