Iowa files lawsuit to shut down alleged puppy-laundering ring against 'pet rescue' groups accused of exporting designer dogs to other states
- Iowa state has filed a lawsuit to shut down an alleged puppy laundering ring
- One non-profit sold 1,290 puppies for $714, 510 over an almost two year period
- Officials want Hobo K9 Rescue and Rescue Pets permanently shut down for abusing their authorities under Iowa’s nonprofit laws
- J.A.K.'s puppies got the animals from puppy mills and sold them to Hobo K9
Iowa Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit to shut down a national puppy laundering ring that sells dogs from illegal breeding operations at inflated prices.
The office said it filed a lawsuit on Monday against breeder J.A.K.'s Puppies, and nonprofits Hobo K9 Rescue and Rescue Pets Iowa Corp.
The lawsuit also alleges four people - Jolyn Noethe, Kimberly Dolphin, Megan Peterson, and Russell Kirk - violated Iowa's consumer fraud act.
J.A.K.'S Puppies in Iowa (pictured) acquired the animals from puppy mills then sold them to Hobo K9, which sold them for profit, the lawsuit said
Kirk is the president of Rescue Pets, declined to comment to the Des Moines Register. Noethe, Dolphin and Peterson are all officers with Hobo K9 and J.A.K.'s. The newspaper was unable to reach them for comment.
The groups are accused of exporting designer dogs from Iowa to pet shops in other states.
The petition alleges that one of the non-profits, Hobo K9 Rescue of Britt, sold at least 1,290 puppies to eight different entities in California, Illinois, Florida and New Jersey, from September 2016 to July 2018.
The puppies, including Pomeranians, Shar-Peis, Alaskan Malamutes, Poodle-Yorkies and other breeds, were allegedly sold for $714,510.
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said: 'No matter where they live, consumers should not be misled about the source of the pets they buy.
'Puppy laundering obscures the identity of breeders who may have animal welfare violations or other problems.'
Images from Companion Animal Protection Society shows animals at one of the puppy mills that supplies to J.A.K.'s
Dogs for sale at a pet store with a sign on display showing that the canine is from Hobo K-9
A dog is seen here at a puppy mill, which supplies dogs to J.A.K.'s Puppies and Hobo K-9, according to Companion Animal Protection Society which is working with the Iowa Attorney General on the case
The state is seeking $40,000 in fines per violation, plus reimbursement to defrauded customers.
It says the operations sold almost 1,300 animals in California, Illinois, Florida and New Jersey for more than $700,000.
The office said it was asking a judge to permanently dissolve Hobo K9 Rescue and Rescue Pets for abusing their authorities under Iowa’s nonprofit laws.
A warehouse, (pictured) in Iowa owned by for-profit dog dealer J.A.K.'S Puppies houses puppies for transport to stores. After Chicago passed its anti-puppy mill law, J.A.K.'S owners formed the nonprofit Hobo K-9 Rescue.
The lawsuit alleges that one of the non-profits, Hobo K9 Rescue of Britt, sold at least 1,290 puppies to eight different entities in California, Illinois, Florida and New Jersey, from September 2016 to July 2018
The office said it was asking a judge to permanently dissolve Hobo K9 Rescue and Rescue Pets for abusing their authorities under Iowa’s nonprofit laws.
Miller’s office has been investigating the puppy-laundering ring since June 2018.
In response to a subpoena from the AG’s Consumer Protection Division, Hobo K9 said its mission is to 'help unwanted or undesirable canines and/or felines find their forever homes.'
However the AG's office said that Hobo K9 sold pure-bred puppies, not older dogs, to out-of-state pet shops.
In one case, Park Pet Shop in Chicago 'adopted out' a 'rescued' Goldendoodle puppy from Hobo K9 for $3,599.99, according to the lawsuit.
Hobo K9 also transferred money to J.A.K.’s to pay for the puppies.
'Because Defendants Noethe, Dolphin and Peterson are officers in both Defendant Hobo K9 Rescue and Defendant J.A.K.’s Puppies, it appears they must claim to ‘rescue’ puppies from themselves — or from the for-profit puppy mill industry in which they participate,' the lawsuit says.
After the AG’s office began investigating, the defendants started a 'brand-new sham charity' called Rescue Pets Iowa Corp. in December 2018, according to the lawsuit.
Investigators obtained certificates of veterinary inspections from the Iowa Department of Agriculture that show Rescue Pets have exported several purebred and designer puppies to California and other states.
The documents contain the signature of Noethe, showing a link between Rescue Pets and the other defendants.
California’s statewide ban on the sale of puppy mill dogs went into effect January 1, 2019, yet defendants continue to ship their 'rescue' dogs to California using sham entities, the lawsuit alleges.
Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) investigated Hobo K-9 Rescue last year and provided photo evidence to the Iowa Attorney General which it posted on Facebook.
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