RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The owner of a nonprofit in Wake County was found guilty of selling improperly trained service dogs, the Office of the North Carolina Attorney General said Friday.
Mark Mathis, the owner of Ry-Con Service Dogs, was convicted on 50 counts of obtaining property by false pretense. He was ordered to pay $353,000 in restitution to 50 families who purchased a service dog from him, in addition to being banned from training or selling service animals, according to the attorney general’s office.
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The attorney general’s office said Ry-Con sold Briard breed dogs in amounts between $4,500 and $16,710 to families with special needs members, usually autistic children.
According to the attorney general’s office, Mathis said the dogs had been trained to help people with disabilities, but the dogs were unable to follow basic commands, walk on a leash, and showed aggression towards people and other animals. Many of the dogs were not housebroken, with some being underweight and others having additional health issues…