A California dog rescue linked to Hollywood stars Jennifer Aniston and Kris Jenner is facing serious legal claims. City officials allege that the organization misled people about the dogs it offered for adoption and raise questions about how it collected donations. However, the rescue’s founder has strongly denied the allegations.
Wagmor is accused of disguising breeder puppies as rescues
According to a legal complaint obtained by TMZ, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office has taken action against Wagmor and its founder, Melissa Bacelar. Officials allege the rescue bought hundreds of dogs from commercial breeders across the country. They say the group then brought those animals to California to be adopted as rescue animals. The complaint seeks to stop the alleged practices and impose millions of dollars in civil penalties.
The complaint alleges customers paid between $650 and $1,500 in adoption fees. Officials claim those payments helped fund a commercial breeding operation instead of supporting dogs in need. The city also charges Bacelar with making misleading claims to collect public funds. According to the complaint, she warned that “breeders will kill dogs, including by shooting them” unless Wagmor quickly raised enough money.
Officials also claim Wagmor told donors their donations were tax-deductible. However, the complaint says the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board had revoked the organization’s tax-exempt status. The city’s claims question both the rescue’s adoption practices and its fundraising methods. The legal action aims to prevent the business from continuing the alleged conduct.
Bacelar has rejected the accusations against her. She told TMZ, “The allegations against me are not true, not some of them, not most of them, they are not true, and I will prove it.” The case now puts Wagmor’s adoption and fundraising practices under legal scrutiny.
Wagmor has attracted attention from celebrities who shared posts about adopting dogs through the organization. Jennifer Aniston, Ellen DeGeneres, Chrissy Teigen, and Kris Jenner have all shown their dogs on social media. They wrote in their posts that the animals were rescued pets. The complaint raises questions about whether some dogs marketed as rescues actually came from commercial breeders.
