INDIANAPOLIS -- City officials will decide Jan. 10 on the fate of a south Indianapolis pet store that is accused of keeping its animals in poor conditions and selling them with health problems.

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Officials Mull Fate Of Store Accused Of Selling Sick Dogs

A hearing on whether the city should permanently shut down Nut & Butt Puppys (pictured, left), located in the 7200 block of U.S. 31 South, was held Friday at the City-County Building.

The store has been closed since Dec. 19, when animal control officers confiscated 20 dogs. Authorities suspended the store's license that week, alleging that the business kept its dogs in health-threatening conditions.

The store is accused by investigators of selling sick animals. Officers said nearly one in every six dogs sold had a serious illness or died.

At Friday's hearing, some of the store's customers told members of the city's licensing board they spent hundreds of dollars in veterinarians' bills to treat their new pets.

Investigators said several dogs confiscated from the store Dec. 19 were suffering from respiratory infections and other effects of living in unhealthy conditions. The dogs were taken from cages full of animal waste, investigators said.

Officers said the care and treatment were the worst they had seen at a pet store.

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.