Pet Store Chain Tied To Puppy Mills (Petland)

[OhioChick]

Petland Accused Of Telling Customers Dogs Come From Breeders

POSTED: 8:36 pm EST November 20, 2008


WASHINGTON -- The Humane Society said many Petland stores are selling puppies from so-called puppy mills but telling customers that the dogs come from good breeders.

The animal protection group made the charges at a news conference in Washington on Thursday after an eight-month investigation of the chain. It involved 21 Petland stores and dozens of breeders and brokers.

The Humane Society said dogs at the mills were found in dirty cages and cages with wire flooring so large that the puppies' paws and even the paws of the mother dogs would fall through.

The group said pet stores should not be buying puppies from "abusive puppy mills" and "should not be lying to consumers" about where they got their puppies.

In a statement, Petland said the company does not support substandard breeding facilities and provides each store with guidelines on humane care of animals.

http://www.newsnet5.com/station/18028617/detail.html

[xultar]

1. Absolutely. This isn't news to be repeated often around the holidays.

[leftyladyfrommo]

2. I think all pet stores that sell puppies buy them from puppy mills.

It doesn't matter that the store itself is not abusive - the places they come from are horrible.

The very worst of the puppy millers are the Amish, especially in Peensylvania, but there are lots of others out there, too.

[kdmorris]

3. The one near us finally went out of business

It was an awful place. The puppies (and kittens when the had them) were almost always sick.

I used to call it the Puppy Concentration Camp. They also had unsexed rabbits and guinea pigs (by that I mean they didn't try to determine whether these animals were male or female so that they could separate them to keep the breeding down). That is one way that we ended up getting our daughter a guinea pig and having 3 guinea pigs a month later (luckily both pups were female).

I was never so happy so see a store go out of business as I was that one.

[sandyj999]

4. A good breeder has no reason to sell to any pet store because

many breeders have waiting lists. I have known that although Petland is all sparkling clean and friendly they have this dirty secret. And the fact that they let people handle the puppies is not only a selling point but an attempt to socialize the puppies. There are so many sad experiences people have had with these poor animals. They can have behavior problems and health problems. And yes the Amish are some of the worst offenders. Something has to end this.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

5. K & R - Let's get this on the Greatest Page, fellow pet-lovers.

If we educate one person today who will then shun the pet stores and the puppy mill industry, we're a step closer to shutting them down.