A Los Angeles dog owner is demanding justice after her 11-month-old Samoyed puppy died during a pricey training program, with the trainer admitting fault in texts she shared online.
Trish Mayor, the owner, had enrolled Kilo in a three-week course with a Southern California dog trainer that cost thousands of dollars, according to a GoFundMe she launched to fund an autopsy. Just days into the program, she received a call telling her to come collect her dog’s body.
The trainer told Mayor that Kilo had suffered a heart attack after being left alone in a crate for four hours in 85-degree heat, the fundraiser states. The trainer allegedly did not seek veterinary help and only contacted Mayor the next day to tell her to pick up Kilo’s body.
Mayor described Kilo on the GoFundMe as “the sweetest thing this earth has ever had,” She wrote that she wants “answers, justice for Kilo, and protection for other dogs so this does not happen to another family.”
“This is every pet owner’s worst nightmare, and it could happen to anyone who places trust in someone else to care for their beloved animal,” she wrote in the GoFundMe.
Mayor shared alleged text messages with the trainer on Instagram. In one exchange, the trainer wrote: “I can’t change what happened. I take full responsibility. I broke your trust and placed your dog in the wrong hands. I never had any ill intentions toward Kilo.”
The trainer added that they will “know more” after lab results came back, then suggested the two could move forward together.
“Give me one more chance when you are ready for a new puppy,” the trainer wrote.
Mayor claims the thick-coated dog was kept in a plastic crate for hours with the room temperature set to 84 or 85 degrees. She said the crate contained no water and did “not look sanitary.”
Samoyeds are bred to endure harsh winter conditions with thick fur coats, according to the American Kennel Club, making them particularly vulnerable to overheating in warm environments.
The trainer allegedly gave Kilo to an employee of the program owner to care for. That person told their boss they let Kilo out at 6 p.m. On the day he died, then returned him to his crate, where he was found dead hours later. His gums and tongue were blue when discovered, the trainer said.
Mayor’s fundraiser has raised more than $3,300 toward its $5,000 goal as supporters rally behind her call for accountability.
The incident has drawn attention to oversight gaps in private dog training programs, where owners often pay premium rates for intensive residential courses that leave animals in handlers’ exclusive care for weeks at a time.
Mayor’s GoFundMe emphasizes that she is seeking to prove the trainer actively neglected Kilo while responsible for his care. The autopsy she is funding could provide forensic evidence to support that claim.
The trainer has not publicly commented beyond the text messages Mayor shared.