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AJA BRIANNA ZUKAS, owner of Paws Paradise, arrested after her dog was found close to death

- Florida, USA -

 

On September 6, 2024, Port St. Lucie Animal Control Officers responded to Paws Paradise, a pet grooming salon, after receiving a complaint regarding a dog left in the facility for more than 24 hours without food or water.

 

Officers found a 9-year-old male Terrier mix named Boo who looked malnourished. The dog’s guardian, and also owner of Paws Paradise, 35-year-old AJA BRIANNA ZUKAS (pictured), said that Boo had been left unattended for less than 24 hours. ZUKAS admitted to being aware that Boo was not healthy and said that she could not care for him and voluntarily surrendered the furvictim.

 

ACO took Boo to an emergency veterinary clinic where upon examination, he was “found to have cachexia (not having/no minimal muscle mass), pressure sores, small wounds along the edges of his ears, and pale gums possibly indicating anemia.”

 

ZUKAS told officers that Boo was thin because he had a bowel blockage, and the sores were the result of Boo rubbing on his crate. ZUKAS claims Boo had long-standing behavioral issues affecting his weight.

 

When Boo was re-examined on September 17, 2024, the veterinarian found that he had gained six pounds in eleven days, showing Boo’s health issues were from malnutrition.

 

The Port St. Lucie Police Department arrested ZUKAS on October 3, 2024, and charged her with one felony count of animal cruelty. She was released from the St. Lucie County Jail after posting a $5,000 bond.

 

WPTV reporter Cassandra Garcia reached ZUKAS over the phone and ZUKAS told her that the charges are inaccurate and that she has never harmed a dog in her fourteen years as groomer.

 

She went on to tell Ms. Garcia: “It is just the most shocking and overwhelming thing that I can imagine going through. There’s nothing for anyone to be concerned about because I’ve decided to resign.”

 

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Voice For Us Disclaimer: Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.

In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.

 

 

ZUKAS’  mugshot shared from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office

 

Boo’s pictures shared from WPTV




REBECCA RHONDA RUTHERFORD and DIEGO JAIMES ANGEL face charges for the murder of a dog

Updated: Nov 7, 2023

- Oklahoma, USA -


On November 4, 2023, the Tulsa Police Department arrested 46-years-old REBECCA RHONDA RUTHERFORD (pictured), owner of Doggy Doodles Grooming.


This arrest is connected to an animal cruelty case for which 41-years-old DIEGO JAIMES ANGEL (also pictured), was arrested in September 2023, when an innocent dog died while being groomed by him at Doggy Doodles Grooming.


The furvictim was a 4-year-old Golden Doodle named Atlas.


It all started on September 1, 2023, when Atlas’ guardian, Mr. Anthony Sinor, took his furbaby to the facility for routine grooming. Mr. Sinor said the family had used the business several times before.


Mr. Sinor told KTUL that that day he received a call from Doggy Doodles Grooming telling him that Atlas had died. “They told me that he had a seizure and was defecating and that they tried CPR and mouth-to-mouth and then they took him to the vet.”


Atlas’ family then learned the heartbreaking truth when they received a call from Tulsa Animal Welfare Pets revealing that Atlas had been killed.


According to News On 6, an employee of Doggy Doodles Grooming reported a coworker had beaten Atlas.


Tulsa Police said that after receiving the alarming report, Tulsa Animal Welfare responded to the location and began an investigation. Officers reviewed the 20-minute video showing the beating from two angles.


News On 6 obtained the video of the incident and published brief moments of various situations. For the first minutes everything seemed ok until Atlas began to resist some drying. At that point, ANGEL can be seen beating him “on and off over another 10 minutes while the dog becomes increasingly agitated.”

Footage then shows that Atlas is taken into another room where he was beaten some more. Eventually, Atlas was dragged off the table, and it appears he was choked by ANGEL.


Investigators said ANGEL suspended Atlas “in a head-high position using a lead on a grooming table.” After the pole holding the lead was adjusted higher, Atlas never moved again on the video. ANGEL stood there watching!


Atlas was murdered in the presence of other employees “working nearby, sometimes within steps of the groomer.”


Tulsa Police said Tulsa Animal Welfare “was able to take possession of the deceased dog and transported the body to the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostics Laboratory in Stillwater for necropsy.”


On September 7, 2023, Tulsa Animal Welfare, assisted by the Tulsa Police Department, obtained an arrest warrant for ANGEL from the Tulsa County District Court for felony Animal Cruelty charges.


ANGEL was located by the Elk City Police Department at a dog show. He was taken into custody and extradited back to Tulsa County.


As for RUTHEFORD, she is charged with accessory to felony and obstructing and officer. She was released from the Tulsa County Jail less than an hour after her arrest.


Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official news outlets. Links included.

Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.



Mugshots provided to Voice For Us by the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.


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