Hall of Shame, part 2
Pet Store
Hall of Shame, part 1
Pet Store Hall of Shame, part 2
USDA Violations by Petland Breeders
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Former pet store employees speak out
Buying puppies online--buyer beware
Pet Stores and Puppy Mills in the News
Animal sellers in Washington DC area
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Puppy mill survivor stories
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PETLAND--OHIO--TOLEDO (out of business)
2008: I purchased an Italian Greyhound from a Petland in Toledo, Ohio, that was later shut down. I knew nothing about puppy mills and am only now still learning the extent of the horrors they produce. My puppy cost $900 and had a lot of problems He was diagnosed with luxating patella, thyroid disease, and suffers from various mouth problems. His breeder was listed as Sarah Brady in Evansville, Arkansas.
After we purchased Armstrong, we were required to take him to Petland's vet and he gave him a clean bill of health, even though this poor puppy would cry from his knees popping completely out of socket. I was horrified. Then you walk out of the office, and there sit all these people with their pets, and they are oblivious to this doctor receiving money from puppy mill pets. It just makes me sick. When I took Armstrong immediately to my own vet, the doctor told me his knees were a mess and it would cost over $1000.00 (per knee) to repair. I called Petland that day because I was furious, and they told me they wanted the dog back and I would get store credit or I could choose another dog. I hung up on them. He is now 5 years old, and a wonderful companion. He is extremely timid and fearful, even after all these years.
-Elizabeth Hiestand
PETLAND--OHIO--VAN WERT
Only three weeks after Petland opened this store in February of 2006, many people who purchased puppies and kittens there are complaining that that their animals are ill with severe respiratory infections (e.g. pneumonia), and some of these animals have died. Respiratory infections are often highly contagious, and shoppers who brought their own dogs into the store are also complaining that their dogs became ill with respiratory infections shortly afterwards. Contact for more information: vweluvrpets@yahoo.com.
PETLAND--OHIO--YOUNGSTOWN
"I purchased a puppy from a Petland in Youngstown, Ohio, about 3 years ago. The poor thing was extremely ill. I spent $3,500 in vet bills over the first 6 months to save the pup's life. Petland wouldn't do a damn thing about it. To this day the poor guy is still not right. He paces, ear problems, constant diarrhea, lung problems, puking, fear of people. Every day I wake up and look at my little buddy I pray that God will make the person who did this pay."
PETLAND--PENNSYLVANIA--CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP--OUT OF BUSINESS
I just wanted to tell our story about our purchase of a sick pet from Petland. This Petland was in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. It has since closed, reopened, and closed again. We bought our sheltie there 10 years ago. We didn't know any better, and believed them when they told us that they got all of their dogs from local breeders. We specifically asked about puppy mills, and they assured us that they do not use puppy mills!
When we went to pick up our puppy they told us she had a heart murmur that would go away in a few weeks, and that she was in good health. The heart murmur did go away, but not until a little over a year later, and in that time we couldn't have her spayed because our vet told us she may not come back from the anesthesia due to the heart murmur. She started out as a normal active puppy, but soon tired before all of the other puppies at puppy class. The instructor noticed this, and said something to us. She would also cough if she ran. She began having problems with a disk in her back, and because of that started limping. Then she developed a hip problem causing her to limp on her back leg as well. She developed hypothyroidism, and was put on lifelong medication. All the while she wanted to play like other dogs, but couldn't because she would end up limping. We loved to see her run and play, but it wasn't worth it for her because she would end up limping and being depressed for so long afterwards that we had to confine all of her activity to walks, and nothing more playful. We found ways to play with her that would not hurt her, but we knew she wanted to run, and jump.
She developed pyometria in her uterus, and finally had to be spayed. Our vet is the best, and our girl pulled through. Then she started having petit mal seizures. Then one day she collapsed, and by the time we rushed her to the vet she was already in serious trouble. Her platelet count was almost nil, and she wasn't getting oxygen to her brain so we had to put her down. It was the saddest and worst day of our lives. They discovered a neurological tumor that ruptured, and she had bled internally. In the last year of her life we spent over $4,000 on vet bills for her, not to mention all the other money over all the other years.
Even though she was always in ill health we loved her like a daughter. Our poor sweet baby spent a life in pain, and suffering because some selfish idiotic jerk wanted to make some cash. She was 10 when she died. She should have lived to be 15 or 16 years old. She should have been healthy. I only cringe to think what her poor mother's living conditions were at the puppy mill she came from. Do Bo Tri Kennels bred her, or just brokered her. We never could get a straight answer about that, and they have since been shut down. Do a search on that name, and see what vile and disgusting information comes up when you do. I tell this story in the hopes that I can save someone else from having to live this kind of tragedy. In loving memory of our baby girl.
PETLAND--PENNSYLVANIA--CUMBERLAND COUNTY
In 2002, Petland franchisee Mr. Port Dare was convicted of animal cruelty after he wrapped a sick kitten in a plastic bag, placed him in a freezer alive, and then bashed the kitten against a dumpster. Mr. Dare no longer owns a Petland but is running another puppy mill store, Petz Unlimited (see entry below).
PETLAND--SOUTH CAROLINA--NORTH AUGUSTA
This owners of this Petland store were keeping a baby baboon, Bobo, in small cage to attract customers. He was not for sale. They did not allow the animal any interaction with others, although baboons are normally very social animals who live in large groups in the wild and suffer physically and emotionally from confinement. The city of North Augusta has a law against keeping wild animals within the city. After Animal Control was notified, they visited Petland and required that Bobo be relocated within 48 hours.
PETLAND—VIRGINIA--FAIRFAX CITY
Charlie's Story
In June 2006, Charlie was put down because of severe aggression. He was less than 2 years old. Please read his guardian's comments at the end of this story.
"I wanted a puppy so bad. I looked everywhere. Different breeders, stores, on-line. I knew I wanted something small, white, and fluffy. One day my mom and I went into Petland in Fairfax, Va. We were looking at different breeds in hopes to find one I liked so we knew what to look for when we were ready, which wasn't going to be for another six months or so. I saw the picketers out front, "stupid idiots," I thought, "What the hell is a puppy mill?" and upon entering Petland I was reassured by AKC registered puppies. If they are registered with AKC, doesn't that mean they are perfect? Or at least from decent mothers and fathers? We walked in and I held every white fluffy puppy. As I walked down further I saw something I swore was a cat. It was spotted muddy colors, and the sign read "miniature dachshund." I asked to hold the not-so-white, not-so-fluffy puppy. And that puppy became my Charlie.
We got him that day, but were unable to bring him home as I was moving my things home from college that week. Every evening I stopped in to see him, I was beyond excited. We saw another dapple dachshund, as I was told Charlie was, and were encouraged to buy her too because they would make such cute puppies. We thought about it for a moment, but decided to stick with one until we saw how things went at home. He was AKC registered which made me think he had to be fine. I remember thinking to myself, "You only live once," and I wanted this little guy. We got him home, and I had my puppy. I was so happy. My happiness was short-lived. A few months later Charlie was taken to get neutered, something we weren't sure we were going to do, but his testicles had not dropped. A few hours after dropping him off I received a call from the vet, telling me he had never seen anything like this, but he had split Charlie from tail to chest, and no sign of any testicles. I was furious. I got on the phone with Petland and was informed that my certificate of neutering, the only clear evidence he was neutered (After carefully reviewing the paperwork I saw "neu" printed places on his papers, I didn't know what they meant and to this day take part of the blame for Charlie's neutering), had somehow not made its way into my packet. I couldn't believe this poor little guy went through such a horrific operation for nothing. I called PETA; I called the police, and found little help. I then dove into a sea of questions: "Why was he neutered? Why did you tell me to get the other dapple to make puppies? Where was he neutered?" None of these questions could be answered by them. I called a location where I was told he was neutered due to a hernia and they had no record of him. I was so lost!
I got over this mountain and then began the climb up yet another. Charlie developed severe aggression. I was even taken to the ER after one of his episodes. We found the best behaviorist in Virginia and paid good money to find out, after she reviewed his AKC records that took us five months to get, his grandmothers were sisters, and his aggression was due to genetics and could only be managed. We began a grueling, structured regime that deprived me of many of the joys of having a puppy. No treats, no cuddling, only dry kibble, strict bed and waking times, extra walking, and the worst rule of all to me was having to keep him out of my bed, where we had cuddled so many nights. But I did it; I would do anything for my kiddo. In the midst of the aggression a lump was found on his nose, and Charlie underwent his fourth operation to remove it out of fear it was cancerous. It was a benign histiocytoma. As his aggression has gotten more under control we recently found another lump on his neck that I am taking him to the vet for this Friday. I just don't know when it will end. Why me? I often hate myself for getting Charlie, but then I remind myself of what he has meant to me. And I feel that it is very important to remembering that these animals in Petland who come from puppy mills are still animals. They never asked to be born, to be mistreated, to be stuck in little cages. They deserve love and attention and a chance to make it. And I am happy to have given that to Charlie. Financially we are over 4 grand; a little less than quadruple what we paid for him. But emotionally is where I get drained. I cry so much for him. I even tried a pet psychic to see if that would help him. I have stopped being so strict with him, as I am worried my time with him will be short. He gets lots of cookies, he goes to "puppy playcare" once a week, he sleeps in the bed with me, and of course, lots of cuddles.
I feel with Charlie, every day is precious because I don't know how many of them I have. He is lying on my bed, wrapped in my green fleece blanket, sleeping with his bone by his side. I know he loves me, I know he feels my pain for him, and I have no choice but to tell his story and hope somehow, in some small way, something will change. Puppy mills need to be stopped. Pet stores should not be allowed to sell large animals. Government regulations need to be in place. But at the end of the day all I can do is tell my story, tell Charlie's story. And pray and work hard every day to keep my little guy with me. He will be a year old this Saturday, and I should honestly be glad he made it. But I want more. Forever with my little boy wouldn't be long enough. And to think it might be shortened due to a chain of irresponsible people breaks my heart.
I love Charlie, I love him like the son I can never have because of medical reasons. This is my baby. Though I am sure that perfectly good puppies come out of puppy mills, just as horrible dogs come from reputable breeder, there needs to be some regulation, and pet stores, like Petland, need to inform people about what they are buying. These people, the puppy mill breeders and the pet stores who sell their puppies, they are killing my son."
UPDATE 2006: "On June 31st we had no other choice but to put our baby boy out of his misery. His aggression was so violent and so unpredictable we could no longer live with him. His final attack was against me, and completely unprovoked. He gave me seven puncture wounds and I spent the night in the hospital hooked up to an IV.
