(Danville) — Danville Police have charged a woman with animal abuse at a local doggie day care.
Police were told this week by a complainant about a video that was made public earlier in the week. It allegedly shows animals being abused by a groomer who was employed at the time by Hollywood Pets on Hairston Street. The video showed the groomer striking dogs in January and February of this year.
The complainant shared the video to social media. It was shared to a wider audience by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Animal Control investigated the incident with help from detectives with the Criminal Investigations Unit. Police have charged 22-year-old Cassidy Gill of Roxboro, North Carolina with animal cruelty.
Gill was arrested and served with a warrant on Friday. At this time, police expect no other criminal charges.
In a post on their Facebook page, Hollywood Pets owner Derek Holly says he got the videos from PETA two weeks ago. He spoke with the employee involved on her next scheduled work day and fired her.
Holly says the videos were shot by another groomer who decided not to immediately notify him, instead sharing them with PETA shortly after she had been fired.
“The withholding of evidence of inexcusable behavior by a fellow employee to me is almost as reprehensible as the act itself,” Holly said.
He adds they plan to install video surveillance cameras that will provide constant monitoring of all grooming activities in the future.
“We deeply regret any of this occurred and I assure you these were isolated incidents,” Holly added. “We have served Danville and the surrounding areas for 16 years and our reputation is excellent. I have spoken with numerous customers about the situation and they have been very supportive.”