VISTA, Calif. — A Vista woman was forced to shut down her dog boarding and training business because of accusations of abuse and is accused of still trying to run that business. On Tuesday, a judge handed down a tougher ruling to make sure she’s following his orders.
Attorney Bryan Pease represents former clients of Lauren Russell. They’re fighting to get Russell’s business shut down after they say they picked their dogs up from boarding and training with her and they were emaciated, filthy, injured, and sick.
“She was taking thousands of dollars from people at a time for a 2 week board and train and then she would lock dozens of dogs in her garage and not feed them and abuse them. That sheer volume, she realized she could cram as many dogs in there as she could put, and she would continue to take people’s money and the money would certainly add up," Pease said.
And it did. At Russell’s hearing two weeks ago, her attorney told a judge she was making $10,000-$20,000 a month. At that hearing, a judge granted a temporary restraining order that stops her from operating any dog boarding or training business and to stop her from keeping any dogs in her possession except any she personally owns, and she cannot accept payments.
Attorney Pease did not believe she was following the order and he took her back to court this week. He says, “She made a couple of alarming statements at the last hearing through her attorney.”
Her attorney told a judge two weeks ago that Russell had other employees running dog businesses of their own at the same address.
This week a judge said Russell and, “all others acting in concert with her” cannot operate a dog boarding or training business.
The judge also said San Diego County’s Department of Animal Services can arrive on her property and inspect it at any time.
CBS8 reached out to the Department of Animal Service and received this response: “An Animal Services Officer and a Code Enforcement Officer were at the property Friday 9/22 and the owner was in compliance. Officers will continue to visit the property as needed to ensure continued compliance.”
“We want to make sure she doesn't still have dogs trapped in her garage that owners think are being kept in her home with 2 or 3 other dogs treated like family, which is what she represented to people, while locking dogs in her hot, filthy garage in horrible conditions," Pease said.
Two weeks ago CBS 8 sat down with Russell at a park in Vista. She wouldn’t meet at her home business. She denies any intentional wrongdoing.
"I never ever would harm a dog and I know if I heard all these things about someone else it would be hard for me to believe them, but there's zero proof," Russell told CBS 8.
Russell sent pictures of what she says her business looked like. Clean floors. Clean kennels. Only one dog in each kennel. They’re much different than the pictures and videos former employees and clients are submitting as evidence.
Russell says she nor any of her employees have worked since the judge’s order two weeks ago. She says her name will be cleared when she heads back to court on October 13.
She says she’ll be able to submit all her evidence and the full story. Pease says his side will too.
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