Superpetz dog groomer, Cheron "Ronnie" Gilcrest, allegedly abandoned a customer's two dogs on October 15, 2005. She reportedly left for the day without calling the owner or leaving a message to come pick up the dogs from the Sam Rittenburg location.
The customer, September Welborn, arrived home from working Hurricane Katrina relief efforts with Slidell, LA Animal Control just the day before. She took her two English Setters, Max and Star - themselves recently rescued - to be groomed at Superpetz, a national pet "superstore". At 5:00 she stopped by the store to see if the dogs were finished, but they were not. She asked the groomer what time they closed and was told, "We do not leave until we are finished." Welborn had not heard anything by 7:00 pm, so she called the store, and the person who answered the phone said, "Everyone left for the day". Not only had the groomer allegedly caged the two animals for over 7 hours, but she left for the day without bothering to call the owner.
When Welborn confronted the Store Manager, Lisa Cauthen, the next day, Cauthen told her, "Is this about last night? They called me at home to tell me your dogs were left... I heard the conditions were really bad in the cage and that the dogs had to be re-bathed. How did it look when you went back there? ...I have written up this employee several times already". Cauthen's story changed when questioned by the police.
City of Charleston Animal Control Officer William Grutzuk issued a criminal citation, case number 0522588, for Animal Neglect And Improper Care against the store manager, Lisa Cauthen, on October 17, 2005. The court date is set for November 14, 2005. References | City of Charleston Animal Control case number 0522588 |
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