CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #6681 Rating: 1.8 out of 5
Puppy mill - dogs sold in Walmart parking lot
San Diego, CA (US)Incident Date: Monday, Jan 31, 2005
County: San Diego
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Margarita Diaz
Margarita Diaz pleaded guilty in February 2005 to keeping a dog without proper care and attention and peddling goods without having registered with the San Diego Police Department. She was placed on three years' probation.
When he was 12, Michael Goldstein of El Cajon worked odd jobs for a year to save enough money to buy a puppy. When his mom saw a young bichon frisé for sale outside a Wal-Mart, her heart melted. Four days later, the dog, Miles, lay in Michael's arms as his mom rushed to an animal hospital. "Mom, he's still alive. His eyes are open," Michael said as they arrived. It was too late. "I'm sorry. He's dead," she told him.
Thinking back three years later, Judy Goldstein said she saw the signs at the Wal-Mart. The dog and its three siblings appeared lethargic. The vaccination record from a Tijuana veterinarian looked fake. And, after all, a stranger approached her in a parking lot. "I went against my better judgment because they were so cute," she said. "And the price was so good."
A reputable breeder might have charged more than three times the $200 she paid. But then again, the puppy probably wouldn't have been infected with deadly canine parvovirus. The Goldsteins were victims of a dog smuggler who got the pups in Mexico and sold them on the streets and parking lots of San Diego County with little regard for their health.
References« CA State Animal Cruelty Map
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