THE PUPPY PIPELINE. COMING FROM VAST READERS IN THE MIDWEST. NOW THE STATE IS ACCUSED OF TURNING A BLIND EYE TO RECORDS. WE ARE JOINED WITH MORE ON THIS TOPIC. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. I UNDERSTAND YOU BEEN WORKING 14 MONTHS ON THIS INVESTIGATION HE HAD HOW DID YOU FIRST HEAR ABOUT THE STORY. >> WE FIRST BEGAN THIS BY ACCIDENT. WE WERE WORKING ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STORY. SHE HAD MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT DOGS COMING INTO CALIFORNIA AND THEY WERE DISAPPEARING. WHAT SHE MET WAS THERE WERE DOGS COMING INTO CALIFORNIA AND THEIR DESTINATION ADDRESS WAS FAKE. >> I'M SURE THERE WERE SO MANY EYE-OPENING YOU DISCOVERED BUT WHAT SURPRISED YOU THE MOST? >> AS WE STARTED DOING RESEARCH ON THE INDUSTRY ITSELF, WE WENT TO THE MIDWEST, WE KNOCKED ON THE DOORS OF DIFFERENT BREEDING FACILITIES LISTED AS SELLING THE DOGS COMING TO THESE FAKE ADDRESSES IN CALIFORNIA AND WE WERE ASKING THEM, WHERE THESE DOGS ACTUALLY GOING? DOING RESEARCH ON THOSE BREEDERS , I THINK WE ARE BOTH VERY SURPRISED AT THE LEVEL OF VIOLATIONS THAT COULD OCCUR AND THEY COULD STILL STAY IN BUSINESS. >> YOUR INVESTIGATION PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON SEVERAL SO-CALLED BREEDERS WHO WERE IMPORTING THOUSANDS OF PUPPIES FROM THE MIDWEST. WHAT DO CONSUMERS UP FROM THESE BREEDERS SAY AND WHY WAS THIS BAIT AND SWITCH NOT EXPOSE MUCH EARLIER? >> WE HAD TO GO TO ALL 50 STATES ASKING FOR THESE RECORDS. THESE ARE RECORDS OF VETERINARIANS SIGN WHEN A DOG IS CROSSING STATE LINES. WE HAD TO GO TO ALL THE OTHER 49 STATES TO GET THEM. AS WE WERE LOOKING AT THOSE, WE WERE ABLE TO USE A MICROCHIP SOMATIC CALL SOME OF THESE OWNERS AND THEY SAID, NO, I BOUGHT THIS DOG FROM A LOCAL BREEDER, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. THEY WERE JUST AS ALARMED THAT THEY HAD PURCHASED A DOG FROM A MASS BREEDING FACILITY UNKNOWINGLY. >> WHAT ADVICE YOU HAVE FOR FOLKS OUT THERE, FAMILIES THAT ARE THINKING ABOUT MAYBE GETTING A DOG FOR THEIR FAMILY. WHAT SHOULD THEY BE LOOKING FOR. >> I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF ATTENTION RIGHT NOW ON ONLINE SALES. ENSURING THAT YOU ARE HAVING SOME SKEPTICISM ABOUT WHAT IT IS YOU ARE READING ONLINE. WE ARE LOOKING AT A LOT OF THESE ADS. SPOILED IN OUR HOME. KEYWORDS THAT ARE MEANT TO GET CONSUMERS WHO DO CARE ABOUT NOT BUYING FROM A PUPPY MILL. THE BIGGEST THING IS ENSURING YOU ARE BEING SKEPTICAL. YOU ARE LOOKING TO SEE DO THEY HAVE THE PARENT DOGS. WHAT MORE INFORMATION CAN YOU GATHER BEFORE YOU COMMIT TO BUYING THIS PUPPY. >> ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INVESTIGATION AND FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. F >> YOU CAN