Ruckersville pet store owner defends business amid controversy
GREENE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- When Tiny Paws Pet Shop opened in Ruckersville earlier this month, animal advocates say they saw several red flags.
The number of breeds available concerned them, and store employees refused to let them take pictures or to answer questions about where the puppies came from.
Animal advocate Rose Lemaster fears they were coming from puppy mills.
"A lot of the dogs that are shipped to pet stores in our area are coming from these operations," Lemaster said.
Identifying the owner of Tiny Paws wasn’t easy because his name isn’t on business filings with the state or Greene County, but CBS19 finally reached him. He's Staunton resident Zack Deibert.
He declined an interview citing safety concerns, and he wouldn't provide any documentation about the dogs, but he did provide a statement.
"In most animal activists’ eyes, even a hobby breeder with four dogs is a puppy mill because they breed to sell companion animals," Deibert's statement read.
It says he has received threats since the controversy began and says he requires the breeders he uses to go above what the USDA requires of its commercial breeders.