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Dog owner: 'Pure negligence' led to dog's death at Des Peres kennel

"I never realized how much I talked to her until she was gone, until I realized I had no one to ask are you ready for a walk?"

DES PERES, Mo. — If you're a pet owner, boarding your four-legged friend before a vacation is just as routine as booking a flight.

But one grieving dog owner said she now regrets not doing more research before picking a kennel in Des Peres.

The owner of Silver Maple Pet Center admitted one of his employees left a gate wide open along with another one inside, when they were taking an 8-year-old beagle named Poppy, to the grooming portion of their campus.

The mishap led to Poppy being run over by a car.

"She really was part of our family," said Jumana Brodersen.

When you walk through Brodersen’s house, evidence of Poppy is still all around.

"You just don’t realize until you lose them that they’re gone," she said.

She said she's truly reminded of Poppy's absence, in the deafening silence.

"I never realized how much I talked to her until she was gone, until I realized I had no one to ask are you ready for a walk?" said Brodersen.

Brodersen was settling her daughter into her college earlier this month when the mishap happened.

She picked Silver Maple Pet Center, knowing there was no way Poppy could make the trip with her.

"People need to know that what they thought was a good kennel was quite deficient,” she said.

Poppy was scheduled to be groomed, just a few hours before pickup. That's when the trouble began.

"Opened it up and failed to shut it behind him so when he came back with her and she just slipped out of his hands, there was no other protection. There was no other double line to protect her," said Brodersen.

Poppy ran through the gate and straight towards a busy Ballas Road. A car killed her instantly.

"Clearly the negligence is not acceptable. I cannot digest it," said Brodersen.

5 On Your Side spoke to the owner of Silver Maple Pet Center over the phone.

Paul Schifano said the groomer was trying to get Poppy on a leash, but when she got away from him, she had no issue getting through the two gates that were left open.

He told 5 On Your Side the entire staff is distraught over the mistake and wants to make it right with Brodersen.

"I really don’t want anything to do with him," said Brodersen. "I will never step foot in that place again."

Brodersen wishes she had toured the facility to see the potential to slip through the gate.

"We don’t ask these questions and I’m kicking myself, that’s part of what I’m upset about. I should have known better, and I haven’t asked that," she said.

She hopes others will hear her story, and be extra careful, because she wouldn't wish this loss on her worst enemy.

"We are sad and will miss her and she’ll always be with us, but hopefully others won’t lose their dogs," said Brodersen.

Schifano said they have added a third gate to their system and is considering adding extra training for his staff.

He said this is the first accidental pet death in his 19 years of being a veterinarian and pet care specialist.

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