Pet store selling sick puppies
Sacramento, CA (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Feb 20, 2003
County: Sacramento
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 3 files available
Defendants/Suspects:
» Kathy Carman
» Reed Carman
» Vicky Bradish
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Animal control officers arrested the owner of The Puppy Store at 3704 Auburn Boulevard after finding 3 dogs with confirmed cases of parvo and one dead dog. Deputies from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department filed felony charges of animal cruelty after removing 74 dogs for parvo testing.
Of the 74 dogs taken 1/3rd about 20 dogs have developed potentially deadly parvovirus. The SPCA and a rescue group are trying to nurse the animals back to health.
This was not the first time officers were forced to remove animals from the store. 3 months prior they were called for another outbreak of parvo that killed more than 20 dogs. 215 puppies were handed over in December, 2002 - 35 dogs were infected and 23 of those pups died. The store had been temporarily shutdown and reportedly cleaned. Animal control officers are now hoping they will be able to shut down the store for good.
Jami Hook who purchased a dog from The Puppy Store won a $2600 judgment against the store because her dog developed parvo and later died. She hasn't received any money to date.
On 2/28/03 the stores owner faced a judge for a long list of criminal charges. The owner was charged with 11 counts of felony animal cruelty -- one for each dead animal, plus a count for the overall condition of the store and home.
The judge ordered that as a condition of bail, the defendant not be allowed to have any animals - whether they are possessed for personal or business reasons.
Before the court appearance the store owner had run a classified ad in the Sacramento Bee to sell 25 different breeds.
On 3/7/03 2 more people were taken to jail for allegedly selling sick pups. A few of the 74 dogs that were confiscated in the raid have died. The husband of the store owner was charged with 12 counts of felony animal cruelty. The store manager has also been charged with 8 counts of animal cruelty. Prosecutors have discovered that all 3 suspects have convictions for methamphetamine possession.
What is parvovirus:
It is a seasonal disease specific to dogs. It spikes in late spring and throughout the summer months and occurs in puppies 16 weeks or younger. Parvo is transmitted through contact with an infected dogs bodily fluids. It attacks the gastrointestinal system, killing the cells that line the intestines, causing fever, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea. It causes the dogs to lose their appetite. The dog dies from low blood sugar or from sepsis. It is a very painful death. The way to keep it from spreading is to not mix litters of puppies.
Case UpdatesThe owners of the Carmichael pet store were sentenced Friday after being convicted on multiple charges of animal cruelty. A Sacramento judge sentenced 42-year-old Kathy Carman to a year in the Jail. Her husband, 41-year-old Reed Carman, was given until December to find a job or he too will serve time behind bars.
Kathy and Reed Carman were also put on probation for five years. During that time, the couple is prohibited from dealing with animals in any way, including not owning any kind of pet.
The charges against the Carmans stem from raids in The Carmanss Puppy Store. During the raids, dozens of sick and dying animals were taken from the business. A number of the dogs were suffering from parvovirus, a highly infectious and often fatal disease.
After their business was closed following the second raid, the Carmans were arrested on more animal cruelty charges in Beebe, Arkansas. | | Update posted on Dec 26, 2003 - 2:08AM |
The two owners and the manager of the shuttered Puppy Store on Auburn Boulevard pleaded not guilty Thursday in Sacramento County Superior Court to multiple counts of animal cruelty. Owners Kathy Carman, her husband, Reed Carman, 41, and manager Vicky Bradish are scheduled to return to court April 3 for a preliminary hearing.
See more info: Sacramento Bee | | Update posted on Mar 23, 2003 - 6:17PM |
References« CA State Animal Cruelty Map
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