Puppy mill shut down in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has obtained a temporary injunction shutting down a dog-breeding business on Jacksonville's Westside.

Bondi alleges Brook Roque, 30, ran an unlicensed breeding operation and sold 700 English bulldogs through five different websites since 2007.

Bondi contends Roque and four others failed to quarantine sick dogs imported from South America.

The dog purchasers, who spent more than $1,000 for each animal, were issued fabricated certificates insuring the animals' were healthy, even though many suffer from serious congenital conditions, Bondi said.

Bondi has obtained a temporary injunction against five people she alleges were connected to this puppy mill, freezing their assets for possible restitution.

Also served with an injunction are Anthony Roque, Anthony Rene Roque, Glenda Chester Roque, Kassaundra Ann Buttram and Michelle Lee Echols.

The profits totaled more than $1 million, according to the Attorney General's Office.

WJAX