By Richard Savill, Telegraph, UK
Last Updated: 6:38PM BST 15 Oct 2008
Jessica Valpied, 24, panicked when she found the remains of the border collie, Arte, which had been left at her kennels by its owner, Michael Van den Bossche, when he went on holiday to France.
Fearing the death would ruin her business if it became known, Valpied buried the carcass in a nearby field and telephoned Mr Van den Bossche to say the dog had escaped and run away.
She then swore employees at 24-7 Petcare in Guernsey to secrecy and told them to pretend to search for the dog by walking around the area, calling the animal’s name, and whistling for it.
Valpied reported the ‘missing’ pet to the Guernsey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and even orchestrated a high-profile publicity campaign to find him.
Mr Van den Bossche, 45, who specializes in obesity surgery, also put up posters, made appeals on the radio, and placed an advertisement in a local newspaper.
But Valpied’s deception was uncovered when two junior members of her staff felt so concerned they told their parents, who contacted police.
Valpied, of St Peter Port, Guernsey, won the National Pet sitter of the Year Award in 2006. It was not a Cruft’s award but was presented at the show by the National Association of Registered Petsitters.
She was fined £400 by the island’s magistrates after she admitted stealing the carcass of a dog. Mr Van den Bossche described her actions as “cruel and evil” and said the punishment she had been given was “outrageous”.
The court heard Mr Van den Bossche dropped his pet at the kennels on Aug 15 while he went on holiday with his wife Katty.
The dog was killed two days later when two Staffordshire bull terrier cross-breeds entered its pen.
Valpied buried the dog and called the family to warn them it had run off, but assured them she was searching for it.
Mr Van den Bossche, who has had articles published in several international medical journals, said: “We thought this was upsetting but we couldn’t get back from France to investigate. Lots of people were looking for our dog.”
Valpied told officers she claimed Arte had run away because she did not want her staff to get into trouble or for the killer dogs to be put down.
Passing sentence, assistant-magistrate Philip Robey told her: “You deprived the owners of the right to decide how the body of a pet should be disposed of.
“That in itself would be very distressing to the owners, with the attendant uncertainty and worry for the whole family about what had happened to the animal.”
Advocate Julia White, for Valpied, said she had been “overworked”, had staffing problems and was distressed about the death of a friend a week earlier.
She said: “She made the decision to cover up the dog’s death while under great pressure and in the belief that it would be best for all.
“She clearly wasn’t thinking rationally, or she would have realised that the owners would be just as distressed to be left wondering what fate had befallen their dog.”
Afterwards, Mr Van den Bossche, a father-of-two, who lives in Guernsey, but practices at private clinics across the south of England, said: “It is outrageous that she should get away with just a fine. What happened was very upsetting and people should know about this.
“It was a cruel and evil thing to do.
“They didn’t tell us. We found out another way. It was the people who worked for 24-7 Petcare who came forward.
“This sort of thing should never happen again. We have been told lies and stories have been concocted. To lie to that extent is just awful.”
Valpied’s website manifesto reads: “The welfare of animals is always paramount in my life and goes far beyond the boundaries of business. Pet care is a serious business to be in, pet owners need the reassurance that you can and are up to the job.”
A spokeswoman for charity Animal Aid said they were also unhappy with the £400 fine.
He said: “We need an animal welfare law which calls for inspectors to inspect premises where people are boarding their animals on a regular basis. “We feel that justice hasn’t been done for the animal or the owner.”
