A new bill has been introduced in California that aims to better protect dogs and hold pet boarding facilities accountable. According to NBC News, Republican Rep. James Gallagher introduced “Dunkin’s Law,” which aims to “provide for the protection of companion animals held or cared for at certain facilities.”
The new bill comes after influencer couple DJ Andrew Fedyk and his wife, Madeleine White Fedyk, shared the devastating news that their beloved Bernese Mountain dog, Dunkin, died while in the care of a boarding facility in Los Angeles in August. The news went viral, sparking renewed conversations about pet safety.
New Bill Aims to Protect Dogs at Boarding Facilities
A new bill called “Dunkin’s Law” is being introduced in California to target negligent boarding facilities. The bill would amend the federal Animal Welfare Act to recognize certain animals, like dogs and cats, as “sentient beings,” and would give owners the right to take legal action against any pet facilities if their pet is harmed, neglected, or killed.
Speaking to NBC News, Gallagher shared, “There needs to be greater protections and teeth when something like this happens. Make these people actually live up to their word, have accountability, especially for the kind of mistreatment and neglect that we’ve seen in these cases. Hopefully, what it ultimately leads to is this doesn’t happen, that the disincentives are so strong that these guys really up their game and we don’t have bad actors.”
The bill would not only offer protection to families whose pets are injured or killed while in the care of these facilities, but also aim to prevent no-kill shelters from euthanizing dogs and cats in what Gallagher called “horrific ways.”
What Happened to Influencer Couple Andrew Fedyk & Madeleine Fedyk’s Dog, Dunkin?
“Dunkin’s Law” was introduced after Gallagher heard about what happened to influencer couple and Luxury Loud DJ Andrew Fedyk and his wife, Madeleine White Fedyk’s Bernese Mountain dog, Dunkin, who the bill is named after.
The couple first shared the news on Instagram in August that their beloved pup died while staying at Smart Dogs Training, a pet training and boarding facility in Los Angeles, where they boarded both Dunkin and their other dog, Poutine, before traveling to Europe.
In Andrew’s post, he shared that he and his wife “received a call within 48 hours” after leaving their two dogs that “Dunkin was supposedly taken to the park during an extreme heat wave, showed signs of exhaustion in the car and had passed away by the time they arrived at the boarding facility…”
Andrew added that Dunkin was “never taken to the vet” for evaluation. “They decided he was dead and called me hours later,” he shared. Andrew also shared with Instagram followers that the couple’s dog, Poutine, was okay.
Andrew’s post quickly went viral, sparking widespread outrage and prompting many to call for stronger protections and greater accountability to ensure pets are safe while in someone else’s care.
‘Dunkin’s Law’ Introduced After Influencer’s Beloved Dog Dies at Boarding Facility