Dog groomer charged with animal cruelty
By Steve King
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BOCA RATON, Florida (WPBF) — Warning: Some viewers may find the video above disturbing.
A Boca Raton dog grooming business owner faces animal cruelty charges after investigators say he hit multiple dogs in his care and violently pulled their hair.
Forty-seven-year-old Plinio Roberto De Camargo Jr., the owner of American Dog Pet Grooming, was arrested last Friday and released the next day. He’s charged with two counts of cruelty to animals, because he “intentionally tormented two dogs in his care by punching and striking the dogs multiple times, while pulling the dogs’ hair in a cruel and inhumane manner.”
Click here for the full arrest report: htv-prod-media.s3.amazonaws.com/files/arrest-report-1667427893.pdf
American Dog Pet Grooming is still open. The owner was not at the business on Wednesday and employees at the location say they have no comment and that the owner has no comment.
The arrest report states an employee alerted the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office about the possible animal abuse. The report states the employee filmed five videos of the alleged abuse, forwarding them to investigators.
The videos showed a groomer beating the dogs and pulling their hair, later identified as Camargo. However, the employee also said she had worked at the business since August and saw Camargo hit dogs many times, sometimes with brushes and other grooming items. She says he also twisted their paws and limbs and pulled their hair.
The employee says the dogs would cry, yelp and tremble with fear.
In May, Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control received a tip that a dog was abused at the business and later died at the veterinarian. However, investigators say there was not enough evidence to continue the investigation and the case was closed.
The employee also told investigators the co-owner would cover for Camargo, telling owners of abused dogs that the pet was “stressed and had a difficult time being groomed” and that they should “keep an eye on their dog and to take it to their veterinarian.”
The employee who brought this evidence to deputies is not sure who the owners of the abused dogs are.
Camargo could face up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $5,000 for each of his two animal cruelty charges.
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