A WOMAN has been left broken after her dog died in a 'tragic accident' at a kennel in Worcestershire.

Serena Smith left two dogs, eight-year-old Lemmy and three-year-old Teddy at Beloved Kennels and Doggie Day Care on June 3 but sadly received a call later that day saying that Lemmy, who was a large breed cavapoo, had died in what the kennels described as a tragic accident. 

The two dogs had been separated despite the kennels being warned that they had severe separation anxiety according to Mrs Smith.

Upon hearing the news, Mrs Smith was hysterical and accidentally reversed into a telegraph pole when she set off to the kennels.

First on the scene was her aunt, Amanda Wright who said: "I was irate, I asked what the hell happened and the girl at the kennels said that Lemmy and Teddy had become separated in a field and Lemmy had strangled to death. 

"I said, these are my niece's mental health dogs, this is going to break her. 

"When Serena arrived she was screaming.

According to the pair, they were then shown the fence where the incident took place.

This was only the third time that the dogs had been in a kennel and Mrs Smith had put them in to settle in and get used to the surroundings for a planned trip to Iceland later in the year. 

Mrs Smith said: "I'm just broken, my flat is so empty without him. 

"There is a massive presence missing, it still doesn't feel real, he was soft, kind and loving, not a nasty bone in his body.

"It might seem stupid to most people, but I raised my children and now they have left and are married. 

"These dogs are like my children and now ones gone."

A spokesperson for Beloved Kennels and Doggies Day Care said: "We at Beloved have been absolutely devastated by the tragic accident that occurred last week.

"We send our sincerest and heartfelt condolences to the family.

"We have now put wire fencing across the posts and rails used to support
the gate, to prevent anything similar to this happening again.

"The contractor who installed the fencing is also going to visit with all other kennels and sites where he has installed this secure field system to do the same thing, to prevent anything similar happening in another location elsewhere in the country.

"Alongside day care and boarding, we do a lot of work rehoming and rehabilitating rescue dogs, and care for dogs from the social services whose owners are in hospital, so safety and security are paramount to us.

"We love all our dogs as if they are our own, and have all been incredibly distressed and saddened by the events of last week."