Wheaton Petland reverts back to selling commercially bred pups

After only 3 months of trying an adoptions-0nly business model, the Petland store in Wheaton, Il, is reverting back to selling commercially bred puppies.  The owner, Adam Stachowiak, posted a letter to explain the reason for the change.  We are suprised and disappointed that this sad turn of events has occurred after such a short period of time.

If what Adam says is true – that the public haven’t embraced the rescue animals – then that is direct proof that we, the consuming public, are responsible for the existence of puppy mills.  Until consumers start rejecting commercially bred puppies, pet stores like the Wheaton Petland, will feel that they have no choice but to provide them.

Here is an interesting blog on the situation.

Austin Petland store closes amid new bans on pet sales

After the Austin Animal Advisory Commission recently approved a proposal to ask the Austin City Council to ban retail sales of companion animals, the only store in the city that sold pets, the Austin Petland, closed its doors in anticipation of the ban.  Read the full story at the links below.

KVUE

The Statesman

Walletpop (blog)

The full KVUE story from July 14 is below.

Wednesday evening, with a unanimous vote, the City of Austin took one more step to becoming a no-kill city when it comes to animal shelters.

The Austin Animal Advisory Commission approved a proposal to ask the Austin City Council to create a ban on the retail sales of companion animals like kittens and puppies at stores.

The only store in Austin selling kittens and puppies is Petland in South Austin. Now, the Southpark Meadows store will close its doors for good on Sunday, July 18.

“You know it’s going to be inevitable. There’s no point in just prolonging this, the store is going to eventually have to close down,” said Ben Guerra, the manager at Petland.

“We’ve tried to implement this no kill plan but we’re not there yet, we are not no kill, we’re working on it. We’ve got a lot of work to do. It’s going to be an 18-month to two year process,” added Lundstedt.

“The people that are protesting are trying to say this is a victory. How is it a victory when 19 people of our staff are being left without jobs?” questioned Guerra.

The Austin City Council is expected to tackle the issue between now and October.

The Animal Advisory Commission says that Petland was buying animals from puppy mills across the country and selling them in Austin without them being spayed or neutered, an accusation Ben Guerra denied.

“Every time animals go into the Town Lake Animal Center and have to be killed, that’s tax dollars that don’t have to be spent,” said David Lundstedt, a member of the Austin Animal Advisory Commission.

Wisconsin pet store owner finds new licensing rules unreasonable

From the Green Bay Press Gazette:

Puppy Prints pet store owner Colleen Halopka said new “ridiculous” animal handler regulations in Green Bay could put her out of business if she isn’t given more time to comply with them.

The Green Bay City Council on June 15 approved changes to the city’s animal establishment licensing rules, increasing licensing requirements. The new rules took effect immediately. Licenses are now required for pet stores, grooming and breeding services and animal shelters.

The rules replaced ineffective ones, assistant city attorney Kail Decker said.

They require animal handlers to post breeder information publicly, give the local animal control officer more explicit licensing oversight and bring license holders in line with animal care standards set by the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, an organization backing pet store interests.

Decker said pet stores should already be following pet industry standards and shouldn’t have to change much to comply.

But Halopka said some of the rules are unreasonable, and she fears they will take away customers.

She said she was told to comply by July 9, but said if that date isn’t extended, she may have to close Puppy Prints, 424 S. Military Ave., at least temporarily.

License holders will have to post information on cages about the breeders and facilities that produced their animals — including the name, address and phone number of the breeder and facility — and whether the animal came from an unlicensed facility.

Halopka said posting breeder information publicly could let customers buy directly from the breeder instead of her. She said she would rather give that information to people only after they buy from her.

Another new rule gives more explicit permission to the city’s humane officer to review license applications before the city issues or renews them. Under the new rules, the humane officer can make license recommendations to the city and review applications, things not clearly included in previous rules.

Rules previously allowed customers to get their money back from a pet store within seven days of buying an animal if a veterinarian found it was “sick or injured” the day it was sold. People could file a lawsuit against the pet store if denied a refund. Changes to the rule allow customers who get such a refund to also keep their pet.

“They’re opening up the doors for people to try to get the dog for free. … I think the term ‘sick’ needs to be more defined. Sick with what?” Halopka said.

Decker said allowing customers to keep an item after getting a refund is rare, but noted similar rules already exist in some cases in Wisconsin.

Breeders and animal shelters didn’t previously need licenses. Decker said he is not sure how many will come under the new rules.

Bill Krouse, who has organized protests at Puppy Prints, said the rules allow the city to “enforce what people should be following anyway.”

Krouse said protesters who picketed in front of Puppy Prints were trying to educate people about puppy mills, breeding facilities considered inhumane.

