Pet store neglect
Safety Harbor, FL (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Nov 7, 2010
County: Pinellas
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Bernard Edward Nowakowski
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
The owner of a puppy store was arrested Sunday on charges of animal cruelty after customers called authorities when they noticed several animals were living in filthy conditions.
Bernard E. Nowakowski, 58, owner of the PuppyLuv pet store at 2741 McMullen Booth Road, was charged with 26 counts of animal cruelty.
The events leading to Nowakowski's arrest began when would-be customers arrived at the store and noticed the door was open, but no one was tending the sales floor.
Pinellas County Sheriff's Office investigators say the customers then inspected some of the animals and were disturbed by their conditions. They contacted the Sheriff's Office.
When deputies arrived at the store, they confirmed the conditions: 26 dogs in pens with no food or water, and some animals covered in their own filth.
"Deputies say at least one of the dogs -- a small breed -- was covered in urine. Another -- a pit bull -- was being kept in an undersized pen," according to a Sheriff's Office statement. Another appeared to be sick.
Deputies contacted Nowakowski, who lives in New Port Richey, and asked him to come to the pet store. He arrived and was arrested. Instead of him going to jail, an ambulance took Nowakowski to Mease Countryside Hospital to treat a non-life-threatening condition after he complained he was ill.
This was not the first time Nowakowski's pet store has attracted attention from law enforcement. In July, deputies were called to the business after building management contacted the Suncoast Animal League about the odor coming from the store. While deputies reported poor animal conditions, Pinellas County Animal Services disagreed and no action was taken.
Case UpdatesThe owner of a Safety Harbor puppy store was charged with 12 more counts of animal cruelty Monday, a day after more than two dozen puppies were confiscated from his shop.
On Sunday, Bernard E. Nowakowski, 58, was charged with 26 counts of animal cruelty �" one for each of the puppies found living in filthy living conditions at PuppyLuv pet store at 2741 McMullen-Booth Road in Safety Harbor, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
The extra counts were added after Tarpon Springs police found 12 hungry and thirsty puppies locked in five pens without food or water in a rented U.S. 19 storefront, police said.
Police said Nowakowski apparently rented the unit Friday in Olympic Plaza, 40176 U.S. 19 N, and moved the 12 puppies there.
According to the Sheriff's Office, which investigated the Safety Harbor incident, deputies asked Tarpon Springs police to check on the welfare of puppies being kept at the Olympic Plaza storefront.
A plaza maintenance employee unlocked the door for officers because there were no employees present tending to the animals. The puppies were given food and water, and the SPCA Tampa Bay arrived to take custody of them.
The 12 puppies of various breeds appeared in good health other than being hungry and thirsty, police said. Dog food was found inside the business.
"The bowls were completely dry and in one of the cages, there was no bowl at all," said SPCA Tampa Bay humane officer Jill Purl, who responded to both locations.
Nowakowski was arrested Sunday after customers at his Safety Harbor store called police when they noticed several animals living in filthy conditions. Would-be customers arrived at the store and noticed the door was open, but no one was tending the sales floor.
Purl called the conditions Sunday deplorable.
SPCA Tampa Bay has confiscated all of the animals, which include dachshunds, Yorkshire terriers, Shih Tzus, various mixed breeds and one juvenile pit bull.
Nowakowski refused to surrender the animals, which he was selling at PuppyLuv for prices ranging from $500 to $1,400, Purl said. The agency will try to get legal custody through the courts, a process that takes about 30 days, Purl said.
On Monday afternoon, the puppies were being examined by a veterinarian. If SPCA gets custody, the animals will be put up for adoption, Purl said. | Source: tampabay.com - Oct 12, 2010
Update posted on Nov 10, 2010 - 8:33PM |
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