Florida Pet Store Accused of Selling Sick Puppies, Violations Lead to Animal Relocation

Violations Found at Blue Sky Puppies

• ⚠️ Blue Sky Puppies in Clearwater is facing accusations of selling sick puppies and housing them in unsanitary, crowded conditions.
• 🚨 Pinellas Animal Services received a complaint on July 9th detailing these issues, leading to an investigation.
• 🐾 Officers discovered kennels with empty or missing water bowls, and 34 puppies housed in spaces that were too small.
• 🐶 Sick puppies were found in close proximity to healthy ones, a violation of county code.

Store Operations and Animal Welfare Concerns

• 🏥 Investigators noted that store employees, lacking veterinary degrees, were diagnosing and treating puppies themselves.
• 💔 A treatment sheet indicated a puppy had died, and over 70 puppies were found to have died and been cremated at a local clinic without being reported to animal services as required.
• 🚫 The county has revoked the pet dealer license for the store on Merton Road, prohibiting them from selling animals.

Relocation and Next Steps

• 🚚 More than 170 puppies are being relocated from the Clearwater store to other Blue Sky locations in Florida and Tennessee.
• ⚖️ It will be up to law enforcement to determine if any charges will be filed against the store.
• 📜 The store had a previous citation last year for not having official certificates of veterinary inspection for five puppies.