A court in New York has temporarily banned the Shake A Paw pet stores on Long Island from buying any more puppies after New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the stores last week for allegedly selling sick dogs from puppy mills.
The stores, located in Lynbrook and Hicksville, are allowed to sell the puppies they already have, but an independent veterinarian has to sign off on the dogs’ health.
“Shake A Paw will no longer be able to defraud consumers into purchasing sick or injured puppies,” James said in a statement. “No family should ever experience the pain of bringing home a sick puppy, and no puppy should endure mistreatment and neglect, which is why we are shutting down the puppy mill pipeline to Shake A Paw.”
The judge also froze the stores’ bank accounts. James said the families who bought sick dogs deserve financial compensation.
Lawyers for the stores have disputed the Attorney General’s allegations.
Anyone who thinks they bought a sick pet from Shake A Paw can file a complaint on the Attorney General’s website, or by calling 1-800-771-7755.