Former Kennel Owner Sentenced in Tail-Cropping Death of Puppy

A Georgia former kennel owner was sentenced to five years on probation in a Gwinnett County court this week for animal cruelty charges stemming from a 2013 incident in which she cropped the tails of eight puppies, resulting in the death of one of them.

Leslie Ayo, of Heaven’s Gate Kennels, pleaded guilty Monday to five counts of animal cruelty and one count of practicing veterinary medicine without a license, according to a news release from the Gwinnett County Solicitor’s Office.

• RELATED: Woman Accused of Causing Puppy’s Death After Cropping Tail

Ayo, of Fairburn, was paid $150 to de-tail, de-claw and de-worm eight newborn Rottweiler puppies at the owner’s Lawrenceville home in November 2013, leaving the puppies in “severe condition,” the solicitor’s office said. The procedures were performed without anesthesia or pain medication.

According to a Patch report after the incident, Ayo arrived at the residence on Nov. 18, 2013, to perform the services in the kitchen.

The owner of the puppies told police she believed the tails were cut too close to the base, causing excessive bleeding and pain for the puppies, and that the dogs appeared to be “struggling” after the procedures, according to the police incident report. Ayo reportedly told the owner she always crops tails the same way.

One of the puppies was taken to a veterinarian, who contacted Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement to investigate. The puppy died later.

After an investigation, Ayo was arrested on March 13, 2014

The solicitor’s office said two children were present as Ayo cut the 10-day-old dogs’ tails, “causing them to yelp in pain and bleed profusely.”

Ayo was sentenced to serve five years on probation, pay a fine of $3,500, perform 240 hours of community service, have no contact with animals, and surrender all state Department of Agriculture licenses. She also is subject to inspections by Gwinnett County Animal Control.

The solicitor’s office said under state law only a licensed veterinarian can perform “docking,” a surgical procedure to remove a dog’s tail. “Veterinary practice also requires that the dog be three to five days old for the procedure. The puppies here were 10 days old,” the news release stated.

Photo: Leslie Ayo, Gwinnett County Jail mug shot; Patch file