A couple is grieving the loss of their 5-month-old puppy after it died while in care at a dog training facility.
Miranda Wisell and Vincent Pedone of Bellmore, New York, say their Italian Greyhound named Obi died on Thanksgiving Day while he was left unattended and unsupervised overnight at a dog training center, according to ABC 7 .
Obi is enrolled in a three-week course at K9 Mania Dog Training in Deer Park, Long Island. After hours, however, the flexible hose broke, allowing cold water to enter Obi’s space for about five hours. He was found dead the next day.
Wisell and Pedone, who are Hofstra law students, tell PEOPLE they have representation and are considering filing legal action against K9 Mania Dog Training.
In a statement to PEOPLE on Saturday, Pedone and Wisell said their “5-month-old puppy was subjected to freezing water for hours on end.”
K9 Mania Dog Training had cameras inside their facility, but no one monitored the feed overnight. Surveillance camera footage showed a continuous stream of water spraying across Obie’s house where he was locked.
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Pedone and Wisell described the incident as “sickening” and also accused the training facility and its owner Elliot Rosenberg of “sweeping [the situation] under the carpet.”
dogs in a dog shelter — picture.
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“It’s ridiculous that the news and social media should have even said what they did,” Obi’s owners told PEOPLE. The couple also claimed that Rosenberg “sent us a personal check for $100 for our ‘trouble,'” adding, “We are not doing anything with their insurance after that non-compliance.”
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PEOPLE also spoke with Rosenberg, who issued a statement in which he “accepts full responsibility” for Obi’s death.
“We want to assure you that the incident with Obi was unintentional. Nevertheless, we accept full responsibility and are committed to learning from this experience to further improve our services,” said Rosenberg.
“We want to express our deep regret for the incident. This has deeply affected our team of dedicated employees and their families, and for that we sincerely apologize. The welfare of the dogs in our care is of the utmost importance to us, and while we have numerous safety measures in place, we have taken immediate steps to strengthen our protocols to ensure that such an incident never happens again,” he added.
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Dogs in kennels — picture.
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Both parties have confirmed the changes implemented after Obi’s death — which include: nightly surveillance by an offshore back office team that carried out periodic camera checks, multiple floor drains to prevent flooding and the addition of additional motion sensors to complement those already integrated with our cameras.
“K9 Mania has a proud history of successfully training over 4,000 dogs. Our passion and commitment to improving the lives of dogs and their owners is evident in the countless positive reviews and recommendations we receive every day,” the company told PEOPLE.
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