SARASOTA, Fla. — An investigation into financial crimes at a Sarasota dog grooming business resulted in the arrest of the store owner on animal abuse and cruelty charges.
Police said during the investigation, officers "uncovered a pattern of animal abuse by the owner of" Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming Sarasota, located at 1129 S. Tamiami Trail.
Employees told detectives that they saw Diana Stevens, 41, abuse animals during grooming appointments and "on several instances...had to intervene," according to the Sarasota Police Department. Investigators also learned that customers reported their pets would act "abnormally" after being picked up from the business following appointments.
Based on that information, a search warrant was granted, and police obtained video from the store that they say captured the abuse of animals.
"The video appears to support allegations that Stevens beat, berated and tossed animals as she groomed them," Sarasota police said in a news release. Police obtained an arrest warrant from Stevens and took her into custody on Friday, March 8.
A lawyer representing Stevens told 10 Tampa Bay: "We will not make any comments on this case at this time."
In body-worn camera footage of the arrest, Stevens can be heard telling an officer: "This is all a bunch of bulls**t, and you and I both know that. She's lying to you. All these people are lying."
During the interaction, an officer stated that the investigation into the business for financial crimes is still ongoing and separate from the investigation into Stevens for animal abuse and cruelty.
Stevens is charged with five counts of aggravated animal abuse, a felony, and five counts of animal cruelty, a misdemeanor. She was released on bond under the condition that she couldn't be in contact with any animals. She will be arraigned on the charges in April.
The Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming franchise has several locations across the Tampa Bay area. In a statement, the company said it determined its franchise agreement with Stevens and is in the process of removing branding from the location.
The full statement reads:
"The allegations against Ms. Stevens, a former franchisee who independently owned and operated one location in Sarasota, violate every tenant of our mission at Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, as well as our stringent operating procedures.
"Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming has a zero-tolerance policy for abuse of any kind. We want to make it clear that Woof Gang does not condone, tolerate, or in any way endorse such behavior. While we can not comment on the specifics of the police investigation, we can confirm that we were contacted by the Sarasota Sheriff’s Department and took immediate action to terminate Ms. Stevens’ franchise agreement. This location is no longer authorized to operate as a Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming location and is currently in the process of being unbranded.
"We emphasize that all Woof Gang locations are independently owned and operated. This incident is not reflective of our brand, our franchise owners, or the high standards of love and care for pets that Woof Gang represents across all other locations.
"As fellow pet owners, we are devoted to the spirit and bond we share with our pets and have always made health and safety our top priority. Our thoughts are with the community and, most importantly, the pets and pet owners involved."