P.E.I. pet seller has more dogs seized

The owner of an online pet store who was recently sentenced to jail time for cruelty toanimals has had 17 more dogs seized from his Covehead, P.E.I., property.

Bud Wheatley, whoranPuppiesAcrossCanada.com, was sentenced to five months in jailOct. 5for causing unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to animals.

Seventy-six dogs and catshad already beenseized from his property in Oct. 2009. Some were emaciated, two had to be euthanized and one died before it could be treated.

Wheatley,62,had arranged for a caregiver to look after his elderly aunt in his home while he was in jail. It's not known how long the dogs werein thehome.

The aunt and caregiver moved out of the house and left the dogs behind.

The Department of Agriculture received a call that said someone needed to care for the dogs.Officials went to the home with a veterinarian Saturday night and took them to the P.E.I. Humane Society, where they remain.

When Wheatley was sentenced by a provincial court in Charlottetown, he was ordered not to have any pets for 10 years. The one dog the court said he could keep, 13-year-old Sacha, was also taken in Saturday's seizure.

Wheatley has not been charged in connection with this seizure, though the situation is still under investigation.

During his sentencing Wheatley was ordered to pay a $200 fine and cover $68,000 in expenses incurred by the provincial Department of Agriculture.