Brickbat: How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?

Two firms have been fined $50,000 for leasing dogs in Massachusetts. Credova Financial and Nextep Holdings were providing customers with lease-to-own agreements for dogs, which is legal in some states but not Massachusetts. To settle a legal action filed by the state, the two companies agreed to waive more than $126,000 in remaining lease payments and transfer ownership of dozens of dogs to people who had leased them.