The owner of a Florida pet care franchise has been accused of abusing animals at the facility after former employees say he threw cats against walls and punched dogs while he was grooming them , the police said.
The owner and operator of a Woof Gang Bakery and Grooming franchise has been charged with five counts of felony aggravated animal cruelty and five counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty, according to a March 13 news release from the Sarasota Police Department .
Four former employees of Woof Gang Bakery and Grooming told investigators they saw the owner become violent with the pets while grooming them, according to an arrest affidavit.
“Wooof 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,” a spokesperson for the company told McClatchy News in a statement. “Although we cannot comment on specifics police investigation, we can confirm that we have contacted the Sarasota Police Department and taken immediate action to terminate Ms. Stevens’ franchise agreement. This location is no longer authorized to operate as a Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming location and is currently in the process of being unbranded.”
An employee said the owner would punch and hit the cats and dogs when he got frustrated, according to the affidavit, and tied the cats by the neck.
The employee said doing so was “dangerous” because cats can break their necks that way, police said.
At one point, a goldendoodle was “difficult,” an employee told police, and the owner said “this dog is a piece of (filing)” and began punching the dog in the ribs and stomach while yelling at others. more swearing at the dog, according to the affidavit. The employee stepped in to stop him, leading the owner to apologize to the employee via text, police said.
In another instance, the former worker said the owner was grooming a white Persian-ragdoll cat and when he “started to throw the cat around, the cat scratched him and started shaking him,” police said. He then “grabbed the cat by the scruff and slammed the cat against the wall,” according to the arrest affidavit. The employee said he intervened and finished fixing the cat.
Other employees said they saw the owner working with a red doodle that was afraid of the blow dryer, according to police.
“The red doodle peed on itself and therefore had to be washed again. (The owner) got angry, he grabbed the dog by the scruff and threw it into the tub. (He) cleaned the dog, held it again in the sink and threw him across the room onto the table. (She) pinned the dog down and forced the blow dryer to the dog’s face,” said police. “The dog got scared, it pooped on itself and had to be washed again.”
The employee said at that point they went in and took over the repair because the owner was being very aggressive, according to the affidavit.
When he wasn’t grooming animals, former employees said the owner bought several French Bulldog puppies in Georgia and brought them back to Florida to sell for $5,000 to $12,000 each, according to court records.
The owner left the puppies in their own urine and feces, employees told police, and then put them in the sink and left them overnight so it would be “easier” to clean them up. the next day.
One of the puppies suffocated while left alone overnight and died, according to the affidavit, and its body was kept in a box at the facility “until (the owner) figured out what to do with it.”
Police reviewed surveillance footage at the grooming sites that showed multiple cases of animal abuse from the owner, according to the affidavit.
“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 are committed to the spirit and bond we share with our pets and always make health and safety a top priority,” the company said.
The owner was arrested on March 8 and taken into custody, police said.
Sarasota is about a 60 mile drive south from Tampa.
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