Great news!
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Petland and the Hunte Corporation in a claim that the chain store and its puppy distributor sells sickly puppies to unsuspecting customers.
A report in today’s Pittsburgh Post Gazette states that the lawsuit cites violations by Petland and Hunte to the Federal Racketteer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The lawsuit is based on an investigation carried out by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and released to the public last year. Members of the HSUS and other consumers, who filed the lawsuit, allege that:
Petland and Hunte violated federal law and numerous state consumer protection laws by misleading thousands of consumers across the country into believing that the puppies sold in Petland stores are healthy and come from high-quality breeders. Many of the puppies sold by Petland come either directly from puppy mills or puppy brokers such as Hunte, which operates as a middleman between the mills and Petland’s retail stores.
Read the full story at the HSUS website.
In Wayne Pacelle’s blog, he describes dogs in deplorable conditions, all found in Petland stores:
Minchy, a young miniature pinscher, is slowly going blind. Patrick, a Pomeranian puppy, suffers from an inherited joint disorder that requires expensive surgery. Mainerd, a Boston terrier, must endure a painful genetic spinal condition. All these puppies were sold by Petland stores.
Read Wayne’s full blog.
Although we have never said that the East Liberty Petland sells puppies from puppy mills, we were told by the owners themselves that they purchased dogs through the Hunte Corporation. The Hunte Corporation is the largest puppy broker in the United States. It is believed that they purchase and distribute most of their puppies from puppy mills.
It’s a well known fact that dogs bred in puppy mills are commonly in bad health because of the deplorable living conditions. In addition, dogs are often inbred, causing congenital conditions like those described by Wayne Pacelle in his blog. Many consumers have reported ill puppies purchased from Petland to Consumer Affairs.