Losing him was the hardest thing I have ever gone through in my life. I have been fortunate enough to have so much support and I am truly blessed to now own a wonderful little boy doxie named Chance. He was named so in honor of Charlie.
I miss Charlie. I think I always will. But having Chance makes me see how sick my Charlie really was, and I know he is running free, free some all his pain, waiting for me to come and get my baby boy. I only had him for a year and a half...but with a dog like him a lifetime would not have been enough."
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Also PETLAND--VIRGINIA--FAIRFAX
Tucker
January 2008: Hi, I'd like to share my story with you.
For Christmas, my boyfriend brought home a 3 month old yorkie puppy. We already have a rescue dog, and are big advocates of adopting homeless animals. I suppose he went in FAIRFAX PETLAND to get something for our other dog and couldn't resist the face he saw on that puppy. Granted, it was an impulse buy, but we were looking to get another dog anyway. 2 days later we visited Dr. Cheema at Potomac Valley Vet and he told us that the pup had kennel cough - he had already been treated for this while at the pet store, so we were given more meds to feed our puppy so he could get over the cough. 6 days went by and he was a happy, seemingly healthy puppy. On day 7, he started to cough bad, it was painful to hear, he couldn't even sleep. We took him back to the vet, the doctor told us he was getting over the cough, and gave us suppressants for him so he could sleep. That night he had a seizure in my arms. We rushed him to Dr. Cheema, he did what he could do (not much) and advised us to take him to the Regional Referral Emergency care in Springfield. Our puppy had another seizure that night, he was put in an oxygen tank and was diagnosed with severe pneumonia. He stayed there for 2 nights. Fortunately he started to improve and we brought him home, keeping a close eye on him. The emergency care bill was $1800. Another $100 was spent on medical boarding while we were at work. Petland reimbursed us only $300. It's been 2 weeks and we are hopeful that our puppy will stay healthy. We took him for a follow up last night and there might be some kind of infection in his kidneys which is related to the meds he was on to get over the pneumonia. We are fortunate that he is still alive. I believe he would have died at the pet store and he would have died if we chose to keep him at Potomac Valley that night. I don't believe Petland cares about their puppies. A "replacement puppy" is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
I have read through your website with anger and sadness. I realize my story is exactly the same as the stories that are posted. I do not want to support these pet stores. But, I can't help but think if the puppies in the cages do not get adopted (purchased), they will get sent back to a puppy mill and possibly die. I would like to add that Dr. Cheema helped and cared for our puppy. He told us to take him to emergency care when it was necessary. He did not sugarcoat anything and he did not overly advocate Petland, although I know he is supporting them by being in contract with the store.
Thank you,
Katy Fletcher
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Also PETLAND--VIRGINIA--FAIRFAX
February 2008: I recently purchased a Shiba Inu from Petland in Fairfax. Not ever owning a dog before I didn't know that purchasing a dog from Petland is a big NO-NO. From the first night I brought the dog home she had no energy. I thought maybe she was tired because Petland said that they usually put their puppies to sleep around 9:30 pm and it was now close to midnight. Several days passed and all my puppy did was sleep. She never played, never acted out or anything, she just slept. She had kennel cough but the Petland owner told me that it wasn't a problem and that it would go away on its own. I purchased the puppy on a Friday. That Wednesday I took the puppy to their vet where I was told that she was extremely dehydrated and that she could possibly die. While she was at the vet x-rays were taken and it was determined that she had pneumonia. After 48 hours the vet told me she was feeling better and she could come home. When I brought the puppy home she was a completely different dog. She was running around like crazy, playing, and chewing on things. There was one major difference I observed, and that was that she no longer liked to be held and every time someone went to pick her up she would show extreme signs of aggression (her lips would curl up and she would growl and try to bite, not play bite but really trying to bite). Now the next day I woke up early to take my puppy out to eat and pee and again she had no energy and didn't eat and didn't want to do anything but sleep. So I decided to take her to my own vet where I spent a $100 because she was once again extremely dehydrated and needed fluids. The vet told me that she was a very sick puppy and that she will cost a lot of money to bring back to health and it wasn't a guarantee that she would live. I had just spent $1200 on my puppy and the thought that I would need a couple thousand more to get her back to health disgusted me. She also suffered from patellar luxation level 3 and would require surgery in the future that would also cost another 2 to 3 thousand. So I decided to return her to Petland, where they apologized and gave me my money back.
I had looked up the breeder on the paperwork that was given to me at time of purchase and the dog came from a puppy mill in Iowa. The breeder, Craig Fedler, is under all kinds of investigations for running puppy mills that do not meet regulations. I told this to the Petland owner and he said that he doesn't buy from puppy mills but from brokers (ha-ha same shit). Anyways I am pissed off and disgusted with Petland and I will never buy anything from them again.
-Tim Koutsis
[See the Companion Animal Protection Society description and video of Craig Fedler's facility at http://www.caps-web.org/view_investigation_report.php?id=113
Make sure you have the volume on.]
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Daisy
"Last year I was in the Fairfax, VA, store just to look after hearing such horrible things about the location. A very tiny and clearly malnourished Min Pin caught my eye and stole my heart. I had them take her out so that I could see her and even though she was sick, her heart was still big and I could see the amazing little dog she could be. I have never condoned purchasing animals from any of these places but I could never leave Daisy behind. I know by purchasing such animals I am supporting the Petland store but I knew she would die if I didn't take her with me.
I took her immediately to the vet stated in the contract I signed, and she was found to be dehydrated and malnourished and with symptoms of Kennel Cough. I had to pay Potomac Valley Vet for the fluid injections ($110) because it was not covered under Petland policy, but the kennel cough treatment was. After having her treated for kennel cough for several weeks I decided to take her to Banfield in Centreville, where finally we were able to make her feel better. I realized I was lucky to have a well-behaved, extremely smart and happy-go-lucky animal, as I understand most animals from Petland are lacking. Pet hotels and vets tell me all the time they are surprised she is so sweet since most Min Pins are snippy.
From day one I knew Daisy had joint problems (luxating patella) and her new vet told me that he thought it would be quite a while before she would need surgery. Unfortunately right after her first birthday she started walking on three legs. I took her to my vet, and he told me she would need surgery as soon as possible. So at only a year and three months, she had her first knee surgery. She has healed well and continues to be as happy as can be. I just learned last week that her other knee is going and will need surgery someday too.
After all the money and stress that I have gone through with Daisy, I have decided to finally take a stand against Petland and other establishments like it. I refuse to let any animal die because of someone else's selfishness and stupidity. I was in there today to see if things have changed and of course they have not. There is a very, very tiny Chihuahua that is clearly uncomfortable and very ill in a cage all the way to the back."
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" I just wanted to add to your cautionary tales about purchasing a dog (or any pet) from Petland in Fairfax, VA.
Just about 3 weeks ago, we stupidly bought an Italian Greyhound puppy at Petland. Now I would normally not ever go into a pet store that sells puppies, not to mention buy a puppy. Unfortunately, over Xmas my family was out in Fairfax with several hours to kill between basketball games during a tournament. We went over to that shopping center and instead of going into Chuck E Cheese, we went to look at the pets in Petland. My daughter was struck by a sad little dog who was skinny and lonely. We talked about rescue and other things but she was really intent on this puppy. We went back a week later and the puppy was still there. As it happens, the poor little dog had been at Petland for 4 of her 6 months of life. We caved and looked at it as "saving" her.
It has been a nightmare of health and behavioral problems, and my vet bills are mounting. Piccolo has had Bordetella, giardia, a UTI (urinary tract infection) and raw spots from lying on a hard surface. And the housetraining is a disaster. (I have housetrained miniature dachshunds, so I feel that I have some experience with housetraining hard cases.) This little dog has no compunction about soiling the crate and is hand-shy as well.
One trainer and one contact from Italian Greyhound rescue indicated that the dog would probably never be housetrained and because of behavior/genetics I should put her down and spend my $/time/patience on another dog. We all love this little dog, but my patience is being tested and I find it hard not to think she will never be housetrained. Petland is so irresponsible to keep a dog for such a long time in a situation which leads to this kind of behavior. I think that many families would have given up by now.
When she was spayed, the vet said Piccolo's uterus was the size of a mouse's uterus. This may be contributing to her urination indoors.
Piccolo was born in Arkansas.
Feel free to use this to dissuade anyone from getting a dog from Petland."
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"Hi, I'm interested in the Petland protest in Fairfax, VA. We actually purchased our pug from there a year and a half ago. When we did the initial doctor visit at their doctor's office in Old Town, Alexandria, the doctor had said that all of the dogs have been coming in with severe respiratory infections. (She said that some were even dying from it and that the owners were just heartbroken to have their puppies die from previous conditions.) Since we've had her, she's had soooo many health problems (including a broken leg) that it's cost us thousands of dollars in vet bills. The sad thing is that we had no idea before we got her the difference between getting an animal from a reputable breeder and the pet store. Petland seemed really clean when we walked in there and they even made people wash their hands before touching the animals. We had no idea that most of them were sick.
"As for her papers, we were just given a 'genealogy' of her parents and grandparents that only included first names of the pugs and nothing more on her whereabouts...If people knew that most animals from Petland were from puppy mills and were sick, they wouldn't go there to purchase animals. We got roped in because we played with the puppy and fell in love with it immediately.
"One of my biggest pet peeves with Petland is that after they gave us all of Amy's charts that they had along with her paperwork, someone who worked there wrote down that she had a heart murmur for one of the days that they did a checkup for her. Luckily nothing happened with this, as we got checked out immediately after seeing it… They didn't even tell us anything about her charts...we had to read it after we walked out the door."
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Sally, a Chihuahua, was purchased at the Fairfax City Petland. A local vet diagnosed Sally with a hereditary form of megaesophagus, or enlarged esophagus. According to the vet, this condition makes anesthesia so dangerous for Sally that she cannot even be spayed safely, and any future illness that requires anesthesia will be life-threatening. This condition could have been detected in the parents, who should not have been bred.
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Ben, a Toy Rat Terrier, was purchased at the Fairfax City Petland. Within a couple of days, he was coughing and had to be rushed to the emergency room on a Sunday. Petland refused to pay the $2,000 it required to nurse Ben back to health because its warranty stipulates that the person must take the dog to the Old Town Veterinary Clinic, which was closed that day.
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Chip, a Chihuahua, was purchased at the Fairfax City Petland. His guardians took him to a professional trainer because of his extreme problems with fear and aggression (a “fear biter”). He charges anybody that comes in the door and regularly pees and poops in the house. Not even medication can help him. After much more than the usual few weeks of training, he still cannot even do “down.” He shakes a lot and had tonsillitis when he was purchased.
