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A Mississauga man who allegedly abused several puppies he bought online is facing charges after they were found either dead or “badly mutilated,” police say.
Peel Regional Police said that between Dec. 2024 and March of this year, officers responded to “several” incidents in the Dundas Street and Mavis Road area where puppies - all between eight and 10 weeks old -were located deceased or “badly injured” and “left for dead.”
During a Monday afternoon news conference, Const. Mandeep Khatra said the dogs were found in parks and near community centres areas that were easily visible to the public.
He said of the four dogs that were found, one died of their injuries, while the other three are currently receiving medical treatment and recovering.
Khatra added that the dogs’ injuries appear to be intentionally caused as they are “not consistent” with wildlife.
Following what he called a “complex investigation” dubbed Project Sentinel, Khatra said police were able to link the puppies to one suspect who used social media platforms as well as online marketplaces, including Kijiji, to purchase the dogs under the alias “Joey.”
Last Friday, 43-year-old Jiong Wang was arrested in connection with the alleged animal abuse and charged with four counts each of causing unnecessary suffering to animals, killing or injuring animals, and cruelty to animals.
Police say they are aware of at least eight dogs connected to Wang, but believe there may have been other incidents that are “not yet known.”
‘Glaring need for a crackdown on online sales,’ says Animal Justice
Animal Justice, a Canadian nonprofit that fights for the legal rights of animals, said this case shows the “glaring need for a crackdown on online sales,” adding that these animal cruelty allegations are a “stark example of why Ontario’s animal protection laws remain deeply flawed—and how failing to crack down on websites like Kijiji puts animals at risk."
In a statement, the organization noted authorities currently have “no meaningful way to track or respond to troubling patterns involving animal welfare.”
“Right now, online platforms make it far too easy for a person with malicious intentions to obtain vulnerable animals, like dogs pumped out by puppy mills and backyard breeders. And because Ontario has no licensing or registration system for dog breeders or sellers, it’s virtually impossible to know who is breeding dogs, where puppies are being sold, or to spot warning signs early,” Camille Labchuk, Animal Justice’s executive director, said.
“If concerns do arise, there’s no centralized way to notify others in the system, or even to know who might be at risk.”
Last year, the Ontario government passed the Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales Act, which prohibits the operation of puppy mills and the material benefit from them.
“At the time, [we] warned that online pet sales put animals at risk, and allowed puppy mills and backyard breeders to profit from breeding puppies in appalling conditions,” Animal Justice said, adding that they also called on the provincial government to address the “explosion in online pet sales.”
“While humane societies and SPCAs conduct extensive vetting before placing animals in homes, buyers can acquire puppies and other pets from online sellers with little scrutiny,” the group said.
“Puppies are being sold in the shadows, and there’s no way to know how many similar cases might be happening under the radar. Cracking down on online sales and requiring breeder licensing with basic standards could also help ensure breeders are only selling to responsible individuals—not simply handing over animals to anyone willing to pay,” said Labchuk.
Anyone who may have sold puppies online to a buyer named “Joey” is asked to contact PRP at projectsentinel@peelpolice.ca or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
With files from CP24’s Codi Wilson and CTV News Toronto’s Scott Lightfoot
