The homeowners of a Long Island pet retailer accused of knowingly promoting tons of of sick and injured puppies, together with some that died days after being purchased, can pay $300,000 to about 200 prospects beneath a settlement introduced by New York’s legal professional basic on Friday.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by the legal professional basic, Letitia James, in December 2021 after an investigation by her workplace decided that the shop, Shake A Paw, was buying and promoting puppies from so-called puppy mills, large-scale business breeders with reputations for abuse, inbreeding and filthy situations.
Ms. James’s inquiry additionally discovered that the shop and its homeowners, Marc Jacobs and Gerard O’Sullivan, had didn’t disclose animals’ critical medical situations and had illegally refused to reimburse prospects for veterinary payments incurred after that they had been bought sick pets, in line with court docket paperwork.
In addition to repaying the $300,000, Mr. Jacobs and Mr. O’Sullivan agreed to cease the shop’s deceptive promoting, together with claims that puppies bought by Shake A Paw have been the “healthiest” and from the “most trusted breeders”; to purchase animals solely from respected breeders; and to supply prospects with disclosures certifying the well being of their puppies, in line with court docket paperwork.
All pet shops in New York shall be prohibited from promoting dogs, cats and rabbits beginning in December beneath a legislation passed in 2022.
The settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing by Shake A Paw, in line with a information launch supplied by Richard Hamburger, a lawyer for the pet retailer, late Friday night time. Shake A Paw would proceed to function in accordance with the legislation, the information launch stated, “which is exactly what it has been doing for the past 30 years.”
The settlement marks the tip of “an otherwise failed lawsuit” and vindicates Shake A Paw, the information launch stated, noting that “there was no consumer fraud” and that the shop was “released from any claims arising from the sale of more than 22,000 puppies” over an eight-year interval.
“Shake A Paw will continue to remain open for business in order to spread joy by uniting adorable puppies with loving New York families,” the discharge stated.
Erin Laxton, who purchased her Chihuahua-dachshund combine, Merlin, at Shake A Paw in 2020, described the settlement as a “huge relief.” Ms. Laxton stated Merlin had begun coughing the day she introduced him home from Shake A Paw and had died of respiratory sicknesses 5 weeks later, in line with court docket paperwork.
“I feel like I was able to get justice for my poor puppy,” Ms. Laxton stated in a press release, including, “I miss my puppy every day, but I am proud to have been part of this process.”
Shake A Paw has areas in Hicksville and Lynbrook, each of which opened in 1994, in line with court docket paperwork. Customers paid $2,500 to $8,000 on common for a puppy, together with what the legal professional basic’s workplace stated have been tons of of {dollars} of pointless extra items and companies.
Ms. James stated within the lawsuit that from 2016 to 2021, her workplace had acquired 99 complaints from Shake A Paw prospects who stated that they had been bought puppies with critical bodily accidents, congenital and hereditary issues or infectious ailments. Similar complaints have been made with the New York Better Business Bureau, in line with Ms. James’s workplace.
One buyer’s puppy died six days after a Shake A Paw worker stated the pet was “fine,” in line with court docket paperwork; one other was hospitalized for extreme double pneumonia simply two days after it had been purchased. Some prospects stated that they had spent hundreds of {dollars} on veterinary payments within the days and weeks after shopping for puppies from Shake A Paw, court docket paperwork present.
An evaluation by the legal professional basic’s workplace of over 400 veterinary information of puppies bought by Shake A Paw discovered that greater than half had higher respiratory infections or different respiration issues — each, in some circumstances — or have been contaminated with parasites.
Shake A Paw additionally refused to reimburse prospects for veterinary care they searched for pets that have been already sick once they have been bought, Ms. James stated in a information launch.
Shake A Paw additionally lied about the place it had obtained the puppies it bought. The retailer claimed on its web site that it labored with “the most trusted breeders” and handpicked “the best of the bunch,” however monetary information confirmed that hundreds of puppies from recognized puppy mills had been shipped to Shake A Paw’s homeowners.
Meaghan Huber purchased a three-pound Shih Tzu that she named Mei Mei at Shake A Paw in 2014. She stated in an interview on Friday that she was glad the shop and its homeowners have been lastly being held accountable for the ache that they had induced her and others.
Ms. Huber stated Mei Mei had begun to have bother respiration simply days after she introduced her home. For two years, Mei Mei was out and in of veterinary hospitals being handled for varied sicknesses and start defects. She died in Ms. Huber’s arms simply earlier than her second birthday.
“It was so horrendous,” Ms. Huber, 35, stated of attempting to get Shake A Paw to compensate her for promoting her a sick puppy.
“Dogs are our children,” she stated. “We want the best for them. We did the best for Mei Mei that we could. We loved her with all of our hearts.”