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Molly, a year-old Yorkshire Terrier purchased at the Fairfax City Petland, has extreme anxiety disorder and separation anxiety that cause her to pee and poop all over the house. Molly has been in training for 6 months, and her professional trainer says her problem may become more livable but will never go away. She requires a combination of anxiety medications, including Prozac. Her guardians are heartbroken and are not sure they can continue trying to help Molly, but they are trying their best.
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Tommy, another Yorkie purchased at the Fairfax City Petland, was so aggressive toward other dogs that his professional trainer feared he would do emotional and physical damage to them. Due to the expense of long-term training, his guardians dropped out of training classes, and Tommy’s fate is unknown.
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Hannah is a chocolate Lab purchased at the Fairfax City Petland. She has severe separation anxiety. Her professional trainer says of Hannah and her guardians: “Some of the behavior techniques worked…but she is still severe with pacing and barking. The barking has been minimized with chews and toys but she has cost them a fortune. She is just over a year old.” Hannah’s guardians have had to drop the training until they have more money.
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Pauline is a 7-month-old Dachshund purchased at the Fairfax City Petland. She has general anxiety disorder and some separation anxiety. Her professional trainer says, “She was peeing and pooping all over the house, plus getting her teeth into just about everything.” She improved with training, daycare, and expensive medication, but her trainer says, “Dogs like this will continue to settle with age but will need to be on meds for life."
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Maisie is a Chihuahua purchased at the Fairfax City Petland in April of 2005. A woman went into Petland with a small boy about 3 years old and asked an employee what would be a good puppy for them. The employee led them directly to the cage of a Chihuahua and told her the puppy was 6 weeks old. (It is illegal to sell puppies under 8 weeks old without their mothers if they come from out of state, which this puppy did.) The woman purchased the puppy for nearly $1,600.
At home, she found that the boy's play was too rough for the puppy, who yelped at his touch. She also found out from the puppy's papers, which the employee had NOT discussed with her, that the puppy had an open fontanel 1/4 inch wide. An open fontanel is a soft spot in the head of the dog where the skull did not close. If it remains open, which is frequently the case in Chihuahuas, this mushy spot is very susceptible to damage and must be carefully protected for the dog's entire life. In general, Chihuahuas are not recommended for children under 7. Dogs with open fontanels should not be bred, as it is a hereditary condition. Large open fontanels can also be a sign of a fatal illness called hydrocephalus (water on the brain). Within 2 days, the woman realized she must give up the puppy. She considered taking her back to the store but a vet assistant informed her that sick pet store puppies are often killed, and generously offered to adopt the dog. The woman kindly agreed to give up her $1,600 and did not take the dog back to Petland.
When questioned about his employee's recommending a Chihuahua with an open fontanel to a child and telling the customer the puppy was 6 weeks old, the manager said of his employees, "They're just cashiers." The puppy was born in a Kansas facility that contained 396 dogs in 2005. Petland provided the breeder's name and city but did not provide the full address of the breeder, as required by Virginia state law.
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July 2006: A volunteer at a D.C.-area shelter writes: Two of our most recent arrivals are a pair of [Fairfax] Petland bunnies. Of course we were already more than full, so another rabbit had to be euthanized to make a space for them. Then, as is typical of pairs sold by pet stores, we discovered they were not sisters as the store had told the buyers, but a male and female. So we had to set up another cage in order to separate them. They would have been too young when sold to correctly determine sex. And if they hadn't been given up in such a short time (and been younger than the age given by the store) there would have been a larger family of bunnies dumped at the shelter. At least we hope we got them separated in time...and these adorable little lops will be lucky if they are adopted. Most are not--there are simply too many in the shelters.
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Observed in Fairfax City Petland in late 2005:
Employees telling customers "serious inquiries only" about a pug because playing with him might make him sick. Apparently he was already sick, as he was throwing up at the time.
In another visit, visitors saw a puppy whose ribs were showing. A boxer-type puppy was in a cage so small that he couldn't turn around.
Two small white puppies confined to a cage were seen "tearing at each other. One wanted to escape but could not." One of the puppies had liquid leaking out of his or her eyes.
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Word-for-word conversation in May of 2005 between a Fairfax City Petland employee and a customer:
Customer: "Where do the puppies come from--local?"
Petland employee: "Yeah."
The Fairfax City Petland's puppies arrive weekly on a Hunte Corporation truck from Missouri. The Hunte Corporation obtains puppies from breeders in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, and other Midwestern states. These puppies are NOT born locally, and every Petland employee should be given that information by his or her employer. Not only did the employee provide false information, but to do so is a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, which makes it unlawful to misrepresent the source of any product being sold.
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2006: On two consecutive weekends, visitors to the store complained that they saw shivering puppies. Former employees have stated that this is simply because the store is kept too cold for the tiny puppies.
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Conditions for birds at the Fairfax City Petland:
A PIJAC Certified Avian Specialist visited the Fairfax City Petland on several occasions, most recently in October of 2005. Here are her comments.
As there is no room to list all my concerns, here is a selection of the primary ones.
* Parrots of different species and sizes are housed together in a glass box in front of the main store window, with no efficient ventilation to prevent accumulation and inhalation of dust, dry feces, and dander. The latter, if inhaled in sufficient quantities, may lead to Hypersensitivity Syndrome, a disease affecting the respiratory systems of birds and humans alike, which can lead to breathing problems and death;
* The smaller birds are cramped by the dozens in open bins, exposed to prodding and touching;
* There is only ONE type of perch in all enclosures, made of PVC tubes. Birds' feet need the exercise provided by perches of different sizes and materials. Failing to do so leads to sore feet and atrophied leg muscles;
* The bedding in the enclosures appears to be shredded cardboard, paper, or pine shavings, which can be ingested by the birds leading to crop impaction and other problems. Moreover, it absorbs feces, dust, and dander, providing fertile breeding ground for bacterial growth;
* The water bowls are contaminated by food and feces; for the smaller birds the only water bowl is sitting in the middle of the bin with the potential for the birds to fall in and drown;
* The poor husbandry at Petland provides fertile ground for diseases, some contagious to humans, such as psittacosis;
* The food is inadequate, appearing to consist of a mixture of mainly seeds and colored pellets. Parrots need nutritious, fresh vegetables and fruits DAILY;
* There are only a few toys, inadequate in number and size for all the parrots in the enclosure. There are none for the smaller birds;
* The design, size, and location of the enclosures are inadequate:
1) Parrots, especially those deprived of flying, need the exercise of climbing. This is not provided;
2) Being prey animals, birds are always on the alert, a stressor that debilitates their immune system. No sheltered corners are available for privacy;
3) The enclosures are too small for the many birds housed. There is no space to spread wings, walk, or for the long tails of macaws;
* Finally, what is MOST disturbing, I saw NO books or other educational material. Parrots are wild animals and very challenging pets. They are completely different from other domestic animals. Parrots are long lived (up to 60+ years for the largest species) and represent a life-long commitment.
The cost of a parrot in terms of money, energy, and time is remarkable. These are not pets for everyone. How are Petland customers educated about parrots' needs?
It is irresponsible and even unethical to sell birds when the problem of parrot overpopulation is at an all-time high. In Northern VA alone, almost 400 parrots were relinquished in less than 3 years to a local rescue (www.phoenixlanding.org). Most of these parrots DO make good pets for the right person, their only fault having been to become a burden to their uninformed guardians.
In a time when other pet store chains are increasingly committing to pet adoptions and have pledged to stop parrot sales, Petland sets us back several decades.
More on birds at the Fairfax Petland:
3/1/08: There is a clear glass or Plexiglas bin full of about 70 parakeets in the front of the store. On this day, a man with large hands and a very young girl spent several minutes reaching into the case (the girl leaning over the top in order to reach in) while the birds tried to avoid them. During this time 3 other people also came up, and some also stuck their hands in the bin. Finally the little girl grabbed a bird, took him out of the case, and dropped him on the floor. She picked the bird up and stuck him back in the bin. There was no employee in sight.
Why is this bad? First of all, unwashed hands can contain contaminants that are dangerous for birds. Second, the birds are terrified. Third, a young child doesn't know how hard to hold a bird without injuring the animal. Petland should not allow the birds to be harassed, on top of all the other problems mentioned by the bird expert quoted above.
Conditions for MICE at Fairfax Petland:
"On Tuesday, February 21, 2006 I walked into the Fairfax City Petland on Little River Turnpike (at the corner of Pickett and Rte. 236). I wanted to look at the puppies and investigate rumors as to illness and depression in the animals. After playing with a kitten, I looked in the cage below her and saw three white male mice. They were covered in sores, and one had part of his testicle missing. They were covered in large scabs, and two of them had several abscesses, some pus-filled, growing on their backs and tails. One mouse was missing the bottom third of his tail. Another couldn't walk because of the sores on his back. Appalled, I called over a high-school age employee and asked him to look at the condition of the mice. I told him he had better separate the mice and clean them up before I called Fairfax County Animal Control. I then left the store and made the call.
Twenty minutes later, I went back in the store and spoke with the manager. I asked if this was the normal condition of the mice. He said they arrive in such a state and he didn't know what to do with them since they fight all the time. I asked if they would receive treatment. He said he would "send them back until they healed." I asked to purchase the mice myself. He said they were not in condition to be sold to homes. If he couldn't sell them, why were they on the floor like that??? I told him I was aware that the mice were going to be killed if he didn't let me purchase them. He refused, saying they would be cared and that the store policy is to keep the animals alive and well at all costs.
I went home and sent my husband back to purchase the mice since they obviously wouldn't sell the mice to me. When he arrived, the mice had been removed from the floor and were "sent to the vet." I then contacted the vet (Potomac Valley Veterinary Hospital) to inquire about the health of the mice. No one has responded to my phone call. I called my vet, told her the situation, and she informed me that the practice of the veterinarians is sadly to euthanize animals in such condition.
My vet told me that she regularly pickets Petland stores. I am interested in picketing the store as well. If only we could show the well-meaning shoppers the truths behind these death factories, perhaps our little mouse friends won't have to go through such pain.
God asked Adam to take care of his animals. If we don't take care of them, who will?"
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A visitor to the Fairfax City Petland in 2006 says that the ferrets did not have any water. When an employee put water in, the visitor says, "about 25 ferrets were tackling each other to get some water. It was pitiful." The employee said the reason for the lack of water was that the ferrets knock over their water bottles.
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2006: I was in Petland and was looking around when I saw a baby bunny in a box by itself. She looked VERY sick and when I asked what was wrong, a sales person told me it got shipped with the regular bunnies and was a angora and they didn't want it, so they were going to let it die!
