By Elizabeth Ferszt
Contributing Writer
On Sunday May 25, Scott Pienta, owner of The Parlour of Jackson, made a gruesome discovery in the back storage area of the ice cream and specialty shop: a macabre collection of dead and frozen dogs, and other animal parts, such as paws and organs.
Local news outlets from Detroit, Lansing, and Jackson began reporting on this at once, as Pienta himself had gone online almost immediately after calling Animal Control, to get in front of the story and get his version on the record so to speak.
The Jackson County Animal Control, which is part of Jackson County Animal Shelter, began their formal investigation on Tuesday May 27.
According to Pienta, who also owns Jackson Coney Island, and HMN clothing store, “the blame for the dead animals” left in freezers locked in the back storage section of the Parlour, clearly belongs to “the former tenant, Janet Parker.”
Parker was a commercial tenant who was leasing the Parlour building and running a similar business called Sweet Scoops from sometime in 2024 to about Feb. 2025. She also was running a dog kennel and grooming operation over near the Cooper P/S gas station on Cooper Street and Porter St. The ice cream endeavor failed.
Pienta purchased the building in March 2025, from Mark and Tracy Cooley. They closed on March 28. They did a final walk through but did not open or unlock the coolers or freezers in the back storage, as they still had materials and ice cream from Parker.
“She (Parker) never owned the building, she was just trying to lease to buy it, she was just a renter,” said Pienta.
He was told by the Cooleys and by Parker herself that she would be quick about removing her stuff. “We tried to help her out by buying stuff that we could use during the transition,” such as plastic cups and lids, explained Pienta.
He said Parker always had an excuse as to why she couldn’t come over and clean out her stuff in the storage area of the Parlour, a section that is not in any way open to the public nor affecting the business itself. “She would come over and maybe remove one box, and then leave,” Pienta said.
When he asked her to please finish the job, she would text or say, “I’m in Turkey, or Serbia, or Scandinavia.” Pienta was anxious to get the renter to move all the way out so he could get in and do his renovations, clean up, and pass his inspections with the Health Department, which he did.
He knows for certain that the dead animals were there before he purchased the building, because he said he “changed the keys and locks upon [taking] possession” in March. The storage area in question is not an out-building, but part of the Parlour building proper, and can be entered by back of house. Thus Parker would need to coordinate with Pienta to access it after the closing.
He says that over the past week since the horrifying discovery was made, he has received nothing but support from the local business community, and former employees of Parker, who have privately disclosed to him other details of what she was like to work for. “The amount of private direct messages [on Facebook or social media] confirms a lot about her,” said Pienta.
When asked how he feels about the whole debacle, Pienta said, “I was shocked and pissed off at the same time.” What patience he may have extended to the renter has expired, “I have given her multiple times to get her stuff out of here, but she didn’t.” Pienta said in an interview that Parker was supposed to be coming over with a U-Haul type truck on Sunday (June 1) to move the rest of her stuff out. A Parlour employee confirmed on Wednesday that she did come to remove her things on Sunday.
According to an email from Undersheriff Jeremy Barnett, “The Sheriff’s Department is not involved with that investigation. The incident occurred in the City of Jackson. I believe the City of Jackson and Jackson County Animal Control are heading that case.”
“Animal Control was removed from the Sheriff’s Department authority several years ago and now works independently of our agency,” he said.
| Chief Chris Simpson of the Jackson Police Department stated, “We responded upon request of the new ownership. They located numerous dead dogs in one of the freezers. We turned the case over to Animal Control, who took over the scene and the removal of the animals. “I’m sure they have determined the cause of the animal’s death by now and the charges they are seeking for the suspect(s) responsible” Simpson added. |
Pienta says he observed a pattern of excuses and “bizarre behavior” by Parker. “She’s in a world where she doesn’t think this is wrong, or she is above this,” he added.
“My job is to provide a safe and fun family environment to what everybody remembers it like about 20-30 years ago, that’s what I am trying to do,” said Pienta.
Wow so sad , I hope they investigate, find answers, prosecute for each crime n give justice for each fur baby , they have rights too ❤️
She lives down the street from me and my son did some work for her and she won’t pay him all work he did