Ashtabula Co. family believes neglect led to dog’s grooming death

ASHTABULA COUNTY, Ohio — Darla Harte has usually been an animal lover.

“Ever because I can keep in mind, we’ve experienced a dog in our family,” she mentioned.

She does not take into account them animals, she considers them household.

“They all have their own very little personalities and they all have their own inner thoughts,” Harte mentioned. “They’re our babies.”

Harte has 4 dogs in her Andover dwelling, but there’s now a missing piece to that pack—their 7-12 months-outdated chihuahua Jax.

“He was seriously laid back. He cuddled. This was his pillow and he slept correct listed here in this less than my arm,” she said.

On March 3, Harte’s canines had a grooming appointment with Pampered Pooches out of Roaming Shores. The company is cell and delivers a grooming trailer/van to the customer’s house.

“When you have 4 small canines, to have them groomed, it’s extremely difficult to have them all in the car or truck at one time,” she claimed. “When I found a single to appear to my home I stated ‘Wow that is so considerably safer. They’ll come to me. I really don’t have to just take them everywhere except if it’s the vet.”

Harte claimed in the few of several years she utilized Pampered Pooches, she only appreciated one specific groomer to give her pups services, but that groomer had still left the company by March 3.

“They needed groomed. I dependable them and I just made a decision to allow her do it that working day. I did not at any time in a million years consider a little something like this would materialize to my pet dog,” reported Harte.

Her two dogs, Angel and Scamp, got groomed with no incident. It was Jax and her other pet dog Mickey’s transform, but about 20 minutes into their appointment, Harte said the groomer ran inside of her property holding Jax and was yelling “I think he died.”

“She experienced Jax and his tongue was hanging this significantly out of his mouth, it was almost white, and his eyes were large open up. I just just cannot get the image out of my head,” claimed Harte. “I was yelling ‘What transpired? What did you do?’ and she stated ‘Maybe he experienced a coronary heart attack,’ and I reported ‘I do not think he had a heart assault. He was flawlessly wonderful when he went out there.’”

Harte’s son tried CPR on Jax, but by then it was as well late.

“I reported ‘I want to know where my puppy was at and I want to know now,’ so she took me to the van and she pointed to a desk correct at the door,” she claimed. “It had a collar about this spherical and it was attached to a metallic swivel thing. I assume he walked off or fell off that table and hung from that leash that appeared like a noose.”

Harte took Jax to his veterinarian and got him checked out. She claimed Jax’s coronary heart and lungs looked nutritious, but her vet shaved Jax’s fur off his neck and reported she discovered some bruising and he described that his eyes ended up blood shot.

“She stated it is regular with strangulation,” stated Harte.

Jax also got an X-ray. Harte claimed he didn’t have any damaged bones.

Pampered Pooches sent Information 5 the adhering to assertion regarding the incident:

Harte mentioned she does not consider Jax experienced a seizure, and on prime of her confusion, she has a great deal of guilt.

“I really feel like he was waiting for me to come conserve him. Which is the way I have been sensation. My puppies count on me for almost everything,” she reported.

Harte has given that filed a police report with Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Division.