Sick puppies seized from pet store Moorestown, NJ (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Mar 17, 2010 County: Burlington
Disposition: Alleged
Abuser names unreleased
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A Burlington County pet store has been closed and quarantined and its operators face cruelty charges after humane officers found it was selling sick puppies.
The Burlington County Health Department shut down the Puppy Palace in Moorestown on Wednesday after the New Jersey SPCA conducted an unannounced visit and found a 10-week-old German Shepherd puppy who was extremely sick and in need of immediate vet care.
NJSPCA officials said they will file multiple animal cruelty charges against store owner Robert Armstrong and manager Karen Alexander. Armstrong plead guilty to animal cruelty charges last week in Gloucester City in connection with the poor conditions at another Puppy Palace store in Blackwood, NJ.
Libby Williams, founder of New Jersey Consumers Against Pet Shop Abuse, said she has received 15 complaints about sick dogs purchased from Puppy Palace since its opening in 2009. Williams said several customers' dogs died as a result of their illnesses and that the pet shop owners refused to reimburse them as is required under state law.
The dog, named Bismark, is currently being treated at the Columbus Animal Hospital for parvovirus, a highly contagious and often fatal disease. An unknown number of other dogs will be removed from the store Sunday and cared for at another location, the NJSPCA said.
Sources close to the investigation identified the unlicensed Pennsylvania kennel that was illegally supplying dogs to the pet store as Sunny Slope in Honeybrook, Chester County.
It is owned by Benuel Kauffman, who gave up his commercial kennel license in February - one of more than 100 commercial kennels that have closed since the new state dog law took effect in October.
The kennel at one time had more than 100 dogs and was warned or cited repeatedly over the past six years for dog law violations among them: cages that were too small and had sharp metal pieces protruding from them, evidence of puppies' feet falling through wire flooring, an accumulation of feces and moldy food. Wardens noted severe matting of dogs and vet checks were ordered on multiple dogs in the past year.
The kennel reported having 11 dogs at its closing inspection, under the limit of 25 required for a license. But under the new dog law anyone selling dogs to a pet store must have a commercial kennel license. They also must possess a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture license in order to sell to pet stores.
The puppies were transported to New Jersey without the proper health certificates, said the NJSPCA, which does not have jurisdiction in that matter and planned to share the information with Pennsylvania officials. A call seeking comment from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement was not immediately returned. It is unclear what penalties the Kauffman could face for running an unlicensed kennel.
Anyone with information about the Puppy Palace or who would like to make a donation to assist in the care of Bismark and the other animals, please call the NJSPCA at 1-800-582-5979.
Case UpdatesThe manager of the Puppy Palace pet store at the Moorestown Mall was charged with six counts of animal cruelty in connection with an investigation of store conditions by the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
SPCA spokesman Matt Stanton said the charges were filed against Karen Alexander on Sunday and stem from findings that she failed to provide three dogs with basic veterinary care, which can be defined by state statute as "necessary sustenance."
The investigation was launched Wednesday after the SPCA received an anonymous tip about the store's conditions. During an unannounced visit, investigators discovered a 10-week-old German shepherd named Bismark was suffering from parvovirus, a highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease.
The dog was taken to an animal hospital in Mansfield, but Stanton said Monday that veterinarians have decided to euthanize the animal.
The seven dogs that remained at the store were removed Monday after one of them, an 11-week-old German shepherd, also tested positive for parvovirus, he said.
The store has remained closed since the first ill dog was discovered. The owner was expected to vacate the premises Monday.
But exactly who owns and is responsible for the Puppy Palace is in dispute. In a news release announcing the store's closing, the SPCA named Robert Armstrong as the owner and said it intended to file animal cruelty charges against him.
In a Monday interview, Armstrong said he turned over the business to Alexander in October and was not responsible for the sick dog.
"I haven't set foot in that store since October," he said.
Armstrong provided a form he submitted to the New Jersey Division of Revenue for a change in business registration as proof of the switch in ownership. The form was dated Oct. 4 and named Alexander as the new owner.
Stanton said that the society considers Armstrong the owner of record because his name is on the mall lease, but that no charges have been filed against him.
Stanton maintained that Armstrong pleaded guilty last week to animal cruelty charges in Gloucester City for conditions at another Puppy Palace location in Blackwood.
He said that the SPCA investigation also revealed that many of the dogs sold at the store were purchased from a Pennsylvania breeder whose license was surrendered and that the dogs were transported into New Jersey without the required health certificates.
Investigators planned to inform authorities in Pennsylvania about the findings for possible further action, Stanton said.
Anyone with information about the Puppy Palace can contact the SPCA at 1-800-582-5979. It also is accepting donations to assist with the store dogs' care. | Source: phillyburbs.com - Mar 22, 2010 Update posted on Nov 18, 2010 - 1:35PM |
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