TheIndyChannel.com
Controversial Dog Seller Now Center Of Criminal Investigation
State, County Authorities Inspect Animals, Seize 1
POSTED: 8:20 pm EST November 25, 2008
UPDATED: 9:17 pm EST November 25, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS -- A woman who promised to shut down her dog-selling business following more than 40 complaints about the health of the animals is now the center of a criminal investigation.State and county officials searched the Owen County property of Tammy Gilchrist on Monday, examining animals and removing one,
Call 6's Rafael Sanchez reported. They also took business records related to her dog-selling business.
Had Dealings With Tammy Gilchrist?: Contact Call 6 For Help
Numerous customers said they
paid Gilchrist, who operated under several assumed names, for puppies that were sick or were never delivered, or for kennel papers that were never provided.In many cases, the animals had parvovirus, scabies, ringworm or were infested with fleas.There is a nationwide push to hold people who sell sick animals. Eighteen states currently have a pet lemon law, which allows customers to get a refund or repayment of veterinary bills when a dog becomes sick or dies shortly after it was sold.Indiana could join that list because of Rep.
Trent van Haaften, a Democrat representing Mount Vernon, Ind. He and his wife, Beverly van Haaften, bought a schnoodle from Gilchrist that died three days later."I think animals need to be protected, and I think people who take advantage of animals and people who love animals need to be stopped," Beverly van Haaften said.
When Call 6 recently sent volunteers with hidden cameras out to puppy shop, Gilchrist said she planned to open a pet store."We'll be opening our store in January," Gilchrist said. "We're thinking about Bloomington."The state sued Gilchrist in March 2006 in a suit that is still pending. At the time she agreed to a court order that required her not to misrepresent the health of animals she was selling.
Recent complaints indicated that Gilchrist has strayed from the deal. A court gave state and county authorities permission to examine the Owen County property and puppies on Monday."The investigators felt it was good they were there," said Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter. "There certainly is evidence that warrants investigative work to see if they fit criminal arena. If they do, we will bring charges."Call 6 was unable to reach Gilchrist's attorney on Tuesday about the criminal investigation, but last week he told Call 6 he expected the attorney general's lawsuit to be dismissed in the near future. Carter said his office has no plans to drop the case.
TheIndyChannel.com
Troubled Dog Seller Still In Business
Woman Had Said She Would Quit Selling Dogs
POSTED: 11:45 am EST November 24, 2008
UPDATED: 8:52 pm EST November 24, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS -- A woman who promised to shut down her dog-selling business following numerous complaints about the health of the animals was still in business in recent months under several assumed names.
Nearly three years after the state filed suit against Tammy Gilchrist, she was still selling dogs -- some of them ill, Call 6's Rafael Sanchez reported.
Had Dealings With Tammy Gilchrist?: Contact Call 6 For Help
Customers all over the country have spent thousands of dollars on veterinary bills in hopes of saving gravely ill puppies. Blake Brownlee said he racked up $1,300 in vet bills after he bought a Pomeranian puppy, Bella, from Gilchrist and her business, Kritter Heaven. Within days, Brownlee took Bella to four vets to keep her alive. "She was almost going to die. She actually had to be hooked up to an IV drip line," Brownlee said.
Bella was diagnosed with parvovirus, a highly contagious intestinal virus that is frequently deadly. A veterinarian said Bella had been exposed to parvovirus before Brownlee bought her and hadn't been properly vaccinated, in spite of Gilchrist's promises.
"Not in a million years would I dream what I was about to go through," Brownlee said. Melissa Grimes said she spent $1,500 to save her pocket beagle from fleas, ringworm and scabies. "It was so bad that my vet pretty much knew my phone number," she said.
Forty-three other customers shared similar stories with Call 6. All said they paid Gilchrist for puppies that were sick or were never delivered, or for kennel papers that were never provided.
After a
Call 6 investigation in February, Gilchrist sent an e-mail that said she was shutting down the business. Her business partner, Wally Workman, also said they planned to close up shop. "We got overwhelmed. That's why we're shutting down," Workman said. "We're done. It's too much." Gilchrist was found back in business within the last two months when Call 6 sent volunteers with hidden cameras out to puppy shop. She was seen on hidden camera in three separate meetings over five weeks. "We rescue, so you're in the right market. Yeah, these are all rescues," Gilchrist said during one of the hidden camera encounters. "We've been doing it since the '80s." In each encounter, Gilchrist asked would-be buyers to meet her at a gas station in Stilesville or Plainfield in hopes of exchanging canines for cash.
Each time, Gilchrist -- who used the name Stacey Picas in her ads -- was there. Other names her business recently used to sell a wide array of dog breeds at a variety of prices include Ernest Woods, Dottie's Antiqs and Tricounty.
When Sanchez confronted Gilchrist, she denied she is Tammy Gilchrist and denied selling sick dogs. "I'm Stacey Picas," Gilchrist said. When asked why she was again selling dogs, Gilchrist said, "I'm not." Beverly van Haaften, who bought a dog from Gilchrist that died of parvovirus, said she's disheartened that Gilchrist is still in business. "We've got to be able to do something … to keep this from happening over and over and over again," van Haaften said.
Gilchrist's attorney said she is now selling dogs with health certificates from veterinarians. Of the 50 complaints Call6 has confirmed, Gilchrist has refunded the money, provided the dogs or provided kennel papers for seven customers.