Naughty Dog Training

Justice for Max – Long but PLEASE READ if you love Dogs While I was traveling, I boarded my beloved German Shepherd, Max, with Naughty Dog Training and Boarding in Maple Valley, WA - a facility I have since learned is unlicensed, according to the King County Department of Health. On the morning of July 9, the facility owner called to tell me that Max had died the evening prior (July 8th) while she was doing farm chores and “throwing the ball for him in the pasture.” As many of you know, July 8, 2025 was a hot day. Max was a 100 lb, black, thick-coated German Shepherd. He should not have been outside for long periods, much less exerting himself in a field where he could’ve encountered cheatgrass, a dangerous and invasive plant. She claimed he had a seizure, collapsed, and died "instantly." And then things got worse. She admitted she did not call me right away because she "didn't know what to do." She said she couldn’t move him because she was alone. To this day, I don’t know how long Max was lying there — scared, in pain, immobile and dying. When I asked about camera footage, she told me she only has cameras on her pet goats, front gate, and inside her house. She used to have cameras on the dogs — but removed them 18 months ago without informing clients. When I asked where Max was, she said he was wrapped in a blanket in an “air-conditioned room.” At no point had a vet been called. She didn’t attempt CPR. She didn’t use a stethoscope. I have no proof he passed when and how she claimed he did. I was the one who called the emergency hospital and arranged the necropsy. She hadn’t even considered it. She said she "just did what she would have done for one of her own dogs." But Max was not her dog. It took her nearly three hours to bring him to the ER vet — a 25-minute drive away. When I first spoke to the ER vet, they said they could keep his body refrigerated so I could say one last goodbye. But by the time he was finally dropped off, his condition had deteriorated. The vet informed me that to preserve any chance of getting answers, the necropsy had to begin immediately. I never got to see or hold Max again. That was the last meaningful information I received. Starting at 5 p.m. on July 9, I began requesting a written report. Most professional boarding facilities keep daily records of eating, drinking, activity, and bathroom breaks. She said she would send it. She didn’t. I followed up the next day. She said she was working. I followed up again, and begged her to treat this with a sense of urgency. She said she was now having a mental health crisis and could not respond. Now, she says she feels “uncomfortable” with my repeated requests and wants to talk to someone for guidance before sending anything. It has now been 2.5 days since Max died, and she has still provided no written account. If everything had been handled professionally - if documentation was maintained, if basic emergency procedures had been followed - there would be nothing to hide. I called the Department of Health for King County. They confirmed: They could not find her ANYWHERE. i.e. This is NOT a licensed facility. She claimed the county made her pay thousands of dollars for improvements over the last year as part of her licensing. There is no record of that. This is not a licensed boarding facility. There are no cameras on the dogs. There is no documentation of what happened. There is no emergency protocol in place. There is no accountability for Max’s death. Whether his death was a tragic medical event or not, this is about what happened before, during, and after. This is about the negligence, lack of transparency, and basic absence of professional care that robbed Max of safety and dignity - and robbed me of truth and closure around the death of my best friend and most beloved companion. Forever. UPDATE: Max died of Bloat, an urgent health condition that is treatable if Jessica Guerrero had bothered to get him to the ER Vet. Bloat is an AGONIZING way for a dog to die. My best friend suffered because of this woman's choices.