A Liverpool couple said their German Shepherd vanished while in the care of an unlicensed dog-sitting service that a judge later described as “incompetent at best,” prompting a council investigation and criminal penalties for the sitters.
Lynne and Terry Maher of Fazakerley told the BBC they left their eight-year-old dog, Shadow, with Rachel and Owen Dempsey while the Mahers travelled to the United States for three weeks to celebrate their ruby wedding. The Dempseys were subsequently prosecuted for running an unlicensed dog-boarding operation and have been banned from boarding dogs for seven years and from owning dogs for five years, Liverpool City Council said.
The Mahers said they were told Shadow would be kept in the Dempseys’ family home and that no other dogs would be present. The couple had chosen home care because their other dog, Dexter, had died months earlier and they did not want Shadow to be left alone in kennels. On 12 October, when the Mahers returned from their trip and went to collect Shadow, Mrs. Dempsey said she would take him on a final walk. A few minutes later, the Mahers said, the Dempseys called to say Shadow had pulled free of his lead and run off along the Liverpool Loop Line, a former railway line used for walking and cycling.
Despite extensive searches by family, friends and dog charities that included thermal drones, a publicly offered reward of £5,000 and checks of potential sightings as far afield as Barnsley and Wales, the Mahers have not found Shadow. ‘‘We have loved and cherished Shadow since he was seven weeks old and this has destroyed us,’’ Mr. Maher said, calling the not-knowing ‘‘soul-destroying.’’ Mrs. Maher said the dog was a ‘‘gentle giant’’ who often sought cuddles and was much loved by family and neighbours.
The Mahers said they received no help from the Dempseys in searches and expressed fear that Shadow may have died while in their care, citing reports that another dog had died under the sitters’ supervision. Liverpool City Council said it launched an investigation after receiving reports that a dog had died under the Dempseys’ care and following Shadow’s disappearance. At sentencing, the judge described the Dempseys as ‘‘incompetent at best,’’ according to the council.
The Dempseys were convicted for operating without a licence, a breach of local regulations that require registration and standards for people running boarding or day-care services for animals. Liverpool City Council did not provide further detail on the other reported incidents but said the bans were imposed as part of the sentencing process.
The Mahers said they searched persistently after Shadow’s disappearance, following leads and travelling to investigate possible sightings, and that they will continue looking. ‘‘They deceived us; we'd never have left him with them if we knew they weren't licensed,’’ Mr. Maher said. ‘‘I will never give up looking for him.’’
Local authorities, animal charities and the couple have emphasised the importance of using licensed and regulated services for pet care, which are intended to ensure animal welfare and provide recourse if animals are lost or harmed while in someone else’s care. The investigation by Liverpool City Council remains cited in the council’s statement about the prosecutions and the imposed bans.