Los Angeles Sues Wagmor Pets Over Puppy Sales Practices
City attorneys allege the rescue bought dogs from commercial breeders and sold them for up to $2,000, while the owner claims the case repeats previously dismissed claims.
By Valentina Rojas ·
The City of Los Angeles filed a lawsuit against Wagmor Pets, a dog rescue organization favored by celebrities. The complaint alleges the group operated a puppy laundering scheme by purchasing animals from commercial breeders and puppy mills rather than rescuing them from shelters or abandonment.
According to the filing, Wagmor Pets then sold these dogs to the public as rescue pets. The suit asserts that consumers intended to support non-profit rescues were instead funding the commercial breeding industry they hoped to avoid.
City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto's office released a statement outlining the legal basis for the action. The document notes that the business misrepresented the origin of the animals to buyers who believed they were providing homes to saved pets.
Kim Sill, a board member at Shelter Hope Pet Shop, stated that her organization has received complaints about Wagmor Pets for years. Sill pointed to California law, which sets a maximum fee of $500 for rescue dogs. She said Wagmor Pets often charged more than $2,000 and manipulated financial records to disguise the flow of funds.
The owner of Wagmor Pets denies the allegations. She described the lawsuit as a repetition of older claims that were previously litigated and dismissed in court. In a social media post, she declared the allegations untrue and stated the business would prove its case in court, similar to previous proceedings.
Source: WTVD
