Dora To's Country Pets puppy shop, between Supercuts and Dottie's in the Albertson's plaza, created quite a stir before it was even open.

To date, the owner has a valid business license issued by the town; however, as of Wednesday, according to Nye County Animal Control, she does not have a kennel license nor has she applied for one.

On Tuesday, Animal Control Supervisor Tim McCarty visited the shop. For the second time, he brought To an application for a kennel license. He does not have the authority to close her operation, but he did request she stop selling her puppies. To could be cited and fined if she does complete the correct paperwork.

"I told her I needed her to close the store down, pending our receiving a kennel permit application, along with accompanying paperwork and our coming and doing an inspection," said McCarty. "I have no interest in interfering with her business. My interest is the welfare of the animals."

Country Pet's came to the attention of animal control on Sunday, Aug. 2. An upset passerby called Nye County Animal Control about 8 a.m. to report puppies were running loose in the large store.

Others reported the dogs' water bowls were empty and a few of the tiny, toy-size puppies were stuck in the front window, between pieces of furnishings in the unfinished store. The puppies were not able to get out of the hot sun.

Dog lover Jean Granger said it didn't take long for an animal control officer to respond, but no one was in the locked shop. "The puppies were running around in their own feces," Granger said. "I just couldn't mind my own business this time; I called animal control. The puppies were licking the empty water dishes."

A group of people gathered around the large picture windows watching the puppies, and McCarty was summoned from church by his officer who was already on the scene. He was prepared to get a locksmith to open the shop if the owner was not found.

Fortunately, that wasn't necessary. Within an hour or so, two men and a woman could be seen inside the store, placing the puppies in cages and cleaning up. The water bowls were filled.

At that time, there were about 80 puppies housed in the store -- about half of them had gotten loose and aside from the trapped puppies, the others seemed to be enjoying their freedom.

Seventeen days later, as of Wednesday, there were about 45 puppies at the store. Some are housed in pairs in kennels on the back wall and other puppies are in shared cages with four or five other dogs.

Veterinarian Suzanne Zervantian, who offers a complimentary checkup for new puppies at All Creatures Animal Hospital, has seen several of the puppies sold by Country Pets in the last two weeks.

"Pahrump's animal shelter put down 2,000 dogs last year," said Zervantian."Personally, I don't see the need for a shop selling dogs when there are so many dogs available for adoption."

Zervantian said she's been asked if Country Pets is a puppy mill. "No. I don't believe Dora To is breeding dogs. But she is buying them. No one wants to believe the cute puppy they just paid $2,000 for at a fancy pet shop came from a puppy mill.

"But the truth is, if a person is in the business of breeding dogs just for the money, they get as many puppies as they can from each breeding dog and then just throw that dog away. If you buy a puppy in California or Nevada and the papers say it comes from Oklahoma, Arkansas or Kansas, that puppy is from a mill."

She added, "When you buy a dog from a shop and it comes with papers, look at the paperwork. Anybody can put two dogs together -- that doesn't make them a breeder. And anyone can start a business and call it a kennel club.

Until recently, To had a puppy store in Las Vegas called Pets in the City, which she ran for a number of years. She is telling potential customers they can save hundreds by making the drive to Pahrump. Prices are listed at www.vegascitypets.com.

The store's Web site says: "Country Pets only purchases directly from experienced USDA Licensed breeders with five star ratings which means you don't have to worry about supporting puppy mills, and neither do we."

According to Nevada Revised Statues, if the retailer obtained a dog from a person holding a license issued by the United States Department of Agriculture, the person's federal identification number must be provided to the purchaser.

Since Aug. 2, multiple phone messages from the Pahrump Valley Times have been left for To, but she has not called back. On Wednesday, a maintenance worker was inside the closed store and agreed to leave To a brief note and business card from this reporter, but To has so far chosen not to respond.