Home / Crime and Justice / LA Dog Rescue Accused of Puppy Laundering Scheme
LA Dog Rescue Accused of Puppy Laundering Scheme
29 Oct
Summary
- Rescue allegedly sold puppy mill dogs as rescues.
- Customers paid $650 to $1,500 for allegedly fake rescues.
- Founder allegedly solicited donations with false claims.
A well-known California dog rescue, patronized by celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and Jennifer Aniston, faces serious allegations of operating a puppy laundering scheme. City officials in Los Angeles have filed a civil enforcement action against Wagmor and its founder, Melissa Bacelar.
The complaint claims Wagmor purchased hundreds of dogs from commercial breeders across the country and then marketed them as rescues in California. Customers were charged adoption fees ranging from $650 to $1,500, with these funds allegedly subsidizing the business's commercial breeding operations rather than supporting genuine rescue efforts.
Officials are seeking to halt these practices and impose millions in civil penalties. Furthermore, Bacelar is accused of deceptively soliciting public donations by fabricating urgent threats, such as claiming breeders would kill dogs if funds weren't raised quickly. Despite having their tax-exempt status revoked, Wagmor reportedly continued to solicit tax-deductible donations.
Bacelar has vehemently denied the allegations, stating, "The allegations against me are not true. Not some of them. Not most of them. They are not true, and I will prove it."