Halopka said she does not get her dogs from puppy mills or knowingly sell sick puppies, accusations she said protesters made.

Read comments to this article in the Green Bay Press Gazette.

Some Michigan pet stores pledge to become adopt-only!

The hard work of the southeast Michigan chapter of Puppy Mill Awareness has paid off, with nearly 100 pet stores pledging to take the “puppy friendly” pet store pledge.  These stores have committed to abstain from selling purposely bred pups, and instead support animal shelters and their adoption efforts.  The HSUS provides a list of these stores, and we’re sorry to say that none of them is a Petland. 

In an earlier release, Puppy Mill Awareness southeast MI said that Petland Novi and Petland Westland were amongst those stores that they asked to sign the pledge.  According to the HSUS report, these stores declined.  The Petland stores are in dubious company.  None of the other “puppy-selling” pet stores on Puppy Mill Awareness’s list pledged to become puppy friendly.  Read more in the releases by Puppy Mill Awareness southeast Michigan and the HSUS.  Below is the HSUS release.

Thanks to the efforts of local advocates with the Puppy Mill Awareness Meetup of Southeast Michigan, nearly one hundred Michigan pet stores have recently signed The Humane Society of the United States’ puppy friendly pet store pledge — committing not to sell puppies, and instead support local animal adoption programs and provide literature that helps customers learn how to locate a reputable breeder. The HSUS applauds these retailers because their actions prove it is not necessary to support the cruel puppy mill trade to operate a successful pet-related business.

“These stores have set a positive example of corporate responsibility for other businesses to follow,” said Jill Fritz, Michigan state director for The HSUS. “Pet stores that profit from the cruel puppy mill industry need to step up and do the right thing by stopping their puppy sales. I am thrilled to have wonderful local advocates like the Puppy Mill Awareness Meetup of Southeast Michigan working in our area to increase the public’s awareness of puppy mills.”

Store owners and managers who sign The HSUS’ pledge receive a placard proclaiming, “We love puppies; that’s why we don’t sell them,” to display in the store, as well as materials about adopting a dog or finding a responsible breeder. The HSUS encourages shoppers to purchase pet supplies at stores displaying the puppy-friendly sign.

The independent retailers in Michigan that have recently signed the puppy friendly pledge to not sell puppies are:

• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Adrian)
• Dogma Catmantoo (Ann Arbor)
• Green Pawz (Ann Arbor)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Ann Arbor)
• Pet Supplies”Plus” (Ann Arbor)
• The Pet Emporium (Ann Arbor)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Bay City)
• Feed Rite Belleville (Belleville)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Benton Harbor)
• Premier Pet Supply (Beverly Hills)
• Doodle Dog Bakery (Birch Run)
• Napier’s Kennel Shop (Birmingham)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Bloomfield Hills)
• Big Acre (Brighton)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Canton)
• Big Acre (Caro)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Chesterfield Twp)
• Market Place Pet Supplies (Clarkston)
• Pet Food and More #5 (Clawson)
• Val’s Pet Supplies (Clawson)
• Three Dog Bakery (Clinton Township)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Clinton Twp)
• Pet Food and More #1 (Commerce Twp)
• Big Acre (Davison)
• Dirty Paws Pet Grooming Inc. (Davison)
• Doogie’s Supercenter (Davison)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Dearborn)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Detroit)
• Wags to Wiskers (Dexter)
• Choice Aquariums (Farmington Hills)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Farmington Hills)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Fenton)
• Doodle Dog Bakery (Flushing)
• Flushing Lawn & Garden (Flushing)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Fort Gratiot)
• Lucy’s Pet Supplies & Feeds (Goodrich)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Grand Blanc)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Grand Rapids)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Grand Rapids)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Grandville)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Howell)
• Pet X Supply & Tack (Howell)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Iron Mountain)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Kalamazoo)
• Healthy Pet (Lake Orion)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Lansing)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Lansing)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Lapeer)
• Feed Rite Lincoln Park (Lincoln Park)
• Chap’s Feed Store (Livonia)
• Discount Pet & Supplies (Livonia)
• Pet Food and More (Livonia)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Livonia)
• Rocko’s Pet Depot (Macomb)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Milford)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Mount Morris)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Novi)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Okemos)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Ortonville)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Owosso)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Oxford)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Petoskey)
• Gibdog Pet Supplies (Plymouth)
• Specialty Pet Supplies (Plymouth)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Portage)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Redford Township)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Rochester Hills)
• The Urban Dog (Rochester Hills)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Royal Oak)
• The Uppity Puppy (Royal Oak)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Saginaw)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (St. Clair Shores)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (St. Clair Shores)
• Swartz Creek Elevator (Swartz Creek)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Traverse City)
• Uncle Luke’s Feed Store (Troy)
• Val’s Pet Supplies III (Troy)
• Baseline Feed Store (Warren)
• K-9 Specialties (Warren)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Warren)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Washington Twp.)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Waterford)
• Goody’s Pet Store (Wayne)
• Mickey’s Pet Supplies (West Bloomfield)
• Something Fishy (Westland)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (White Lake)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (White Lake)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Woodhaven)
• Pet Supplies “Plus” (Wyoming)
• Mantis Pet Supply (Ypsilanti)

