Pet shop owner faces $1M fine

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Investigators reveal more Friday after hundreds of dead animals were found in a near Eastside pet shop on Thursday.

Inspectors with Animal Care and Control issued the pet shop owner Bill Houston a stern warning before.

The message to Houston was to clean up the store or the animals would be removed. One week later, inspectors say Houston had little response to the previous warning.

“These were things we discussed and advised him it would be in his best interest to bring things up to par,” said Marcus Brown Deputy Chief of Animal Care and Control.

Each pet shop in the city is guaranteed one inspection a year; however, there is no limit to how much an inspector can review a shop.

“I don’t’ want them to know we are coming because everything will be great and the cages clean, Brown said.

Houston’s pet shop license has been suspended, but he plans on fighting to get his 385 animals back.  Before get the animals back Houston may have to pay a million dollars worth of fines.

Until then, Animal Control is accepting donations, and PetCo is scheduled to donate some supplies for the animals.