Diana Stevens saw him during his arrest on March 8, 2024. Police said he beat cats and dogs at his Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming location. (Screenshot: Sarasota Police Department; mug shot: Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office)
While digging into a financial crimes investigation at an animal grooming salon, investigators learned the owner allegedly had a history of abusing cats and dogs in his care, according to police. in Sarasota, Florida.
“This is a bunch of bull—,” defendant Diana Stevens, 41, told officers Friday in police body camera footage.
But the probable cause affidavit from police said they not only had witness statements, but surveillance footage showing him mowing down the animals.
“Stevens finally gets the noose around the dog’s neck, tightens it and then pulls the dog through the noose,” police wrote regarding the footage dated Aug. 16, 2023. “The dog was hanging by the neck in air, he hit the dog twice and the dog was spinning in the air.”
Officials described the dog as urinating on itself because of the fear of the incident.
“He’s lying to you,” Stevens said Friday. “All these people are lying.”
Officers arrested him for five felony counts of aggravated animal abuse and five misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, they said.
The probable cause affidavit said detectives were originally talking to former employees at Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming in Sarasota about a financial crimes case.
Witness 1, however, said he saw Stevens abuse the animals he was grooming at the store.
“Stevens slapped and would hit the dogs,” police wrote. “He was rough with cats and would hit them.”
He allegedly pinched the cats and turned them over, and also tied them up.
“Witness #1 stated that tying a cat could cause the cat to break its neck,” authorities said. “Stevens also got frustrated with the dogs and became aggressive with them while he was grooming them. Witness #1 stated that some of the customers complained that their dogs were behaving differently when they brought the dogs home. this.
Stevens and another employee also bought puppies to sell. This includes French bulldogs, kept in a small kennel in unsanitary conditions, living in their own urine and feces.
One of the puppies died after they were left overnight and unsupervised in a “wash/bath tub,” police wrote.
Witness 2 told a similar story: Stevens abused animals. Incidents include her upset with a brown goldendoodle.
“This dog is a piece of s—,” Stevens said.
According to the employee, Stevens punched the dog several times in the ribs and stomach while yelling, “f— you.”
The witness said he walked in, and later that night, Stevens apologized in a text message, according to the documents.
There was another incident of allegedly picking up a cat by the scruff and slamming it several times on the table as well as grabbing its head and slamming its head on the table, authorities said, citing Witness 2. Witness 4 intervened, the documents state.
Another former employee, Witness 3, said while working there, he saw Stevens abusing animals. For example, a little red goldendoodle peed because it was afraid of the blow-dryer.
While washing the dog, Stevens allegedly grabbed it by the scruff, threw it into a tub, pinned the dog, and forced the blow-dryer into its face.
“The dog got scared, it pooped and had to be washed again,” police wrote. “At this point, an employee intervened and took over washing the dog because Stevens was becoming aggressive with the dog.”
From the police:
Anyone with information on this case is asked to email Detective Sullivan at [email protected] or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS or online at www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com
The corporate office for Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming said in a statement obtained by Law&Crime that Stevens is a franchisee, and that the company has terminated its franchise agreement with him.
Their statement:
The allegations against Ms. Stevens, a former franchisee who independently owns and operates a location in Sarasota, violates with every tenant our Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming mission, as well as our strict operating procedures.
Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming has a zero-tolerance policy for abuse of any kind. We want to make it clear that Woof Gang does not condone, condone, or in any way endorse such behavior. While we cannot comment on the details of the police investigation, we can confirm that we have contacted the Sarasota Police Department and taken immediate action to terminate the franchise agreement of Ms. Stevens. This location is no longer authorized to operate as a Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming location and is currently in the process of being unbranded.
We emphasize that all Woof Gang locations are independently owned and operated. This incident does not reflect on our brand, our franchise owners, or the high standards of love and care for pets that Woof Gang represents at all other locations.
As fellow pet owners, we focus on the spirit and bond we share with our pets and always make health and safety a top priority. Our thoughts are with the community and, most importantly, the pets and pet owners involved.
Remember: The article’s original headline mistakenly attributed the allegations to deputies instead of police.
More Law&Crime coverage: ‘Blood gushed from the freezer’: Woman arrested on animal cruelty charge after 14 dogs found dead in house covered in feces
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