Group Calls for Cruelty Charges, Permanent Closure of Store
For Immediate Release:
September 16, 2011
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Johnson City, N.Y. -- Holding signs that read, "Prosecute PETCO" and "Get PETCO Out of J.C.," PETA members will protest outside the Johnson City PETCO store on Saturday. The protest follows the deaths of nearly 100 birds, guinea pigs, ferrets, hamsters, mice, reptiles, and other animals who were left in cages to drown or die of starvation and dehydration as flood waters rose in the wake of Tropical Storm Lee. PETCO executives have admitted that despite a mandatory evacuation order, "the decision was made to not evacuate the animals." The abandonment of the company's animals has outraged the public, and following PETA's call for Broome County District Attorney Gerald F. Mollen to investigate the matter and, where appropriate, file criminal charges against those responsible, an investigation has begun with the support of Johnson City Mayor Dennis Hannon.
When: Saturday, September 17, 12 noon
Where: Outside PETCO, 420 Harry L. Dr., Johnson City
"It's difficult to imagine the terror that these animals experienced as they watched the water rise while they were trapped in cages and unable to escape," says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "We urge consumers to steer clear of PETCO. The company has a long history of disregarding basic animal welfare."
PETA believes that PETCO personnel's conduct violates New York's cruelty-to-animals statute, which states that anyone who deprives an animal of necessary food or drink or causes or allows any animal to be unjustifiably injured or killed is guilty of a class A misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for up to one year as well as a fine of up to $1,000.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
