Who are we?

We are a group of concerned Pittsburgh residents who oppose Petland and other pet stores that sell many types of pets, especially dogs and cats.  For those of you who don’t know, here are some facts:

• Petland is a large pet store franchise who makes profit by selling intentionally bred companion animals.
• The national animal advocacy organizations say that they have evidence that most puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills, factory-style breeding operations that produce puppies in large numbers.  Puppy mills are notorous for being inhumane; designed to maximize profits, diisregarding the physical, social and emotional health of the dogs.  Breeder dogs are kept in cruel confinement and forced to bear litter after litter until they no longer can.
• Many puppy mill puppies are inbred and suffer physical, emotional and behavioural problems.
• Rabbits, kittens, birds and other animals sold in many pet stores are also likely provided by factory-style mill operations.
• Petland stores sell animals that have not been spayed or neutered, contributing to the overpopulaton of companion animals on the streets and in shelters and rescue organizations.
• Some Petland stores around the country have violated state anti-cruelty laws with inhumane confinement of dogs and the freezing of baby mice and rats.

In general, most pet stores support an inhumane industry AND take away potential homes from thousands of homeless animals in shelters and breed rescues.  To add insult to injury, Pittsburgh’s animal shelters are almost always overflowing with animals looking for good homes.

PLEASE HELP US PICKET PETLAND.  We will be picketing on Penn Avenue at the entrance to the shopping center (where it’s legal).  Please just come down when you can!  

Never picketed before?  Wondering what’s involved?  Here’s the scoop:

• We only conduct peaceful, legal pickets.
• We stand on the footpath and hold signs up to the passing traffic.
• If someone asks us a question, we answer it.  We ask them if they’d like some literature, and if they say yes, we hand them a leaflet.
• We often receive supportive honks from passing cars and buses.  We like to wave to and thank those people.
• We don’t chant, yell or abuse others.
• Rarely does anyone say anything negative to us.  Two comments that have been directed at us are, “Get a job” and “There are so many more important things to protest”.  Unless someone wants to hold a civil conversation with us, we don’t reply to negative comments.
• We ask that everyone who joins us be respectful towards all others, move out of the way for passers-by and bus travellers, and stay off the road and off shopping centre property.