In a statement issued Thursday, investigators said they received information in December 2021 about a puppy that had potentially been sold with false vaccination records.
Investigators allege that ads were posted online selling puppies for between $700 and $1,500 each. Buyers were given fraudulent vaccination records, they said.
On Nov. 9, officers executed a search warrant at a home on Castleview Crescent in Markham, Ont. As part of the investigation, investigators say they found 16 puppies in four small cages amid “horrendous living conditions.”
Police say Markham Animal Services attended and all the puppies were rescued. They were brought in for medical attention.
During the investigation, officers identified and seized evidence related to the fraud and falsification of vaccination records.
Two men were arrested and face multiple charges.
Markham resident Elisa Charles, 42, faces one count of willfully permitting unnecessary pain and/or suffering to an animal, two counts of fraud under $5,000, four counts of forgery by use of a false document and one count of violating a court order .
Twenty-year-old Isaiah Charles, also of Markham, faces one count of willfully causing unnecessary pain and/or suffering to an animal and one count of forgery.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact the York Police District #5 Criminal Investigation Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7541.