I found a box and took it home. I told the manager to call the police if he wanted to charge me for theft. He said take it, it's going to die anyway. I saved its life and found her a very good home. I have not stepped foot in that store since! That was about four months after the Pickett Rd/Main St. store opened [summer of 2003].
I also know of puppies that have been purchased that had bad health problems.
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December 2006: I am a former employee of a local pet supply store that does NOT sell animals, and many of my coworkers expressed dislike for Petland. I had never been over there, so yesterday I decided to pay them a visit. I was very shocked at the conditions of the animals in the store and wrote an email to Petland's national operations. I intend to revisit this week and make good on my promise of calling the police if conditions do not improve. I also intend to bring a camera with me to document the conditions.
I have attached a copy of my letter to Petland's national operations.
To whom it may concern, I was recently in your Fairfax, VA store and was quite unhappy to find quite deplorable conditions for the animals inside.
The ferrets had no water. One of the ferrets was extremely lethargic. The parakeets had no water. All of the birds were housed far too densely together, with species mixed together in open topped glass enclosures. Two conures had managed to get out of this enclosure and were on the floor. Also, birds need multiple-sized perches to stand on to prevent them from getting deformities of the feet. The birds at this store had one type of perch to stand on, and there were so many birds, most were forced to stand on the floor of their cage. The mice also had no water and there were 2 dead mice in the cage. The hamsters were overcrowded. Hamsters are territorial, and housing them in such tight quarters will cause them to fight. The fish tanks were dirty. There was a Jack Russell Terrier puppy with bloody discharge draining from its nose. Virginia law also requires that puppies have a solid resting platform in their cages. These puppies did not have this. When I mentioned these things to an employee she said she would "take care of them," but I remained in the store for 40 minutes after I complained and no one did anything to fix the conditions.
If I am ever at this store again and witness these problems I will be calling the Fairfax City Police.
UPDATE: Corporate headquarters sent me an email back saying they will send a corporate employee to investigate. Whether anything will be done (since I don't hold out much hope for Petland on a corporate level either), I don't know.
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December 2006: I went to see the pets at Petland in Fairfax and I noticed a cat with several kittens in one small cage. Her depression, thinness and sense of emptiness in her eyes struck me hard. Her fur was all matted and she barely acknowledged any of the kittens playing around her. So heartbreaking. She is obviously depressed (but still loved to have a scratch under the chin).
The store manager said the mama cat came to his mom's neighbor pregnant as a stray. He said she was a purebred, though she's a tabby. Tabbies are very common and rarely purebreds. He decided he'd sell the kittens at about $200 each. You can adopt a spayed or neutered cat from the Fairfax County Shelter right down the street for $75! I asked if they were going to spay the mama cat once the kittens are totally weaned, and he said it's up to the new owner. Nice. I guess those "control overpopulation, spay and neuter your pet" signs they have all over the store don't mean anything!
He also mentioned that they had some requests for more kittens and so they would get some from a "reputable breeder" by the new year and sell them at $250-$300 apiece. Ugh.
Nothing else seemed TOO awful about the place. I did see the Bichon puppies eating their poop, a Bernese Mountain dog puppy with urine all over it, and a toy fox terrier cowering in total fear and shaking in the corner of his cage, but I am sure that's not out of the ordinary there.
*****
June 2006: Check out this story at consumeraffairs.com, which has this to say about the Fairfax City, Virginia, Petland: "Petland pet stores are notorious among animal rights activists, who can often be found picketing local stores. There are about 10 tragic Petland puppy stories in the ConsumerAffairs.com database.
We recently visited the Fairfax, Virginia, Petland store.
'Take me home today!' read signs pasted to the cramped, looking-glass cages. Most of the puppies were spry but one foot-and-a-half-long German Shepherd lay shaking on the floor of its cage.
Judith Lee, an 18-year-old Petland employee, said anyone with enough money can take a dog home. Okas [AKC spokesperson] said the AKC does not recommend buying dogs from pet shops. However, almost all of the dogs at Petland were AKC registered." Read the full article, reprinted with permission, in the "In the News" section of this website, under "June 2006." Most of the article is about the dangers of buying puppies over the Internet, as many of these come from puppy mills just as so many pet store puppies do.
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I purchased three Chihuahuas from Petland [Fairfax, VA], and the owners of the store GAVE me a Brittany Spaniel.
The first Chihuahua that I purchased was in 2003, on the first day they opened. While she was never really sick, she is a rather large Chihuahua. The second one we purchased had been very sick while at Petland, and therefore had to be kept in the back of the store. It took him several months to finally get well enough to be sold, but by then, he was five months old and nobody wanted him. The employees there told us that they were going to send him back to the breeder. We felt sorry for him, so we purchased him at a "discount" and paid $500.00 for him. He had a cough for about 2 months after that. He, too, is a very large Chihuahua. Our third Chihuahua was very tiny and had a reversed sternum. When I discovered it in the store, they told me that they would send her back to the breeder. Once hearing that, we bought her, too, at a discount of $500.00. After we got her home, we discovered IV marks on her legs, and when I questioned Petland, they told me that her blood sugar had dropped very low a few times and she needed IV fluids. To me that means she was not being fed properly.
On another occasion, I saw a Brittany Spaniel that had a sign that said "adopt me." When I inquired, they told me that she was too hyper and nobody wanted her. We took her home, where she calmed right down, and we worked with Brittany Spaniel Rescue and adopted her to a great family.
While none of my dogs were extremely sick, my experience with them is that they don't care about the puppies, other than how much money they can make off of them. I have seen puppies' legs go through the grates on the bottom of their cages, and found that they didn't have anything soft to lie on. I suggested that they let them out in an enclosed area in the back of the store and let them run around, but they informed me that it was against Petland's policy due to security issues. Yeah, right! All they had to do, and I told them this on several occasions, was put a few puppies in an enclosed fenced area, and let them play and be puppies, with an employee watching over them. They would not do that, therefore forcing the puppies to live in cages 24/7. It makes me sick to think about it, and I haven't been in the store in over 2 years because it breaks my heart.
The breeders of my dogs were Linda Watts, Arlene Ross, and Shawn Price or Prece.
[Note from petstorecruelty--Breeders Cliff and Linda Watts had a long list of USDA violations over the course of several years--read about them on our "USDA violations by Petland breeders" page. In 2006, the USDA fined them $6,530.
Also, The Companion Animal Protection Society did an investigation of the Watts' facility in 2004, at which time the Watts had about 340 dogs. You can read about this and see a short video at www.capsweb.org/arkansas_watts_cliff_and_linda.php.
Arlene Ross also had several serious USDA violations recently--see "USDA violations by Petland breeders" page.
Shawn Price or Prece is not currently (2007) on the USDA list of licensed breeders.]
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February 21, 2006: The Fairfax City Petland pleaded GUILTY to 3 counts of failure to provide adequate shelter for puppies. They received the maximum fine for a Class 4 misdemeanor--$250 per count, for a total of $750.
The following notice appeared in The Washington Post, Fairfax Extra Section, page 31, on March 2, 2006: Pet Store Owner Is Fined MAIN ST., 9400 block, Feb. 21. The owner of a pet store pleaded guilty in city district court to three counts of not providing adequate shelter for puppies at the business. About 44 puppies were reportedly found in cages without proper resting mats, required by law as a buffer between the animals and the metal wire of the cages. The owner was fined $250 for each count.
As some of you know, after over a year of citizen complaints and many warnings by Animal Control, in June of 2005 the Fairfax City, Virginia, Petland pleaded GUILTY to failure to provide resting platforms for puppies in its wire-floored cages, but they were not required to pay ANY fine on condition of no further violations for one year. Despite this, Petland continued to violate the law, and one day in October of 2005, police discovered that, during non-business hours, 42 puppies in the store did not have resting platforms. Petland could have been charged with 42 counts, one for each miserable puppy, but Animal Control opted to charge them with only 3 counts in order to show the judge that the charges are well-deserved. The court date was January 24.
What happened: Judge Stewart Davis received "a lot of mail," he said, after we requested that you write. Thank you! While many judges go ahead with cases even when they receive mail, he decided to recuse himself from the case and leave it for a different judge on February 21, 2006. The case would have been delayed anyhow because City Attorney decided to change the charges from city to state charges. The fines are the same. We wrote to City Attorney Brett Kassabian telling him NO MORE DEALS with Petland. In June, he negotiated with Petland's lawyer to avoid getting a fine and misdemeanor charge, which could affect Petland's business license, on its permanent record. On the day Petland pleaded guilty but was not fined, every other guilty person in the courtroom had to pay a fine, including a man fined $100 for panhandling.
For those new to this story, here's the background info: Puppies get painful sores on their feet and bodies when they are forced to spend nearly 24 hours a day on wire-floored cages like those at Petland. Virginia state law requires solid resting platforms in such cages. Petland has been violating this law regularly for over two years. (It was also keeping puppies in cages where their legs fell through the mesh and they could only hobble around, until Animal Control forced them to correct this violation.) Petland's idea of a resting platform is a hard plastic industrial floor tile with holes in it. Petland's cages are so small that a platform large enough for puppies to lie on comfortably, as the law requires, would take up almost the whole cage. Rather than increasing cage size, Petland tried to get away with providing platforms too small for the larger puppies to lie on. These puppies found them more useful as chew toys. The smaller puppies seem happy to have at least one place in their cage where they don't have to walk on wire.
Just goes to prove that Petland attempts to keep its pathetically tiny cages clean during the day for benefit of the CUSTOMERS, not the animals. If you went into Macy's and it reeked of urine, feces, and vomit, you wouldn't shop there, would you? What goes on behind the scenes shows that it's money Petland cares about, not the animals. But of course we all knew that already.
Of course, this is nothing compared to what these puppies' parents are enduring at puppy mills.
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PETLAND--WEST VIRGINIA--BLUEFIELD
2005--The Bluefield Mercer Mall Petland has been telling customers that it is under new management and that it was no longer purchasing puppies from puppy mills. After being assured that the puppy was in great health, a customer purchased Risa, a 2 1/2 month old dachshund/mini pin mix. Risa was "not acting right" as soon as she was brought home. A reliable vet found that she had malnutrition, kennel cough, dehydration, worms, and very dry skin. When notified, the store claimed the dog was perfectly healthy. They offered to take the sick dog back, but Risa's guardian told them, "You do not adopt a child and take it back when it gets sick," and is keeping Risa, who is still coughing but doing better. Risa had a brother at the store, but Petland refused to disclose what happened to this puppy. Risa's guardian filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, Princeton Animal Control, and the Petland Corporation and encourages everyone in her area to boycott the Bluefield Mercer Mall Petland.
