Celebrity-Favored Dog Rescue Faces $7 Million Lawsuit Over Alleged Puppy-Mill Scheme

A California animal rescue organization once praised by Hollywood celebrities is now facing a major lawsuit accusing it of deceiving families who believed they were adopting dogs in need of loving homes. Wagmor Pets, a Studio City-based rescue, and its founder, Melissa Bacelar, are accused by Los Angeles prosecutors of operating an illegal commercial dog-selling business disguised as an animal rescue. The civil lawsuit, filed by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office in October 2026, seeks more than $7 million in penalties, along with financial restitution for affected customers and an order permanently prohibiting the alleged practices.

According to the complaint, Wagmor allegedly purchased hundreds, and possibly thousands, of dogs from commercial breeders, including puppy mills, before presenting them to customers as rescued animals. Prosecutors claim the organization charged adoption fees ranging from hundreds of dollars to as much as $1,500, despite allegedly obtaining some of the dogs through commercial breeding channels. The practice is known as “puppy laundering” — a scheme in which commercially bred puppies are marketed as rescues, leading customers to believe their money is helping animals escape neglectful or overcrowded conditions.

The lawsuit also raises serious concerns about the animals’ health and the way donations were solicited. Prosecutors allege that some dogs arrived at their new homes with significant medical problems, while others died within days or weeks of being adopted. The complaint further claims that fundraising appeals used misleading descriptions and photographs of dogs that were not necessarily connected to the emergencies being described. City officials argue that these practices violated California consumer protection laws and Los Angeles regulations governing the sale and placement of dogs.

Wagmor became widely recognized in 2019 after Ellen DeGeneres featured the organization on her television show, revealing that she and her wife, Portia de Rossi, had adopted a puppy through the rescue. The organization later became associated with other well-known names, including Jennifer Aniston, Chrissy Teigen, Kris Jenner and Dwayne Johnson. Its celebrity connections helped attract public attention and donations, making the latest allegations particularly striking for people who had viewed the organization as a trusted place to adopt animals.

Bacelar has strongly denied the accusations. In statements responding to the lawsuit, she described the claims as recycled allegations from previous litigation that had already been dismissed. She characterized the new case as an attempt to target her and maintained that she would defend herself in court. The Los Angeles Times previously reported on veterinary records linking Wagmor to dogs purchased at a Missouri auction, but Bacelar has denied knowingly buying animals from commercial breeders. She has said she accepted dogs from a rescue group without asking where they originally came from.

The city is seeking a permanent injunction against Wagmor, Bacelar and two related businesses, Wylder’s Holistic Pet Center Inc. and Doho House LLC. Prosecutors also want restitution for customers who may have been misled and more than $7 million in civil penalties. The case has not yet established that the defendants committed the alleged violations, and Bacelar maintains her innocence. For families who believed they were giving abandoned animals a second chance, however, the lawsuit raises an unsettling question: Were they truly adopting rescue dogs, or unknowingly supporting the commercial breeding industry they were trying to avoid?

Source: PEOPLE