Sick Puppies

Nearly 65 poor sick little doggies and kitties had to be rescued from a pet store in Santa Ana where they were allegedly being mistreated, The Register reported today.

Santa Ana animal control officers reportedly found 56 dogs, 22 rabbits, six cats, and one guinea pig suffering from various conditions including scabies, dehydration and respiratory infections during the inspection of Village Pets pet store on Friday. The sick animals were then taken to the Orange County Animal Shelter to be treated.

An officer with the Santa Ana police reported that nearly 50 puppies had been crammed in a display case at the store's front, even after the air-conditioning system had been broken for two days and temperatures in the cages ranged from 94 to 101 degrees.

During the inspection, several overcrowded kennels were found littered with urine and feces and lacking clean water.

The store's owner Shahram Behafarin will have to appear in court for a hearing in October on 85 misdemeanor counts of animal neglect and will appear in the Santa Ana Police Department on Thursday for a hearing to determine if the animals were removed legitimately. If they are found to have been improperly removed, Behafarin will be able to reclaim them.

Village Pets is located at 3396 S. Bristol St. near West Alton Avenue in Santa Ana.