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Petland Customers Concerned About Puppy Mills
The Petland debacle continues…
This story (and photo) is from one of my favorite sites, ZooToo.com. Apparently, Petland customers are growing concerned about the HSUS investigation into the company’s puppy supply.
Can anyone else say, “DUH?”
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CINCINNATI — Dawn Lewis and her family still miss Cash, the dog she had put to sleep in 2007 after it attacked her son and left him with scars on his face and ear.
She wonders now whether the Akita’s behavior was a result of puppy mill breeding by Petland Inc., which sold her the dog in 2006.
Pet owners nationwide are suing the chain in federal court, questioning their pets’ medical and behavioral problems and accusing the Ohio-based company of selling dogs bred in filthy conditions.
The lawsuit filed this week against Petland, the Hunte Corp. and other unnamed suppliers claims the companies misled thousands of customers into believing sick puppies came from the finest breeders when they really came from puppy mills and brokers.
Petland and Hunte have denied the claims.
Puppy mills are high-volume breeding kennels that animal protection groups say harm the animals and lead to sick puppies being sold to consumers.
“This scheme to conceal the origin of these puppy-mill puppies from consumers has left thousands of families in its wake suffering from emotional turmoil and significant monetary losses,” says the suit filed by six Petland customers — including members of The Humane Society of the United States.
“The claims that we conspired to sell sick puppies to consumers are baseless,” Hunte president Steven Rook said Friday. “We only deal with licensed breeders, regulated and inspected by the USDA, and we require that they follow a strict regime. Everything is designed and managed for the health of the puppy.”
Lawyers have asked a judge to certify the case as a class action, meaning others could join it and share any monetary award.
Stephanie Booth, of Flagstaff, Ariz., got her Bloodhound Tucker from a Petland store in 2007. She said she thought a lump on his head came from roughhousing with another puppy, but Tucker was diagnosed a few months later with a brain tumor and had to be put to sleep.
Booth, 18, said documents she got from Petland included the dog’s family tree and the breeder’s name and said he was fine. She said her mother researched the breeder and found information suggesting it might be a puppy mill that had faced legal problems.
“I just want people to become aware of the situation with puppy mills and what the dogs go through,” said Booth, who is a plaintiff in the federal suit against Petland.
Petland, which has 131 U.S. stores, has said it is outraged and disappointed by what it calls false accusations and insists it does everything possible to provide customers with healthy, happy and well-socialized pets. The company has not been charged with any crimes.
Petland says it has many satisfied customers like Aric Shock, of Kettering, Ohio, who said his French Bulldog puppy Dozer has been a great pet, and Sandy Voelker, of Fairfield in suburban Cincinnati.
“We’ve had no issues with her other than just being a puppy,” Voelker, 32, said of her English Bulldog, Rosie.
Lewis, who lives in San Diego, said Petland guaranteed her puppy Cash’s health.
Even so, she said she found he had ringworm when she bought him. And when she complained about the biting, a store employee told her that Akita’s are sometimes prone to aggressiveness.
“I will never buy another dog from a pet store,” said Lewis, 37, who is not a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
Petland warranties cover congenital and hereditary disorders for up to a year after purchase, and at least two licensed veterinarians examine each puppy before it’s sold, said Petland spokeswoman Elizabeth Kunzelman.
“If a pet develops an issue at some point in their lives, this does not in any way indicate that the puppy came from a substandard breeder,” Kunzelman said.
The Humane Society and other animal welfare groups want to outlaw puppy mills. They say legislation is pending in 27 different states to restrict puppy mills and protect consumers who buy puppies that are later diagnosed with health or genetic defects.
Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Virginia have already enacted laws cracking down on puppy mills. A bill setting standards and licensing requirements for large-scale breeders is expected to be introduced this month in Ohio.
An Ohio veterinarian said animals bred in the small, often filthy cages at puppy mills frequently develop behavioral and physical problems.
“Breeders use puppy mills to save money and maximize profits, spending little money on food, shelter and veterinary care,” said veterinarian Matthew Heller, of the All about PetCare clinic in Middletown, about 30 miles north of Cincinnati. “They should be abolished.”
I can’t believe people don’t know these facts about pet stores! Of course, no one learns anything until they do, so the only effective way to change things is to educate the public – and quick! I’ve been working with dogs for over 11 years and it boggles my mind that people actually think reputable breeders would sell puppies in pet stores!
Our shelter busted a puppy mill about a year ago, and those poor pups are still caught in limbo waiting for all the appeals to be exhausted. It makes mum violently ill to think anyone could believe the condition the dogs were in was acceptable. When will people learn?
