Groomer Arrested After Violently Slamming Small Dog 'Sweet Milo' Into Table: Police

PEEKSKILL, NY — A Westchester man trusted to pamper peoples pets was caught on video violently abuse a small dog in his care, according to police.

Warning: Readers may find the accounts and images in this story disturbing.

Law Enforcement Unit (HLE), under the direction of Ernest Lungaro, has arrested Cole Kamrath of Peekskill, and charged him with animal cruelty.

Video recorded on July 26, was provided to investigators by Dogtopia of Mount Kisco. The disturbing footage appears to shoe Kamrath, an employee at the time, violently slamming a small dog on a grooming table during a nail trimming. Milo, a 14 lb. senior rat terrier, is then seen collapsing ss he loses consciousness.

When Milo returned home, his owners noted that he wasn’t walking properly, constantly sleeping, and had lost his appetite. He was then rushed to a local veterinarian who discovered bruising all along Milo’s torso, indicative of a recent trauma.

Video that appears to show the disturbing violence can bee seen here.

"We are extremely grateful that Milo’s abuser was captured on video and that this horrific act of cruelty was reported to the SPCA’s HLE Unit," SPCA Westchester CEO Shannon Laukhuf said. "It is deeply disturbing that someone in a profession dedicated to caring for animals would so deliberately and viciously harm one."

Investigators thanked the company for doing the right thing.

"We are aware of a serious matter involving a former employee at our location," Dogtopia said in a statement. "When our team identified disturbing conduct involving the former employee, we terminated the employee and immediately contacted local law enforcement. We’re fully cooperating with their ongoing investigation."

The safety and well-being of every dog in our care remains our highest priority. We take any incident seriously to provide the safest possible environment for all dogs entrusted to us.

Cole Kamrath is scheduled to appear in Mount Kisco Court on September 24.

"As a dog lover and owner, I am appalled by the cruel and callous conduct alleged in this case," Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace said."When someone is entrusted with the care of another person’s beloved pet, they have a responsibility to treat that animal with kindness and respect. I am grateful to our partners at SPCA Westchester for their diligent investigation and working closely with my office’s Animal Cruelty Coordinator, and I commend Dogtopia Daycare for taking swift action upon learning of the alleged abuse of sweet Milo. Our animals depend on us to protect them and speak for them, and there is never an excuse for subjecting an animal to this kind of cruelty."

If you witness or suspect an animal is being neglected or abused, call the SPCA’s Confidential Cruelt Hotline at (914) 941-7797.

This story was updated to include a statement from Dogtopia.