BOSTON -- A Team 5 Investigation into the deaths of nearly a dozen puppies will change the way rescued dogs are handled in Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources also took tough action against veterinarian Dr. Rodney Poling and a local rescue group, PawSafe. Both groups are at the center of Parvo outbreaks that recently killed 11 puppies.

Team 5 Investigates' Sean Kelly said the state's final report on the deaths was simple and harsh.

According to the report, Holliston Meadows -- owned by Poling -- "did not take proper steps to ensure the health of puppies in their care."

The ruling comes as no surprise to Anne Schmidel. Her puppies, Ruby and Millies, died from Parvo days after she adopted them from PawSafe. The vet bills alone were $4,500.

"Oh, I'm very angry," Schmidel said.

So was Crystal Serrette who adopted a puppy through Holliston Meadows.

"We had him for a week and he was really attached to us," Serrette said. "And we were really attached to him, so we wanted to save him."

Brad Mitchell of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources said his department took the complaints very seriously.

"Frankly, we saw more sick animals adopted out from these two groups than we did healthy animals," Mitchell told Team 5 Investigates.

And so the state issued strict new rules for Poling, who runs clinics in Holliston and Milford, as well as PawSafe, the group that brought the puppies into Massachusetts.

They must isolate puppies for seven days instead of two. They must also make sure that out-of-state rescue dogs get two Parvo/distemper shots before they come to Massachusetts.

And Poling is prohibited from adopting out puppies younger than 16 weeks. That's double the adoption age for everyone else in the state.

Poling told Team 5 Investigates he will follow the new rules.

"All very positive, all very constructive, all appropriate," Poling said. "(They're) things I agree with as a veterinarian and things that I really do think represent the best for animal welfare."

The state referred to the health threat from this case as "pervasive." Team 5 Investigates obtained the cease and desist order from April 27 that showed out of 44 families who adopted puppies from Holliston Meadows, only nine said their puppies were healthy.

"We saw what happened to them," Mitchell said. "We recognized there was a problem and we took action. It might not help their immediate situation, but I think it will help prevent future similar situations from occurring."

Poling told Team 5 Investigates that the new rules should apply to everyone, not just him. The state is not doing that, but as part of its crackdown, officials are ordering every pet shop, shelter and vet to file a report with the state if they suspect an animal has the Parvo virus.

Diane Scuderi, the owner of PawSafe, reportedly told the state that her group has moved out of Massachusetts.