 Policy Helps Dogs Across the United States

The majority of pet stores that sell puppies carry dogs from puppy mills, which are mass production facilities that churn out large numbers of puppies under inhumane conditions. The breeding dogs at puppy mills spend their entire lives in cramped cages or kennels with little or no personal attention or quality of life. Consumers who purchase puppies from pet stores or over the Internet without seeing a breeder’s home firsthand are often unknowingly supporting this cruel puppy mill industry.

Facts

• Approximately one-third of the nation’s 9,000 independent pet stores sell puppies.
• The HSUS estimates that 2 million to 4 million puppy mill puppies are sold each year in the United States.
• Documented puppy mill conditions include over-breeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor food and shelter, crowded cages and lack of socialization.
• Dogs kept for breeding in puppy mills suffer for years in continual confinement. They are bred as often as possible and then destroyed or discarded once they can no longer produce puppies.
• Pet stores and online sellers often use attractive Web sites to hide the truth and to dupe consumers into thinking that they are dealing with a small, reputable breeder.
• Reputable breeders never sell puppies over the Internet or through a pet store and will insist on meeting the family who will be purchasing the dog.
• Puppy mills contribute to the pet overpopulation problem, which results in millions of unwanted dogs euthanized at shelters every year.

Animal Planet special on puppy mills will be repeated on Thursday night.

Animal Planet’s special on puppy mills, “Animal Planet Investigates” will be repeated on Thursday, June 24, at 7 pm.  If you missed it the first time around, catch it this week!

Animal Planet listings.

Just when we thought humans were becoming more humane . . .

It has come to our attention that co-owner of the new adoptions-only Wheaton Petland store, Adam Stachowiak, is also a co-owner of the Naperville, Il Petland store, which continues to sell commercially bred pups.  This is a disappointing turn of events, although we are very pleased with the concept of adoptions-only at the Wheaton store.

Lewisville Petland closed already!

After what seems like only weeks of business, the Lewisville Petland has closed.  Über-protesting group, Texans Exposing Petland, report that they don’t know how much of their presence at the store contributed to its closing.  We salute them regardless.  More importantly, now that there’s a precedence for Petland stores without puppies, we wish that the other stores would consider following the same path:  pet stores that don’t sell animals!

Lewisville Petland’s closing seems to have been very quiet.  There’s a small report here, and we’ve printed it in full below.

In an email tonight from organization Texans Exposing Petland, co-founder Dr. John Pippin said that Lewisville’s Petland store has closed for business.

“Today was the last day in business for the Lewisville Petland store. As I’m typing this message, they are locking the doors for the last time. We don’t know how much our campaign contributed to the closing, but I suspect hitting them when they were already in trouble helped push them over the edge. We know the merchandise was sold to other area stores, and there were few if any puppies left in the store today.”

Pippin thinks this success for the group is just one of many to come:

“It took 18 months for the DFW Petland campaign to have its first ‘overnight success.’  The next ones should come much quicker, as there are signs everywhere that other area Petland stores are in serious trouble.

“The other four stores know what happened to Lewisville, and they know we’re coming after them even harder. The next victory is out there waiting for us to claim it.”

We did drive out to the store to take some photos, and it was apparent that the store had been in the process of liquidation, although some merchandise still remained on shelves. Petland’s corporate website had no mention of the closing, but had no news posted since August of 2009. Update from 4/5/2010 – We contacted Petland’s corporate office today for comment, but have not yet received a response. We’ll update the post if Petland chooses to weigh in.

The group is picketing Petland stores in North Texas because they say the stores sell puppies raised and bred in inhumane conditions. The group says the store has also had outbreaks of the Parvo virus, which can be spread through fecal contact. Death can occur within 2 days of onset, leaving new owners heartbroken and stuck with large veterinarian bills.

Local protesters keep Texas Petland stores on their toes

The animal advocate group Texans Exposing Petland have added another Petland store to their watch list:  Lewisville.  Reported in the Lewisville Leader. 

Lewisville recently became the newest addition to a national protest against the alleged practices of the Petland Corporation.

