New York: "Friends of Freddie" rescue group run by Barbara Sanelli being investigated for selling sick puppies

NEW YORK -- It's a pet owner's nightmare: you bring home a new puppy only to find out your new pet is very sick.

It's a problem in one Suffolk County community.

The Suffolk County SPCA and the Attorney General's office both confirm they are investigating Friends of Freddie.

Kristen Addiss was thrilled when she adopted puppy Leila from Friends of Freddie Pet Rescue in Middle Island.

"We noticed she was shaking when we were in the store. We thought, new parents, new everything, we thought she was scared. When we got her home she started coughing," Addiss said.

Turns out it was pneumonia and distemper.

Leila had to be hospitalized.

"We would visit her every day on our lunch break and after work, and it was so hard seeing her get worse and worse," Addiss said.

In the end, Leila had to be put down.

Eyewitness News spoke exclusively with Addiss and three other people who adopted puppies recently through Friends of Freddie.

They say within days or even hours of purchase their pets were gravely ill.

"It's not fair that I thought I was getting a healthy dog and she wasn't healthy from the time I got her," said Kim Kondak, a Shirley resident. "I've had her for a month. She's been sick the whole time."

Amanda Stein says they immediately had to bring Lucy to the vet.

"He discovered she had eight different parasites, kennel cough, upper respiratory infection," Stein said.

Then there's puppy Jax.

His owner tells Eyewitness News that the day after he was adopted he ended up in an animal hospital and died a month later from distemper.

Kenneth Harsch, Jr. showed Eyewitness News a video of his puppy Kody coughing right after he adopted him from Friends of Freddie.

Kody had advanced pneumonia and ended up in the ICU for nearly five days.

"How much money did Kody's treatment cost you?" Eyewitness News asked.

"Overall, about $6,200," Harsch Jr. said.

Friends of Freddie says on its Facebook page that it's a non-profit pet rescue dedicated to finding homes for unwanted dogs and puppies.

Eyewitness News tried to speak at the store with owner Barbara Sanelli.

But the pet owners say they're not going to stop until Friends of Freddie is shut down.

"I've reached out to several other people and we're doing as much we can to make sure this doesn't happen to anybody else," Harsch Jr. said.

The Suffolk SPCA is asking anyone who purchased a sick dog through Friends of Freddie to call them at 631-382-7722.

In 2016, Brookhaven town officials shut down what they called an "illegal shelter" that had nearly 150 dogs and cats. The news report stated it was cited for several hazards, including blocked exits, non-working fire alarms and mold.

(ABC7NY - April 10, 2017)

New York: Lisa Birdsall is accused of adopting out sick pets and sticking new owners with thousands of dollars in vet bills

NEW YORK -- A northern Westchester animal rescue operation is under fire for allegedly adopting out sick pets and sticking new owners with thousands of dollars in vet bills.

Alleged victims are still coming forward with videos and pictures of sick animals which they say were adopted from the mobile non-profit, "Recycled Paws Rescue."

Four years ago, Bob Pidgeon and Kyle McCarthy, of Cortland Manor, adopted McGee, a Shepard mix, from the non-profit Recycled Paws Rescue.

They said they were told the puppy was given a clean bill of health by a veterinarian, but almost immediately, things with McGee went terribly wrong, CBS2’s Scott Rapoport reported.

“He vomited. He had diarrhea. He was lethargic. He didn’t run around, he just laid there,” McCarthy said.

The McCarthys adopted McGee from Lisa Birdsall only
to find out later that he had Distemper

She said the dog had a case of distemper, which is a potentially deadly neurological disorder. She feared it might kill him.

McCarthy said she paid more than $3,000 in veterinarian bills for a puppy she was told was healthy but obviously was not. She is furious at Recycled Paws Rescue.

 

“Deceitful. Disrespectful. They are essentially just flipping puppies,” she said.

Her case against Recycled Paws Rescue is apparently not the only one.

Westchester officials confirm owner Lisa Marie Birdsall has outstanding civil penalties for operating without a permit in the past. They say she also voluntarily surrendered a number of sick dogs during an investigation.

Birdsall surrender many dogs that were sick
and had not been provided with vet care

"We provided medical care for those 10 dogs. There were still dogs sick. One of the problems we faced with this, a vet said those dogs were under their care," says Ernest Lungaro, of the Westchester SPCA.

SPCA officials say they are investigating a number of complaints.

Birdsall and her attorney had no comment to News 12. However, in response to the accusations against Birdsall, her attorney sent a statement, saying “She has not done that knowingly. She has adopted out thousands and just a few complain. They are animals, not goods with a warranty. The allegations are unfair.”

The MCarthys say Birdsall is nothing but a dog flipper

(News12 - November 30, 2016)

Arizona: Adrian Montano, 42, left his Chihuahuas to roast in the heat

ARIZONA -- A dog owner was arrested after four Chihuahuas were found barely alive, suffering from dehydration and starvation Tuesday in an abandoned building in Phoenix, according to an Arizona Humane Society spokeswoman.

At about 9 a.m., Phoenix police called emergency-medical technicians from the Humane Society to the 1900 block of West Indian School Road, where they found a 4-year-old Chihuahua lying motionless in a dilapidated chicken coop, said Humane Society spokeswoman Ashliegh Goebel.

A passer-by called 911 at about 6:45 a.m. after noticing the dogs and becoming concerned for the animals' welfare, a Phoenix police spokeswoman said.

According to police, 42-year-old Adrian Montano admitting to owning the dogs and said he put the Chihuahua in the coop and forgot to feed him.

Phoenix police Sgt. Mercedes Fortune said Montano appeared to be homeless and was living in the building where the dogs were found. She said he faces four felony counts of animal cruelty and neglect.

"It's a very serious crime," Fortune said. "It's taken very serious. We want to make sure the public is taking care of their animals."

Humane Society EMTs on the scene said they were shocked by the state of the dogs.

“I’ve never seen such a small and innocent dog suffer in such horrible agony,” EMT Valerie Newman said.

After examining the dog from the coop, a trauma team found he was so weak he could barely stand or walk and was unable to keep his head up on his own. The dog’s breathing was labored and slow, and he was “extremely” lethargic, suffering from a high fever, according to a Humane Society statement.

Goebel said the dog showed signs of brain damage consistent with distemper, a deadly virus that affects non-vaccinated dogs and has no cure.

The first dog found was later euthanized, she said.

“It’s frustrating,” Goebel said. “Even though we have the police on our side, it’s not enough.”

No food or water for the animals was found at the scene, she said. Three other Chihuahuas of the same age were found roaming around the property.

EMTs gave water to the dogs, which they drank continuously, Goebel said.

“They just kept drinking and drinking,” she said.

She said the dogs were being kept in isolation at the Humane Society’s Second Chance Animal Trauma Hospital, where the first dog was put to sleep. Blood samples and mouth swabs of the three surviving dogs were sent to the lab to be tested for distemper, Goebel said.

If the tests come back positive, the other three will be put to sleep as well. If negative, the dogs will be evaluated for adoption, Goebel said.

Officers arrested the owner of the dogs at the scene, Goebel said. Phoenix police are continuing to investigate the case.

 

 

(AZ Central - July 13, 2016)