‘It’s not acceptable with us’: Owner of Spokane Valley pet hotel responds to viral video
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A viral video shows a dog being whipped in the face by an employee at a Spokane Valley pet hotel.
SCRAPS is now investigating the claims of animal abuse stemming from that video.
Lonny Kelp, the owner of Jeanne’s Doggy Daycare, says he and his wife were devastated and immediately fired the employee involved.
Kelp says he’s glad the woman who filmed it did. However, he is concerned about the death threats his employees are getting.
The video already has more than 20,000 views.
“It’s not acceptable with us,” said Kelp. “He shouldn’t have done what he did.”
Kelp and his wife were hours away in McCall, Idaho, when he saw the video. He immediately fired the employee.
“The kid’s a great kid, super nice guy,” said Kelp. “But he made a mistake.”
Kelp says the other dog seen in the video was sick and employees were trying to keep it separated from the larger dog.
“The dog that was in the video was a very aggressive dog,” said Kelp. “I understand why the kid did it, for the safety of the other dog, but that still doesn’t justify what he did.”
The woman who filmed the video says the dog didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. She showed a second video with 4 News Now, showing the same employee moments later with other dogs.
“He hit two other dogs and kicked a dog when he went back in,” said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous.
Kelp believes, that time, the employee was hitting his own legs to move the animals back, trying to make room.
“We didn’t get 20,000 customers because we’re a bad place,” said Kelp. “We work really hard to be a great place and do a really good job.”
Kelp says he’s received several calls from customers offering their prayers and support. He says his staff had to call police Tuesday afternoon because a man outside was threatening to hurt the former the employee.
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