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Dog deaths inquiry draws fire
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The owner of a dog training facility in Cave Creek where 28 dogs died over the weekend, possibly from the heat, is outraged that he is being investigated by the Maricopa County Sheriff ’s Office.
"I’m shocked at their response to a tragic situation like this," said Leighton Oosthusien, owner of Partners Dog Training. "It’s hard enough to deal with without them making accusations that are unfounded completely."
Friends and neighbors of Oosthusien say he’s a caring individual who runs his business with high standards and would never deliberately harm any animal in his care.
"I have had my own dogs there for obedience training and for snake training," said Stan C. Howard, owner of the Animal Hospital at Grayhawk. "It’s been a great relationship."
Oosthusien said he is cooperating with the investigation but has been advised by his lawyers not to discuss details with the press.
"It’s uncomfortable for me," he said. ‘We don’t want to hide anything. It’s just one of those things."
Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he understands the situation is difficult for everyone, but his first obligation is to the owners of the dogs.
"We do our investigation first, then we decide what violation, if any, has been committed," Arpaio said. "We’ll probably be going on the neglect statute."
Under Arizona law, it is a felony to "intentionally, knowingly or recklessly subject any animal under the person’s custody or control to cruel neglect or abandonment."
There are no state laws governing dog boarding or training facilities like Partners. The state does not regulate how many dogs can be housed in a given facility or what type of cooling, if any, must be maintained, said Katie Decker, spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Agriculture, which oversees the office of the State Veterinarian.
A staff member at Partners Training, 4640 E. Forest Pleasant Place, found the bodies of the dogs at 7 a.m. Monday. They had apparently died from heat exhaustion after an evaporative cooler on the building failed. Oosthusien said the deaths have grieved him deeply.
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