The owners of a Whitman pet grooming shop are locking their doors and hesitating before answering the phone amid a social media firestorm that kicked up after a dog in their care fell ill and died.

Bob Lane and Jennifer Balas of K-9 Groomers said they have received death threats and been called murderers — even after a Whitman police investigation determined they were not negligent in their care of Bailey, a Bernese mountain dog that was brought to the shop to be groomed on May 27.

Police Chief Scott Benton said the dog’s owner, Cheryl McNeil, of Holbrook, has also been criticized on social media by people saying she did not care for her dog.

McNeil first posted news about Bailey’s death and blamed K-9 Groomers, telling other pet owners to avoid the business.

Benton has posted a detailed release on the police investigation on the department’s Facebook page, which he said has been seen by more than 162,000 people. He said the owners of the grooming shop cooperated completely with police, including turning over closed-circuit video that showed the dog apparently was adequately cared for during its visit.

Six other dogs were in the shop at the same time and none of them suffered any ill effects, and there is no history of abuse or neglect at the shop, Benton said.

He said Bailey had appeared overweight but was healthy — although he had a seriously high temperature of 108 degrees when the shop owners brought him to a nearby animal hospital, where he died.

Benton said he understands McNeil’s grief.

“I’ve had friends go get a clean bill of health and they are dead the next day,’’ Benton said. “Still, you don’t get this kind of outrage when a 2-year-old child gets killed.’’

He said social media postings can quickly develop into “a lynch mob mentality’’ with people reading only the first sentence before slamming others. He said he is investigating the threats.

Lane maintained that Bailey was well cared for.

“There is no smoking gun. We didn’t neglect the dog. It’s sad for everybody,’’ he said in an interview.

He said the threats were so upsetting to Balas that she wanted to close their business and she has been afraid of being home alone.

Elaine Cushman Carroll can be reached at elaine_carroll@msn.com.