Official Complaint Against Canneth Lee: Sale of Puppies Under 10 Weeks Old
- Logan Foster
- Jun 19
- 3 min read

Below, you will find a copy of an official complaint submitted to: The South Bend Common Council Rules Committee, The South Bend Animal Welfare Commission, South Bend Animal Resource Center, as well as other individuals who are tasked with compliance of local ordinances.
From: Logan Foster (info@RedressSouthBend.com) Date: June 19th, 2025 To: Robert Palmer (bpalmer@southbendin.gov), South Bend City Clerk & Office (sbcityclerk@southbendin.gov, ClerksOffice@southbendin.gov), Canneth Lee (clee@southbendin.gov), Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers (ogooden-rodgers@southbendin.gov), Sharon McBride (smcbride@southbendin.gov), Troy Warner (twarner@southbendin.gov), Sherry Bolden-Simpson (sbolden-simpson@southbendin.gov), Sheila Niezgodski (sniezgod@southbendin.gov), Oliver Davis (odavis@southbendin.gov), Karen White (kwhite@southbendin.gov), Rachel Tomas Morgan (rtomasmo@southbendin.gov), City Council Shared Email (DL-CityCouncil@southbendin.gov), SB Legal Emails (legaldept@southbendin.gov, skennedy@southbendin.gov, dweiss@southbendin.gov) Subject: Official Complaint Against Canneth Lee: Sale of Puppies Under 10 Weeks Old - Please Send Receipt To The South Bend Common Council Rules Committee,
I am filing this formal complaint regarding violations of the South Bend, Indiana, Code of Ordinances, specifically Section 5-77, which prohibits the sale of puppies under the age of 10 weeks.
Offender: Common Council President Canneth Lee
Address: 1929 Huey Street, South Bend, IN 46628
Detailed Synopsis:
June 8, 2025: Canneth Lee posted on his public Facebook account offering three 4-week-old Yorkie puppies for sale at $1,500 each. This clearly violates Section 5-77, which specifies that puppies must be at least 10 weeks old before being offered for sale, sold, traded, or given away. (See Exhibit A)
June 10, 2025: The above post was reshared by Canneth Lee, continuing the illegal offer. (See Exhibit B)
June 11, 2025: Canneth Lee posted a video showcasing the puppies, priced at $1,500 each. The video clearly depicts the puppies exhibiting unsteady movements, consistent with their reported age of 4 weeks. (age was self-reported by Canneth Lee) Lee further mentions the puppies were eating wet food, which aligns with the developmental stage of puppies that young. (See Exhibit C & C Video)
June 12, 2025: A post by Charisse Wardlow-Lee, shared and tagged by Canneth Lee, adjusted the pricing to $1,000 for the male puppy and $1,500 for the female puppies. (See Exhibits D & D2)
June 13, 2025: Canneth Lee reshared the puppies again without directly listing pricing but clearly continued promoting their sale. (See Exhibit E)
June 15, 2025: Charisse Wardlow-Lee shared a final update indicating just one puppy remained, listed at $1,500. This openly admitted that puppies under 10 weeks of age were indeed being sold. (See Exhibit F)
Alleged Violations:
The evidence above establishes a violation of the South Bend Code of Ordinances, specifically Section 5-77. Additionally, I request an investigation into the following possible violations under Chapter 5, Responsible Animal and Pet Ownership Care and Regulations:
Minor Breeder Permit Requirements:
Did Canneth Lee (or Charisse Wardlow-Lee) obtain the required minor breeder's permit as per Section 5-62(a)(2)
Required Documentation and Registration:
Did Canneth Lee register the birth of the litter with the Division of Animal Welfare, as required under Section 5-62(b)(3)?
Did Canneth Lee provide the Division of Animal Welfare with the name, address, and phone number of each buyer within five days of the sale, as outlined in Section 5-62(b)(4)?
Health Requirements:
Were the puppies microchipped and immunized against the required diseases, as mandated under Sections 5-62(a)(3) and 5-62(b)(6)?
Did Canneth Lee provide the legally required warrant of health, ensuring veterinary examination and health guarantees for the sold puppies? (Sec. 5-62(b)(8))
Additional Possible Violations:
Were any other provisions under Chapter 5 violated during the breeding, sale, or care of these puppies?
Requested Action:
I urge the Rules Committee to investigate this matter thoroughly and enforce the relevant penalties for these violations. The evidence clearly demonstrates a violation of the municipal code, and suggests that many more violations occurred as well.
I have attached all relevant evidence (Exhibits A-F, including screenshots and video links) for your review.Anything less than a public censure and citation would be a disgrace to this legislative body. It was this body that passed this ordinance in 2019 (Also - Sharon McBride and Karen White voted to pass this bill).
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