Fate of Just Pups Pet Store to be Decided Monday Night

East Brunswick, NJ - As Patch has reported, there will be a public hearing Monday evening, March 28, where the East Brunswick Township Council will decide whether or not to revoke the license for Just Pups puppy store to operate in East Brunswick.

The hearing will proceed as scheduled Monday evening, Township Administrator James White confirmed to Patch Monday morning.

In February, the NJSPCA charged Just Pups owner Vincent LoSacco with 267 animal cruelty violations for conditions inside his Rt. 18 puppy store. Sacco, or his employees, allegedly kept puppies without fresh water, mixed sick puppies with healthy ones, thus spreading the risk of death and disease, and perhaps most shockingly, kept three dead puppies in a freezer in the back of the store, state animal welfare inspectors charge.

LoSacco is currently disputing the charges in East Brunswick municipal court.

However, in light of the charges, the East Brunswick Township Council decided to hold a public hearing on whether the Council should revoke Just Pups' license. A public hearing will be held at 8 p.m. on March 28 in the courtroom of the Municipal Building, One Civic Center Drive, East Brunswick.

The five-member Council is expected to make a decision at the end of the hearing whether to suspend Just Pups' license, or revoke it entirely, White said.

The meeting will follow this agenda: Statement by Just Pups owner Vincent LoSacco or his attorney; testimony from the following witnesses: Lester Jones, the Director of the Middlesex County Health Department; an East Brunswick Animal Control Officer; an environmental health specialist with the Middlesex County Health Department; an inspector with the state Department of Health; and testimony from two members of the NJSPCA — an NJSPCA field agent and a veterinarian with the agency.

The Council will then make a decision to renew or suspend Just Pups' license. The license is granted by the Middlesex County Department of Health.

That will be followed by a public portion, according to the meeting agenda.

White said he supports public input on the topic of the controversial pet store.

"There should be open dialogue," the township administrator told Patch Monday. However, "the part that doesn't help anyone is when people are over-reactive to something until they get all the facts."

Since Patch first broke the news of the animal cruelty charges against LoSacco and Just Pups, White said he's been inundated with phone calls demanding the town revoke the license for Just Pups. Some people called from as far away as Chicago.

"These are people responding to Facebook posts about this story," he said. "There has to be a due process before the government can just take your license away."

LoSacco also owns pet stores in Paramus, East Hanover and Emerson.