A Hamilton woman is seeking answers after her dog was found dead only one day after dropping him off at a pet-sitter.
Jenuen Monroe brought her two dogs, Cartelo and Spicy, to home-based dog boarding business Kippen Cares for a two-night stay during Father’s Day weekend.
Upon arrival at Kippen Cares, Monroe’s husband discussed the dogs’ feeding schedule with the business owner, Jessica Kippen, and advised her to limit their outdoor exposure due to the warm weather.
The next morning, on June 16, Monroe received a horrifying call from Kippen that Cartelo had died overnight. She probed for answers on how her perfectly healthy dog suddenly passed, but Kippen could not provide any.
The couple rushed to the home, where they were met with a seemingly hesitant Kippen and their other dog, Spicy, at the door. Monroe said the dog appeared to be extremely thirsty.
When asked where Cartelo was, Kippen told Monroe that he was in the freezer.
Shocked by her response, Monroe and her husband barged into the home and to their surprise, the living conditions appeared to be dangerous and unfit for hosting the animals.
“When we went upstairs to see where he was being kept, the room was filthy, hazardous, and hot without any type of ventilation,” Monroe explained online.
Monroe claims the home had two rooms full of dogs with both doors fully closed. She asked Kippen if she could check on the well-being of the other dogs in care, to which she was denied entry.
In a disturbing photo posted to Monroe’s Facebook page, Cartelo’s body can be seen laid in a deep freezer that is visibly dirty.
Kippen claimed to Monroe that Cartelo had not eaten and was suffering from breathing problems the day before. Deeming it as normal for the American Pocket Bully breed, she did not seek further medical attention.
“Her responsibility as a pet sitter is to contact the owner right away of anything that seems abnormal or raises concern or safety of my dog. You don’t get to make those decisions on your own without notifying the owner first,” Monroe wrote.
“She neglected my dog,” Monroe said. “She showed zero signs of remorse towards what happened under her care about my dog passing and even the way she discarded my dog in her freezer like he’s garbage.”
Monroe has created a GoFundMe to aid in paying for Cartelo’s autopsy and plans to proceed with legal action against Kippen Cares.
After posting her story in a Facebook group, several pet-lovers responded in support. The public outcry led to Hamilton residents protesting outside of Kippen Cares.
According to Hamilton Police, protesters surrounded a vehicle Kippen was in, assaulted her and stole her phone in the process. The protesters also allegedly broke into Kippen’s home and stole her dog. Police arrived and were able to escort her to safety.
Hamilton Police are currently investigating the assault with a weapon, break and enter as well as the theft of the dog.
Reports of animal abuse at the Kippen Cares residence are currently under investigation by the provincial Animal Welfare Services, the Ministry of the Solicitor General confirmed to Now Toronto.
All of Kippen Cares social media pages have been deactivated.
