Oregon Woman Who Sold Free Shelter Animals to Unsuspecting Pet Lovers Sentenced to Prison
An Oregon woman from Columbia County who obtained animals at no cost from out-of-state shelters and then offered them to paying customers in Oregon was yesterday sentenced to federal prison.
Woman Also Illegally Dispensed Animal Prescription Drugs
Samantha Miller (55), who operated an animal rescue business together with co-conspirators called ‘Woofin Palooza, LLC, was found guilty of defrauding customers and illegally dispensing prescription drugs for animals without the lawful order of a veterinarian. Miller operated her business using the alias Mandy Myers.
Miller was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and three years supervised release. She will also have to pay restitution to her victims.
Operation Described as ‘Unconscionable’ Conduct
The Chief of the Oregon Economic Crimes Unit, Hannah Horsley, warned that ‘unconscionable conduct will not be tolerated’ and perpetrators would be held responsible for their crimes.
Court documents reveal that between November 2019 and January 2021, Miller and her co-conspirators obtained animals with health and behavioral problems from out-of-state shelters at no cost. They then offered the animals for adoption to paying customers in Oregon.
The animals were not cared for by a licensed veterinarian. Instead, Miller treated the animals herself by administering prescription animal drugs without supervision.
The animals were advertised for adoption on Woofin Palooza and Petfinder websites. Miller misrepresented their health and behavioral problems.
New Owners Incurred Significant Expenses
According to court documents, in some cases, Miller dispensed prescription drugs for the animals that she had repackaged with misleading or false labels. Pet buyers unknowingly adopted animals that were unhealthy and aggressive. Their owners were then forced to seek veterinary help, and in some cases the pets had to be euthanized, incurring further and significant expenses.
The case in the U.S. District Court in Portland was prosecuted by Robert S. Trisotto and Meredith D.M. Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon. It was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, assisted by the FBI.