Baloo's Story - Justice for Baloo

We’ve started this many times and have been unable to continue.  My wife and I owe it to Baloo to tell his story.  Baloo was our 1.5yr old Akita that lost his life, in our opinion, due to starvation, dehydration, mishandling, reckless abandonment, and neglect.  He is survived by his other house pets, Rambo, Kitana, and Oakley.

My wife and I had planned a European cruise for our 30-yr wedding anniversary.  We found a training company run out of West Palm Beach, Off-Leash K9 Training, that provides both boarding and training, although I think they may be incorporated in Tennessee, hmm.  It was highly recommended from trusted sources, so we reached out and arranged for our 109-lb. beautiful, strong Akita to receive some incredible training.  My wife and I were very excited for him, given Baloo’s response to the trainer, Michael Breitsprecher, when we first interviewed him.  My wife dropped Baloo off the day before our flight and she was pleasantly surprised that Baloo seemed happy to go off with the trainer.

We left very clear instructions as to emergency contacts.  Additionally, I have 3 adult sons all within 30 minutes of the training facility.  My wife and I were comfortable that Baloo had an extensive support group should the need arise.

After being away for about 1 week, one of our sons tagged us in a Facebook post by Off-Leash K9 Training, that specializes in advanced canine training.   There he was, our Baloo posing for a picture on their site.  We were so happy to see Baloo and felt reassured that his training was well on its way.

About 1 week later, and during one of those days at sea, I received a call from the trainer…Baloo had been taken to the vet to receive care.   I was notified by Michael Breitsprecher that Baloo was dehydrated, and according to both text messages and phone calls that I received, he was lethargic and non-responsive so he took him to the vet to get him looked at.  In discussions with our vet, who is also a friend, I felt slightly better that Baloo was under medical supervision.  They ran a bunch of tests and suggested that he should be kept overnight for observation, so he was admitted to an emergency hospital. 
 

The next day, while still at sea, I received a call from my oldest son.  I could tell from his voice that he was shaken and something went horribly wrong.  He didn’t have the heart to tell us what had happened.

I immediately called the vet and he told me those words that you never want to hear when you know in your heart it shouldn’t be… he said Baloo had passed away.  My wife and I responded as any parent would losing a loved one.  Our trip came to an immediate end.  We spent the remainder of our trip in seclusion, providing support for one another.  None of the sites, or ports of call, seemed to matter anymore.  We would give it all up just to have our beloved Baloo back.

 We had just lost one of the most special animals I’ve ever come to know.  Baloo, for all his imperfections, was the single most perfect dog I’ve ever had the privilege to know.  My wife and I looked forward to a long life with him.  As I mentioned earlier, he was a 1.5-yr old, strong and healthy boy.  It breaks our heart that his life came to a tragic end as he suffered under the care and supervision of Michael Breitsprecher.  Based on what I was told by the trainer himself and I have on text messages, Baloo had stopped eating for several days and later had stopped drinking water.  It was not until he was discovered lethargic and unresponsive that he was brought to the vet. 
  

We had a professional necropsy performed at the University of Florida to ensure that we would know the cause of death.  Eight weeks after returning home, we received the results of the necropsy, I saw that our boy was 80 lbs. at time of death.  This is after receiving several bags of IV fluids.   How could an incredibly healthy 109 lbs. Akita drop almost 30 lbs. in just a few days?   The necropsy stated that he had a broken canine tooth.  The necropsy stated that Baloo had organ failure.  It was incredibly hard to read. After talking to some of the staff at our vet’s office who received him initially, they did not recognize Baloo.   He did not look like the same boy they knew.  We are extremely grateful to the staff there who loved him and treated him with the love and care we would want for him.

My wife and I cannot believe what has happened, it was surreal.  How could someone who works closely with animals let them go that long without eating. If you notice that they are not drinking, why would you wait to get him help.  Baloo had 3 different family members that would stop what they’re doing and immediately pick him up.  That call never came.  Again, it’s my opinion that the handler, Michael Breitsprecher, directly caused the painful death of our dog.  My wife and I keep asking ourselves “why?”.  

Sadly, the biggest lessons we have received from this is to never ever trust anyone with the life of your pet, do not hesitate to be a pain in the ass, and always put your pet’s well-being before everything. 
  

For fear of continued rambling, I will end this incredibly lengthy message to say that my wife and I will do everything in our power to ensure that this never happens to anyone else’s dog to honor our baby boy, Baloo.  As we recall a poster that we saw in an emergency room at an animal hospital a few years ago, “You are their only voice”, we hope and pray, Baloo, that we were and will continue to be your voice! #JusticeForBaloo

Additional links to various documents/reports/etc:

Final Complaint Palm Beach County Courthouse V. Randi Laferney, Michael Breitsprecher, and Alexander Zulueta

Necropsy Report - University of Florida Veterinary Medical Center

TurtleBoy Website article exposing Off-Leash and Randi Laferney

PLEASE SHARE THIS STORY WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN TO ANOTHER ANIMAL UNDER THE CARE AND SUPERVISION OF MICHAEL BREITSPRECHER OR OFF LEASH K9 TRAINING