Construction damage forces small business to close on Black Friday

Animal Pantry on Cross Bay Blvd was hit with a vacate order this past Friday due to construction behind the building damaging their foundation.

Great timing! It's called Black Friday because small businesses are generally running "in the red" up until the day after Thanksgiving, when they make a bundle off holiday shoppers, which pushes them "into the black" on their balance sheets.

All to build another cookie cutter piece of crap. For shame.

Dope sets himself on fire trying to torch pet store

From CBS 2:

A Queens pet store became the target of a firebomb attack, but the alleged arsonist made an embarrassing mistake.

As CBS2’s Tony Aiello reported, a chair was charred in the attack on the Grand Avenue Pet Shop in Maspeth, but the birds didn’t burn, and the people fast asleep upstairs were safe.

“It would have just incinerated quick! This would have been a big, big, big fire!” store owner Jose Cardona said.

The blaze would have been massive if not for Cardona, who stayed late Sunday to care for a cat as it delivered three kittens.

He was able to grab a hose after a man wearing hoodie threw a Molotov cocktail at the door of the pet shop.

“I didn’t panic. I can’t panic,” Cardona said.

He quickly doused the flames, and prevented major damage to the Maspeth landmark where people who raise and race pigeons, including Mike Tyson, have gathered for decades.

Shady puppy store closing!

According to this post from Craigslist, Metro Puppy, a Forest Hills pet store whose reputation is less than stellar, is closing down. Hip, hip, hooray!

Firehouse on chopping block rescues 30 pets from fire

From the Daily News:

Firefighters stormed into a burning Queens pet shop on Monday in time to rescue 30 cats and dogs, officials said.

U.S. Pet Discounts on Steinway St. in Astoria was closed for Memorial Day, which presented responding units with an obstacle - the store's metal "rolldown" doors were closed.

"We had to cut the gates, cut the locks and force our way in," said Lt. Jerome Farrell of Ladder 116.

Once inside, Ladder 116 firefighters were hit with heavy smoke, but they quickly found the source of the blaze, in the back of the store, Farrell said.

Members of Engine 262 fought the flames, while other firefighters, including those from the newly arrived Engine 263, grabbed animal cages and rushed the frightened animals out into the fresh air.

Happy ending for Lola

I found out that Lola the dog is back with her rightful owner. The people in possession of the dog handed it over last night at the McDonald's on Myrtle in exchange for the promised $500 reward.

Shady pet store sold lost dog

From Craigslist:

On Friday May 7th a Female French bulldog named Lola from Glendale N.Y. ran out of her home on 74th street. Lola was found by a woman immediately, this woman brought Lola to Metro Puppy on Metropolitan Avenue, in Forest Hills, NY because she did not know what to do with her.

On Saturday, May 8th Metro Puppy in Forest Hills, N.Y sold the dog to a family -

When the the finder (the woman) spotted 1 of the thousands of fliers posted in Glendale, she ran back to Metro Puppy on Saturday in order to get Lola back, - she was told "we sold her already".

Lola was sold without paper work. Lola is also MICROCHIPPED. Lola also has entropion, which is painful with out drops - this can also lead to blindness if not addressed properly. She was too young for surgery, and the family was waiting for her to reach the 6 month mark.

CALL 646-361-0163 IF YOU HAVE SEEN LOLA, OR MAY KNOW WHERE SHE IS.

**** There is a reward for Lola's safe return to her family ****

People, if you find a dog, dial 311 and file a FOUND report. Hold the dog or contact a local rescue group in the area for help.

And this was not part of the post, but I found this out later: Both the 104th Precinct and 112th Precinct have refused to take a report.