"No legitimate charitable rescue's associated fees to 'adopt' or 're-home' a dog would ever even approach such an extravagant, for-profit sum as $3,599.99," the filing states.

Hobo K-9 Rescue told the attorney general's office it received $714,510 for the 1,290 puppies it exported from Iowa between September 2016 and July 2018, according to court records. During that time, Hobo K-9 wrote several large checks to J.A.K.'S Puppies to cover procurement fees for the dogs it purported to have rescued, the filing states.

Because the two entities have the same officers, "it appears they must claim to 'rescue' puppies from themselves -- or from the for-profit puppy mill industry in which they participate," the filing states.

Attempts to reach the owners of the two Chicago pet stores named in the complaint also were not immediately successful Monday.

Cari Meyers, founder of Chicago-based The Puppy Mill Project, which pushed for the city ordinance and long has complained about the Iowa puppy provider, welcomed the complaint and said it was long overdue.

She said pet stores that take in such animals are also to blame "when they state their puppies are 'rescues,' when they clearly know the true source."