Dogs From Unlicensed Shelter May Lack Rabies Shot

Attorney General Spitzer today alerted residents of northeastern New York and Vermont of a possible public health threat involving dogs put up for adoption by an unlicensed pet shelter in Clinton County, New York.

Some of the dogs handled by Hands Helping Paws K9 Rescue of Keeseville, NY were transferred to their new owners with certificates of rabies vaccination that are not authentic.

The Attorney General's Office advises owners of dogs obtained from the shelter to call the veterinarian listed on their rabies certificate to authenticate that the veterinarian in fact provided the rabies shot to the dog.

Owners of dogs from Hands Helping Paws who received no rabies vaccination certificate at the time of adoption are advised to promptly take their dog to a veterinarian for a rabies shot.

Shannon Champine, the owner of Hands Helping Paws, has stated that she placed as many as 350 dogs for adoption throughout northeastern New York and Vermont in the last 18 months. Since November 2004, Champine has operated Hands Helping Paws from a storefront at 595 Route 9N in Keeseville. Prior to that she operated from her home at 57 Chesterfield St. in Keeseville.

Hands Helping Paws recently closed after the Attorney General's Office began an investigation and determined that Champine was neither a licensed pet dealer nor a registered not-for-profit animal shelter.

Pet owners who believe they have adopted a dog from Hands Helping Paws who have further questions about the health of their pet are encouraged to contact their vet or their county health department.

The case is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Glen Michaels in the Attorney General's Plattsburgh Regional Office.