The New York Attorney General's office wants to shut down a local pet store, accusing them of neglect and illegal activity.

Pet Zone in the Poughkeepsie Galleria is just one of four New York pet stores that are being targeted by acting Attorney General, Barbara Underwood. According to a press release, Underwood claims that Pet Zone has been selling sick dogs without getting them checked out by veterinarians first. The store is also accused of falsifying records.

The owners of Pet Zone, Theodore and Sheila Bell, operate stores in the Poughkeepsie Galleria, Watertown, Albany and Queensbury. Prosecutors allege that the Bells instructed employees to give the sick dogs medication instead of taking them to a vet. Paperwork was then forged to hide the fact that the animals were drugged before being sold.

The store is also accused of failing to reimburse customers when their dogs became ill after bringing them home. According to the "pet lemon law" stores must return money paid for sick pets within 14 days of purchase.

The store is also alleged to have engaged in shady business practices. Customers say they were forced to pay $99.95 for "PetKey" enrollment which is supposed to track the animals medical history. The AG says drugs and medication given to the pets were not included in the registry, making the purchase meaningless. Customers were also falsely led to believe that their puppies were registered with the American Kennel Club when they weren't.

Pet Zone has been temporarily banned from acquiring any new pets to sell. The Attorney General's office is seeking to completely ban the company from ever being able to sell live animals in New York State again.

For those looking for a responsible place to get a family pet, there are plenty of dogs available for adoption at reputable rescue organizations throughout the Hudson Valley. Pets Alive is just one of many no kill animal shelters that have an abundance of healthy pets  desperately in need of a good home.

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