COLUMBUS — Two Butler residents and their Mount Vernon business have been named as defendants in a lawsuit accusing a purported animal welfare nonprofit of diverting charitable donations to bankroll a for-profit business that sold puppies.
The suit, filed Monday by Ohio Attorney General David Yost, asserts that Dogs to the Rescue operated as a sham charity in Knox and Scioto counties, deceiving donors by falsely claiming that 100 percent of contributions would be used to find permanent homes for dogs.
Along with the non-profit organization, the filing names board members Nathan Bazler, Sara Bazler and Opal Mustain, as well as Little Puppies Online, as defendants. The suit accuses them of unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty and other violations of charitable laws.
Richland Source sought comment from the Bazlers and Mustain via phone and email, but did not receive a response as of 5 p.m. Monday.
According to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, an investigation revealed that Nathan and Sara Bazler, who are married and live in Richland County, allegedly used some of the money to pay debts related to a for-profit business, Maryland Puppies Online.
While serving as directors for Dogs to the Rescue, Nathan and Sara owned and operated two for-profit businesses that sold puppies: Little Puppies Online and Maryland Puppies Online, according to the lawsuit.
In 2022, the Bazlers agreed to shut down Maryland Puppies Online and pay $75,000 in civil penalties after the state of Maryland accused them of violating laws against puppy mills.
Meanwhile, Dogs to the Rescue board members Nathan Bazler, Opal Mustain and Sara Bazler paid themselves a combined $354,000 in 2022, despite working as little as two hours per week on average.
By the end of that year, the non-profit reported just $42 in remaining assets and lacked any documentation to justify the payments, Yost stated in a press release.
“It doesn’t take a bloodhound to sniff out this scheme,” Yost said. “When you exploit the generosity of animal lovers to fund a money-making business, you’ve strayed a long way from your charitable mission.”
Yost’s lawsuit seeks civil penalties, restitution and injunctive relief prohibiting the defendants from soliciting donations or operating charitable organizations in Ohio.
The case was brought by the Charitable Law Section of the Attorney General’s Office, which is responsible for enforcing state laws governing nonprofits and protecting the integrity of charitable donations.
Bazlers, Muntain linked to additional puppy-related enterprises, nonprofit
This isn’t the first time Little Puppies Online has attracted criticism. The business was listed in The Humane Society of the United States’ ‘Horrible Hundred’ puppy mill report in 2017. The report noted that puppies were found ‘in cramped, undersized cages’ and that the dealer had ‘bought puppies from unlicensed breeders,’ per media reports.
The website for Little Puppies Online remained active as of Monday afternoon, with listed puppies for sale ranging from $999 to $1,899.
Nathan Bazler graduated with a master’s degree in Christian education from Ashland Theological Seminary, according to his LinkedIn page. (Richland Source was not able to independently verify this information at the time of publication)
Bazler is also the owner of several businesses, Bazler Investments, Bazler Motors and The 139 Convenient Mart, according to his profile. A filing with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office shows Bazler Motors was dissolved in 2023.
Sara Bazler is listed as the agent of two active businesses, Mod Agave LLC and Blossom and Blume, per the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.
The lawsuit states the Bazlers have also owned and operated for-profit businesses called Indiana Puppies Online, Pennsylvania Puppies Online, Florida Puppies Online and Georgia Puppies Online.
Mustain has four businesses listed under her name, including Dogs to the Rescue, Mustain Enterprize, P & M Publishing and Humane Pawz, the last of which was dissolved earlier this year. Humane Pawz was also a non-profit listing Mustain and the Bazlers as directors and officers.
Ohioans who suspect a charitable organization of fraud or misuse can file a complaint at charitable.ohioago.gov or by calling 800-282-0515.