PETLAND--WEST VIRGINIA--CHARLESTON
In 2001, after an employee complained to authorities that animals at Mary Ellen Morton's Petland were not being fed, humane officers found malnourished puppies, dead animals, and no food. Ms. Morton pleaded guilty to 4 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty out of the original 43 counts that had been charged. She was sentenced to 60 days in jail and ordered to pay $3,400 for medical and boarding costs for the animals seized from the store.
PETLAND--WISCONSIN--WAUKESHA
2007: A visitor asked to list this store for the same reason as other Petlands-- uneducated staff, dirty cages, and small, wire bottomed cages.
PET PALACE--MASSACHUSETTS--FITCHBURG/LEOMINSTER
A visitor to the store writes:
This pet store is absolutely horrendous. They've already closed at least once and reopened, and I haven't seen any changes. I went in there the other day [May 2006]. They have plexiglass fronted enclosures for their small animals. Not a single one of the mice could reach the water. The two girls at the front of the store were probably about 16 or 17 and were chatting with one another while playing on a laptop. They didn't do anything about the animals and didn't seem to care when they were told about some of our concerns.
There was a parrot there that appeared to be in bad shape. About halfway down its body, all the feathers were gone, and it had no tail feathers whatsoever. I remember seeing its actual tail and not knowing what it was because I had never seen a parrot tail with not a single feather on it. It was very sad.
None of the animals have more than maybe two cups of water in their water bottles. All the cages are filthy, and I have never seen any of the stores employees get off their butts to do anything for any of the animals. Every cage has pine shavings in it, the puppies included, which are housed in large pens with about 5-6 puppies in each. Usually they have the large breed dogs in one "pen" and the small/medium breeds in another. The other day, they had the small breed puppies separated from the others, and they were housed in what pet stores usually place bunnies and ferrets in. There was a Pug puppy who kept coughing and sounded horrible with a lot of discharge coming from its nose. I felt bad, and even though I knew the puppies were sick, I felt obligated to spend time with them because it was obvious they had no attention.
I haven't ever seen food in the puppies' pens. They use cat litter boxes as food dishes, and they seem to be always flipped upside down. The larger breed puppies appeared quite aggressive. When simple "rough play" became increasingly violent, the girls working didn't even turn to look in the direction of the puppies.
The smell is horrible. All you can smell is feces and urine. It makes me sad. Although I have previously gotten all my animals from pet stores (I felt like I was "saving them" as it appears many people do), and it breaks my heart to even step foot into one, I usually do when I'm at the mall so I can take out a few of the puppies and spend some time with them outside the cage.
2006: Another resident adds that an alarming number of the puppies purchased at Pet Palace and seen by a local vet were found to have pneumonia. The resident also says that although the store claims the puppies are from local breeders, registration papers indicate that the puppies were born in the Midwest.
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PET PARADISE--NEW JERSEY--ENGLISHTOWN
See 2006 news articles:
"Customer questions store after dog's death"
http://wcbstv.com/video/?id=93992@wcbs.dayport.com
PHILLY'S STORY
2006: Our five year old daughter was always fearful of animals so my husband and I often frequented places were she could see animals and be comfortable with them. On Saturday, September 30, 2006 we went out to visit a pet store named Pet Paradise, 405 U.S. Highway 9 South, Englishtown, NJ.
We saw a male yellow Labrador retriever and asked a salesperson who identified herself as Tammy if we could play with the puppy in one of Pet Paradise's playrooms. The puppy was playful, but not overly playful. Just like my daughter had wanted it to be. My family fell in love with this puppy in 10 minutes. We decided to purchase our first puppy.
We were told when we went to the register that it would be a few minutes while they got the paperwork together. Upon reviewing the paperwork with Tammy we were given a Medical Record indicating that the puppy was examined by a veterinarian on September 28, 2006, just 2 days before our purchase, and was certified to be fit for sale. At the time of sale, along with the Medical Record, we received a Statement of Rights under New Jersey Law, a Pet Paradise Guarantee, a Pet Guardian Warranty Contract and a Pet Medical Record (this is the medical record from the broker that sold the puppy to Pet Paradise). We also received antibiotics, with instructions to give the puppy two pills a day for 10 days.
While Tammy was reviewing the paperwork accompanying the sale with my husband, she handed him a package of pills that Tammy said were antibiotics for the puppy. My husband questioned why she was giving us antibiotics for a healthy puppy. She told my husband and me that Pet Paradise gives antibiotics with every sale just in case the puppy has a cold. Again my husband asked about the health of the puppy because we didn't want to purchase a puppy with a cold. Tammy again assured us this puppy was healthy. Then she said please don't give a puppy a bath before it is examined by a veterinarian. We also found this advice to be odd and again said that we were concerned that this puppy was sick. Tammy again assured us the puppy was healthy.
We left Pet Paradise with our new puppy at approximately 5 PM on September 30, 2006. As soon as we got home my family named our puppy, Philly, and introduced him to his new home. We took pictures and video of Philly. Our children bonded with Philly immediately. Philly appeared to be fine for the first several hours. Philly ate some of the food we had purchased at the pet store and drank some water. We put Philly in his crate at approximately 10 PM. When Philly awoke the next morning, October 1, 2006, he seemed out of sorts. He ate a little more food and drank some more water. We noticed green mucus coming from Philly's nose. I wiped it each time with a tissue and attributed to a cold as the pet store had expected he may get. Philly slept most of the day and was lethargic when he woke. We became concerned because Philly was not eating, and green mucus was coming out of his nose more frequently. He was trying to cough and appeared as if he was unable to breathe. His nose felt warm and dry to the touch. Initially, we called the Veterinarian who signed the Medical Record, Dr. Jonathan Bach. Dr. Bach advised us to force-feed the puppy, and if he failed to respond to take the puppy to Garden State Veterinary Specialists (the "Hospital"). My husband and I decided to take the puppy to the Hospital immediately. So off we went in our minivan with our children and Philly to the hospital just 24 hours after we brought Philly home.
When we arrived at the Hospital, the emergency Veterinarian on staff took one look at Philly and rushed him into an isolation unit to begin treatment. This veterinarian advised us that Philly was very sick and asked if we wanted him treated, which we of course authorized immediately. After all, Philly was now a part of our family.
The vet showed us x-rays of Philly's lungs, which showed extensive congestion. We were told that Philly had severe pneumonia and only had a 30% chance of living. The vet said Philly had been very sick for several days. The vet also told us that the antibiotics we were given were very strong, and should never be given to a healthy puppy. She believed whoever prescribed these antibiotics knew Philly was very sick. We were told that Philly had to remain in isolation and that we were not able to say goodbye to him because his condition was so severe he was quarantined. We left the hospital around 9:00 PM and my family was devastated.
The next morning my husband contacted the owner of Pet Paradise, Dana West, to advise her of our puppy's medical condition. We told her that he was very contagious and that he was in critical condition. Mrs. West's response was that my husband and I did something to Philly to cause him to become ill as he was healthy when he left her store. She also had a few choice words for my husband and basically told him to sue her and hung up on him.
After I made phone calls to dozens of local authorities and did extensive research on-line, I found out that Pet Paradise has repeatedly sold sick animals to families all over New Jersey and refused to deal with their customers when Pet Paradise was contacted. Joe West, co-owner of Pet Paradise stated that a lot of people have tried to shut down his store in the past and was unsuccessful as we would be too.
Agents from the A.S.P.C.A. were unable to help us as an infectious disease does not fall within their jurisdiction of cruelty to animals. The New Jersey Department of Health had an investigator visit Pet Paradise several days later and said that the facility seemed to be adequate. The NJ Dept. of Health's investigator was not a veterinarian and may not have been properly certified for this inspection.
Philly was in the Hospital for six days while the veterinarians fought to save his life. My husband and I received daily updates and, although it was expensive, we felt we had to spend the money to save Philly. In one of the daily updates, we were told the puppy had fleas when he was brought in to the Hospital, which are very dangerous in such a young puppy. On Saturday, October 7, 2006, we received a call from the Hospital telling us Philly had taken a turn for the worse. The vets had determined that, in addition to the pneumonia, Philly was infected with 2 single cell parasites and 2 types of bacteria, and that one of the types of bacteria was untreatable. We were told Philly had lost the use of one of his back legs, was suffering, and would never recover. Philly had given up his fight to survive. The vet suggested that euthanizing Philly would be the most humane course of action. We had no choice but to authorize the Hospital to euthanize Philly. Philly our 11 week old puppy was put to rest and cremated on Saturday, 10/7/05, just one week after we brought him home.
While my husband was on the telephone with the doctor making Philly's final arrangements I told my daughter and son that Philly died, that he would not be coming home and that he was in Heaven. Upon learning that Philly died, our daughter broke down sobbing uncontrollably. She kept asking how this could happen. I could actually feel her broken heart. For the next 24 hours our daughter remained in a state of depression, including vomiting. I thank God that our son is still too young to understand the horrific actions of Pet Paradise. He keeps asking when Philly is coming home to play tag with him again.
We believe that Pet Paradise knew Philly was sick when it was sold to us. In retrospect, it is very odd that they gave us strong antibiotics to give to a healthy puppy, and that they told us not to bathe Philly. Being first time pet owners we were naďve to say the least. Since then I have done extensive research and have learned from the Humane Society that some pet stores give sick puppies large doses cough syrup in order to mask the symptoms of pneumonia and stop the puppies from coughing. I believe Pet Paradise did this to Philly to make him appear healthy on the day we brought him home.
During my research, I uncovered that Philly's journey to our family was a long one. Philly was born in Texas. Philly was immediately sold by his owner/breeder to what his owner called a "puppy broker" in Oklahoma. Philly was treated by the "broker's doctor" with cough-guard and various other remedies and then shipped off in just a day to Pet Paradise in New Jersey. Philly arrived at Pet Paradise on Tuesday, September 26th and we were advised was examined by Pet Paradise's veterinarian on Thursday, September 28th. We then brought Philly into our home two days later and one day later he was admitted to Garden State Hospital where he remained for the rest of his life. Philly was only 11 weeks old!!! He had already been around the country, admitted to the hospital and died.
When my husband contacted the owner of Pet Paradise on October 7, 2006 to advise our puppy had died, Joe West (co-owner of Pet Paradise) told my husband that either we made Philly sick, or Garden State overmedicated Philly and killed him. Joe and Dana West showed not even one sign of compassion or remorse. Joe West even stated that he remembered our family from the day that we purchased Philly. How can you know that this was my family's first puppy who had just died one week later and not show one ounce of compassion to a grieving family?!!!
