Consumer Connection investigates pet store

MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. -- It's a heartbreaking phone call no pet owner wants to get -- the call that your brand new puppy is dead, just five days after bringing him home from the pet store.

But that's exactly the situation Consumer Connection viewer Katie Lineberger found herself in. She e-mailed us from the animal hospital as she sat by her dying puppy.

When we sat down with Katie to talk about what happened, she couldn't hold back the tears. "They said his heart just probably stopped or he aspirated when he vomited. I'm sorry," she says as she wipes away tears. "I had never considered that, I'm sorry."

Five days after she bought the puppy she named Zander, the puppy was dead.

We don't know why Zander died. The breeder said Zander had his shots. Also, the cause of death could not be clinically determined.

We cannot say that the breeder or the pet store were responsible for the puppy's death. The fact is we don't know.

That being said, the call from Katie got us looking into the pet store where she bought the dog and that’s where we found the real story because we discovered the store isn't licensed to sell dogs in the first place. More on that in a minute, but first – here’s what else we discovered when we sent our investigative producer into the store with a hidden camera.

Store Manager: "We have shots, the puppies are what they are and we have the shots, now if you took the puppy to the vet and did a first baby check you're going to spend $120 to get that very same shot that's $14.36."

Investigative Producer: "You do the immunization shots here?

Store Manager: "Yeah, versus you going to spend a lot of money and it’s the exact same shot."

The store manager, named Shannon Setzer, waited on us. She's the very woman who sold Katie her puppy.

When we told the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board that Setzer offered us the shots, they conducted their own undercover investigation and now she's been arrested and charged with practicing unlicensed veterinary medicine.

Given what we uncovered, we returned to Discount Pet Store with cameras rolling for me to confront Shannon.

Anna: "I'm here to ask you why you're practicing veterinary medicine without a license and why the store is selling dogs without a license?"

Shannon: "Ya'll can take ya'll cameras out of my store without an appointment. I don't know what you're talking about."

Setzer kicked us out of her store, called police and then agreed to talk.

Shannon: "Katie Lineberger came into my store and bought a puppy from a ...you know it was here, but we had gotten it from a breeder."

According to the state, that doesn't matter. Discount Pet Store does not have a license to sell puppies – period.

And as for the charge of practicing veterinarian medicine without a license?

Shannon told us, "I buy the dog for a dollar. In order for me to do their dog, obviously they sell me their dog for $1, I turn around and shoot the dog and then they buy the dog back."

Anna: "But you are not a vet. You don't have a license to do that."

Shannon: "I can give a shot to any dog as long as I own the dog"

A vet board investigator tells us you can't purchase an animal for the sole purpose of giving it shots, just to avoid the licensing law.

During our confrontation, Shannon said this, "This is absolutely crazy, I work in a pet store. Are you treating me like I'm a criminal? What have I done?"

In fact, Shannon has pleaded guilty to other crimes including drug possession and larceny.

The owner of the pet store admits he does not have a license to sell puppies but says that he is not selling puppies, only finding them good homes for other sellers. The licensing agency -- the agriculture department -- disagrees with his opinion.

As for Katie, she did manage to get a refund from Discount Pet Store for Zander, but there is still no word on whether she'll get any help with the more than $400 in vet bills. Meanwhile, the North Carolina vet board tells us practicing veterinary medicine without a license is a huge problem.

So far this year the board has investigated more than 60 cases