DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. – Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy announced Wednesday charges against Dearborn Heights' Pet Station L.L.C.
The pet shop and its owner, 40-year-old Ramzi Dakhlallah, face various criminal charges including cruelty to animals.
The animals involved include more than 20 dogs, 70 birds, guinea pigs, hamsters, frogs, snakes, lizards, tarantulas, chinchillas, mice and rats.
Dakhlallah also is accused of pet shop violations in regards to record keeping and animal industry act violations in regards to the importation of dogs.
According to the charges, Dakhlallah and the corporation Pert Station L.L.C. were cruel to a variety of animals between July 31, 2009 and April 10, 2012.
Authorities were notified about the pet shop's criminal acts by citizen complaints about the lack of food and water for the animals. Citizens also complained that feces and urine "overwhelmed" the pens where the animals were kept at the shop. They also complained of "generally cruel conditions related to the care and maintenance of the animals in the store," the Prosecutor's Office said.
Moreover, the store and its owner are accused of selling the animals with insufficient and improperly maintained records. They are accused of selling unhealthy dogs and cats and selling the animals without proper inoculations.
The investigation into Dakhlallah and his store was conducted by the Dearborn Heights Police Department, Dearborn Heights Animal Control, the Michigan Department of Agriculture, the Michigan Humane Society and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.
Dakhlallah and Pet Station L.L.C. face the same charges which include abandon/cruelty to 10 or more animals and false pretenses.
