CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- A local animal rescue is stepping in after a Charlotte pet store was shut down.

North Carolina inspectors say at least 11 puppies died, leading officials to pull the license for Happy Puppy Universe.

The pet store is also accused of not telling customers that the puppies they were buying were sick.

“So he is, Mika is a Siberian Husky, and he is about 18 weeks old,” said Colleen Sowers, the founder of Peanut’s Place Small Breed Rescue.

Mika is healthy.

“He’s one of the lucky ones that has been cleared, he doesn’t have any infections or anything,” said Sowers.

But some of the other puppies he was in the pet store with are sick, and state inspectors say others died.

“Some of them were pretty lethargic. We noticed that right away that they were prett

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