The protesters allege the puppies for sale at Petland Inc. are received from shipments originating from puppy mills. According to the Humane Society, puppy mills house dogs in poor environments, including being locked in small cages with extreme heat conditions. In most cases, female dogs are bred the first time they come into heat and are bred during every heat cycle. When the dogs’ fertility slows down, they are often killed, abandoned or sold to another mill. “We’re here because we’re hoping to make people aware of the practices,” said Cathlin Shahriary, Flower Mound resident and member of Texans Exposing Petland. “We think even buying other things at Petland, like supplies, still supports the stores. I will continue to come out and protest for as long as I’m needed.”

Texans Exposing Petland was co-founded in September 2008 by John Pippin. The group holds protests in 13 states. In North Texas there are protests in Lewisville, Plano, Frisco, Arlington and Dallas. The Lewisville protests are held every Saturday from 3-4 p.m. at the Vista Ridge Plaza.

John Pippin, the organizer for the North Texas protests, said the number of people who have come out has been surprising.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how North Texas has responded to this,” Pippin said. “One Saturday, we had more than 50 people at the Lewisville location.”

“I came out to protest because I am against the whole concept of puppy mills. Dogs aren’t a cash crop,” said Mike Winslow, Frisco resident. “It made me sick to my stomach when I learned about this. I’d like to see Petland switch to adopting instead of selling puppies.”

According to the Humane Society’s Web site, the Lewisville Petland location received a shipment from The Hunte Corporation, a Missouri puppy broker. The corporation is a middleman animal dealer and has been cited by the United States Department of Agriculture for “keeping dozens of animals in too-small cages, repeatedly transporting underage puppies and other violations.” Each year, the Hunte Corporation sells about 80,000 puppies from different kennels and puppy mills, according to the Humane Society.

Representatives from the Petland Inc and The Hunte Coporation did not return phone calls from The Leader.

Jeri Sulzman, a certified veterinarian technician, was also at the protest in Lewisville on Saturday. She said education is the key.

“I heard about this movement over the summer, and I became a volunteer immediately,” Sulzman said. “I’ve never felt that it’s right that stores sell dogs when shelters are overflowing with pets that can be adopted.”

Sulzman has been a veterinarian technician for 13 years. She said as a result of poor breeding, puppies can have parvo, which is a virus that attacks the lining of the digestive system, resulting in breathing problems and other health issues. Untreated, parvo can lead to death, she said.

There are several warning signs of parvo pet owners should look for, including vomiting, excessive itching and scratching, diarrhea and not eating or drinking. She advised pet owners who witness those warning signs to immediately bring the animal to a veterinarian for evaluation.

“In my job I’ve seen newly purchased puppies brought in by their owners, and I was just appalled at their conditions,” Sulzman said. “I don’t think it’s the owners’ fault; a lot of people don’t know if they got their pet from a reputable breeder or not.”

Sulzman offered the following advice for people looking to get an animal: investigate the breeder, ask to see the parents of the puppy and ask questions of the owners.

Pippin said the group is not going away any time soon.

“We will stop the minute Petland says they’ll stop selling animals,” Pippin said.

Late into a recent Saturday protest, Lewisville resident Ferando Cortes joined the protest. Four months ago, he bought a dog from Petland for $1,600. He recently noticed something was wrong with his dog and took it to the veterinarian.

“I’m not sure if he ingested something or if something more serious is wrong, but I’ve spent an additional $850 at the veterinarian for a dog I just got,” Cortes said.

Cortes said when he purchased his dog he was told it was a teacup puppy, but the dog has already outgrown that size. He said he feels like he was misled.

“I bought my dog from Petland because I thought it was an established store,” Cortes said. “I didn’t want to buy a puppy-mill dog. People assume that stores like this have better standards, and I just want people to know all the information before they buy an animal.”

Pippin said the group isn’t out to shut down every Petland; they simply want the corporation’s practices to change.

“We’d like to see Petland change, but I don’t think that will happen,” Pippin said. “We don’t want people to lose their jobs, but there are a lot of jobs that are legal but wrong, and this is one of them. They are making their living on the misery and death of animals.” 

Demonstration this Saturday – please join us!

Bundle up and join us for our first protest of the new year this Saturday, January 2, 2010!

As usual, we’ll be at the Penn Avenue entrance to the Village of East Side, East Liberty in Pittsburgh, PA.  We’ll be there from 1 – 3 pm with plenty of signs and brochures – all we need are PEOPLE to make an impact.

We look forward to seeing you!  Happy New Year.

Today’s demonstration is cancelled

Due to the snow today, we’re cancelling our demonstration.  Hopefully no one will be out shopping for puppies!