I'm Eric, and I run I Love Every Dog because I believe every animal deserves to feel safe in the hands of the people paid to care for them. That's why the video out of Mount Kisco, New York, broke my heart.
Milo is a 14-pound senior rat terrier who was dropped off for a routine nail trim at a Dogtopia daycare. Instead, surveillance footage allegedly shows an employee, Cole Kamrath, violently slamming Milo onto the grooming table over and over until the little dog went limp and lost consciousness. A veterinarian later found bruising across Milo's torso consistent with the trauma. In the days after, Milo could barely walk, stopped eating, and slept far more than normal. He is still recovering.
Kamrath has been charged with animal cruelty and is due back in Mount Kisco Town Court on September 24. Dogtopia says it fired him and is cooperating with the Westchester County SPCA's investigation, but firing one employee does not fix a system that let this happen in the first place.
I'm asking Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace to pursue the maximum charges available against Cole Kamrath and to reject any plea deal that reduces this case to a slap on the wrist. I'm also calling on Dogtopia's corporate leadership to install and actively monitor cameras in every grooming and boarding area at every one of its franchise locations nationwide, and to run real background and conduct checks before anyone is left alone with someone's dog.
Milo trusted the people at that counter. Please sign to demand real accountability for what happened to him, and real change so it can't happen to the next dog that walks through Dogtopia's doors.
