NYS Settles With Pet Store Over Deceptive Advertising Of Animals

HARTSDALE, NY — New York State has settled with the owner of a Hudson Valley pet store that was accused of falsely advertising that it specialized in selling responsibly bred animals. Attorney General Letitia James announced Friday that Deborah Koehler, owner of Westchester Puppies & Kittens in Hartsdale will pay a civil penalty of $7,500 and is prohibited from making false representations about the quality of breeders and kennels from which she obtains animals for sale.

James said that deceptive marketing and advertising will never be tolerated, including for the sale of animals.

"Not only were consumers lie to about the origins of their pets, but also the health and wellness of the beloved animals they were bringing into their homes," she said.

"We will continue to crackdown on any and every abuse of animals," James said.

Westchester Puppies & Kittens, located at 26 South Central Avenue in Hartsdale, advertised on its website and on social media that it sells "home-raised" animals and only deals with "certified breeders," authorities said.

The store's website stated, "Our puppies and kittens are home-raised and responsibly bred for temperament and good congenital health," and also states that the store specialized in the sale of healthy puppies and kittens from certified breeders.

The attorney general's office started an investigation in 2018 after receiving numerous complaints from consumer who bought pets from the store that required treatment for illnesses commonly associated with animals bred at puppy mills, such as kennel cough, giardia, distemper and parvovirus.

The investigation found that Westchester Puppies & Kittens acquired the animals it sold to the public from commercial breeders and puppy mills One breeder — Kuddly Kritters of Atkins, Nebraska — had been repeatedly cited by USDA inspectors for poor and unsanitary conditions in its breeding operations, according to the attorney general's office.

Employees of the store were also found to have made false representations to customers about the breeding of the animals for sale, leading them to believe they would be buying a healthier animal than from any other pet dealer, authorities said.

During the course of the attorney general’s investigation, Westchester Puppies & Kittens removed from its website and social media false and deceptive language about the breeding of animals its sells. The store no longer claims that it sells animals that are “home raised” and obtained from “certified breeders.” It has also instructed its employees not to make such claims. The settlement ensures that these practices will be followed going forward.

The settlement with Westchester Puppies & Kittens is the latest in the Attorney General’s ongoing Animal Protection Initiative, which was launched in May 2013. The initiative seeks to help consumers and animals alike by cracking down on animal cruelty, shutting down criminal animal fighting rings and bringing to justice those who unscrupulously sell animals to unsuspecting consumers. The Initiative is comprised of Investigators and Assistant Attorneys General from around the state, the OAG's Regional Offices, the Consumer Fraud Bureau, the Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau, the Organized Crime Task Force and the Investigations Bureau.

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