Charges of animal cruelty have been brought after a video showed a small terrier being slammed onto a grooming table at a dog day care center in Mount Kisco, SPCA Westchester officials said.
Cole Kamrath of Peekskill, who was an employee of Dogtopia at the time of the alleged July 26 incident, was arrested by the SPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement Unit.
He is due to appear in Mount Kisco Justice Court on Sept. 24.
According to the SPCA, Kamrath has been fired by the North Bedford Road facility, which also offers boarding and spa services.
Dogtopia issued the following statement on Friday, Sept. 4:
“We are aware of a serious matter involving a former employee at our location. When our team identified disturbing conduct involving the former employee, we terminated the employee and immediately contacted local law enforcement. We’re fully cooperating with their ongoing investigation.
"The safety and well-being of every dog in our care remains our highest priority. We take any incident seriously to provide the safest possible environment for all dogs entrusted to us.”
The video shows Milo, a 14-pound senior dog, being hurled onto the table during a nail trimming. He collapses “as he loses consciousness,” the SPCA said.
According to the SPCA, after the dog came home, his owners noticed that “he wasn’t walking properly, constantly sleeping, and had lost his appetite.”
He was taken to a local veterinarian who discovered bruising on his torso, indicative of a “recent trauma.”
Ernest Lungaro, director of the HLEU, praised Dogtopia for immediately bringing the video to the SPCA’s attention.
“It’s not often that we get this kind of cooperation from corporations,” he said Friday, Sept. 4. “They really stepped up and helped us.”
“It is deeply disturbing that someone in a profession dedicated to caring for animals would so deliberately and viciously harm one,” said SPCA Chief Executive Officer Shannon Laukhug.
“As a dog lover and owner, I am appalled by the cruel and callous conduct alleged in this case,” said Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace. “When someone is entrusted with the care of another person’s beloved pet, they have a responsibility to treat that animal with kindness and respect.”
“I am grateful to our partners at SPCA Westchester for their diligent investigation and working closely with my office’s Animal Cruelty Coordinator, and I commend Dogtopia Daycare for taking swift action upon learning of the alleged abuse of sweet Milo,” Cacace said, adding: “Our animals depend on us to protect them and speak for them, and there is never an excuse for subjecting an animal to this kind of cruelty.”
GOOD TO KNOW
The SPCA urges anyone witnessing, or suspects that, an animal is being abused or neglected to call its confidential hotline at (914) 941-7797.
For more information, visit www.spcawestchester.org.
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