Malnourished dog leads to arrest of business owner in Port St. Lucie

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — A woman is behind bars after officers found a malnourished dog left in the building of her business back in September.

The Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSLPD) says on Sept. 6 at 4:09 p.m., the Port St. Lucie Animal Control Officers were dispatched to a Paws Paradise in reference to a complaint of a dog that had been left in a building for more than 24 hours without food and water.

Police say the dog looked malnourished.According to an arrest affidavit, officers noted that there was feces and urine on the floor along with a large quantity of shredded paper towels scattered throughout the business.

The dog was taken to an emergency veterinary clinic where it was learned the dog had cachexia (not having/no minimal muscle mass), pressure sores, small wounds along the edges of his ears and pale gums indicating anemia.

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Through an investigation launched by PSLPD the business owner and dog’s owner was revealed to be Aja Zukas, 35. Police say she was aware of the dogs unhealthy state and unable to care for it. Police continue she made no effort to surrender the dog or seek treatment.

Zukas voluntarily submitted the dog, a 9-year-old male terrier named Boo, to animal control officers.

The dog was reexamined on Sept. 17 by a veterinarian and was found to have gained 6 pounds in 11 days. The dog’s doctor believes that part of the dog’s health issues came as a result of malnutrition. According to the arrest affidavit against Zukas, she estimated the dog, named Boo, hadn’t been fed “a nutritional meal for a long period, approximately ‘a month or so’ which when starving to death caused the dog to eat anything in sight, mainly the tissue papers which has passed through its intestines and was later found in its feces.”

Police say the dog appears to be recovering and has a healthy prognosis.

Zukas was taken to into custody near a Paws Paradise on Thursday at around 12 p.m. She told officers that “Boo was a problem dog and would often escape from his threat,” the arrest affidavit reads.

The arrest report says Zukas admitted she made a mistake and did not give Boo the proper care he needed.