A Seattle couple is mourning the loss of their 6-year-old Labrador retriever, Mitch, who authorities say was fatally beaten by a kennel employee after the dog accidentally knocked something over in early August.
Neela and Anthony Brocato told KOMO News that reliving the events surrounding Mitch’s death has been “tough” after attending the arraignment for Dejean Bowens, the man accused in the case. Bowens, 20, appeared in court on Monday, Oct. 13, and pleaded not guilty to first-degree animal cruelty, according to KOMO, KING 5, and Fox 13.
Bowens was arrested in late September and faces a charge that carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison. He is currently under house arrest while awaiting trial, with a possible court date set for Dec. 24, according to King County Superior Court records.
Prosecutors allege that security footage from Lazy Dog, Crazy Dog daycare showed Bowens punching and kicking Mitch as the frightened dog tried to hide under a table, KING 5 reported. They also claim Bowens waited nearly an hour before taking Mitch to an emergency veterinarian, where staff performed CPR for 20 minutes before declaring the dog dead.
The Brocatos said they boarded Mitch at the daycare while Neela was giving birth to their first child in early August. “We were just so looking forward to him meeting his baby sister who was born just three days before he was kicked to death,” Neela told KOMO. “That moment was stolen from us. It took away so much of the joy we should have felt those first few days and weeks after our daughter was born.”
Neela said attending Bowens’ court appearance “was incredibly hard,” but added, “Justice for Mitch is most important.” She described her dog as “the sweetest, most loving creature who brought joy to everyone he met,” calling the loss “earth-shattering.”
The couple plans to file a lawsuit against Lazy Dog, Crazy Dog daycare, according to KOMO. The kennel declined interview requests from other media outlets this week but issued a statement on Facebook confirming that Bowens “was terminated immediately” after the Aug. 3 incident.
“We are heartbroken and outraged by what happened,” the statement read.
