Talladega dog training facility owner arrested amidst disturbing animal abuse allegations

TALLADEGA, Ala. (WBRC) - Disturbing allegations of animal abuse have emerged against a Talladega man who owns a dog training facility, leading to his recent arrest.

Dylan Shotwell of Sylacauga, the owner of Iron Grip Dog Training, now finds himself at the center of multiple police reports alleging animal abuse.

Former customers have come forward, sharing their stories of pets that appeared severely malnourished after their time at the facility, with some saying they had unfortunate cases resulting in the death of their animals.

Jenifer Goodson, one of the pet owners who had brought her dog to Shotwell, spoke about the loss she experienced.

“I sent her to Dylan. She was supposed to go through a four-week program. When I dropped her off, she was healthy,” Goodson stated. “She had been to the vet the week before, so we knew everything was good. We had followed everything to a tee.”

Goodson received a call from a friend and the local police department telling her she needed to pick up her dog immediately. Her friend said her dog had been vomiting blood in its crate. Goodson was devastated by what she found when she picked up her puppy.

“When I got her, she was extremely emaciated,” she shared, “On the 11th, we woke up and she had passed.”

She had paid thousands for the training for her dog to become a service animal, and she said more importantly she lost a friend. She said she wants justice to be served to Shotwell and his wife, and for no one else to take their dog there.

WBRC attempted to reach out to the Talladega County Sheriff’s Office for comment about Shotwell’s allegations, to which they responded:

Shotwell was booked into the Talladega County Jail this past week, and the sheriff said he is still there as of Thursday.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.

Copyright 2023 WBRC. All rights reserved.