COEUR d’ALENE — A woman was arrested this week on animal cruelty charges related to a dog boarding facility she once managed, which was shut down two years ago following a dog’s death.

Brandi L. Adamson, 49, is charged with cruelty to animals and failing to properly care for or quarter an animal, both misdemeanors. 

The charges stem from March of 2024, when police responded to an allegation of animal abuse at Faithful K9 Trainer in Coeur d’Alene. At the time, the kennel offered training, boarding, day care and grooming services for dogs. Adamson managed the facility, according to police. 

A woman told police that she had signed up her 5-month-old rat terrier for two weeks of training at the facility, where the puppy would stay for the duration. On the final day of the training period, the owner said employees called to inform her they were taking the puppy to an emergency vet. 

“Upon her arrival at the vet, she spoke with the veterinarian, who informed her that her dog was severely malnourished and had nearly frozen to death by the time the employee had brought the dog in,” a police report said. 

The dog weighed about 8.8 pounds at the start of the training period, according to court records. After two weeks at Faithful K9, the dog weighed 7 pounds. 

“It is obvious (the dog) was not being fed properly or at all,” a police report said. 

When police inspected the facility, they observed “no obvious signs of neglect or abuse,” according to court records, but noted a temperature difference between the room where small dogs were kept and the room where large dogs were kept.   

City prosecutors filed charges against Adamson in December 2024. A judge issued a book-and-release warrant for her arrest in January, which was returned this week. 

Adamson is scheduled for arraignment in June. 

Authorities shut down Faithful K9 in July 2024, after a dog died there from apparent heat exhaustion. 

When investigating the dog’s death, animal control officers noticed deficiencies at the kennel, including high temperatures and a lack of food and water, according to the Coeur d’Alene Police Department. 

Police said that because the deficiencies weren’t resolved by the time officers returned the next day, they shut down the facility. The city of Coeur d’Alene also revoked Faithful K9 Trainer’s kennel license. 

In Idaho, cruelty to animals is generally a misdemeanor, but some forms of abuse become a felony if the defendant has previous animal abuse convictions. Misdemeanor cruelty to animals is punishable by up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.