Many Dog Daycares are understaffed and unequipped for the care that our pets deserve. Throughout my time as a Dog Handler, I have observed non-compliant business practices including unmonitored facilities, unlawful staffing, harassment, and disregard for whistle-blower protection. I have also witnessed a lack of consumer care regarding liability (or the lack thereof) following the serious injury of pets.

Consumers have the right to be protected against faulty services and unfair business practices. 

Employees also have the right to a workplace where they are trained against occupational hazards. Daycares are often understaffed, and Dog Handlers are rarely offered the training needed to protect the companion animals left in their care. In fact, animal advocates estimate that a dog is mauled or killed during a daycare or boarding stay every 10 days in Massachusetts alone. Consumers have been requesting assistance in regulating Care Facilities for years. It is my hope that we can protect more dogs, educate caretakers, and protect consumers.

• Canine Care Facilities must clearly display the maximum number of dogs allowed on the premises.
• All dogs must be observed by trained and competent staff. Each staff member should have ten dogs or fewer to care for.
• There must be a record of all staff training; Staff must be trained in:

1. First aid, welfare, handling, and behavior 
2. Hygiene, feeding, and preparing foods
3. preventing and controlling canine diseases

• Changes in behavior must be recorded, and the owner must be told if there are signs of Suffering, Stress, Fear, Aggression, or Anxiety
• The license holder must provide and ensure the implementation of a written training policy for all staff, including the license holder. The training policy must be reviewed and updated annually and must include an annual appraisal, planned continued professional development, and recognition of any knowledge gaps.
• All areas, equipment, and appliances that animals can access must present minimal risks. They must be constructed with materials that are safe, durable, and well-maintained. 
• Where there is a pest problem, a pest control program must be put into place.
• All animals must be checked at least once daily or more regularly as necessary to check for any signs of pain, suffering, injury, disease, or abnormal behavior. Any signs of pain, suffering, injury, disease, or abnormal behavior must be recorded and acted upon.
• A facility must create a written program that shows how they provide an enriching environment.
• A written emergency plan, acceptable to the local authority, must be in place, known, and available to everyone on the premises. It must cover the following to ensure appropriate steps are taken to protect all the people and animals on the premises:

1. Electrical and General Fires 
2. Breakdowns of essential heating, ventilation, and aeration or filtration systems
3. Abnormal weather conditions and other foreseeable emergencies.

• Written procedures must be in place and implemented covering:

1. Feeding and cleaning regimes
2. Transportation
3. Prevention of and control of the spread of disease
   monitoring and ensuring the health and welfare of all the animals
4. The death or escape of an animal (including the storage of carcasses)
5. Care of the animals during and following an emergency

• For home-based canine care: If any person under 16 years resides at the home, there must be procedures to regulate the interactions between the dogs and that person. 
  
  

If you have observed unsafe and/or unlawful experiences at Dog Daycares or Care Facilities, please email us at PupDeLuxeNYC@gmail.com to document your experience.

Thank you for your attention and consideration. Together, we can create a safe and transparent field of work for all Canine Care Specialists and the dogs that  we care for.