Officers: Pet Store's Condition Worst We've Seen

INDIANAPOLIS -- Animal control officers Thursday closed a south Indianapolis dog store that allegedly kept its animals in poor condition.

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Officers: Pet Store's Condition Worst We've Seen

Officers confiscated 20 dogs Thursday from Nut & Butt Puppys, located in the 7200 block of U.S. 31 South, saying the care and treatment there were the worst they've seen at a pet store. The dogs were taken from cages full of animal waste, investigators said.

Investigators said several dogs were suffering from respiratory infections and the effects of living in unhealthy conditions at the store.

The closure came days after investigators made a preliminary visit to the store in early December. During that first visit, officers documented 59 dogs that allegedly were living in health-threatening conditions. Authorities gave the store a few days to improve.

When they returned Thursday to the store, the 20 dogs that remained were living in the same poor conditions, they said.

Officers had received a number of complaints by store customers who said animals they purchased were sick.

An Indianapolis woman told RTV6's Jack Rinehart Thursday that she had spent $500 to buy a dog from the store, and soon afterward spent $600 on medical treatment. The dog eventually died, she said.

The store's owner, identified as Angela Cummings of Clay County, faces 59 citations on accusations of treatment violations. A hearing on the citations is scheduled for Monday in a county environmental court, Rinehart reported.

Animal control officials said they would try to nurse the confiscated dogs back to health.

The business didn't have a license earlier this month, though it had applied for one before Thursday, Rinehart reported. On Friday, officials suspended the license.

A hearing on the license will be held Jan. 3 in Room 118 in the City-County Building in downtown Indianapolis.

Anyone who bought a pet from the store and has complaints about the animal's health can call the animal control division's Sgt. Jerry Bippus at (317) 327-1424.