Olive, a 3.5-pound mini dachshund puppy, died from injuries after being left at Prime Paw Puppy School in San Francisco on May 30.

This single-animal fatality — involving one dog and two people connected to the incident — occurred during Olive’s first day at the Mission District facility and left her owner, Chloe Skelly, publicly grieving.

Skelly said she dropped Olive off for what she expected to be a short, supervised session. About two hours into Olive’s first day, staff at Prime Paw called Skelly and told her something was wrong; she recalled asking, “I asked, ‘What’s wrong?'”

California does not have a separate “doggie day care” license, but pet boarding facilities housing four or more dogs must comply with statewide health and safety standards. These protocols are designed to ensure safety within daycare environments.

Skelly described the aftermath on social media and said the experience has been wrenching. “This has been a complete emotional distresser and an incredibly traumatic experience,” she said.

Prime Paw’s owner, James Baybayan, issued a statement acknowledging the puppy’s death. “We are heartbroken by the tragic death of a puppy named Olive that took place on May 30 at Prime Paw,” he said, adding that the facility aims to provide a safe environment for dogs under its care. “We pride ourselves on providing a safe, welcoming, and secure environment for dogs under our care, and Olive was given that as well.” Additionally, industry guidelines and some facilities’ policies call for emergency protocols, including first aid and prompt veterinary care, in the event of an injury.

After Skelly was notified, Olive was taken for veterinary attention. The San Francisco SPCA Veterinary Hospital examined the puppy and reported that Olive suffered a collapsed lung and other injuries consistent with blunt force trauma. Staff also observed a scratch wound on Olive’s back that, Skelly said, had not been present before the daycare visit.

Skelly said Olive had been playing with a much larger bernedoodle at the facility; she estimated the other dog weighed between 20 and 25 pounds. The size difference and the scratch wound have been central to owner accounts of the day.

The exchange of statements from the owner and the daycare, and the veterinary findings, have drawn attention in the neighborhood and online. The San Francisco Chronicle has reported on the sequence of events and the reactions from both Skelly and the business.

Prime Paw Puppy School operates in San Francisco’s Mission District on Alabama Street and is described in local reporting as a dog daycare and training facility. Baybayan is named in accounts as the facility’s owner.

The circumstances — a very small puppy visiting a structured daycare for the first time, a phone call two hours into the visit, and rapid veterinary assessment of a collapsed lung — have prompted strong emotions from Olive’s owner and raised questions among community members about small-dog safety in group settings.

Neither Skelly nor Baybayan provided additional medical or procedural details beyond their quoted statements. The San Francisco SPCA Veterinary Hospital conducted the examination that identified the collapsed lung and injuries consistent with blunt force trauma.

For Skelly, Olive’s death has been immediate and personal. Community responses on social media have reflected both outrage and sympathy for her loss.

Where the matter goes next has not been detailed in the statements released by the people involved. For now, Olive’s death on May 30, the veterinary findings, and the accounts from her owner and the facility form the factual record available about the incident.

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Original reporting: view the original article.