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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) – A family in western Massachusetts is trying to use the loss of their dog as a means to save other animals.
Amy Baxter is asking other dog lovers to get behind Ollie’s Law – a new effort that that would protect pets at kennels and doggie daycares across the state.
Baxter tells WBZ-TV that last October, she took her labra doodle Ollie to a kennel in East Longmeadow for doggie daycare. Baxter soon got a text saying Ollie had been attacked by other dogs.
“Dogs had broken his legs with their teeth. His entire body was covered in bites,” Baxter said. She reportedly spent $25,000 in vet bills only to have Ollie die after two months.
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While town officials eventually shuttered the kennel, Baxter was shocked to learn that there are no statewide regulations for pet boarding or doggie daycares in Massachusetts.
She turned to the MSPCA for help, along with State Rep. Brian Ashe, to build a safety net to replace the current local guidelines with state-mandated regulations for staffing, training, animal care, emergency protocols and insurance coverage.
Baxter told WBZ-TV this is a great first step. She is hopeful that Ollie’s Law will gain more attention in the fall as people return to in-person work and need to drop off their pets at daycare.
“I think Massachusetts has an opportunity to lead the way,” she added.
The measure is in a joint committee at the Massachusetts Statehouse.
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