LA City Sues Dog Rescue Over Puppy Sales

The City of Los Angeles filed a lawsuit on Wednesday accusing Wagmor Pets of operating a puppy laundering scheme. The city claims the organization bought hundreds, and potentially thousands, of dogs from commercial breeders and puppy mills. It then sold those animals to buyers who believed they were adopting rescue pets.

City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto’s office issued a press release detailing the allegations. The statement noted that consumers thought they were supporting rescue efforts. In reality, the city argues those buyers funded the commercial breeding industry they hoped to avoid. The suit seeks to address this financial disconnect.

Kim Sill, a board member at Shelter Hope Pet Shop, said she received complaints from the public for years. She pointed to California state law, which sets a $500 limit for rescue dogs. Sill stated that Wagmor Pets charged well over $2,000 per animal. She also claimed the business manipulated its books to hide where the funds went, a practice she described as illegal.

The owner of Wagmor Pets denied any misconduct. She called the new lawsuit a repetition of older claims that had already been litigated and dismissed in previous rounds. The owner took to social media to respond to the news. She posted that the allegations were untrue and promised to prove her case in court, similar to the previous legal battles.

The dispute centers on how the organization sourced its animals and how it priced them. The city wants to hold the business accountable for its financial practices. The owner plans to contest the claims in the coming court proceedings.