How did a North Carolina-based transport driver on a rescue mission with 15 mixed-breed dogs taken from high kill shelters to rescues in the northeast get caught in a state sting in a Delaware County McDonald's parking lot?

Here's the story from both sides: Late last Saturday night Anne Marie Wessel was heading to Vermont, dropping off several dogs with two Pennsylvania rescues (at least one of which held a state license) when six law enforcement officers - state dog wardens and Pennsylvania SPCA agents - emerged just as a rescue operator was picking up dogs and paying Wessel for her travel expenses.

The PSPCA seized the dogs and the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement took their health certificates. They also tried to seize Wessel's personal dog that was along for the ride. The bureau, which staged the sting after receiving a tip, says Wessel was transporting dogs without an out-of-state dealer's license and selling dogs in a public place. Director Sue West said there were dirty conditions inside the van, inadequate cage size and poor ventilation.

Wessel says she tries to do everything "properly" during her transports, but that sometimes dogs get carsick or relieve themselves in the crates despite potty breaks every four hours.

She said the dog wardens were verbally abusive, accusing her of carrying fraudulent health certificates (Wessel says signed by a veterinarian). When she asked how the ventilation could be an issue in her airline-approved crate, a warden said, "Because I said so."

In Wessel's words,  "They were very ugly."

She said there was some feces and urine in two crates, the result of a traffic delay and the fact dogs had to wait in the parking lot while the wardens questioned her. One dog had broken out of his crate and Wessel said she put him in a crate with another dog rather than let him ride loose in the van.

Wessel said she doesn't understand why she was charged with "selling" dogs when she was accepting money for her travel expenses. She said she charged $1500 for transporting the 15 dogs to Pennsylvania and Vermont, with nearly all of it going toward van rental, gas and tolls.

The Bureau filed seven summary citations against Wessel - five for transporting without a license one each for health certificate and for transferring dogs in a public place.

"We felt it was warranted," said West of the charges. "We are not looking to hurt rescues."

How can rescuers, shelters and transporters avoid another bust?

Here's what West recommends:

Shelters sending dogs to Pennsylvania must buy a license (which is $25 for nonprofits) and ensure all dogs have valid health certificates.

Drivers should keep receipts to show expenses. 

If there is a payment send it by mail.

Transporters who drive short legs within the state and hand off dogs to other drivers are not subject to the law and do not need a state license.

Some animal welfare advocates wonder why the state would go to the lengths it did to set up a bust and cite a person driving dogs for a relative few hours from death row to safety when breeders - who house dogs in cramped often dirty conditions their entire lives - are given repeated warnings without being cited.

They wonder about conditions aboard breeder transports to Ohio dog auctions and inside the vans of the many unlicensed and illegal brokers who regularly transport puppy mill dogs to pet stores or sell them out of their cars in parking lots.

"If a breeder kennel had the same conditions, they would also be cited," said West. "We try to treat everybody equally."

Still, only three or four of 20 brokers reported to the state by New Jersey Consumers Against Pet Shop Abuse bought dealers' licenses when they were sent a letter notifying them of the need for a license to transfer dogs out of the state.

West said the state's hands are tied on compelling brokers to buy dealers' licenses and that they rely on the public's tips to help catch illegal broker transports.

So what happened to the North Carolina dogs? Most of them escaped death once only to end up at the Pennsylvania SPCA on the very day it was holding a "garage sale" to move out dogs so it could disinfect one facility because of a disease outbreak.

Wessel - despite not having proof of ownership - convinced officials to let her keep her own dog. One Husky named Luna was picked up by her New York adopter after a harrowing 24 hours trying to find out which Philadelphia area shelter had her. At least three dogs were placed with an unidentified Pennsylvania rescue. Five dogs were placed with Main Line Animal Rescue in Chester Springs, where director Bill Smith reports they are healthy and happy. The whereabouts of the others is not known.