If you have concerns about Petland stores, come visit one. We will be happy to show you around, and show you how the animals are taken care, particularly the puppies. We at Petland do our best to make sure people get health, happy, well socialized puppies. And this means we only purchase from repitabule breeders. If we find a breeder that is not, we expose them and add them to our Do Not Buy list. And if you are getting the information from the HSUS, please take another look at the information. The puppies and kennels shown in the HSUS video, with the name Petland at the top, have no realtionship to Petland what so ever. The HSUS knows this, but the refused to correct it. Also, you may want to take a closer look at the HSUS itself. They are a fundraising machine that is not associated with any local humane society. And the money that goes to the HSUS rarely goes to animal care. The raised millions to save the animals after Hurricane Katrina, but not very many were rescued. Look deeper into some of the things they have said and you will realize they want to take away all rights to own animals of any kind. Are these the type of people you are willing to believe? Please take a closer look at Petland and the HSUS and decide who is on the right side of the issue.
This is a reply about what “Abbey” had to say about Katrina pets!
I’m a Katrina survivor and know “first hand” *ALL* the help that the HUMANE SOCIETY provided to the pets! Before making such a statement,one should know what they are talking about!!! Those people went beyond the call of duty to save our pets and for someone to say such a thing,obviously has no clue of the facts!!! before pointing the finger outward on the innocent ones (ACTUALLY TRYING TO HELP PETS)…turn that finger around!!!
P.S. I “have” visited a Petland in southern,Ohio and i would “NEVER” GET A PUPPY MILL PUPPY FROM THEM!!!
Ill take the HSUS word over Petland any day, sorry Abbey. HSUS is one of the best animal welfare organizations in the country and you are obvsiouly a petland employee trying to sway opinion here, which wont work. Petland has had problems for years: its no secret.
I would have to agree with ME. Of course Petland employees are going to go around and try to do reputation mgmt, but its too late, the secret (which BTW was really no”secret” if you are an animal rights/welfare buff) is out. Its been known for YEARS that Petland uses puppy mills. Petland customers themselves will tell you about problems they’ve had. The company is just now doing what it can to stave off the backlash in bad PR. Serves ‘em right.
PS- Abbey I think you are confusing the HSUS with PETA.
Just to clarify: the HSUS is not an animal welfare group. They are an animal rights group, just like PETA. They are against the eating of anything not vegan, the keeping of pets (including dogs, cats, and goldfish), and anything that involves a person interacting with an animal in any way. BTW, most Petland stores are locally owned and are not run by the Petland corporation. If one store breaks the law or behaves in an unethical manner, it applies only to that store alone.
HEY! actually they try to stop factroy farming, they think its FINE TO EAT MEAT! They want to prevent cruelty not srat it PETA bombs circu’s wilhe HSUS petitions! SHUT PETLAND DOWN!!!! I’ve seen a puppy who couldn’t stop shaking on my visit to CHarlotte,NC and the vet said “HES’ COLD!” LIAR! Plus the vets are in on the sam too. The petland worker was playing with a dog with some friends and I and my friend said “what happens if you step on his paw” she replied” he will yelp…sometimes i step on my dogs paws at home just for fun!” HOW CRUEL, plus ferrets and rabbits shouldn’t live in a cage seperated by a plastic block!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also HSUS agrees with pets why else would they adopt out animals and not kill them! (only 10% of PETAs animals are not euthanised) Abbey I will never go to purchase ANYTHING from that petstorer until you clean up your act and get puppies from shelters and maybe reputable breeder….REAL ONES NOT HUNTE! or you’ll lose customers by the min….
PETLAND IS A JOKE! THEY SELL POOR HELPLESS DOGS WHO ARE SO SICK THEY BARELY MAKE IT WHEN YOU GET THEM HOME! WHY DO I KNOW? We bought a st bernard and she was so dealthy sick after getting her home she also passed it on to our chocolate lab. Then two friends of mine purchased english bulldogs and one of them suffered on life support for weeks then died. the new one they replaced it with also suffered for almost a month. The other girl her’s suffered with the same. all had kennel cough AND ALL HAVE HIP DISPLASIA! Ours in which petland wants to back down on their word of covering the cost so which is in our hands now. money isnt the issue watching my dog suffer is a huge problem. I will not stop until they are shutdown for good there a joke! So abbey when you watch a dog suffer like we have and its your own then tell me petland is a great place!
So you mention a law suit. What’s the status? Was Petland found guilty?
you got a very fantastic website, Gladiolus I discovered it through yahoo.
excellent post, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector don’t notice this. You must continue your writing. I am confident, you’ve a great readers’ base already!