Lawsuit: $25K ‘service dogs’ were just untrained puppies

MADISON, Va. – A Virginia non-profit is accused of delivering poorly trained service dogs to customers who paid thousands.

News outlets report Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring filed a lawsuit this week against Warren Retrievers Inc. and its CEO, Charles D. Warren Jr., accusing them of misleading people about so-called diabetic alert dogs.

The lawsuit says the non-profit told consumers they would receive a trained dog that could detect extreme blood sugar levels and alert humans. Instead, the lawsuit alleges, consumers received ill-behaved Labrador retriever puppies that were “little more than expensive pets.”

Warren is also accused of lying to customers and donors about serving in the military.

Herring’s office says the lawsuit follows complaints from more than 50 customers.

Attorney John B. Russell Jr. says the company denies the allegations.