A new law has been introduced in a bid to better animal protections by a California lawmaker after the death of a dog belonging to a popular influencer couple. Congressman James Gallagher, a California Republican, shared a post on Instagram in collaboration with the fashion content creator Madeline White and DJ Andrew Fedyk, whose 2-year-old Bernese mountain dog named Dunkin died in August after they left him with a Los Angeles-based dog training studio, Smart Dogs Dog Training. Gallagher wrote that when they entrusted Dunkin to the facility, “they expected him to be safe.” “Instead, they lost a member of their family and have been fighting for answers and accountability ever since,” he said.
Gallagher said that the bill would give “pet owners a path to seek justice when their animals suffer harm or neglect at covered facilities, while strengthening accountability for unlawful euthanasia at rescues and shelters.” Newsweek has reached out to representatives for White and Fedyk, Smart Dogs Dog Training, and Gallagher’s office for comment via email. The bill calls to “amend the Animal Welfare Act to provide for the protection of companion animals held or cared for at certain facilities, and for other purposes.” The post announcing the bill states that the law would “hold commercial care facilities accountable,” “apply similar accountability standards to rescue & shelters,” and give owners “a path to seek justice.” According to statements shared on social media by Fedyk and White after they heard the news of Dunkin’s death, Dunkin had been left for four weeks of basic training and boarding while the couple went to Europe with their newborn daughter, Juliet. The dog was boarded with Smart Dogs Dog Training.
Fedyk said that he was called and told that Dunkin had died of heatstroke after being in the care of the trainer for roughly 36 hours. They just decided he was dead and called me hours later. He never even had a chance to be saved,” Fedyk said in the August statement.
The news of Dunkin came shortly after the headlines surrounding Miranda’s Rescue, which Gallagher also referenced, an animal sanctuary in Northern California, where, in June, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office said that they had found 117 dogs in various states of decomposition at Miranda’s Rescue Animal Sanctuary. No charges have been filed, and the owner, Shannon Miranda, has denied wrongdoing. The shelter briefly closed for violating county codes but has now reopened.
There is an ongoing investigation into the shelter. The sheriff’s office said at the time that it started investigating the shelter after receiving "credible information" in April "regarding allegations of felony animal abuse, animal cruelty, fraud, and conspiracy." Newsweek reached out to Miranda's Rescue. In the state of California, a person who intentionally kills a dog or an animal can face felony imprisonment or misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.
Animal cruelty is punishable by a fine of up to $20,000. Penalties differ across the country, but animal cruelty is a crime in all 50 states. White and Fedyk have both spoken openly on social media about the loss of Dunkin and the impact this has had on them.
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