A Barking Boutique has officially been exposed.  The dog grooming and boarding facility has been discovered operating without necessary licenses and permits that are required by the State of Ohio, but that’s the least of the companies worries.  On 2/12/2019 at approximately 8:00pm an arrest was made at the business by Lorain County Sheriff’s deputies in connection with the death of a purebred poodle.  In addition, the Sheriff’s office mentioned that potential criminal charges against the owners would be forthcoming related to animal abuse.

Effective immediately, the business will be shutdown pending an official criminal investigation into it’s owner(s) and their operating procedures.  The investigation stems from an incident that took place on 2/4/2019 where a woman’s dog was killed after allegedly escaping from the facility.  Lisa Marie Mahone had dropped her dog off to “A Barking Boutique” before leaving for an 8 day vacation to Florida.  Upon returning from her trip, she was notified that her dog was dead.  She never received a phone call or even so much as a text message to inform her as to the incident that had taken place (eight days prior) with her poodle.

This isn’t the first time “A Barking Boutique” has been in the news.  In 2010 the company was featured on Cleveland 19 when a puppy they sold died only a few weeks later.  It was discovered that the puppy had contracted “parvo” which is highly contagious and is spread through water and fecal matter (see article).  In addition to the past blemishes, there is a plethora of negative reviews and bad customer experiences found all over the web.

Initial Article 2/12/2019:   Deadly Business: Purebred Poodle Left at Local Boarding Facility Reportedly Dead – Dog Remains Missing (Elyria, OH)

Sadly, the death of Aza the poodle has been verified.  Lisa Mahone confirmed this with Scumbagged via a telephone conversation.  Her family has received the remains from the facility this evening.  She will be taking the dog to the vet this week to undergo an autopsy in an effect to determine the true nature of his death.

A Barking Boutique was founded in 2006 by Bianca Brown of Lorain.  According to the Ohio Secretary of State, she is listed as the current and sole owner of the business (see business documentation).  A Barking Boutique has been investigated in the past for animal abuse, neglect and improper operating procedures, yet no arrests, fines or derogatory marks were ever made against the business.

Attached to the business is Yona Pets, which there is also an Ohio Business listing found under the same address for.  The owner of Yona Pets LLC. is Julian Brown and the business was registered on 2/09/2017.  From the looks of things, both of these owners are family related and co-owning the company (see business documentation).

COBRA Says:  Not only should the owner(s) of this company liable for the death of Aza (the purebred poodle), but so should the enforcing jurisdiction (city or state inspectors/regulators) that failed to detect this business operating without required licenses and permits.

The individual that was arrested at the scene this evening was a white female in her mid 30’s.  More information on her arrest and name will be forthcoming shortly.  Continue checking this article for regular updates over the next 24 hours.

In The News:  Be sure to keep your eye out on Action 5 and Cleveland Channel 3 News for this story at the 11 o’clock hour and in the morning.

The Bottom Line

SCUMBAGGED Tip:  Owner(s) should be sued, the property should be awarded to Lisa Marie Mahone and any jurisdiction that had oversight over this business for it’s licensing and permits in order to operate that failed to do their job should also be held responsible.  If you run a business that takes care of people, provides a service to animals, or can effectively harm anyone in any way (monetarily, physically or emotionally) – you best ensure that your are up to date on your licenses, permits and operating procedures.  Otherwise, you could be next…