Burlington Firefighter Accused Of Animal Abuse Resigns

BURLINGTON — Tyler Falconer has resigned as a firefighter as he faces allegations of animal abuse connected to his ownership of a now-shuttered dog training and boarding facility.

The fire department said in a statement that "Tyler Falconer resigned from his position as a firefighter and is no longer employed by the Burlington Fire Department."

Falconer, 30, is the owner of Falco K9, a South Boston dog training and boarding facility that closed in March. He is facing animal cruelty charges after being accused of failing to provide dogs with the necessary amount of food and water, according to court documents obtained by multiple outlets.

Falconer was arraigned Wednesday on three felony counts of animal cruelty and three counts of improperly tethering or confining an animal, NBC-10 Boston reported.

Prosecutors claim that the crimes involved three dogs boarded by the facility who lost significant amounts of weight or were injured. One dog lost 20 pounds and another suffered a foot wound requiring medical attention.

One owner said her dog was "emaciated" and had bacterial infections following a stay at the facility in 2021, according to NBC-10 Boston.

Falconer pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to WCVB-5 ABC. A conviction in the case could lead to prison time. He is due back in court July 18.

Falconer graduated from the 231st class of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s 45-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program in 2015. He was placed on administrative leave from the fire department in March following media reports about Falco K9 and “misconduct in a personal relationship,” town officials said in a statement shared with the Boston Globe.

See related: Boston Dog Training Facility Owner Charged With Animal Cruelty