I am writing this story so that Philly's life was not lived in vain. I believe that the facts speak the truth. We too heard stories of the horrors of pet store pets. We thought to ourselves how horrible, but went about living our lives. I am now trying to tell Philly's story to as many people as I can. I am pleading with you, your family, friends, etc. to please tell Philly's story to as many people as you can. If the demand for these pet store puppies wasn't there, breeders would be able to ensure that puppies were born healthy and adopted by good, loving families. Families would adopt pets from the Humane Society or their local animal shelters. Had we been more educated we would have known the warning signs of a healthy puppy. I am not sorry that we purchased Philly. I feel that Philly was sent to our family so that his story would live on.
My family and I thank you for your time.
PET PARADISE--NEW JERSEY--MANALAPAN
"I regularly visit Pet Paradise located in Manalapan, New Jersey, and it is very dirty. Puppies are brought back because they are ill. My vet sends people back with their puppies. I watched the puppies get fed the other night, and the puppies turned the food bowl upside down. The food comes out of the bowl, goes through the crate to the peed newspaper, the dog gets no more food. When I asked one of the girls about the situation, she replied, "They do that because they are full." They dog never touched the food yet. I don't know where the dogs come from but it is not a good environment."
PET PROS--NEVADA--LAS VEGAS
Tiki was a Shiba Inu puppy. His guardian, S., first saw him at Pet Pros in late 2005. He appeared healthy and his price was a little under $1,000. When S. put down a non-refundable deposit of several hundred dollars on him, a store employee made no mention of any illness, but when S. came to take him home several days later, the employee said he had kennel cough and explained that that is common among "confined" animals, and the puppy had been confined to the store for over 3 weeks. S. asked for documentation of the kennel cough but was told that the only way to get that was to complete the purchase and take him to the vet hospital that has a contract with Pet Pros (hereafter called "the store's vet"), which she did.
The store's vet prescribed medicine for the kennel cough, but S. writes, "Over the next few days, the puppy appeared lethargic. Yellow secretions continued to come from his nose, and his eyes had thick discharge. He slept 18-20 hours a day. His stool was often soft and he was not displaying much interest in food or water. He didn't even want treats when I offered them right under his nose." He was taken back to the store's vet, who did an x-ray to check for pneumonia, which turned up negative. In addition to the medication he was already receiving, Tiki was given Gentocin Opth. Solution to be applied to his eyes and nostrils. "Before we reached our vehicle, the puppy began foaming at the mouth and fussing. When we brought him back inside, we were assured he was fine and were sent on our way."
"Shortly after we got home, Tiki awoke abruptly from a nap on the couch and began making a vigorous chomping motion with his mouth. After about ten seconds of that, he relaxed for a couple of seconds and we put him on the floor. Then he immediately began to jump around as if to have no control of his muscles. His hind legs jolted backward, causing him to leap forward frantically while his head pressed firmly on the ground and his front legs jerked in various directions." He had another episode 3 hours later, and another 3 hours after that. S. brought him to the store's vet, who said "with neurological symptoms.it's looking more like distemper." Tiki was admitted to the facility.
The next day, the same vet was reluctant to call Tiki's illness distemper. He said the puppy had been observed round the clock and had not had any seizures. S. was still concerned that it might be distemper and asked that tests be done, but the vet said that Pet Pros would not absorb the heavy cost of bloodwork and that THERE WAS NO TEST AVAILABLE TO DIAGNOSE DISTEMPER WITH ANY CERTAINTY ANYWAY. After some reflection, S. insisted on the bloodwork at her own expense.
Tiki showed no improvement overnight, and the store's vet said there was not much to do but keep an eye on him and hope for the best, while giving him fluids and antibiotics. When S. asked for the blood test results, she found the vet had only done a CBC, not a canine distemper titer, which she later learned would have been the appropriate test. The vet said there was no proof in the CBC of distemper. That evening, when S. went to see Tiki in was in the quarantine area, the puppy was having another seizure. "This time, he moved his bowels while convulsing and his stool was loose. Still, the store vet refused to diagnose it as distemper."
S. checked Tiki out of the vet hospital the next day. "As I was doing so, the store vet told me about the titer test, but he said it was considerably more expensive and had to be conducted by drawing blood a series of times over a period of a few weeks."
S. took Tiki to a vet who is unaffiliated with Pet Pros in any way. The vet "immediately suggested a distemper test, which consisted of a sending a SINGLE blood sample to the lab for diagnosis. The test results came back positive. The level of distemper was so high that there is no possibility of a false positive from the distemper vaccination Tikki may have received, according to the new vet."
S. and her family "took Tiki home with the intention of nursing him through his illness. We learned that distemper is not always a death sentence. Some dogs survive and we were determined to give Tiki every possible chance to live.
"We nursed him round the clock for two excruciating days. He did not respond well to seizure medication, and it was clear to us that Tiki was needlessly suffering despite our best efforts to save him." He was humanely euthanized a little over 2 weeks after he was brought home from the store.
During Tiki's illness, S. contacted the store and requested a full refund and reimbursement for vet bills related to Tiki's illness. At first the store owner gave these options: "return it for a different puppy" or "return it for a refund" and would only pay vet bills incurred at his preferred vet. He refused to pay for any emergency care (even at his preferred vet) or the bloodwork S. requested. (This is typical of pet store "health" contracts.) He requested and was provided with a vet's letter recommending humane euthanasia and finally refunded the puppy's sale price, but Tiki's guardian was still left with several hundred dollars' worth of vet bills.
Tiki was born in Oklahoma.
Tiki's last day
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also at PET PROS--NEVADA--LAS VEGAS
2006: I recently had a very bad experience at Pet Pros, 1025 S. Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas NV. I purchased an apparently healthy Shih Tzu puppy for over $900 in September of 2006. I signed the warranty papers even though I did realize that the warranty was only for 10 days and for surgical intervention only.
The veterinarian performed a wellness exam within 4 days as required by Pet Pros and there were no apparent problems at that time. The puppy began to show signs of respiratory distress and I returned to the vet 23 days later. I brought the puppy back to the vet on the next two days for additional antibiotics shots and treatments. The illness progressed rapidly through the respiratory phase and she began having seizures as she entered the neurological phase of distemper. The seizures continued to worsen until the veterinarian determined that it was necessary to humanely euthanize the puppy on October 1, 2006.
Total cost of treatment was $670. Pet Pros denies any responsibility for her illness. I received a form letter from Pet Pros stating that "We are sorry that you are having a problem with your puppy." The veterinarian that cared for the puppy writes in his summary letter that the administering of multiple vaccinations prior to eight weeks of age, as was the case with this puppy, diminishes the maternal antibodies of a young puppy and degrades her immune status.
Because the puppy was not exposed to any other animals, except those at Pet Pros prior to our purchase, we believe that she contracted the distemper virus at Pet Pros and in fact had the virus in her system prior to her coming home with us. We understand that this allegation is virtually impossible to prove and that we are unlikely to achieve any monetary settlement from Pet Pros. The heartache caused by our loss has been tremendous. My hope is that by putting this incident on the radar screen, I may protect other unwary consumers.
PETS ARE PEOPLE TOO--FLORIDA--PEMBROKE PINES
Page, a Schnauzer puppy, was purchased at Pets are People Too for $1,000. Although the owner told the customers that Page was AKC-registered, they discovered that she was not. Her papers did indicate that she came from the Hunte Corporation, the large Midwestern distributor of puppy mill puppies. Page appeared to be about 5 weeks old, but her papers said that she was 8 weeks old, the legal minimum for importing out-of-state dogs. She went home from the store with a very bad cough that required two weeks of antibiotics.
Tragically, while undergoing crate training at 5 months of age, Page died when her collar became entangled in her crate. Her guardians write, "When we called the owner and told her about the tragic loss of our loved one, she offered us $100 off a new puppy. We will NEVER purchase from a pet shop again. Please advise potential puppy parents not only to not purchase from pet stores, but not to keep collars on puppies when they are in their crates. No one should suffer the way that we have."
PETS OF BEL AIR--CALIFORNIA--BEL AIR
A 2007 Humane Society of the U.S. undercover investigation showed that this store gets puppies from puppy mills. Check out the video at
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pets_related_news_and_events/pets_bel_air_121107.html
PETSPLUS USA--PENNSYLVANIA--LANSDALE
The store, located at 555 South Broad Street (at the Hancock & Broad Street intersection) in Lansdale, PA is the 9th retail addition to the Pets Plus USA chain operating and selling puppies throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Since the store's grand opening in November, 2006, weekly demonstrations have been ongoing in an attempt to educate the public as to why no one should ever purchase an animal from a pet store. Representatives of the group asked PetsPlus USA owner, Mark Arabia, for information regarding the puppies including the names of the breeders, the location of the kennels and for information regarding his forever return policy; Mr. Arabia refused to provide any details.
According to a recent article in The Reporter, a Journal Register newspaper, PetsPlus owner Mark Arabia claims his breeders to be "licensed with the PA Dept. of Agriculture" and that he does not deal with puppy mills. The Reporter observed approximately 20 dogs in the store, two of which were identified as being from Newburg, PA.
PA Department of Agriculture records reveal the only licensed breeders in Newburg, PA to consist of K3 (101 to 150 dogs) and K5 (251 or more dogs) operations:
Yoder's Kennel - K5 105 Enola Road Newburg PA 17240
Quigley Kennel - K5 20 Quigley Road Newburg PA 17240
Oak Bend Road Kennel - K3 34 Oak Bend Road Newburg PA 17240
Conodoguinet Creek Kennel - K5/USDA Class B 31 Quigley Road Newburg PA 17240
Conodoguinet Creek Kennel is also licensed as a USDA Class B (laboratory and testing) breeder.
An individual who went into the store during the last week of November stated that an assortment of sales personnel attempted to assist her and advised that if she didn't see the puppy breed she was looking for they had the ability to obtain whatever she wanted in time for Christmas gift giving.
The only information readily available regarding the puppies' origin was the city and state of the breeder as follows: Fresno, Ohio Mill Creek, PA*
Willowhill, PA**
Spring Run, PA***
Newburg, PA****
Orange City, Iowa
Sioux City, Iowa
Hull, Iowa
Little Rock, Iowa
Ireton, Iowa
Lake Benton, Minnesota
Woonsocket, S. Dakota
Bloomfield, TN
Livingston, TN
The states of Pennsylvania, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Tennessee are all infamous for puppy mills known to keep dogs under deplorable conditions.
* Licensed as K1, K2, K3, B1
** Licensed as K3, K5 *** Licensed as K2, K4, K5 ****Licensed as K3, K5, USDA B/Laboratory-Testing
Finally, some dogs were identified as being ACA (American Canine Association) registered. The ACA's website (http://www.acavet.com/) allows anyone to print out official health certificates and to have them registered - with no fee - in the "official" ACA records.
