VIDEO | Bridgeville pet groomer charged with animal cruelty
A Bridgeville man was arrested for animal cruelty after a video posted online showed him abusing and mistreating a dog at a local pet grooming facility.
Officers from the Delaware Division of Public Health’s Office of Animal Welfare (OAW) arrested 43-year-old James Lee Campbell on Monday following an incident that occurred at a pet grooming facility in Bridgeville.
The OAW Delaware Animal Services unit, which enforces statewide animal control and cruelty laws, responded to a report in reference to a video showing an employee at the Pet Emporium in Bridgeville allegedly abusing an animal. Upon investigation, officers identified Campbell as the alleged suspect.
Brittany King, a fellow groomer at Pet Emporium, was in the room at the time of the incident. She posted surviellance footage of the incident to social media.
“I was there when it was happening,” King said. “I was working on my dog and Austin, the dog in the video, his nail started bleeding and Jimmy got mad and threw him in the tub very aggressively. After that you see him take him over to the drying table where Austin freaks out with the dryer and jumps on the floor. Then Jimmy does the spinny thing with the leash, he chokes the dog in a sense.”
King said she “froze” and didn’t know what to do as the situation unfolded. “I was terrified when it happened,” she said.
Campbell was charged with with one count of cruelty to animals by cruel mistreatment, a misdemeanor charge. He was arraigned on Monday and released on his own recognizance pending a court hearing. He has been ordered not to have any physical contact with animals until the case is closed.
