Animal abuse charges have been brought against the owner of a pet grooming shop in Florida.
The owner has been named as Aja Zukas of Paws Paradise in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Police from Port St. Lucie were called to the store in September because someone said a dog had been left inside for more than 24 hours. That is where they found Boo, a Terrier mix who was 9 years old and looked like he was not getting enough food.
A news release said that the dog “was found to have cachexia (not having minimal muscle mass), pressure sores, small wounds along the edges of his ears, and pale gums, which may indicate anemia.”
But Zukas, who is also his owner, said that was not true.
“No one ever left him there alone for more than 24 hours,” Zukas said. “He had only been there by himself for five hours at most.”
She thinks that Boo’s low weight was caused by the fact that he had behavior problems and would often eat cloth.
“He was too thin, and I had been fighting for ten years to get him to gain weight,” Zukas said.
In her 14 years as a groomer, Zukas says she has never hurt a dog and thinks these charges are false. She told them she was leaving her job at the company.
“It is the most shocking and overwhelming thing I can think of going through,” Zukas said. “No one needs to worry because I have decided to quit.”
Boo is said to be fine and getting better.
