EZ Dog Stay and Play owner, employee charged in Kyle dog deaths

Two employees at a dog boarding facility, EZ Dog Stay and Play, in Kyle have been arrested and charged following the deaths of two dogs in their care, according to the Hays County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation revealed a pattern of unsafe animal transport conditions and “deceptive business practices” used to mislead the facility’s customers, authorities said. The dogs died Aug. 20, 2024, after being transported in the rear cargo area of a van for several hours without adequate air conditioning or ventilation. The dogs were taken to an emergency veterinary clinic, where they arrived dead with body temperatures of at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The van used by the business lacked proper climate control in the section where animals were kept. The sheriff’s office also said former employees had previously warned owner Evan Zwerneman about unsafe transportation conditions before the dogs' deaths, but the concerns were not adequately addressed. The investigation also discovered that 35-year-old Zwerneman engaged in “deceptive business practices,” including offering kennel-free boarding options that investigators later determined did not exist. He also falsely claimed he lived on the property to provide continuous oversight of boarded animals. Zwerneman faces two counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals causing serious bodily injury or death, third-degree felonies; one count of cruelty to non-livestock animals by cruel or unusual transport, a Class A misdemeanor; and three counts of deceptive business practices, also Class A misdemeanors. He was released on a $14,000 bond. Taylor Roberts, the employee transporting the dogs when they died of heat stroke on Aug. 20, 2024, faces two felony counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals causing serious bodily injury or death and one misdemeanor count of cruelty to non-livestock animals by cruel or unusual transport. She was released on an $8,000 bond. The sheriff’s office said EZ Dog Stay and Play is still operating. Anyone who believes their animals may have been harmed while in the facility’s care, or who has information related to the investigation, is asked to contact Hays County detective Jessica Barkley at jessica.barkley@hayscountytx.gov.