Dead animals recovered by animal rescue – years of accusations

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Fridley police seized more than 50 animals from the shelter, including 13 dead cats and two dead dogs.

In February, Fridley Police received a report of animal cruelty at Happy Tails Rescue, a no-kill rescue organization that takes in abandoned cats and dogs looking for homes.

Investigators first interviewed staff and then volunteers. At the end of May, Fridley police seized over 50 animals from the shelter – including 13 dead cats and two dead dogs.

The Animal Humane Society and the Minnesota Board of Animal Health also assisted in the search, according to a press release from Fridley’s chief investigator, Kevin Titus.

Titus confirmed that officials also seized dogs from the home of Happy Tails director Laura Westphall.

An inventory attached to the search warrant states that 25 dogs, 12 cats, a bird and a guinea pig were found at the Happy Tails Rescue address, all alive. On the advice of veterinary staff, these animals are now in the care of the Animal Humane Society.

But allegations of animal abuse are nothing new. Happy Tails has been under pressure from dissatisfied customers for years.

One-star reviews on Yelp dating back to 2015 urge others to “stay away,” accusing the rescue of putting profit before care and sending people home with sick animals.

While some had positive experiences, dozens wrote reviews claiming Happy Tails staff lied to them.

Some claim they were told their dog was wormed, only to find out it had worms. Others were told their dog would get along with children, only to become aggressive. Several reviewers say they received dogs with parvovirus without warning – a highly contagious disease that affects the intestines, often presents with bloody diarrhea and can be fatal.

One reviewer said the cat he adopted in 2021 had obvious breathing problems, was “bone thin” with pink eyes, and died the next day. Another from 2023 said he returned his cat after learning at an adoption check that she had a heart murmur and a viral respiratory infection.

Shortly thereafter, the cat reappeared on the Happy Tails website and was put up for adoption with no evidence of health problems, the reviewer claimed.

A recent one-star review from June described the establishment as a “morgue.” The reviewer wrote that he walked into Happy Tails and saw “cats walking and vomiting.”

“A very shady place,” wrote the reviewer. “I wonder how these people sleep at night.”

In 2015, more than 170 people signed an online petition to stop Happy Tails from “selling sick animals for profit.”

The nonprofit organization charges $400 to adopt a dog and $250 to adopt a cat. This amount goes toward the animals’ medical care, the website says.

Happy Tails Rescue did not respond to emails and calls from MPR News.

Brittany Baumann, spokeswoman for the Animal Humane Society, said the animals seized by Happy Tails are receiving both medical and behavioral care. Because the animals have not yet been legally transferred to AHS, the organization cannot comment on their condition, she said.

Baumann added that this is the second time this year that the Animal Humane Society has rescued animals from an animal rescue organization. This usually happens about six times a year, she added.