Manlius, N.Y. – A dog daycare and rescue facility where a police investigation reported a pattern of animal neglect will be shutting its doors permanently, according to the owner’s lawyer.
The Dog Gone Inn in the village of Manlius left dogs alone for more than 23 hours a day and rarely washed them, according to Manlius police reports. Dogs were not allowed outside to relieve themselves, police said.
Owner Leah Pekarsky is planning to shut the business permanently, according to her lawyer, Michael Allen.
Pekarsky is moving personal items out of the building at 315 Fayette St. under the supervision of the landlord and Manlius village codes officials, according to village code enforcement officer Michael Decker.
On Nov. 4, the village locked the property because it was deemed unfit for “human or animal occupancy,” because of unsanitary and unclean conditions, according to Manlius police and Decker.
Manlius police started its investigation after a 9-year-old German shepherd named Kylo died at the property in October, according to police reports. Kylo’s owner, Jeremy Allen, contacted Manlius police on Oct. 14.
Jeremy Allen told police that when he picked up his dead dog, the body showed signs that it had been decomposing for multiple days. The dog was swollen, smelled awful and was discolored in places.
In her investigation, Manlius Police Investigator Brianna Sparks made a key breakthrough: the public library right across from the Dog Gone Inn had a surveillance camera that captured the building’s front door.
Through the cameras, Sparks found that Pekarsky had spent an average of 46 minutes a day in the business over the four days Kylo was there, according to police reports. She was the only person working there.
The video also showed Pekarsky was not in the building at the time she had told Jeremy Allen she had last seen his dog alive, Sparks wrote.
Manlius police on Oct. 27 conducted a welfare check with CNY SPCA on six dogs and one cat listed online as being available for adoption at the business.
Pekarsky would not let anyone in the building without a warrant, police said. She could also only show four of the animals listed. Investigators said the animals were dirty, foul-smelling and noticeably scared.
Police had been called to the property in the past for other allegations of neglect.
In February, Manlius police charged Pekarsky after reports that seven dogs were left out for long hours in extremely cold winter weather.
Pekarsky was charged with seven counts of abandonment of animals (a misdemeanor) and seven counts of not providing appropriate shelter for dogs outdoors (a violation).
Pekarsky’s lawyer said the misdemeanor charges were dropped. He said the case has otherwise been sealed.
Manlius police reports detail at least six visits to the property after complaints of animal abuse, neglect and maltreatment dating back to 2020.
A former volunteer at the shelter also said she had witnessed neglect and poor conditions.
After the business was locked on Nov. 4, four dogs were put in the care of the CNY SPCA, police said. Ten other dogs were returned to their owners.
Pekarsky owned two businesses at the Fayette Street location.
One is DGI Paws, a registered rescue facility with a state registration valid through January, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Markets.
The other is the Dog Gone Inn, which is a doggy daycare or boarding facility, according to the business’s website. It opened in 2008 and also had appropriate licenses, according to village codes.
Pekarsky did not respond to requests for comment from syracuse.com. Her lawyer said he advised her not to speak amid the ongoing investigation.
Pekarsky has not faced any charges at this time, her lawyer said. First Chief Assistant District Attorney Joseph T. Coolican said Tuesday that his office is still working on an investigation.
