Diana Stevens is seen her in her March 8, 2024, arrest. Police said she beat up cats and dogs at her Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming location. (Screenshot: Sarasota Police Department; mug shot: Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office)
While digging into a financial crimes investigation at an animal grooming salon, investigators learned that the owner allegedly had a history of abusing the cats and dogs in her care, according to cops in Sarasota, Florida.
“This is all a bunch of bulls—,” the defendant, Diana Stevens, 41, told officers Friday in police body camera footage.
But the probable cause affidavit from cops said that not only do they have witness statements, but surveillance footage showing her roughing up animals.
“Stevens finally gets the noose around the dog’s neck, tightens it all the way and then yanks the dog up by the noose,” police wrote regarding footage dated Aug. 16, 2023. “The dog is hanging by its neck in the air, she hits the dog twice and the dog spins around in the air.”
Officers described the dog urinating itself out of fear during the incident.
“She’s lying to you,” Stevens said Friday. “All these people are lying.”
Officers arrested her for five felony counts of aggravated animal abuse and five misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, they said.
The probable cause affidavit said that detectives had originally been speaking to former employees at Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming in Sarasota regarding a financial crimes case.
Witness 1, however, said he saw Stevens abuse animals she was grooming in the store.
“Stevens would smack and hit dogs,” police wrote. “She was rough with cats and would hit them.”
She allegedly jerked cats around and flipped them over, and she tethered them as well.
“Witness #1 stated tethering a cat could cause the cat’s neck to break,” authorities said. “Stevens would also grab the dogs by the scruff out of frustration and she was aggressive with them while she groomed them. Witness #1 stated some of the customers complained that their dogs were acting differently when they brought them home.”
Stevens and another employee also purchased puppies to sell. This included French bulldogs, who were kept in a small kennel in unsanitary conditions, living in their own urine and feces.
Witness 2 told a similar story: Stevens abused animals. Incidents included her getting upset with a tan goldendoodle.
“This dog is a piece of s—,” Stevens allegedly said.
According to the employee, Stevens punched the canine several times in the ribs and abdomen while yelling, “f— you.”
The witness said she stepped in, and later that night, Stevens apologized in a text message, according to documents.
There was allegedly another incident of picking up a cat by the scruff and slamming it multiple times into the table as well grabbing it by the head and slamming the head into the table, authorities said, citing Witness 2. Witness 4 intervened, documents stated.
Another former employee, Witness 3, said while working there, she saw Stevens abuse animals. For example, a small red goldendoodle urinated on itself because it was afraid of the blow-dryer.
In rewashing the canine, Stevens allegedly grabbed it by the scruff, and threw it into a tub, pinned the dog down, and forced the blow-dryer into its face.
“The dog became so afraid, it defecated itself and had to be washed again,” police wrote. “At this point, an employee intervened and took over washing the dog because Stevens was getting aggressive with the dog.”
From police:
Anyone with information on this case is asked to email Detective Sullivan at [email protected] or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS or online at www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com
The corporate office for Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming said in a statement obtained by Law&Crime that Stevens was a franchisee, and the company has ended its franchise agreement with her.
Their statement:
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 Police 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.
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