Family's heartbreak as their healthy Goldendoodle dies of heat stroke after being left unsupervised for hours at boarding home during 30C heatwave

A heartbroken family are demanding answers after their healthy Goldendoodle died of heat stroke just hours after being dropped off at a boarding home. 

Georgia and Tom Baxter, along with their young son, celebrated Poppy's third birthday without her last week following her sudden death on June 19. 

Poppy was pronounced dead after being rushed to the vet by staff at Tailz 'N' Trailz, a dog-sitting, grooming and walking business in Cottingham, Yorkshire. 

It was concluded the Goldendoodle died of excessive hyperthermia, with her rectal temperature found to be above the range of the vet's thermometer. 

The couple say temperatures reached 30C the day Poppy died, but that they were assured the dogs would be kept cool with fans and sprinklers. 

Mrs Baxter told the Daily Mail: 'She was a huge part of our family. Our son wants another dog but how can we trust anyone ever again?'

The couple were shocked to learn Poppy had been left unsupervised for almost four hours before she was found deceased at 2.20pm and rushed to the vets. 

The couple immediately drove the two hours home from Manchester but said they were shown little sympathy upon their arrival. 

Two-year-old Poppy was pronounced dead on arrival after being rushed to the vet by staff at Tailz 'N' Trailz, a dogsitting, grooming and walking business in Cottingham,Yorkshire

Georgia and Tom Baxter, along with their young son, are celebrating their dog's third birthday without her today following her sudden death on June 19 (Mrs Baxter and Poppy are pictured)

Mrs Baxter said they requested a post-mortem in the bittersweet hope Poppy had died from an underlying condition and not from the heat. 

She said they were told requesting a post-mortem on a Friday afternoon was 'inconvenient' and that they didn't have the facilities to store the dog's body. 

The couple were told the closest vet that could do the procedure was Liverpool Vet School but that Poppy's body would be their responsibility. 

Mrs Baxter said staff even suggested they take the body home to chill in their personal fridge, specifying it would have to be 'a certain temperature'. 

She said: 'They knew we couldn't do that... I don't know what would have happened to Poppy's body that night if we didn't pick her up.'

A vet report shared with the Daily Mail said Poppy 'arrived with no heartbeat and fixed dilated pupils' and was pronounced dead on arrival. 

The report continued: 'DDX (differential diagnosis) for hypothermia of that level would be post seizure or heat stroke. Carer reports dog was indoors in a bedroom with a fan today. Outside temperatures today approx 30 degrees.' 

The couple decided to take Poppy to her usual vet, where they were told neither a post-mortem nor a CT scan would be able to confirm if she had died of heat stroke. 

Poppy's heartbroken owners have described her as a 'giant teddy bear' following her death

Mrs Baxter told the Daily Mail: 'She was a huge part of our family. Our son wants another dog but how can we trust anyone ever again?' (pictured, Mr Baxter with his young son and Poppy)

'It was awful,' Mrs Baxter said of the experience.

'And it's been awful since... I haven't heard a word from [the business]. Neither of them have looked me in the eye since Poppy died.'

The couple reported the matter to East Riding of Yorkshire Council's Licensing Department and received a reply on August 17. 

It said that while 'some concerns regarding the processes in place the day Poppy boarded with the business' were found, 'we have been unable to establish that these concerns caused or contributed to Poppy's passing'.

The email continued: 'Following our investigation, it has been concluded that the business no longer meets the standards required to retain its 5-star rating. As a result, the business has been reassessed as a 2-star rated establishment. This means that it will be subject to more frequent inspections during the term of their licence.'

But the couple feel the investigation has fallen short and have accused the council of 'protecting a business rather than the dog owners'. 

They believe Tailz 'N' Trailz, which Mrs Baxter says isn't required to specify why it was downgraded from five to two stars, should not be allowed to operate.

The couple are now urging pet owners to ask boarders how long their dog could be left unsupervised, if it will be mingling with others and if they have air-conditioning.

The couple are other urging pet owners to ask boarders how long their dog could be left unsupervised and if they have air-conditioning (Mr Baxter and Poppy are pictured)

Dogs in licensed boarding houses should not be left routinely alone for more than three hours in a 24-hour period, according to the UK Government. 

The couple say the most upsetting part of Poppy's death was that they had thought they were doing the 'best thing possible' by taking her to the boarders for the night. 

Mrs Baxter said: 'Something I'm really struggling with is that if we had just kept her at home while we were away, she would probably still be alive.' 

Mr Baxter said it was essential boarders were equipped with air-conditioning. 

'Summers are only getting hotter,' he said. 'It can be 30C for months on end.' 

An East Riding of Yorkshire Council spokesperson said in a statement: 'The Council's licensing team abide by national regulations set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), for dog boarders. 

'Following a complaint about a dog boarder, council officers will inspect the premises, to determine whether any breach of its licence conditions has occurred and if any further action is required. Officers also examine whether it can be determined if breaches contributed towards any reported incidents.

'In this case, we were unable to evidence that the dog's death was a result of the home boarders' actions. However, the council has reduced the star rating of the dog boarder from five star to two star, after identifying some areas of concern. 

'A reduction in star rating would move a boarder to a higher risk category which mandates more frequent inspections and a licence renewal every twelve months. This decision is consistent with the DEFRA national Regulations and supporting guidance.'