Friday, December 21, 2007
Pet store owner accused of selling sick puppies
MIAMI (WSVN) -- Authorities seized a pet store after the owner is accused of selling sick puppies.
According to officials, 52-year-old Julie Soutullo, owner of Poochie Koochie in Aventura, has not followed Florida's Pet Lemon Law. Soutullo is being accused of bringing puppies from puppy mills in South America. Experts say puppies that cost $10 in Argentina, can be sold here for a $1,000. "This woman has a history of selling sick animals and just tearing people's families apart. It's horrible. And we're very pleased today to be here and be in the process of just shutting her down," said Kathleen Labrada, Animal Services Investigator.
Soutullo was selling animals without the official certificate of veterinary inspection, officials said. One of her clients, Lee Aken says he bought a puppy for his children from Soutullo, and it died a day and a half later. "And devastating. I mean, here you bring home a puppy. They want to play with it. They're looking at it and they can't get near it. I'm keeping it alive, i'm keeping it away from them because there's something wrong," said Aken. At the pet store, agents say they found medicine for treating sick puppies.
The Department of Revenue seized boxes of records and computers. According to the search warrant, the state suspects the failure to pay sales tax, file returns and the filing of false or fraudulent returns.
Authorities say before Soutullo opened Poochie Koochie, she operated Dixie Pups. Both businesses have generated multiple complaints.
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