PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania State Police have broken up an illegal puppy ring operating in Philadelphia and arrested five people allegedly involved in the resale of those puppies.
Officials say the suspects used fake checks and counterfeit money to purchase puppies from breeders in Lancaster County and resell them.
According to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, nearly all the thefts involved high-demand dog breeds, such as French bulldogs and Yorkshire terriers, some selling for up to $20,000.
With over 30 individual instances of theft, officials say the operation resulted in a loss of more than $430,000.
The five suspects — Tynise Rivers, Sierra Thompson, Amara Dukuly, Tatiyana Cooper-Laylor, and Darnell Lloyd — were all charged with criminal conspiracy to commit theft, theft by deception, and corrupt organizations.
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Dukuly and Rivers had their preliminary hearing Friday. Cooper-Laylor’s was scheduled for Nov. 1, while Thompson’s arraignment was set for Nov. 10.
“This was theft, pure and simple,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
“These individuals exploited the demand for these dogs by not simply being the middlemen, but stealing puppies directly from the dog breeders and inserting themselves into a normally joyful process, in order to line their own pockets.”
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