Breeder investigated for selling sick puppies
Botetourt Co, VA (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Mar 18, 2007
County: Botetourt
Disposition: Not Charged
Person of Interest: Cheryl Lemon
All eight-year-old Austin Tolley wants is a puppy and on March 18 he finally got one. His mom April spotted an ad for a miniature schnauzer for sale in Botetourt County. So, she and Austin drove here to Cheryl Lemon's home and paid her $200 for the puppy.
"We took the dog home and that evening she started choking and acting like she needed to get sick but she couldn't," April Tolley said. "My son was crying, he was very upset and he kept on begging me please don't let the dog die."
April says she tried calling Lemon and even stopped by to talk with her about the sick puppy but she wouldn't answer the phone or door.
April says she took the puppy to a veterinarian who found the puppy had a 103 degree temperature, chest congestion and an irregular heart beat.
"They told me the dog was practically dead," April said.
April called Botetourt County Animal Control Officer W.D. Horton.
"Before we even told him the ladies name or what was going on, he said let me guess it's Cheryl Lemon," April said.
"I kind of figured that's probably where it was," Sgt. Horton said.
Horton says he was at Lemon's house just a week before April called because of a complaint about a sick puppy someone bought from her.
"There's definitely a problem that we have to look into," Horton said.
Lemon had no comment about the sick puppies, but did tell us quote, "My life is my business."
Horton says both people who bought sick puppies from her got their money back. April is also suing Lemon for vet bills and for the pain and suffering her son had to go through.
"I felt helpless because he was in so much pain over this dog and I couldn't make it go away," April said.
The sick puppy complaints led to an investigation into Lemon. She faces charges for lack of rabies shots and tags and was just charged today with not having a business license; she's supposed to have one to sell dogs legally.
Investigators tell me other charges could be filed and want anyone else who bought a sick puppy from Lemon to give animal control a call at 540-473-8230. References« VA State Animal Cruelty Map
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