Couple picks up dog from daycare, to find 'shock collar' around her neck

DENVER, NC (WBTV) - Eight-year-old Sophie may be a dog, but she's also the apple of Danielle Shroyer and Jason Freeman's eye.

"She's the least aggressive dog I've ever seen in my life," Freeman said.

The couple works a lot, which is why Shroyer started taking their Newfoundland to Lake Norman Puppy Planet about a year ago.

"Everything went great. I've been very happy with them up until this last time," Shroyer said.

Over the weekend, Danielle picked Sophie up from daycare. When she got home she says she found what appeared to be a shock collar around her dog's neck. "It's like going to pick up your child at daycare and she have a shock collar on," Shroyer said. "Because I don't have kids."

Shroyer says she was confused and called the daycare.

"I don't know if someone new started working there. I don't know what happened," Shroyer said.

WBTV took the couple's concerns to Melissa Lefler, who owns Lake Norman Puppy Planet. She says this is all just a terrible mix up made by a new employee.

"It was her second day and she ya know, made a mistake," Lefler said.

Lefler says she was just as concerned to hear what her client found. "I'm shocked as the owner that it happened because she's a sweetheart," Lefler said. "There's no reason for it. None at all."

Lefler says the collars are used on dogs they are training, many intact males and only with their owner's permission.

"We do have different training collars here, but once again that's only with permission from the owners," Lefler said.

The certified trainer insists it isn't a shock collar, instead a static electricity collar, with very little kick.  But the couple says it shocked them.

"It doesn't take much and it's got a pretty good little bite to it. The worst thing about it she has no idea why," Freeman said.

This family is now looking for a new home away from home for Sophie, which the daycare owner is owning up to their big accident.

"It was truly just an honest mistake and we're very sorry," Lefler said.

Lefler added the employee has been reprimanded. She says they've also put new protocols in place to make sure this doesn't happen again.

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