Well we always knew it to be true. But last week, after an 8 month investigation, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) released video evidence that tracked nearly 17,000 puppies in puppy mills to Petland stores around the US. Every Petland employee approached by HSUS investigators denied that their puppies originate from puppy mills of course, and corporate Petland issued a response letter that tries to denigrate the HSUS as an organization, which is the tactic they always use for people or organizations who oppose them. We applaud the HSUS for their work.
The story was shown widely, including in Pittsburgh media outlets, including WTAE, WPXI and The Pittsburgh Business Times. Below is the full story from the PBT:
Humane Society charges Petland with using puppy mills
The Humane Society of the U.S. is taking on pet-store chain Petland Inc. in a report that alleges the company has ties to inhumane puppy mills.
The Chillicothe-based chain responded by calling the report a blatant attempt to drum up holiday-season fundraising dollars.
The Humane Society said its conclusions are based on an eight-month investigation into Petland, which involved visiting 21 stores, 35 breeders and pet distributors that sell to Petland, and reviewing federal records. The organization alleged that while Petland purports to deal only with quality breeders, it actually buys from “massive commercial breeders” in the Midwest where dogs are packed into cages in substandard conditions.
The society also questioned the chain’s assurances that it buys from breeders licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In reviewing USDA records for more than 100 Petland-linked breeders, more than 6 in 10 were found to have “serious” violations of animal care regulations, the society said.
Petland responded in a statement posted on its Web site, saying the Humane Society’s latest investigation is an example of those that surface each year around the holidays along with its fundraising efforts.
“Unfortunately, we were not interviewed or consulted nor were we a part of any of the editing process,” the company said. “This is sensationalism at its best.”
Attempts to reach Petland for comment Friday afternoon were unsuccessful.
KDKA reports on the response to the Petland story:
Local Vet Weighs In On Humane Society Report
POINT BREEZE (KDKA) ― There’s nothing like the prospect of a brand new puppy to brighten a little boy’s eyes – but the national Humane Society is charging that the Ohio-based Petland chain is getting most of their puppies from large-scale “puppy mills” in the Midwest – while telling buyers that the animals are from reputable professional breeders.Veterinarian Dr. Lawrence Gerson of Point Breeze says of the charges, “They are doing what they feel is in the best interest of animals and I congratulate them – unfortunately to make the news you have to be sensational and what they’re saying may have some truth to it – in part.”
Dr. Gerson knows something about ‘puppy mills” – he helped write model legislation, passed last month, improving the way commercial kennels are run in Pennsylvania.
But, at times, he says, the Humane Society goes too far, “You can’t paint all breeders with a broad brush to say they they’re lousy and that they’re dirty.”
But during its 8-month investigation, the Humane Society reported that it found commercial breeders with dogs living in deplorable conditions – “living in cages reeking of urine … in dirty, cramped conditions … where they receive little socialization or human interaction or exercise.”
Jeff Koury, owner of the Robinson Petland says his puppies are vet-checked two or three times before they arrive at his store.
“If they do not pass these screens – these individual vet-checks – they do not ship to my store,” he said.
In its defense, Petland corporate released a statement – it says in part: “We do not support substandard facilities and we provide each Petland store with Humane Care Guidelines.
“Reports such as those posted on the Humane Society website surface every year around the holiday season in conjunction with their annual fundraising efforts.”
However, KDKA did find at least 41-pages of complaints against Petland on a Consumer Affairs website from people who are very unhappy with their purchases.
Petland has more than 200 stores in 31 states and several foreign countries. It has about 10 in Central Ohio.
Petland Protestors 