Mark Arabia claims that "Caring for animals was always my passion but now it's a business."
A business of greed as far as we're concerned.
2006 article about protests at Pets Plus
PETS PLUS--VIRGINIA--STAFFORD (different chain from Pets Plus USA)
Obtains puppies from the Hunte Corporation, the largest distributor of puppy mill puppies in the U.S. Lists about 40 puppies for sale on its website.
PETSMART--VIRGINIA--FAIR LAKES--FAIRFAX
2007: I recently visited the Petsmart at Fair Lakes, and I was absolutely appalled by the live rodents section, especially the living conditions of guinea pigs. They kept guinea pigs (approximately 10 inches long), in tanks that are barely larger than 15 x 15 inches. I can't remember the measurements, but the guinea pigs are kept in cages that are much, MUCH too small. The plastic hut takes up 3/4th of the tank, so there is absolutely no room for the guinea pig to even walk around!
PETSMART--VIRGINIA--STERLING
January 2008: We received a complaint about the treatment of BIRDS at this store.
PET SPOT--COLORADO--LONGMONT
January 2008: We received a complaint about the condition of animals at this store.
PET STORE--(name not included) MICHIGAN--ROYAL OAK
2007: My name is Crystal Holderbaum and I live in Royal Oak, MI. There is a pet store just a few blocks from my home that brings tears to my eyes (and not just because of the stench). These animals cages are beyond filthy. There are dead lizards, and cobwebs over the tops (how do you feed an animal without disturbing cobwebs?) What bothers me about this store is just the conditions the holding "cells" the animals are in. If you are selling a "product" would you not keep it clean and working? Wouldn't a pet store want to learn as much as possible about their "merchandise" to enable a long, healthy life?
The most heartbreaking is the tortoise. I know of three shops locally that keep large torts for show. This store has one as well. I believe he may be a Sulcata, but the other stores have the giant Galapagos tort. He is sick. He trudges about the dusty floor and is handled by multiple human hands. I see cat food and lettuce rotting in a corner which I assume is his food. Torts are not meant to drag around on cement eating cat food. This animal's eyes were cloudy, watery, and partially swollen. Its shell is chipped and its place to sleep is under a set of dead fish tanks. I wish I could get into length about this but I request any reader to look up tortoise and read the care sheets on them. This animal is about 150 to 200 pounds and probably will never leave the floor of this establishment. I wish I could help these exotic beautiful animals.
PETS UNLIMITED--NEW YORK--SUNNYSIDE
2008: After seeing the "Oprah" show on puppy mills, a person who had bought a puppy from Pets Unlimited in 2004 sent us her puppy's papers, which showed that the breeder was Donald Schrage, who in 2004 had 347 animals, as well as violations in 2003, 2004, and 2005. See "USDA records on various breeders" for details.
PET WAREHOUSE--MISSOURI--SPRINGFIELD
2007: I was shopping at Pet Warehouse near my home and noticed that they had just started selling puppies. I asked further questions of a new employee and he said it happened within the last month and the company's name was Hunte. As this store is located in southwest Missouri and a ton of puppy mills are localed in southwest Missouri, I'm guessing these are puppy mill puppies. [See Hunte Corp. section of this site.]
PET WORKS--CALIFORNIA--LA MESA
2006: I sadly had a horrible experience with Pet Works in Grossmont Center in La Mesa, CA. I purchased my purebred German Shepherd in late August of 2004. Unfortunately, I had to put my son (Al) down about a month and a half ago due to uncontrollable seizures. I honestly went to the vet repeatedly and spent over $4,000 on tests and medications trying to keep him alive. The phenobarbital wasn't working and the vet said although it's hard to know for sure, it's a great chance it is genetic. He was only 2 years old as his bday was June 07, 2004.
He was truly my son and I am saddened by the entire experience and don't think this should have ever had to happen to him. I did go to them after he passed on and told them since I knew he had a sister if I could contact the owners and warn them this may happen to their dog. They said due to privacy policies (which I understood) they would call, not me. They claimed they did but that the owner seemed elderly and since her dog wasn't having the same problem, she wouldn't call me, as I requested them to do badly. I currently am fostering a dog and would never ever buy from a petstore. I just hope this never happens again.
PETZ UNLIMITED--PENNSYLVANIA--MECHANICSBURG (CUMBERLAND COUNTY)
Info on this sick puppy can be seen at www.awarenessday.org. A customer who purchased a puppy at this store in 2004 was told by the store's vet that the puppy had a "cold" but was otherwise healthy. 4 days later, the puppy was vomiting frequently and lethargic. He was diagnosed with pneumonia. 13 days after the initial vet visit, the puppy had to be rushed to the hospital again, as his trachea had collapsed and he also had a relapse of pneumonia. A month later, after $1,500 worth of vet care, the puppy still had trouble breathing and continued to vomit. Petz Unlimited did not reimburse the customer for any vet bills. The puppy came from a puppy mill in Newburg, PA, which sold over 1,800 puppies in 2002. The store is owned by a man named Port Dare, who was formerly an operator of a Petland (see Petland--Pennsylvania--Cumberland County, above). He was convicted of wrapping a sick kitten in a plastic bag, placing the live kitten in the freezer, then slamming him against a dumpster.
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Tanner, a Golden Retriever puppy, was purchased at Petz Unlimited in 2005. Two days after he came home, his eyes were watering, he wouldn't eat, he was listless, and he had a very bad cough. Tanner's guardian contacted the store manager, who said it was probably kennel cough and recommended a visit to the store vet. Tanner's guardian preferred to take Tanner to her own vet, and the store manager agreed to pay the bill. Tanner's vet said he had kennel cough, a fever, was very underweight, and was only about 6 weeks old, not 8 weeks old as the store had indicated, and had been taken from his mother much too soon.
Tanner's guardian tried to discuss her puppy's condition with store owner Port Dare, but he refused to speak to her. She learned that the name on Tanner's health certificate was not the name of the actual breeder but was that of the puppy broker. When she expressed interest in visiting the puppy broker's facility, Petz Unlimited refused to provide the address or phone number. However, she learned through Internet research that the broker had sold over 1,800 puppies this year. She also called the true original breeder to notify her of the puppy's illness, and the breeder was rude and refused to answer any questions, such as how often she bred her dogs.
Because Tanner transmitted his kennel cough to the other dog in the family, his guardian asked Petz Unlimited to pay vet bills for both dogs, but the store's attorney refused and said they would not give her a penny. After Tanner's guardian filed a complaint with the Attorney General's office, Petz Unlimited paid the vet bills for Tanner but not for the family's other dog.
Search the Web for "Petz Unlimited" and "Port Dare," for additional complaints about this store and convicted animal abuser Port Dare.
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A Maltese puppy purchased from Petz Unlimited in 2006 came from Indian Ridge Kennels in Pleasant Hope, Missouri, operated by Bill and Louise Hite and Lorna Dismang. On October 14, 2006, Indian Ridge Kennels held a "huge liquidation sale" and sold approximately 400 (four hundred) dogs at auction. The ad for this auction at www.onlinepetauction.com encouraged buyers to also attend the Hunte Corp. seminar the same weekend. Also at www.onlinepetauction.com, you can sometimes see photos of the small steel cages that puppy millers consider to be state-of-the-art housing for dogs. This auction is held regularly by Bob and Chadd Hughes of Wheaton, Missouri.
PJ'S PET CENTRE--MASSACHUSETTS--SAUGUS
2007: In February of 2006 I bought an adorable Pomeranian from PJ's Pet Centre in Saugus MA. I named her Coqueta, which means flirty in Spanish. As soon as I saw her I fell in love with her. I had saved money for about a month, at the time I just had a babysitting job, and managed to save $1000. I had just enough for Coqueta. I was so excited. I have always wanted a puppy, I cried because I was so happy. Later on that night at around 2 AM I was crying for a different reason. Coqueta was hacking up phlegm every 2 minutes. I took her to the emergency room and it turned out she had a bad case of kennel cough. She was prescribed a common antibiotic which was covered by PJ's Pet Centre. That same day just her cough lessened but she was still wheezing, and when she did cough she coughed up a lot of phlegm. She wasn't eating either. So by the end of the day she was still not eating and now had diarrhea. I called the doctor that treated her and she told me that her stomach was probably having a bad reaction to the medicine and to not give it to her any more and give Children's Robitussin and the children dose. She told me to call her back if she got lethargic and/or started throwing up and did not eat. Her cough got worse again. Because she was constantly coughing I slept with her in the living room because I share a room with my sister and I did not want to her to wake up every time Coqueta coughed. That night I managed to fall asleep and woke up to Coqueta whining and crying and going crazy in her cage. I was confused as to what was happening and then all of sudden she went diarrhea all over her bed. Her stomach must have hurt so bad. I began to cry because I was so scared and worried. After I cleaned her up I got her another bed I had bought her and she, somewhat, fell asleep. I fell asleep too. About an hour later I woke because I heard a strange noise. That strange noise was Coqueta throwing up. I cried so much because I knew she was getting so much worse and I was not making her better. I cleaned her up again and let her rest in her bed. At 8 am that day I took her to the hospital again and the doctor told me that her kennel cough had become pneumonia and since she was not eating she would need fluids through an IV and a stay in the hospital. All the costs estimated to $800-$1000. Again I am only 20 and at the time I nothing but a babysitting job (due to school). I did not have this kind of money. I had already spoken with the manager at PJ's several times and by this point I was so mad that a company could do this to someone. When I first met Coqueta she had some dried green mucus on her nose and I asked the employee if that was normal or if she was sick and she told me, "Oh, no, she's fine; that's okay." I believed her. They told me that if I brought her back that their vet would nurse her back to health and that when she was better she would be sold again and if I wanted to buy her again I could. It broke my heart like you can't imagine, she was my dream come true and so wrongfully she was taken away from me. For years I was that girl would go to pet stores and play and look at the puppies knowing that one day, maybe not that day, I would have one. I took her back but she never made her way back to me. I called every day and they would just tell me that she was sick. Until one I called and they told me she was too sick so we sent her back to her breeder. I knew she was dead and I cried more than I have ever cried.
A month later I decided that maybe I just had a bad experience so I went to Debby's Pet Land in Saugus and I bought Lulu, a mini dachshund. She was adorable. Again that same day she started doing this thing where she would shake her head and drool a little. At first I just thought it was a habit she had, but quickly I came to realize it was not. It got worse. So I went through the whole process again. Two weeks later I found out that Lulu had epilepsy. They were actually pretty good with the medical bills, they covered it all. They also told me I could return her and then I could adopt her because she was not well. They assured me that the costs of her condition would not be overwhelming or even more than $50 a month. So I agreed. I again quickly came to realize this was not true because a few day later her symptoms returned and with a vengeance. I took her back to the hospital and this time the costs to keep her in the hospital were estimated from $1000-$3000. The vet which had been taking care of her had really fallen for Lulu so she kept her. Another heartbreak.
