Evie’s Bark petition calls for NT pet boarding regulations after beloved pup mauled

Evie’s owners thought she’d be safe at a Northern Territory pet sit – three days later their beloved dog was dead. They’re now demanding oversight of the unregulated industry.

Dean and Anitra Jackson launched Evies Bark, a petition calling for urgent regulation and safer standards in the pet boarding industry in the NT. Picture: Supplied.

The owners of a dog killed at a Northern Territory pet sit are demanding regulation of the animal boarding industry, which currently operates without any oversight or protections for pets in care.

Anitra and Dean Jackson thought their cocker spaniel Evie would be safe at a boarding house in the Darwin rural area.

They’d met the business owners several times through puppy training, and the advertisements promised comfort, airconditioning and boutique care.

“I didn’t even care about the cost, I just wanted her to be safe,” Anitra said.

“We knew she would fret and lose weight and all that, but we never expected her not to come home.”

Evie the cocker spaniel died after being mauled at a pet boarding facility in the Darwin rural area. Her owner has launched Evies Bark, a petition calling for urgent regulation and safer standards in the pet boarding industry in the NT. Picture: Supplied.

When the Jackson’s dropped off Evie, and their labrador Waffie, they were not allowed to see where the dogs were kept.

Anitra suppressed her instincts about something being wrong – it was her first time using pet boarding and trusted when they said that was the protocol.

It was on the plane home from a funeral three days later when the business rang to say Evie had a broken bone.

“They said, they’ve assessed it, it’s all good, under control, she’s at the vets,” Anitra said.

But a call to the vet clinic revealed Evie was in a critical condition – unresponsive with major blood loss and obvious signs of having been mauled.

Evie the cocker spaniel died after being mauled at a pet boarding facility in the Darwin rural area. Her owner has launched Evies Bark, a petition calling for urgent regulation and safer standards in the pet boarding industry in the NT. Picture: Supplied.

“We were ringing every 15 minutes to see how she was. Eventually they X-rayed, and she had no broken bones, but she had no blood,” Anitra said.

Evie passed away that evening.

“It was just terrible, we were stuck in Sydney Airport,” Anitra said.

“We ended up demanding to get Waffie back at midnight when our plane flew in, and the owner met us at the gate – didn’t even say a word.

“I was crying, we were all crying, and they just handed us Waffie. I jumped in the back of the car to give her a cuddle – I’ve never heard a dog cry before, but she put her head on my shoulder and cried.”

Waffie and Evie.

Evie and Waffie. Picture: Supplied.

Fourteen months later, the Jacksons are still in the dark about what exactly went wrong, and no closer to justice.

The lack of regulation around pet boarding in the Northern Territory means there is little avenue for the local council, police, animal welfare or government to intervene.

There’s also nothing to stop the business from opening again under a different name.

“The Territory has no laws, no regulation, there’s no licensing required, no code of practice drawn up – anyone can just start up pet boarding in their backyard,” Anitra said.

She is calling for that to change under the banner of “Evie’s Bark” – reaching a significant milestone earlier this month as Goyder MLA Andrew Mackay presented their petition to parliament.

With more than 1500 signatures, the Evie’s Bark petition calls for regulation of animal boarding facilities, recognition of animals as sentient beings, and to reclassify pets’ legal status as companions – not “property and possessions”.

It said the reforms were crucial to prevent further tragedies, provide peace of mind to pet guardians, and uphold respect for animals.

Originally published as Evie’s Bark petition calls for NT pet boarding regulations after beloved pup mauled