Wappingers pet shop owner charged with animal cruelty

WAPPINGERS FALLS — The owner of a Wappingers Falls pet shop has been charged with three counts of animal cruelty in response to allegations that he failed to properly care for two dogs and a kitten, which allegedly led to the euthanization of two of the animals.

Richard F. Doyle, 55, owner American Breeders: Puppies & Kittens pet shop at 1582 South Road in Wappingers Falls, which also has locations in Mohegan Lake and Danbury, Connecticut, was charged with three misdemeanor counts after an investigation by state animal control officers from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.

Doyle, of Mahopac, was arrested Monday on a warrant signed by a Danbury Superior Court judge.

Kathy Seton, the store's manager, was charged with two counts of animal cruelty, a misdemeanor. The Cold Spring resident was allegedly "complicit" with confining the animals and providing improper care, Connecticut’s Chief Animal Control Officer Ray Connors said Thursday.

The investigation began in March after an employee complained that the animals were mistreated.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Doyle allegedly performed a surgical procedure on the eye of a Neopolitan Mastiff when he is not licensed to do so. The female dog sustained severe bleeding after the procedure on an inner eyelid, which Doyle allegedly performed in the rear of his pet shop in Danbury in March.

The employee provided officers with photographs documenting the dog’s condition. She also said she was often made to treat animals with medication and administer shots, although she is not licensed to do so.

Doyle also is accused of confining a critically-ill, exotic kitten and failing to provide it immediate veterinary intervention until the animal required euthanization, the news release said.

He is also charged with failing to provide proper care to a sick Shih-Tzu puppy that was in need of immediate medical care in April. Doyle allegedly brought the puppy to Danbury from one of his New York stores and left it in the care of an employee, but without necessary veterinary care to treat it for vomiting, diarrhea and coughing, Department of Agriculture officials said.

The puppy also was later euthanized by a veterinarian.

As part of an investigative report by the Journal published in April, multiple pet owners reported that they purchased sick dogs from the store.

In 2011, 10 dogs were seized from the newly opened Puppies & Kittens store in Wappingers Falls, and Doyle was arrested and pleaded guilty to one count of selling a diseased animal under the state's animal cruelty statute.

Kim McNamee, senior humane law enforcement officer for the Dutchess County Society of Cruelty to Animals, said Thursday the investigation revealed that several pets were sold with contagious illnesses like kennel cough and pneumonia.

While Doyle met the terms of a plea agreement to do better by his live animals, seven other store customers nonetheless told the Poughkeepsie Journal of newly purchased puppies that soon became sick, some incurring vet bills in the thousands.

James Mayhar, of the City of Poughkeepsie, told the Journal Thursday that he bought a husky from the store in Wappingers Falls for his wife as a surprise Mother’s Day gift three years ago. A week later he went to the Arlington Veterinary Hospital, as the dog had contracted an intestinal parasite.

“(Doyle) didn’t want to pay for the visit to our vet,” Mayhar said. “He didn’t want to pay for the medicine either. We had to segregate Shadow from the other dogs so they would not get sick.”

Annette Antonucci, of the City of Poughkeepsie, purchased her Peek-A-Pom from Puppies & Kittens in April. Within three days, she said she was awoken by the dog's coughing and wheezing in the middle of the night.

A trip to the veterinarian revealed the dog was suffering from kennel cough and worms. It was several hundred dollars before her dog was well again.

Since his arrest earlier this week, Doyle has been released by police on a written promise to appear in court on Aug. 6.

His shop in Wappingers is still open, and McNamee could not comment on if the store is currently under investigation.

"In Connecticut, we license the facility, not the individual,” Connors said. “Depending on (a conviction) in criminal court, we would move forward with closing the pet shop.” However, Connors said that would not stop Doyle from opening up another shop under a different owner's name.

Journal investigative reporter Mary Beth Pfieffer contributed to this report. Amanda Purcell: apurcell@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4807; Facebook.com/pojopurcell; Twitter: @amandajpurcell.