One of the two operators of the Brick Township pet shop made an appearance in municipal court Thursday night.
Nathan "Nat" Sladkin, a 71-year-old Farmingdale resident who managed the Puppies Galore pet store on Hooper Avenue, appeared before Judge Robert Lepore for an arraignment hearing.
Sladkin is facing four counts of cruelty to animals filed by investigators with the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The owner of the store, Old Bridge resident Maria De Santis, 57, is facing 38 counts of animal cruelty.
Dressed in a black jacket, khaki pants and a red shirt, Sladkin tilted his head to the side and quietly listened to Lepore read the potential penalties for each charge – up to six months in the county jail and a fine of $1,000, plus various court fees. He could also face between one and three years of probation.
After the charges were read, Sladkin briskly walked out of the court room, then refused to comment on the case to a reporter, saying, "no comment."
De Santis was also scheduled to appear in court Thursday, but her appearance was adjourned after she had retained an attorney, court staff told Brick Patch.
Sladkin told a court officer he was planning on hiring an attorney as he walked out of the .
The cruelty charges against Sladkin and De Santis arose after authorities removed 39 puppies from the store they operated. Of the 39, veterinarians identified 26 as being ill, including four who were severely ill and were taken to a veterinary trauma center.
Officials with the SPCA said earlier this week that the charges were filed for failure to provide necessary sustenance in the form of veterinary care for the puppies.
Sladkin's legal troubles date back decades. According to a 1995 article that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Sladkin and his wife were ordered to pay $17,500 in fines stemming from his operation of a pet store on Arnold Avenue in Point Pleasant Beach. That store, Pet Depot, is now closed.
A hearing on the status on the Brick store is set for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., township officials confirmed this week.
The puppies that were removed from the store are being held at animal shelters while the case is being resolved.
Try Evangelicals to go.
Folks please make an effort to show your support for these innocent animals. Join us at the hearing to be held on February 14th, 6:30 pm at 401 Chambers Bridge Rd, Brick NJ (Council Chambers A&B) and continue to contact your elected officials and remind them that we will do whatever it takes to end the abuse and mistreatment of animals. We can make a difference in protecting these defenseless animals from the likes of unethical, abusive store owners, brokers, and breeders.
Now, let's shut these puppy places down. Spread the word to keep family, friends, and neighbors away from those places!
A shelter or rescue will not allow you to adopt if you are a senior on social security, they say you "cannot afford to love a pet" If you have never had a pet before, sorry you are out of luck. If you dont supply years and years of vet records, you are a not a candidate to adopt. If you have small children, you can not adopt. I heard one person say they were turned down because they did the humane thing and put a suffering pet down, instead of paying thousands on medical treatment that probably wouldnt work any way. I am all for shutting down puppy stores and puppy mills. I am also all for shelters being more pro adoption and less judgemental and refuse to let people adopt because they are not as perfect as as the shelters workers think they are.
All shelters have different adoption policies to avoid having adopted animals neglected or abused and returned often. Returning a recently adopted animal doesn't help the situation. Also, there are many things needed to be taken into consideration. People, especially in this hard economy think about adoption first, then affording the animal last. That's not good. Adopting a puppy when having a baby or young child can be asking for trouble because of the attention kids and puppies need in general. Also puppies are playful, energetic, and can accidentally hurt young kids. So some shelters will reject puppy adoptions. Some people without dominant breed experience may not be able to adopt one at certain shelters for safety reasons and so adopters don't "bite off more than they can chew" and return the animal. As for vet records or pet euthanasia, those things are taken into consideration. For example, I've heard about some people euthanizing their older pets simply because it was more of a financial issue than a medical issue. If one is a senior citizen and would have trouble to keep a pet in a normal, healthy way, they may be rejected. However, there are programs in our area for seniors in need of care to get volunteer visits with service dogs. So when it comes down to for shelters is "better safe than sorry" because they would be receiving the animal back if the adoption went sour. Also, what about issues stemming directly from pet store adoptions?
Lew have you gone to a shelter and filled out the 6 page application? Some of the questions are unreal. One said when you go on vacation will you take the animal with you or find a sitter, if you answered sitter, please give the name, address and phone number of the sitter. The list is endless. Shelters and rescues have gone over the top when it comes to adoption. In the state of NJ it is easier to adopt a child then it is to adopt a pet!
Being a former shelter volunteer and running a K-9 service, I have seen those applications. The vacation question is very important. Also, the questions like if the animal will be living indoors is also very important. Why? Well, because there are people out there that would leave for vacation and have a friend go to the house once every few days to give the poor dog some food and check the dirty water level in the bowl. There are also some that plan on keeping their pet outdoors all year long or simply as a "watchdog" or "mouse cat" in a barn. That is not responsible ownership. Some have even used adopted animals simply for breeding a litter and then returning the pet when they are done! Those are some reasons why there are so many questions on the applications. Let's not forget the question about if there are animals that are fixed or not. Why? Because anytime there is a risk of puppies or kittens, there is a risk of strays. I know, It's a shame.
A lot of people I know who have tried to adopt and were turned down for really stupid reasons, either answer ads in the paper or go on Craigs list to find a pet. It is a real shame the shelters would rather destroy an animal then adopt them out.
I personally don't believe in declawing cats because that's a procedure that is actually a "toe amputation." That's why shelters have problems with that and they don't want it promoted with their animals they offer for adoption. However, spay/neutering should be a must with every dog and cat to prevent the "stray" situation from getting worse. The bottom line is this...we have many shelters in area with Ocean and Monmouth counties with different policies. The Jersey Shore Animal Shelter is not the only place we have. I recommend and encourage people interested in a cat or dog to check out all shelters and rescue organizations in the area and their policies. Some shelter even provide transportation of the pets too. The main thing is not to buy a dog from a store.
You are absolutely correct that you should not be treated with indifference. Please don't give up the good work. The animals need people like you to advocate and support their cause. And I personally APPLAUD you for your efforts. I can tell you that we adopted our dog from the Monmouth County Animal Shelter and were blessed with the best dog ever. So please don't give up on all Shelters and in the meantime continue to lend a voice to the innocent and defenseless animals. You sound like an extremely kind and compassionate human being. Again thank you for taking the time and know that your humane actions do count.
If on March 01, 2012 our Court System allows him to get away with probation, it would be an injustice beyond comprehension. JAIL TIME IS WARRANTED, and I could not agree with you more.
I wouldn't admit I knew these people. No less defend them....Unless your their partner in crime. Which one their many puppy mill store did you work in? Obviously they taught you well, blame the customer, vet.....Never DeSantis and Sladkin. Your laughable.
Puppies don't grown on trees shoredoglover. AGAIN shelters like this is what prompts people to go to stores. And Fuzzy still sits in a 10 X 8 prison cell. Imprisoned since 10/1/2011.