Help Needed: Augusta, Georgia Pet Store being investigated for cruelty and abuse

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Katie Walter

 

"The Pawfessional"

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Sun, 14 Mar 2004 12:16 This is a cross-posted message.

Permission to crosspost to APPROPRIATE lists. Randy Teasley, the director of Augusta Animal Services (Georgia), said his department has issued citations for misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals against the owner of the former Augusta, Georgia Petland store, Larry Wendt, and two employees, Dawn L. Irons, and Donna Leigh Stover.The charges are a result of an investigation launched after a former employee reported animal abuse to the Richmond County Sheriff's Office on Feb. 28. Sarah Milroy reported that a store manager had taken some of the animals to a veterinarian but had not been giving them the prescribed medications. She also told police that an employee put a Chihuahua suffering from seizures, in a plastic bag, and beat the animal against concrete until the dog died, a police report states.Ms. Milroy's report started a process that now has the former Petland shop under investigation by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and resulted in its loss of franchise affiliation. Pet dealers are required to be licensed by the Department of Agriculture under Georgia law. Tommy Irvin, the commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, said the owner of the pet store, Larry Wendt, was sent a letter notifying him of a hearing before agriculture officials in Atlanta on Monday morning, requiring him to present a case for why the store's state license shouldn't be revoked. Mr. Irvin said the store's state pet dealer license was granted jointly to the local store and Petland Inc., and said that because thecompany

withdrew its franchise agreement, the store was in violation of its license.

In a prepared statement, the Chillicothe, Ohio-based company said it terminated the franchise agreement with the store operator at Augusta Mall on Monday and pulled the store's sign and operational support.

The store remains open in the mall for business.One part of the judicial process concerning this is already over. Mr. Wendt got a slap on the wrist from the state. He's been fined $5,000 (the price of a couple of puppies at his store, no big deal for him), and he's been put on probation for a year. He will continue to sell animals. He still has to faceRichmond County's decision, but given Richmond County's track record in the past dealing with cases like this, he probably won't receive much, if any, additional punishment. It's safe to assume at thispoint that he's gotten away with a light slap on the wrist, and he will continue to sell animals from mills (puppies, kittens, rabbits, guinea pigs, rodents, reptiles, and many species of birds-all from very highvolume, low quality breeders). He probably

will now be even less likely to take animals to vets (he only took the expensive ones, anyway - anything worth less than a few hundred dollars never even made it to thevet), and will instead opt to leave them in the back to die like he's done before.This store has had numerous complaints against it lodged for the following reasons which were never taken seriously by the GA Department of Agriculture:

-puppies and other animals left in back rooms to die from seizures, choking on their own vomit, or to die from starvation/thirst after being denied food/water

-animals with respiratory infections left untreated

-animals with untreated abcesses

-animals with inadequate food or water in their cages

-small animals with broken legs/tails left untreated-animals with parasites-puppies and small animals being sold while sick with infectious diseasesThe list goes on. There are other unethical things this store has engaged in over the years, but I think you have a good enough idea of the situation already.WE DESPERATELY NEED SUPPORT TO SHUT LARRY WENDT DOWN!

Please send letters, and pass this along to others so they can express their disgust and dismay, too! If you care about any kind of small animal - fish, reptiles, rodents, rabbits, guinea pigs, all species of exotic birds, dogs, cats - this concerns you. Let the Rouse Company/Augusta Mall and Tommy Irvin of the Georgia Department of Agriculture know this is UNACCEPTABLE!!!Please send polite letters to The Augusta Mall and the Rouse Company telling them why they should terminate Mr. Wendt's lease and never allow him to operate on their property again.

If you have a Rouse Company building near you, let them know if you plan to boycott:

The Augusta Mall:augustamall @ therousecompany.com (remove 2 spaces)The Rouse Company (owners of the Augusta Mall)'s PRperson:dtripp @ therousecompany.com (remove 2 spaces)Please tell Tommy Irvin why he needs to take animal abuse seriously and stop ignoring places like this former Petland. He's running for re-election this year. Tell him why he doesn't deserve to be re-elected unless he starts taking animal abuse seriously.

 

 

Please mention if you are a Georgia resident who will be voting this year:Tommy Irvin, Georgia Commision of Agriculture:tirvin @ agr.state.ga.us (remove 2 spaces)tommyirvincampaign @ (remove 2 spaces)Permission to crosspost to APPROPRIATE lists.

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