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29
Jul
Police investigating death of dog in care of Harrogate dog-walker
Police are investigating after a dog died while under the care of a dog walking company.
Birchfield Dog Walking, based in Harrogate, confirmed that one of the dogs in its care passed away on July 9, and said it was ‘utterly heartbroken’.
Owner Harriet Birch said in a statement an investigation had been carried out and the member of staff who was looking after the dog had been ‘relieved of their duties’ and was ‘no longer working with’ the company.
She also said:
Whilst this incident was the result of human error, we are undertaking a full review of our processes to ensure best practice at all times and to do everything we can to mitigate against a repeat of such an incident in the future.
The Stray Ferret put more questions to Birchfield Dog Walking but it declined to answer.
The owner of the dog declined to comment due to ‘ongoing RSPCA and police investigations’.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA said:
We will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints that are made to us about animal welfare, but unfortunately we are unable to discuss specific incidents or individuals. We know this is frustrating, but we must act within the law at all times, as releasing information could prejudice a future investigation or could lead to us being fined.
North Yorkshire Police said it was unable to confirm details of the incident as we didn't have the crime reference number.
The Stray Ferret will report on any updates when they occur.
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