East Brunswick, NJ - Officers with the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NJSPCA) filed a whopping 267 animal cruelty charges Monday against the owner of Just Pups, an East Brunswick pet store on Rt. 18 North. And they say more charges may be on the way.Just Pups owner Vincent LoSacco, 50, exposed puppies in the store to illnesses, state inspectors say. Several dogs died after they were purchased, and incredibly, investigators say they found three dead dogs being kept in a freezer in the store. Patch has written about LoSacco and Just Pups before, when the store was named as potentially in violation of the Pet Purchase Protection Act, designed to prevent the sale of sick puppies.State inspectors say LoSacco failed to prevent the spread of infection at his East Brunswick store, and failed to provide proper veterinary care. He allowed sick puppies to mingle with new puppies. As a result, illnesses ran rampant and animals were unnecessarily exposed to giardia, distemper, upper respiratory infections and other infectious diseases.

Even humans were at risk from the germs and diseases crawling inside Just Pups, the state said. Several dogs died after being purchased from the store, the state said. Most shockingly, three dead dogs were being kept in a freezer within the premises. All of those dogs were sent to the State of New Jersey Department of Agriculture for a necropsy, or an autopsy on an animal. Other dogs recently purchased from Just Pups were deemed to be sick and unfit for sale when examined by outside veterinarians.‘Highly likely more animal cruelty charges will be filed’The NJSPCA has been working on this case since January 22, in cooperation with the Middlesex County Department of Health and the New Jersey Department of Health. Since the beginning of this case, Middlesex County and the state have temporarily shut down Just Pups on four separate occasions.LoSacco owns and operates four other pet shops in New Jersey, in Paramus, East Hanover and Emerson.“We are dealing with a fairly large population of animals at multiple locations.

I cannot stress enough, this is an ongoing investigation and it is highly likely that more animal cruelty charges will be filed,” said SPCA president Steve Shatkin. Bissell Carpet Cleaner Not SuctioningJust Pups closed by restraining orderOn Monday the NJSPCA filed a motion in East Brunswick Municipal Court seeking a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to temporarily close Just Pups. Light A Lightbulb With A Lemon BatteryEast Brunswick Judge Robyn K. Brown granted that TRO, which will remain in effect until further notice. Bed Bug Mattress Cover Rite AidA voice recording at the store said it was closed for “interior improvements.”The animal cruelty charges filed against LoSacco carry fines in the neighborhood of $100,000.The charges were filed in East Brunswick Municipal Court and a hearing date has been set for March 7 at 9:00 a.m.

Monday, Tuesday & Friday: 12:00 pm-3:00 pmWednesday: 12:00 pm-7:30 pmThursday: 11:00:am-1:00 pmSaturday: 12:00 pm-3:00 pmSunday: 12:00 pm-3:00 pmOther hours by appointment 732-248-7278Emergencies after hours or weekends please call 732-248-7400 Located at the Municipal Complex, the Edison Animal Shelter serves Metuchen, Piscataway, Dunellen, Scotch Plains, and Edison. If you have lost a pet or are looking for a new pet, please call or visit the shelter. Please note that the selection of dogs and cats available for adoption change on a daily basis. Visit the shelter to confirm availability of the pet you are interested in. The shelter always has a great selection of companions, and the purr-fect one is probably waiting just for you. Make pet adoption your first option for the millions of wonderful animals awaiting adoption at independent, community sheltersProtect your family from rabies Animal Shelter Wishlist ASPCA: How to get rid of fleas For:Dogs  For: Cats

ASPCA: How to get rid of ticks For: Dogs   For: Cats  Dog Bite Prevention  Recommendations for Dog Guardians Number of lives saved in New Jersey in the last year: Edison, New Jersey 08817Avenel puppy store shut down, owner arrested on December 29, 2015 at 6:00 AM, updated AVENEL — A puppy shop owner who has had previous brushes with animal protection authorities was arrested Sunday for allegedly continuing to sell dogs even after a court order barring him from doing so. Rocco Garruto, 63, of Bridgewater, was charged with a single count of contempt of court. Police say he is the owner of Fancy Pups, a Saint Georges Avenue pet shop which is currently barred from selling dogs after an order of the Woodbridge municipal court. Township authorities said Fancy Pups was selling dogs that were "clearly unhealthy and unfit for sale." An inspection of the facility earlier this month led to the discovery of animals who were forced to live in feces- and urine-soaked shredded newspapers, without access to water and with flies buzzing around the customer area, police said.

After that inspection, a court order from Woodbridge required Garruto and several employees to stop selling, purchasing or transferring dogs, but Garruto continued to do so — this time, from Crystal Auto Sales, also on Saint Georges Avenue and also owned by Garruto, police said. Police said they found three dogs at the auto sales location. Garruto could not be reached for comment. Ten dogs were surrendered on Christmas Eve, and three more on Sunday. Some went to a boxer rescue, and others are being treated at a veterinarian that the town has a contract with, township spokesman John Hagerty said in an email. They were suffering from a variety of ailments, including giardia, malnutrition and parvovirus, township officials said.  reported that the Garruto and two employees were charged with a number of health code and animal cruelty violations. A Scotch Plains veterinarian was also charged with offenses related to the care of animals, the news outlet reported.