Framingham Police Department: Steven Trask's dog

A dog dies, and his family wants answers Date

Sean P. Murphy 617-929-7849 Boston Globe

Steve Trask really looked forward to reuniting with Vito, the sweet-tempered puggle (half pug, half beagle) who for more than a decade had been a tail-wagging, loving companion to Trask, his wife, and their four children.
It was late in the afternoon on Aug. 20 when Trask and his wife, Diane, pulled into the parking lot of Camp Bow Wow, the dog boarding facility in Bellingham where Vito had been dropped off four days earlier.
But the reunion didn't go well. Something was obviously wrong with Vito.
"He didn't greet us at all. His tail was tucked between his legs and he was shaking," Trask recalled.
Steve Trask really looked forward to reuniting with Vito, the sweet-tempered puggle (half pug, half beagle) who for more than a decade had been a tail-wagging, loving companion to Trask, his wife, and their four children.
It was late in the afternoon on Aug. 20 when Trask and his wife, Diane, pulled into the parking lot of Camp Bow Wow, the dog boarding facility in Bellingham where Vito had been dropped off four days earlier.
But the reunion didn't go well. Something was obviously wrong with Vito.
"He didn't greet us at all. His tail was tucked between his legs and he was shaking," Trask recalled. Get Talking Points in your inbox: An afternoon recap of the day's most important business news, delivered weekdays.
"Hey, what's the matter with my dog?" Trask asked one of the attendants at the front desk.
Trask was told that Vito had stayed in his cage for almost the entire four days and joked that it was Vito's way of protesting being boarded, Trask said.
Trask wasn't amused. He checked the supply of food he had left for Vito; it was almost all still there. He had barely eaten in days.
That night, Vito was lethargic and refused to eat or drink. He had no bowel movements and did not urinate. Early the next morning, Trask took Vito to Acorn Animal Hospital in Franklin.
Vito was dehydrated and needed an infusion of fluids. But the real problem became apparent in the X-rays: an obstruction in his intestines.
Vito was a very sick dog and had to be rushed to the Tufts Veterinary Emergency Treatment facility in Walpole. He made it through surgery to remove the obstruction but he was just too worn out to mount much of a recovery. More surgery would be required if they wanted to save him, the veterinarian said, but it might be too much for him.
Trask sensed that Vito's time had run out. It was a heart-wrenching decision to euthanize him.
"I want to be there when it happens," Trask told the veterinarian.
And so Trask sat with Vito, patting his head and stroking his ears. "I told him I loved him and that I was sorry this was happening and I thanked him for being a great pup," Trask said.
Trask said Vito had apparently swallowed a feminine hygiene product from a bathroom waste basket at home, probably in the hours before being dropped at Camp Bow Wow on Aug. 16. At the time, Vito was exhibiting no symptoms and the Trask family had no idea anything was amiss, Trask said.
After Vito's death, Trask wrote to Camp Bow Wow, accusing it of overlooking or ignoring Vito's worsening condition over four days. If someone had called him while he and his wife were on the road taking one of their sons to college in South Carolina, Trask said, he would have had a friend immediately take Vito to a veterinarian.
Maybe Vito would have fared better if the obstruction had been caught earlier while he was strong enough to withstand surgery, Trask said.
Trask paid a couple hundred dollars for Vito to be boarded, and $5,500 for Vito's care at Acorn and Tufts. He thinks Camp Bow Wow, which is part of a national chain of more than 125 facilities, should bear the costs.
But they have refused. I called the manager of Camp Bow Wow and had begun asking if she had records, such as logs and video recordings, that might shed some light on Vito's condition, when the manager hung up. When I dialed back, my call went to voice mail. I then e-mailed her my request.
A while later, I was contacted by e-mail by a New York-based public relations firm with a statement on behalf of Camp Bow Wow:
"We are heart broken. The health and well-being of all pets is of the highest importance to Camp Bow Wow. It has been determined that Vito did not ingest anything during his stay at Camp Bow Wow Bellingham or exhibit any signs of distress while at our facility. Our business is based on our love of dogs and we extend our deepest sympathies to Vito's family."
Trask, who has spent more than three decades as a police officer, is haunted by the idea of Vito suffering while his caretakers at Camp Bow Wow did little. He wants answers - and compensation - and has asked that video records be preserved.
I think there should be an outside investigation. Animal boarding facilities are licensed on the local level, with little oversight. Maybe Trask and Camp Bow Wow could agree to have an outsider, such as the Animal Rescue League of Boston or a veterinarian, look at Vito's time in the kennel.
And from what I know at this point, I think Camp Bow Wow should pay for any study and for Vito's care.

