Two Broken Ribs, Punctured Lung: San Mateo Pet Groomer Accused of Animal Cruelty

SAN MATEO, CA- A 38-year-old San Francisco man has been arrested on animal cruelty charges after a 1-year-old Dachshund died just three minutes into his care, police say.

According to the San Mateo Police Department, the incident happened on Sunday around 5:15 p.m. at a local pet supply store in the 3500 block of S. El Camino Real.

Police say they were called out by the dog's owner, a 47-year-old San Mateo man, who told them he had just brought his dog to the location for a grooming-- when the animal suddenly died.

"About 3 minutes [after he brough the dog to the store] the pet groomer, later identified as 38-year old Juan Zarate of San Francisco, came out of the grooming office holding the dog and explaining it was now suffering from a medical emergency," police said in a news release. "The dog was visibly bleeding from the mouth and having trouble breathing."

The dog was rushed over to the on-site veterinarian who immediately noticed the dog was struggling to breathe, police said. The vet "took emergency measures" to help the pup, to no avail.

"Despite those efforts, the animal died just a few minutes later," police said. "A post mortem X-ray of the dog determined it had suffered two broken ribs and a punctured lung."

San Mateo police say they believe "deliberate actions" by Zarate "likely contributed to the animal's death." The man was arrested on felony animal cruelty charges.

The Peninsula Humane Society is conducting a necropsy to further investigate what may have led to the animal's death, police said.