Petland at Lakeland Square Mall is permanently closed after the owner and her veterinarian husband were arrested and charged with falsifying health records for pets.
Dr. Christopher Carrier and his wife Wendy Carrier face dozens of charges.
The store’s franchise has been terminated by the Petland Corporation.
Meanwhile, people who bought animals there are worried what they thought were healthy pets, may not be healthy after all.
Jessica Gipson of Lake Wales is one of them.
“We just bought a dog two days ago,” Gipson said.
She looked high and low for a new pet for her daughter.
Finally she found her new baby, a Cavachon, which is a mixed between a Bichon Frise and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
She named the dog Lexis.
Petland Lakeland gave her a warranty and health certificate, showing Lexis had all her shots.
“We received all of that with the vet’s signature. It said she received her shots and that she had a surgery for an umbilical hernia repair,” Gipson said.
Now she’s not so sure any of it is worth the paper it’s written on. That’s because the owner of the Petland where she bought her dog is in big trouble, accused of falsifying records.
The agriculture department claims Wendy Carrier admitted she altered the vaccination documents on her home computer and her husband Dr. Christopher Carrier signed them.
At Dr. Christopher Carrier’s “Care Animal Clinic” office in Lakeland, a worker slammed the door on a News Channel 8’s Rod Carter when he went to ask about the charges.
Meanwhile, Gipson is worried. She just wants to make sure her little Lexis is a healthy dog and her daughter remains a happy girl.
“It’s very frustrating. We just spent a lot of money. Do we look for a refund, of course we don’t want to cause trauma in our daughter’s life so we keep a dog that we’re not sure is healthy.”
The franchise of that Lakeland Square Mall Petland has been terminated. The store is permanently closed and all the animals have been relocated to other Petland stores and are all being checked out by another veterinarian.
Meanwhile, both Carrier’s are charged with presenting or issuing a forged or altered official certificate of veterinary inspection.
That’s a third-degree felony.
Dr. Carrier is charged with 53 counts, and Wendy Carrier faces 51 counts.
People who bought pets at Petland Lakeland can call (941) 391-5412 for morning information on what to do.
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