A dog dies, and his family wants answers	Date
Sean P. Murphy 617-929-7849	Boston Globe
Steve Trask really looked forward to reuniting with Vito, the sweet-tempered puggle (half pug, half beagle) who for more than a decade had been a tail-wagging, loving companion to Trask, his wife, and their four children. It was late in the afternoon on Aug. 20 when Trask and his wife, Diane, pulled into the parking lot of Camp Bow Wow, the dog boarding facility in Bellingham where Vito had been dropped off four days earlier. But the reunion didn't go well. Something was obviously wrong with Vito. "He didn't greet us at all. His tail was tucked between his legs and he was shaking," Trask recalled. Steve Trask really looked forward to reuniting with Vito, the sweet-tempered puggle (half pug, half beagle) who for more than a decade had been a tail-wagging, loving companion to Trask, his wife, and their four children. It was late in the afternoon on Aug. 20 when Trask and his wife, Diane, pulled into the parking lot of Camp Bow Wow, the dog boarding facility in Bellingham where Vito had been dropped off four days earlier. But the reunion didn't go well. Something was obviously wrong with Vito. "He didn't greet us at all. His tail was tucked between his legs and he was shaking," Trask recalled. Get Talking Points in your inbox: An afternoon recap of the day's most important business news, delivered weekdays. "Hey, what's the matter with my dog?" Trask asked one of the attendants at the front desk. Trask was told that Vito had stayed in his cage for almost the entire four days and joked that it was Vito's way of protesting being boarded, Trask said. Trask wasn't amused. He checked the supply of food he had left for Vito; it was almost all still there. He had barely eaten in days. That night, Vito was lethargic and refused to eat or drink. He had no bowel movements and did not urinate. Early the next morning, Trask took Vito to Acorn Animal Hospital in Franklin. Vito was dehydrated and needed an infusion of fluids. But the real problem became apparent in the X-rays: an obstruction in his intestines. Vito was a very sick dog and had to be rushed to the Tufts Veterinary Emergency Treatment facility in Walpole. He made it through surgery to remove the obstruction but he was just too worn out to mount much of a recovery. More surgery would be required if they wanted to save him, the veterinarian said, but it might be too much for him. Trask sensed that Vito's time had run out. It was a heart-wrenching decision to euthanize him. "I want to be there when it happens," Trask told the veterinarian. And so Trask sat with Vito, patting his head and stroking his ears. "I told him I loved him and that I was sorry this was happening and I thanked him for being a great pup," Trask said. Trask said Vito had apparently swallowed a feminine hygiene product from a bathroom waste basket at home, probably in the hours before being dropped at Camp Bow Wow on Aug. 16. At the time, Vito was exhibiting no symptoms and the Trask family had no idea anything was amiss, Trask said. After Vito's death, Trask wrote to Camp Bow Wow, accusing it of overlooking or ignoring Vito's worsening condition over four days. If someone had called him while he and his wife were on the road taking one of their sons to college in South Carolina, Trask said, he would have had a friend immediately take Vito to a veterinarian. Maybe Vito would have fared better if the obstruction had been caught earlier while he was strong enough to withstand surgery, Trask said. Trask paid a couple hundred dollars for Vito to be boarded, and $5,500 for Vito's care at Acorn and Tufts. He thinks Camp Bow Wow, which is part of a national chain of more than 125 facilities, should bear the costs. But they have refused. I called the manager of Camp Bow Wow and had begun asking if she had records, such as logs and video recordings, that might shed some light on Vito's condition, when the manager hung up. When I dialed back, my call went to voice mail. I then e-mailed her my request. A while later, I was contacted by e-mail by a New York-based public relations firm with a statement on behalf of Camp Bow Wow: "We are heart broken. The health and well-being of all pets is of the highest importance to Camp Bow Wow. It has been determined that Vito did not ingest anything during his stay at Camp Bow Wow Bellingham or exhibit any signs of distress while at our facility. Our business is based on our love of dogs and we extend our deepest sympathies to Vito's family." Trask, who has spent more than three decades as a police officer, is haunted by the idea of Vito suffering while his caretakers at Camp Bow Wow did little. He wants answers - and compensation - and has asked that video records be preserved. I think there should be an outside investigation. Animal boarding facilities are licensed on the local level, with little oversight. Maybe Trask and Camp Bow Wow could agree to have an outsider, such as the Animal Rescue League of Boston or a veterinarian, look at Vito's time in the kennel. And from what I know at this point, I think Camp Bow Wow should pay for any study and for Vito's care.

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