When Ashley Jenkins sent her 3-year-old dog, Harley, to be groomed on July 12, she didn't expect anything out of the ordinary. She certainly didn't expect that to be the last time she saw her pet or for a criminal drug investigation to follow.
Her family had been using K9 Kingdom of Woodbury Heights for years, though Jenkins said it had changed ownership in January. This was only the second grooming appointment under the new ownership for the Australian shepherd-border collie mix.
Hours after drop-off, however, the family got a call from new owner, Trevor Hunt, saying something to the effect of, "Hey, bad news, she died," Jenkins said.
The call, according to the 20-year-old pet owner, lacked empathy and was delivered "like it was just an everyday typical thing he had to tell a family."
Jenkins, who described the news of Harley's death as coming "out of the blue," lives in Woodbury Heights with her mother and two siblings.
Tragic death leads to arrest
After the family met police at the scene, the grooming salon was declared a crime scene, and Hunt was subsequently arrested for alleged drug offenses, resisting arrest, and obstruction.
The charges are only allegations. No one has been convicted in the case.
Officers witnessed Harley, lying dead upon a table.
They also found over 60 baggies of a white, powdery substance, which they suspected to be heroin.
As of July 16, it was still unclear whether or not the drugs were involved in Harley's death.
Jenkins said a preliminary exam showed Harley had no underlying conditions, and the family was waiting on a necropsy to determine the cause of death.
Seeking justice for Harley
When Jenkins took to social media to share her family's experience and advise others against the Woodbury-Glassboro Road business, floods of supportive comments came through.
"It has been very difficult dealing with everything but the support from everyone has been overwhelmingly generous and we are so grateful,” Jenkins said in a Facebook post.
As far as the future is concerned, Jenkins hopes Hunt will "never be able to touch another dog again."
She also hopes something good may come from her family's trauma and the tragic loss of Harley.
"We're really lucky that she was able to maybe save some lives," Jenkins said of the attention on Hunt that followed Harley's death. "I'm glad that it's getting the recognition it should be getting."
An investigation is still underway according to Woodbury police.
Signs posted at K9 Kingdom on Tuesday indicated the business was closed. A call to the business went to voicemail.
Kaitlyn McCormick writes about trending issues and community news across South Jersey for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times. If you have a story she should tell, email her at kmccormick@gannett.com. And subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need.
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