The owner of Jurassic Pets, a Thornton pet store, was convicted of 18 counts of animal cruelty Friday in Adams County Court.
Kenneth Kubic, 61, was charged in March 2015 after Thornton police investigated complaints that he neglected the animals in his store. In a two-day trial, witnesses said kittens, hedgehogs, reptiles and rodents were confined in unsanitary conditions without food, water and veterinary care. Some of the animals died.
“They had no fat, no muscle,” said assistant district attorney Jess Redman in a news release. “They were so neglected that their bodies began to consume themselves.”
One customer, Rebecca Lacey, testified that her son cried when he saw how the animals lived.
Denver Zoo vice president Scott Larson testified that some of the animals were so dehydrated and emaciated that they had to be euthanized. He said that it typically would take weeks or months for animals to be in that condition.
Kubic will be sentenced June 29.
His son, 22-year-old Brian Kubic, pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty in April. He’ll be sentenced June 1.
Kubic’s wife, 54-year-old Lynn Kubic, will go on trial June 16 on animal cruelty charges.
