Crime & Safety
3rd Arrest For Ex-Pet Store Owner Accused of Animal Cruelty
Dr. Wesley Baff of Plumtrees Animal Hospital said that a puppy Richard Doyle sold from his pet store was unfit for sale due to hygroma.
DANBURY, CT — A former Danbury pet shop owner is facing his third arrest related to animal cruelty charges, according to The News Times.
Richard Doyle, 56, of Mahopac, NY, appeared in court Monday to face charges of animal cruelty after an employee of his store told investigators Doyle, who is unlicensed, performed eye surgery on a female Mastiff causing severe bleeding on the dog's inner eyelid, according to the report.
In July of 2015, Doyle was arrested after an investigation by state animal control officers from the Department of Agriculture that began in March. The investigation started after a complaint from one of the employees about animals being mistreated. He is facing three counts of animal cruelty charges.
Doyle is also accused of confining a critically-ill exotic kitten and failing to provide it immediate veterinary intervention until the animal had to be euthanized. He is also charged with failing to provide proper care to a sick Shih-Tzu puppy that was in need of immediate medical care in April.
According to the Department of Agriculture, Doyle brought the puppy to Danbury from one of his New York stores and left it in the care of an employee but without giving it the veterinary care needed to treat it for vomiting, diarrhea and coughing. The puppy had to be euthanized later.
Following his second arrest, New York State Senator Terrence Murphy announced the launch of his Protect Our Pets Petition in an effort to put pressure on the Assembly to pass what he calls crucial legislation that seeks to provide added protection to animals across the state.
Doyle's latest arrest stems from a complaint from a veterinarian, Dr. Wesley Baff, of Plumtrees Animal Hospital, who found a puppy that Doyle sold unfit for sale because of a hygroma, a fluid-filled sac or a cyst, on the left elbow area.
Click here to read more on The News Times.
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