Puppies Plus and Puppy Love owners plead not guilty to charges
RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — Michael Schneider and Leilani Tau-Schneider, the owners of Puppies Plus and Puppy Love, pleaded not guilty to felony charges involving the illegal practice of veterinary medicine and animal abuse.
Michael Schneider pleaded not guilty to charges of Practicing Veterinary Medicine without a license.
His wife, Leilani Tau-Schneider pleaded not guilty to all charges of Practicing Veterinary Medicine without a license and Involuntary Torture of an Animal.
Both defendants waived their rights to a speedy trial.
Carter King, Michael Schneider’s lawyer, said he is filing a Writ of Habeas Corpus.
The pre-trial date has been set for Wednesday, April 29.
On August 28, the Washoe County Grand Jury handed down the six-count Indictment against Michael Schneider and Leilani Tau-Schneider, who own Puppies Plus in Reno, and Puppy Love in Sparks.
The Indictment charges the two owners with one felony count of Torturing and/or Killing an Animal and five felony counts of Practicing Veterinary Medicine Without a License.
The charges relate directly to the owners’ conduct from May 2017 through October 2017.
More specifically, the Indictment charges Michael Schneider and Leilani Tau-Schneider with "routinely performing or instructing their employees to perform various veterinary techniques on the dogs in their store without consultation from a licensed veterinarian and, in one instance, failing to provide appropriate veterinary care to a sick dog, which resulted in its death."
The charges indicate a pattern of mistreatment of dogs by the owners of Puppies Plus and Puppy Love.
This Indictment was the result of a two-year investigation by Washoe County Regional Animal Services.
