WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The Office of the Attorney General has ordered District Dogs to pay $100,000 to the District, make safety improvements and permanently close its Rhode Island Avenue location after 10 dogs died in a flood at the facility in 2023.
According to D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, as part of the settlement between the OAG and the doggy daycare, District Dogs must also train all staff on emergency procedures and obtain a risk management certification for each remaining location in D.C.
District Dogs did have an emergency procedure when the flood took place. However, it did not contain an evacuation plan or lacked details of one, despite issues with flooding previously, according to the OAG.
“This was every pet owner’s worst nightmare, and this agreement helps ensure that no District resident loses their pet in such a tragic, avoidable way. Impacted owners are also pursuing private litigation to seek additional financial remedies,” said Scwalb in a statement on X.
According to the settlement agreement, the District can use any portion of the funds it receives from the pet care company for any “lawful purpose,” including restitution, attorneys’ fees and other costs of investigation and litigation.
The OAG alleges that while the Northeast location was open, District Dogs made “numerous representations to consumers assuring them that dogs in its care would be safe.”
Families of dogs that died in District Dogs flood sue doggy daycare
The Northeast location flooded three times in 2022, and a statement released by District Dogs “downplayed” the flooding while mentioning measures that were being taken to prevent future floods, leading consumers to believe that their dogs would be safe, according to the OAG.
The District also alleges that contrary to the released statement, District Dogs internally expressed concern regarding the serious risk that future flooding could pose to the dogs’ safety in its care.
District Dogs denied the OAG’s allegations and any wrongdoing in the settlement agreement.
The company claims that it implemented every recommendation from the District to reduce the impacts of flooding and that the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) advised District Dogs owner, Jacob Hensley, that there was no reason for the business to cease operations due to safety.
1 year after 10 dogs died in District Dogs flood, families left with unanswered questions
District Dogs said that documentation of this is noted in a memo, included below:
CA Briefing Memo for DMOI District Dogs Close Out 10.6.2022 copy[10][60][94]Download
In a statement to DC News Now, a District Dogs spokesperson said:
Today, District Dogs is relieved to announce the resolution of the DC Office of the Attorney General’s investigation into the events surrounding the August 14, 2023 severe flood at our Rhode Island Avenue, N.E. location.
From the beginning of the Attorney General’s investigation, District Dogs has steadfastly maintained that our Rhode Island Avenue location was fully compliant with all District legal and regulatory requirements. Indeed, the District Government’s own records and internal memorandum confirm that District Dogs had conscientiously implemented EVERY District Government recommendation to reduce the potential impact of flooding, following a storm in the area in August 2022. Importantly, according to these records, the District Government specifically informed District Dogs that “there is no reason for the business to cease operations for safety reasons.” ~Briefing Memorandum from Lucinda Babers (the former Deputy Mayor for Operations and Infrastructure) to Kevin Donahue (the City Administrator), dated October 6, 2022.
To bring this matter to an end, and to avoid the continued financial strain on our small business from an unnecessarily prolonged process, we agreed to settle this matter with one important condition – that the Attorney General’s Office agree as part of the settlement that there is no admission of wrongdoing by District Dogs whatsoever.
The tragedy, which occurred in the Rhode Island Ave N.E. community on August 14, 2024, was caused by an unprecedented storm. Unpredictable and catastrophic storms are increasingly an unwelcomed reality in today’s world, as we are seeing in real time in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Small businesses that in good faith follow government guidance on remediating such impacts should not be subject to further financial hardship.
As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of District Dogs, we are very proud to be the largest provider of dog grooming, daycare and boarding services in the Washington Metropolitan Region and are more excited than ever about our future.
We wish to extend our deep gratitude to our hard-working employees and loyal customers during this challenging year and look forward to growing our business and deepening our ties to the communities we serve.”
District Dogs has multiple locations in D.C., including in Shaw, Navy Yard, Park View and Walter Reed.
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