Officials said they found three dead dogs inside a freezer at Just Pups in East Brunswick.
EAST BRUNSWICK -- The owner of an East Brunswick pet store charged with 267 counts of animal cruelty claimed his innocence in a YouTube video posted on Thursday.
The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals handed Vincent LoSacco, owner of Just Pups on Route 18, 40 separate summonses Feb. 29 after officials discovered conditions at the store led to animals getting sick.
Several dogs had died after they were purchased from Just Pups and three dead dogs were found in a freezer at the store, according to the NJSPCA, the law enforcement agency tasked with investigating acts of animal cruelty.
But, in a video posted on YouTube, LoSacco -- who owns and operates four pet stores throughout New Jersey -- cleared himself and his staff of any wrongdoing, and even accused the NJSPCA officer who issued the summonses of targeting him.
"Neither myself, nor any of my staff in East Brunswick, nor any of my staff anywhere, has ever committed any acts of cruelty or neglect to any of the puppies in my store," LoSacco said in the nearly 10-minute video.
And the goal of the officer who issued the summonses, LoSacco said, "was to close my East Brunswick store down permanently."
LoSacco was due to appear Monday morning in municipal court in East Brunswick. But, according to a report on MyCentralJersey.com, the hearing has been postponed and no new court date has been scheduled.
Just Pups has been closed after the NJSPCA obtained a temporary restraining order from Judge Robyn K. Brown that bars the store from re-opening to the public. The store has been temporarily closed four times since officials began investigating it on Jan. 22.
LoSacco faces up to $100,000 in fines and is likely to face additional charges, the NJSPCA said.
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.