Mat-Su Assembly forms 'BARKS' board to overhaul kennel laws following Caswell dog deaths

In a direct response to public outrage over a horrific animal neglect case, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough (MSB) Assembly voted unanimously on Tuesday night to establish a new, temporary oversight panel tasked with reviewing and making recommendations to update kennel rules.

The newly minted Board for Advisory Review of Kennel Standards (BARKS), sponsored by assembly members Dmitri Fonov, Maxwell Sumner, and Ron Bernier, will consist of five members chosen from the local mushing and kennel-owning community. The temporary panel is under a strict deadline to review the MSB’s current kennel laws, regulations, and enforcement policies, and submit a comprehensive report recommending policy updates by mid-December 2026.

Tragedy Sparks Legislative Action

The creation of BARKS comes in the wake of a tragic discovery last month, when authorities found 23 deceased sled dogs and only one emaciated survivor at a property in the Caswell Lakes area near Willow. The sole survivor, a dog named Woody, has since been recovering under medical care with a rescue team in Fairbanks.

The incident has sent shockwaves through Alaska's mushing community and triggered widespread outrage when residents revealed they had filed multiple welfare complaints with Mat-Su Animal Care Enforcement starting as early as January. Neighbors questioned why borough animal control officers failed to intervene before the animals starved to death.

Following an investigation by the Alaska State Troopers, 35-year-old kennel operator Misty Rehder was arrested and charged with 26 felony counts of animal cruelty. She is currently being held at Hiland Corrections Center.

Dual Investigations Underway

Borough Manager Mike Brown noted that the creation of the advisory board is part of a multi-pronged approach to fix systemic enforcement failures. The borough has already initiated both an internal procedural review and an independent, third-party investigation led by an outside investigator.

Those investigation findings are expected to be released to the public by mid-June. The newly formed BARKS board will use those findings to bridge the gaps between existing codes and real-world enforcement.

Sumner acknowledged that this incident was a “failure of the government,” adding: "Clearly, from what we can collect, people are saying it's clear that the borough let people down,"

Government Overreach or Outside Voice?

Prior to the Assembly's vote on establishing the committee, Assembly member Dee McKee volunteered for appointment, noting the necessity of diverse viewpoints. While the original ordinance specifies a preference for mushers and kennel owners, it states that all members must be appointed based on their knowledge and expertise. Furthermore, all appointees are subject to Assembly confirmation.

McKee contended that the current issues stem from the involvement of mushers and kennel owners, and that the committee requires an outside, independent voice. “The problem with mushers and kennel owners, that’s why we have some of the problems we got going on right now…I don’t think we should be so heavily weighted in that,” she told the assembly.

Bernier argued that there would be no one harder on kennels and mushers than dog mushers themselves, saying that they wanted to initially take action and remove the dogs before, but were stopped because of the investigation process. He argued that experienced mushers are best equipped to understand the logistics of working dog care, waste management, and facility requirements. “They’re a hard group…you won’t get away with stuff.”

“If mushers and kennel owners had been left to their own devices, we would have had some Western justice, and this situation wouldn’t have happened,” remarked Assembly member Sumner, adding that when he wants the primary input to be from the dog mushing community and kennel owners, who must maintain separate standards as outlined in current MSB Code, not more government overreach.

“What I don’t want to see is the government failing these folks, this community, and then the government enacting a bunch of extra onerous restrictions and ordinances and layers of government to fix the issue that they created.”

MSB Mayor Edna DeVries cautioned that having an assembly member on the board while there is an ongoing investigation would be received negatively by the public, with many thinking that someone from the MSB would simply be there to protect the assembly.

The debate intensified when Assembly member Michael Bowles proposed a secondary amendment to turn the BARKS committee into a permanent standing board. Bowles argued the change is necessary as dog mushing evolves and attracts newcomers. However, Sumner opposed the idea, emphasizing that BARKS was designed strictly to solve a specific, temporary issue. “I did not want to do this, to add more government or add more regulation,” Sumner stated. Ultimately, the amendment failed, and the BARKS committee will dissolve at the end of the year as originally planned.

Discussion further spun when Assembly member Michael Bowles brought a secondary amendment to make the BARKS committee a standing board, citing a need as dog mushing changes and new people come into the sport, an idea that Sumner argued against, stating that the BARKS committee was created and is intended to address a specific issue. “I did not want to do this, to add more government or add more regulation.” Ultimately, the BARKS will remain as intended, expiring sometime at the end of the year.

Ultimately, the Assembly voted 6-1 to allow the addition of a non-voting Assembly member after the investigations are complete, with Bernier being the sole opposition vote. The seat will be appointed after the independent review report is completed, which is expected in the next two to three weeks.

BARKS will operate completely independently from the MSB's permanent, quasi-judicial Animal Care and Regulation Board, which primarily rules on dangerous animal appeals.