Long Island pet store owners knowingly sold hundreds of sick and injured puppies, including some that died days after they were purchased, under a settlement announced Friday by New York's attorney general. He was charged with paying $300,000 to about 200 customers.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed in December 2021 by Attorney General Letitia James, in which an investigation by her office found that a store called Shake-A-Paw was run by a so-called puppy mill. This comes after it was discovered that the company had been purchasing and selling puppies. Reputation for abuse, inbreeding, and unclean conditions.
James' investigation found that the store and its owners, Marc Jacobs and Gerald O'Sullivan, failed to disclose the animals' serious medical conditions and illegally reimbursed customers for veterinary costs incurred after selling sick pets. It turned out that he had refused. on court documents.
In addition to repaying the $300,000, Jacobs and O'Sullivan will stop misleading advertising that the puppies sold by Shake-A-Paw are the “healthiest” and come from “the most trusted breeders.” We agreed on that. Purchase animals only from reputable breeders. The company is also required to disclose information to customers proving the health status of the puppies, according to court documents.
Under a law passed in 2022, all pet stores in New York will be prohibited from selling dogs, cats and rabbits starting in December.
Shake-A-Paw's attorney, Richard Hamburger, declined to comment late Friday.
Erin Ruxton, who bought Merlin, a Chihuahua-dachshund mix, at Shake-A-Paw in 2020, called the settlement a “huge relief.” According to court documents, Ruxton said Marlin started coughing the day she brought him home from Shake-A-Paw and died five weeks later from a respiratory illness.
“I feel like we were able to get justice for this poor pup,” Ruxton said in a statement, adding, “While I miss my pup every day, I am proud to have been a part of this process. ” he added.
Shake-A-Paw has locations in Hicksville and Lynbrook, both of which opened in 1994, according to court documents. Customers paid an average of $2,500 to $8,000 for each puppy, on top of which the attorney general's office says they paid hundreds of dollars in unnecessary additional goods and services.
The lawsuit alleges that from 2016 to 2021, James filed 99 complaints from Shake-A-Paw customers alleging that they were sold puppies with serious injuries, congenital or genetic conditions, or infectious diseases. The place said it had received it. James' office said similar complaints were also received by the New York Better Business Bureau.
One customer's puppy died six days after a Shake-A-Paw employee said the pet was “fine,” according to court documents. The other person was hospitalized with severe double pneumonia just two days after purchasing it. Some customers said they spent thousands of dollars on veterinary bills within days or weeks after purchasing puppies from Shake-A-Paw, according to court documents.
An analysis of veterinary records from more than 400 puppies sold by Shake-A-Paw by the Attorney General's Office found that more than half had upper respiratory infections or other respiratory illnesses (sometimes both). It turned out that he had been infected with a parasite.
Shake-A-Paw also refused to reimburse customers for veterinary treatment for pets that were already sick at the time of sale, James said in a news release.
Shake-A-Paw also lied about where it got the puppies it sold. The store claimed on its website that it worked with “the most trusted breeders” and handpicked “the very best puppies,” but financial records show that only thousands of puppies from known puppy mills were sold. It turns out that it was shipped to Shake-A-Paw's owner.
Meghan Huber bought a 3-pound Shih Tzu at Shake-A-Paw in 2014 and named her Mei-Mei. In her Friday interview, she said she was glad her store and its owner were finally being held accountable for the pain they caused her. others.
Hoover said Meimei started having trouble breathing a few days after she was brought home. For two years, she was in and out of the veterinary hospital for treatment of various illnesses and congenital abnormalities. She died in Mr. Hoover's arms just before her second birthday.
Huber, 35, talked about trying to get compensation from Shake-A-Paw for selling a sick puppy.
“Dogs are our children,” she said. “We want what's best for them. We wanted the best for Mei Mei. We loved her with all of our hearts.”
