A PET care company which two weeks ago was accused of letting a dog die in its care is being investigated over claims it boarded animals without a licence.

On August 1, your Worcester News reported how Daniel Harris and his family had left their miniature chiuauaua, Chicco, in the care of Worcester company Local People for Local Pets while on holiday, but came back to find the dog had been killed.

Now, Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), which includes the county’s trading standards, has confirmed it is investigating the claims, despite the firm’s owner Peter Telfer telling your Worcester News that boarding was not a service the company provided.

WRS also confirmed the company does not have a licence to look after animals overnight.

Under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 a boarding kennel has to report the death of an animal in its care to the local authority and hand the body over to a vet.

However, as Local People for Local Pets was not legally a boarding company, it would not be bound by this.

Although the company also claims on its website it picks up pets from their homes every day to walk and feed them, Mr Harris said this was not the case and that Chicco had boarded with the company.

“If they’ve been round [to our house to collect Chicco] every day, I would ask them to describe what the inside of my house looks like, or how the alarm system works,” he said.

And another dog owner, Phil Basterfield, from the Northwick area of Worcester, contacted your Worcester News claiming his 18-month-old English bull terrier, Hugo, had stayed overnight with the company in May 2012.

Local Pets for Local People refused to comment. Mr Telfer refused to comment on the investigation or the claims, saying the matter was now in the hands of a solicitor.

The RSPCA was unable to confirm if any other complaints had been made about the company.