Rescue 4 Undercover confronted a local pet store that has apparently been selling sick animals to customers.

At first glance, it appears to be your typical pet store, but the Department of Agriculture said what Rescue 4 found at the Petland store in Belleville is far from typical.

Rescue 4 Undercover discovered that the pet store had a long list of violations with the Michigan Department of Agriculture over the past two years.

There was apparently not enough room in the area where sick animals were kept in the store, and in another report, investigators found that the ventilation system in the quarantine area was not sufficient. Authorities said this could contribute to an environment where airborne disease can thrive.

Rescue 4's Karen Drew visited the Petland store and spoke with Assistant Manager Christina West about the pet sicknesses.

Drew: "We've got one pet comes home sick less than three days after coming home, another pet is sick a week after, these are serious sicknesses.

West: "You have to remember these are juveniles, these are babies."

Drew: According to reports from the Department of Agriculture, you've been cited numerous times for not having proper ventilation, humidity and airborne diseases rampant?

West: "We are in the process of making it state of the art for the year 2005."

Drew: "While it's great to improve ventilation, these pets are at risk and they're carrying diseases and spreading it."

West: "For the most part they're healthy."

Owners Complain Of Pet Sicknesses

Some local pet owners told Rescue 4 that they thought the animals were healthy when they bought them from the store.

"We thought we were getting an addition to our family that was healthy and that we didn't have to worry about, you know, getting sick and dying," said Marlene Ramsey, who bought a Yorkshire Terrier from Petland.

A week after buying Harley, Ramsey said the dog would just lay limp in her arms when she held him.

Veterinary records show Harley suffered from ear problems, coughing and vomiting.

"For $1,400, I would think he would be top-notch," said Ramsey's husband.

Kim Devore said when she spotted a pomeranian in the store, she had to have him.

"He was just this cute little fluff ball, adorable, and we called my husband on the phone saying, 'We really want this dog,' and he bought it the next day," Devore said.

And with that decision, Butter became a part of the Devore family.

Devore said the store told her that the dog was a purebred pomeranian. In time, the Devores found that was not true, Rescue 4 reported. But that was just the beginning of their problems.

"We heard horrible screaming in the middle of the night," Devore said. "He was laying on the floor in a puddle of his own urine and his eyes were rolled back in his head and his tongue was hanging out. I thought he was dead."

The incident occurred just six months after the couple purchased Butter.

After numerous visits to a veterinarian, Devore said it's uncertain whether the dog has epilepsy or if he has some type of brain damage that's causing his seizures.

Devore called the Petland and the manager said the store was not responsible for problems that occur that long after a purchase.

Devore said that it was also during her visits to the vet that she discovered the dog was not a purebred.

"On my last vet papers, for the breed they put an 'X' because they aren't quite sure what he is," she said.

It wasn't until after spending $900 that the Devores discovered problems with the animal, and they're not alone, Rescue 4 reported.

Joey Kingbloom and Heather Hoeft's dog Lily came from the same pet store as Butter. Lily seemed healthy, but three days after coming home, she wouldn't eat or play.

"That's when we found out she was tested positive for Parvo," Hoeft said. "For the next four days she was going in everyday to get fluids because she was so dehydrated."

Kingbloom said they didn't know if Lily was going to survive.

"I went back to the store, told them what was going on, and at first they were, like, 'I'm sorry this had to happen. We swear Lily was safe,'" he said.

That's when Kingbloom started asking questions, Rescue 4 reported. He located other pet owners who purchased animals from the same store, and they had similar horror stories.

The pet store paid for the veterinary bills for Harley, Butter and Lily. Officials from Petland's corporate headquarters also confirmed that the Belleville store will be replacing its ventilation system, which should help prevent some of the airborne illnesses, Rescue 4 reported.

Rescue 4 Undercover plans to follow up with the store on their progress.