Juan Zarate, 38, was arrested after a dachshund named Henry died in his care on Sunday, police say.
The PetSmart groomer was arrested for animal cruelty after an X-ray revealed the the 1-year-old dog suffered from a punctured lung and two broken ribs.
If someone did this to my dog, I would have to be physically restrained.
“The dog was visibly bleeding from the mouth and having trouble breathing,” police said in a statement.
An on-site vet tried to save Henry the dachsund, but it was too late.
From Bay Area local TV news ABC 7:
Police said the 1-year-old dachshund named Henry arrived at the PetSmart in San Mateo for a grooming session on Sunday when the incident occurred. After three minutes in his care, police say Henry was bleeding from the mouth and having trouble breathing. An on-site vet tried to save him, but was not able to. An X-ray revealed the dog suffered from a punctured lung and two broken ribs.
Zarate is accused of injuring the dog while in his care and was arrested for animal cruelty. "We know that the dog was brought there with no injuries or no known illnesses of any kind and we do believe that because of actions taken by the groomer, during the grooming session, is what caused the dog to die," San Mateo Police Department Sgt. Rick Decker said.
More at the Los Angeles Times. [thanks, @hbeschizza]
