‘Close to death’: Owner of Port St. Lucie pet grooming business arrested on animal cruelty charges

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The owner of Paws Paradise, a pet grooming salon, was arrested on charges of animal cruelty, according to Port St. Lucie Police.

Police were dispatched to the business in September after someone reported a dog was left inside for more than 24 hours. That’s where they found Boo, the 9-year-old Terrier mix, who was said to look malnourished.

According to a press release, the dog 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.”

But Paw Paradise and dog owner Aja Zukas told WPTV reporter Cassandra Garcia that this is not true.

“He was not left there for more than 24 hours, the longest he’d ever been alone there was five hours,” said Zukas.

Boo was said to have behavioral issues and he would often eat fabric which she believes attributed to his low weight.

“He was underweight and he was skinny and I had fought a battle for ten years to keep weight on him.”

Zukas believes these charges are inaccurate, and said she has never hurt a dog in her 14 years as a groomer. She said that she has decided to resign from her business.

 “It is just the most shocking and overwhelming thing that I can imagine going through,” said Zukas. “There’s nothing for anyone to be concerned about because I’ve decided to resign.”

Boo is said to be healthy and recovering.