Rockville Pet Store Charged With Violating No Puppy Mill Act

ROCKVILLE, MD — A pet store in Rockville has been charged with violating the No Puppy Mills Act, which prohibits the offer for sale of cats and dogs by retail pet stores.

Attorney General Brian Frosh said that Just Puppies — which has locations in Rockville and Towson — switched to an appointment-only model and continued to sell puppies and misled customers about where the puppies were from.

“The intent of the legislature in passing the Puppy Mill Act was clear,” said Frosh in a news release. “Simply shifting to an appointment-only sales model does not exempt stores from this law that was designed to curb the sourcing of animals from irresponsible breeders.”

Just Puppies and its owner, Mitchell Thomson, is also being charged with misleading customers to believe the puppies came from known breeders, which the attorney general said is untrue.

"The respondents represent to consumers that they have a direct relationship with the breeders who supply their dogs, including advertising that '[h]aving a direct relationship with our breeders is what sets us apart. Most of our breeders have been working with us for over 10 years.,'" the charges read. "In fact, in some instances respondents have purchased dogs from online pet exchanges from breeders with whom they have no director longstanding relationship."

Patch has reached out to Mitchell Thomson and will update this story if he responds.