Pet Dog Dies After Daycare Worker Slams Canine Against Wall, Investigation Ongoing

In a case of animal cruelty, a pet dog died after it was slammed against a wall at a dog daycare center in Buffalo, New York, on Saturday.

Speaking to ABC-affiliated television station WKBW on Tuesday, Penny Lanich, the owner of Pawprints by Penny, said her staff found the dog, a three-year-old Havanese mix, dead at the Niagara Street location Saturday. Lanich rushed the dog to a nearby animal hospital but the canine died on the way. In the meantime, her son checked the CCTV footage in which an employee was seen slamming the animal to the wall.

"We're all sickened and horrified that this happened. To lose any one of them at an old age is so horrifying, but to lose one at a young age and for just a ridiculous reason is not tolerable," Lanich said.

Kyle, Lanich’s son, said they fired the employee immediately and informed police. "It's just a shock that anything could have happened," Kyle said.

Lanich said she has been running the business since 2003 and that this incident will change the way it functions.

"We are looking into the best way to hire with background checks. We're looking into how we can check for any mental illness or anything else that we need to be aware of for someone taking care of dogs that are entrusted to us," Kyle said, adding that they will also ensure no new employees are left alone with the canines.

Police investigation was ongoing and the business issued a statement saying, “Once we learned of it we immediately notified the authorities and had the employee in question removed from any further contact with animals and terminated his employment. We are fully cooperating with the authorities and their investigation is ongoing. We will provide more information as the investigation continues. We are deeply saddened and horrified by the alleged actions of our former employee and please note this was a rogue act. We are doing all we can to support the dog's owner and make sure that the alleged perpetrator is held responsible for his actions.”

The employee who slammed the dog against the wall was not formally charged as of Tuesday.

Jane Cameron, a customer, said Lanich and her son look after both her dogs when she is at work and that they have been caring and very helpful.

"They have always given intelligent advice regarding a full range of issues. They never hesitate to take the extra step to do things right. Every day when I pick up my dogs, the Lanichs and their staff are full of anecdotes that demonstrate how carefully they watch and care for my dogs," Cameron said, adding that despite Saturday’s incident, she will continue to leave her dogs at the business.