NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - A man says his dog was severely hurt during a stay at the kennel of Coastal Dog Services over the weekend.
Jason Fox posted pictures of the incident on Facebook, as well as a description of what happened.
"Needing prayers for our poor puppy Fenway Fox. We trusted our dog in the care of Coastal Dog Services in Newport News over the weekend and the neglect that they showed him is beyond humane!" Fox wrote.
Rick Tvelia, the owner of Coastal Dog Services, told News 3 they believe Fenway's collar got stuck on a fence and that he possibly started flailing around, causing the injuries. "It was an accident and it happened," Tvelia said, who was not there at the time. "We feel very, very bad about it, but it was just an accident."
Fox questions whether another dog attacked Fenway. "Is it possible? Yes. The dog had been out all day with those same dogs and we just assumed it was from the fence," Tvelia responded.
"It's very rough," Fox said. "We've got a five-year old daughter that has no idea what's going on."
Tvelia says the employees who were working at the time have been there for two years and are trained. He says he's thinking about changing how the dogs are kept in the yards. "Obviously, I wish that it didn't happen, but it did," he said. The employees took Fenway to a vet and stayed for two hours, he added.
Fox's post on Facebook has been shared thousands of times with many expressing support and outrage. Tvelia says Coastal Dogs had to delete its Facebook page due to threats. "People have cursed me out. People have threatened to kill me," he said. "People are comparing me to Michael Vick. I've been in this business for 25 years. I've been training dogs for 42 years. I mean that's just ludicrous."
Vet bills are adding up to nearly $6,000, Fox said. Tvelia said he's "certain that we will work something out."
For now, Fenway remains at a vet clinic in Richmond, where he will have to undergo a second surgery.
