Pet owners relieved at animal seizure

Several pet owners in P.E.I. say they're relieved to hear the Department of Agriculture has seized animals from a local online pet store.

Officials took an undisclosed number of animals from kennels belonging to Bud Wheatley, who owns PuppiesAcrossCanada.com. The website has since been suspended.

Marlana Lockhart said she purchased her dog, Mia, through Wheatley's website in August.

Lockhart said two days after she received the dog, Mia became sick and her veterinarian said she had two potentially deadly parasites.

"If other animals have them out in the grass, then they can lurk around, and she can catch them from the grass too, so she probably got them from the facilities there," Lockhart told CBC News on Wednesday.

She said she was shocked when she visited Wheatley's property in Covehead to pick up her dog.

"I didn't see any kennels outside, it was just a barn and a house. Well, two barns," she said. "There's old sheds you'd keep your wood in."

The Department of Agriculture has said it took the animals under the province's Companion Animal Protection Act but would not say why. The act gives the department the right to inspect a business when there is reason to believe the animals are in distress.

Chelsea Wolters, another dog owner, said she was relieved to hear Wheatley's animals were taken to the Humane Society in Charlottetown.

She said one of her friends also recently bought a puppy through Wheatley's website.

"They ended up taking him to the vet, and he had double ear infections and worms, and he wasn't in good shape," Wolters said.

Two weeks ago, she sent a letter to the Humane Society about her concerns regarding Wheatley's business. She said she believes that letter ended up with officials with the Department of Agriculture.

"They told me they would be out at a random time just to do an investigation. They were going to send a vet out," she said.

Wheatley was not available Wednesday to comment on this story.