One of the more high-profile incidents that has raised questions about the health of store puppies took place earlier this year in Massachusetts.

In April, Woof & Co., which is also owned by Rufus Inc., Maxie Biggz' parent company, had problems in two of their mall stores.

Puppies there contracted a bacterial infection that caused diarrhea and vomiting, which forced the stores to close for a short time while some of the puppies were quarantined. In Saugus, Mass., about half of the 100 or so dogs in that store were ill.

"It was more about discomfort," said Sharon McCabe, Saugus' health agent.

Rufus Inc. owner Don Jones said the store closed down immediately so the problem would not spread.

"We took care of it," he said.

Pet Depot owner Joe Olsian, who owns four stores in Central New York including one in Auburn, said illness is an unfortunate part of the business.

"When you are dealing with a product that's a live animal, you're going to have sickness," he said. "There's no way around that. Occasionally, you're going to have a problem."

Illness isn't exclusive to pet stores, either. In 2003, the Wayne County Humane Society in Lyons had a similar outbreak and had to close for a few days while their dogs recovered.