In 2013, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman established an Animal Cruelty Initiative to focus on prosecuting animal cruelty crimes and protecting consumers from unscrupulous companion animal dealers. Earlier this year, his office struck a blow on both counts by substantially fining pet store owner Richard Doyle and putting him out of business. The attorney general’s office was responding to numerous complaints from people who had bought sick animals from Doyle. Despite Doyle’s assurances to his customers that the dogs were healthy, many suffered from parvo, pneumonia, and other diseases. The investigation found that the store owner, who is not a veterinarian, performed surgery on animals in the back of his store, among other disturbing practices. Attorney General Schneiderman commented that cases like this “reaffirm my commitment to encouraging those in search of a new pet to adopt from a local shelter, rather than purchasing an animal.”