Milo is a 14-pound rat terrier who spent his days at Dogtopia in Mount Kisco, New York, the way any pet owner trusts a daycare to treat their dog: with basic decency. Instead, according to the Westchester SPCA, video allegedly shows a Dogtopia employee, Cole Kamrath, slamming the senior dog onto a grooming table again and again during a routine nail trim, until Milo collapsed and lost consciousness. Milo's owners only realized something was wrong when he stopped walking normally, slept constantly, and refused to eat. A veterinarian who examined him found bruising across his torso consistent with recent trauma.

Kamrath is due in Mount Kisco Court on September 24 to face animal cruelty charges. Dogtopia says it fired him and alerted police as soon as the conduct was identified, but firing one employee after the fact does nothing to stop the next dog from being hurt behind closed doors.

We're asking the Westchester County District Attorney's Office to pursue the maximum charges the law allows against Kamrath, and we're calling on New York state lawmakers to strengthen penalties for animal cruelty committed by paid caretakers, whose victims can't call for help themselves. We're also asking Dogtopia and every pet daycare and grooming business like it to commit to visible camera monitoring and stricter staff screening, so no owner has to wonder what's happening to their pet while they're away.

Milo is recovering, but he shouldn't have had to survive this at all. Sign the petition to demand real accountability, for Milo and for every dog left in someone else's care.