A Queens dog groomer was charged with animal cruelty after a pooch died during a canine spa session, officials said Thursday.
Cops collared Lee Yat Sing and charged him with animal cruelty in connection with the death of a 4-year-old Maltese dog that had been abused during a grooming session. Dog Bed Frame
“When we entrust our beloved pets to caretakers, they should be returned to us in the same healthy condition,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.
“Instead, this pet owner learned his dog had cruelly died during a routine grooming service. We will hold the defendant accountable for his actions,” she added.
Sing, 31, of Flushing, was also charged with torturing and injuring animals.
According to authorities, the owner of a Maltese named Kele dropped the dog off on March 2 at Furry Babies Pet Grooming on 45th Ave. in Flushing.
Surveillance footage of the session shows Sing aggressively and inappropriately manipulating Kele.
He twice hit the 7-pound dog with a pair of scissors while restraining her head and neck. He also lifted the poor pooch off the grooming table by holding her head and neck and pulling on Kele’s hair, officials said.
The pup struggled and resisted throughout, exhibiting irregular, strained breathing.
Even after Kele went limp, Sing failed to get help or administer care, prosecutors said. Instead, he continued to handle the dog roughly for another six minutes.
A necropsy done by a forensic veterinarian found that the otherwise healthy Kele died from respiratory failure as a result of being forcefully manipulated and restrained during the grooming session, which caused bruising, pain and distress.
Maggie Zang, who worked at Furry Babies for a year, said Sing was only on his second shift when the alleged abuse occurred.
”He came in for a few days,” she told the Daily News. ”He wasn’t a longtime worker. It was the groomer that did it. It doesn’t actually involve us. We don’t like his behavior.
“So the minute he did it, we fired him right away,” Zang added. “We don’t want this happen. We haven’t contacted him after that.”
She said the business and the dog owner are suing Sing over Kele’s death
Cat Sleeping Bag If convicted, Sing faces up to two years in prison.