I now have Lupi. She's a Maltese. I adopted her from a shelter and she is so wonderful but there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about Coqueta and Lulu. Especially Coqueta--my poor little puppy died wrongfully and these people are heartless and cruel to do that to such an innocent creature.
-Tracy Morales
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Also from PJ's Pet Centre:
Posted on Craigslist in 2006: I bought a German Shepherd from PJ's Pet Center on RT 1 in August a year ago. The day we took him home we noticed something was wrong. He wasn't playing, wouldn't walk up the stairs or even walk around the block.
The next day, Monday, we took him to our vet, NOT the vet PJ's said to take him to. She said he had worms, and we started treating him for that. Tuesday he just got worse, he wouldn't even get up. When he did he would have bloody diarrhea and was shaky.
We took him back to our vet Wednesday. She did every test she could, and we found out he had parvo. PJ's Pet Center offered to give us the $900.00 back, which was a "sale" price, "treat" him and call with in a week so we could come back and get him. They never called. I believe the puppy was either put down or died. I just recently found out parvo would be spread throughout out the whole pet store.
I WILL NEVER BUY A PUPPY AGAIN FROM A PET STORE!
POTOMAC KENNELS--MARYLAND--GAITHERSBURG
August 2006--A visitor to the store writes: "I was in Potomac Kennels two days ago and was upset to see a '9 week old' beagle puppy that was the smallest beagle I've ever seen. I say '9 weeks' because I don't believe there is any way this puppy is that old. He is so skinny you can see every rib and his protruding hip bones. He's lively, I had them take him out so that I could play with him, but I could not get over how skinny and small he was. Even if his size is small, that does not explain how thin he is.
I purchased a beagle puppy at Potomac Kennels a little over two years ago and although she looked fine, she had kennel cough and needed to be put on several meds after I got her home. She recovered in a few weeks but it was definitely disheartening to think about the puppies that were still there and probably sick as well.
The last thing I will say about Potomac Kennels is that they are dirty and the people there do not know a lot. Of course they tell everyone that their dogs come from reputable breeders and are purebred."
[Note from petstorecruelty.org, July 2007: the website for Potomac Kennels does not include any mention of what STATES the puppies come from or what they mean by "reputable breeders." If you have purchased a puppy at this store, please e-mail us the NAME and STATE of your puppy's breeder.]
PUPPY HEAVEN--WISCONSIN--MILWAUKEE
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2005: We understand that this store has closed down. However, the owner (Lina Koch) plans to open a new store in another location.
Article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee County Briefs Posted: Aug. 17, 2005
MORE PET OWNERS CLAIM STORE SOLD SICK PUPPIES
South Milwaukee - The city's Health Department continued Wednesday to log complaints from people who alleged they had purchased sick puppies from a local pet store, including six people who reported the deaths of pets from illness.
"It's just unbelievable," said public health administrator Jacqueline Ove. "I've been here seven years. I haven't had anything like this before."
Puppy Heaven owner Lina Koch said she is working to comply with orders issued last week by the Health Department that addressed cleaning the store and a 14-day quarantine on pets there. The city allowed the retail portion of the store to remain open, but that was temporarily closed by the owner.
Koch said customers with questions may leave messages on the store's answering machine. The department has given Koch until Aug. 31 to turn over store records. Ove said her department is attempting to determine where the puppies originated so that authorities in other states can be alerted, if necessary. To date, people have alleged they purchased 52 sick puppies from the store.
PUPPY MILL—PENNSYLVANIA--LANCASTER COUNTY
Cliff, a boxer, was born in a puppy mill in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His guardian writes, “I have spent thousands of dollars maintaining Cliff’s health. When he came to me, he was 6 weeks old, although his ‘papers’ declared him to be 9 weeks. He had lice, ear mites, a heart murmur, and a cold, all of which (except the heart murmur) he promptly transmitted to our other dog. Cliff then developed HOD [hypertrophic osteodystrophy], and I had to put him on a special diet to control his growth…In the spring of 2004, Claude began limping…For seven months, my dog cried in his sleep from pain. Diagnosed with a vague auto-immune disease that has to be managed very carefully. All of this, and Cliff just celebrated his 2nd birthday. I wonder about his littermates, and which of them went to people with the resources to pay for all of the treatments.”
PUPPY PALACE--ILLINOIS--BUFFALO GROVE
I had a terrible experience at a pet store in my area. The pet store is called Puppy Palace in Buffalo Grove, IL. They have a website-- www.puppypalaceonline.com.
I went in the store last night to check out their puppies and they have at least 50 "designer" puppies in proper cages behind a wall for display. But they put their older "need to sell now" puppies in these bins so that anyone walking down the street can come and pick these puppies up and play with them out of the bin. These bins are disgusting--dogs are running around in their own feces, there's no water for them to drink and they look completely malnourished. It's horrible.
One of the dogs jumped out a patron's hands and the manager came over just yelling at this person as though they were at fault for a dog to jump. These dogs need to be better protected, better groomed (their hair was all matted and disgusting!) and probably could use a meal or two. I couldn't believe this place considering its lavish location and sizeable store.
Something needs to be done!
PUPPY PATCH--MASSACHUSETTS--HOPKINTON
2007: "I called The Puppy Patch in MA and a woman said they get dogs form the Midwest every Friday because that is the only place puppies are regulated. She said they could guarantee what breed I wanted. This all sounded fishy to me, so I tried to discuss it more, but she hung up on me."
PUPPY PATCH--NEVADA--RENO
Lola is a Golden Retriever puppy purchased at the Puppy Patch. When she first came home, she had mucus running from her nose and was not eating or drinking much. Her guardian took her to the store vet, who prescribed Vitamin C and nose drops and charged $200. Not satisfied, Lola's guardian took her to a different vet, who diagnosed an upper and lower respiratory infection and upper and lower intestinal infection that cost an additional $300 to treat.
The owner of the store was told of the problem and responded by accused the puppy's guardian of making up stories.
Lola is now 6 months old and is again at the vet for a night of vomiting which the vet attributes to some as yet unknown, possibly permanent condition.
This store has been under fire in the media for months. About 20 people who purchased sick puppies there came forward to tell their story. See our "In the news" section for a written article and go to a Reno news station http://www.krnv.com, Featured Videos, "Better Business Bureau Gives Reno Pet Store Unsatisfactory Rating" and also "Reno Pet Store Owners Defend Treatment of Animals."
Note that Animal Control visited the store and was unable to find anything illegal in terms of the animals' treatment inside the store. This does not mean the puppies are healthy or that the conditions at the original breeders are sanitary or humane.
The video mentions that the Puppy Patch obtains puppies from the HUNTE CORPORATION, the same company that is supplying sick puppy mill puppies to pet stores all over the country.
A news story on October 4, 2005, stated that Puppy Patch had closed, but apparently the closing was only temporary.
PUPPY SHOPPE--NEW JERSEY--EDISON
2007: I purchased a puppy from their store on a spur of the moment. I know not to buy from pet stores but I went in there to show someone different breeds of dogs and I fell in love with a puppy. Surprisingly their dogs looked very well kept and didn't look like the usual pet store dogs. The people swore they get their dogs from breeders not puppy mills. They failed to mention they get them from USDA certified breeders which is basically a certified puppy mill. I got him on sale because he was older and no one was buying him. He had been scratching ever since I got him and I did everything from special shampoos, food changes, etc. It turned out he had ongoing ear mites for who knows how long. Then the itching of his body returned, nothing has totally stopped it so far so I now have to take him to a vet to check that out. That isn't the worst part. I looked up his breed online just to see pictures and I came across a breeder that listed the common medical issues they get. One is called chondrodysplasia. This is the bowing of the front legs. I always noticed he had slightly misshaped front legs but I didn't think anything of it. Well, it is a condition passed on by genetics and usually caused from bad breeding. As it worsens it will be over $2,000 to get orthopedic surgery and can possibly be linked to other disorders. My point here is that I took a chance, was deceived, thought I got away with a pretty healthy dog only to find that he will have problems in the future. Every pet store gets their dogs from puppy mills or USDA breeders. Bad breeding causes mental, and/or physical problems. There are no exceptions.
PUPPY STORE--FLORIDA--ORLANDO
After complaints by customers that puppies purchased here were dying as soon as they took them home, The Puppy Store is being investigated by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. One customer stated that when she was going to return a sick dog to the store, the owner, Donald Glatz, said he would "break his neck. He's no good to me."
The customer kept the dog.
Although Glatz denies that the puppies come from puppy mills, former employees said the puppies come on a large truck packed with 70 or 80 puppies that drives nonstop for two days to get to the store, and that the truck smells like a "dead carcass." Animal control also found overcrowding in the store. The health certificates issued by The Puppy Store are also under investigation for being fraudulent, since Dr. Greg Murray, a veterinarian, noted that his name was signed on one of them by someone else. Concerned citizens opposed to The Puppy Store's cruelty to animals protest outside the store almost every Saturday.
--Local6.com, May 6, 2005
Puppy Town--Nevada--Carson City
"A customer let us know that this store, newly opened in 2007, is getting puppies from the Hunte Corporation, which supplies puppy mill puppies to many pet stores."
PUPPYVILLE--VIRGINIA--VIRGINIA BEACH
Please watch the video at www.youtube.com/user/Adoptdontshop
and visit www.adoptdontshop.com
March 2008: The owner of the store "Animal Jungle" is building a new store called Puppyville at 4402 Holland Road in Virginia Beach. This store intends to sell a large number of puppies which the owner claims come from "responsible breeders"--the same tired old meaningless phrase that every pet store uses, no matter where it gets puppies from. Turns out he's getting them from HUNTE CORPORATION. If you live in the Virginia Beach area, please BOYCOTT both Animal Jungle and Puppyville. Virginia Beach already euthanizes thousands of homeless pets each year, so the last thing it needs is more puppies. Please adopt homeless animals from shelters and rescue groups, and steer clear of Puppyville!
PUPPY WORLD--WISCONSIN--MILWAUKEE
2007: "The dogs are kept in very small, wire bottomed cages. A friend of mine recently received a puppy from there as a gift. Two days after receiving it, the puppy was found to have a severe case of kennel cough. To keep the warranty, she had to take it to the vet they told her to. That vet did only the bare minimum and her dog wasn't getting better. She finally took it to her own vet and the dog finally got better."
PUPPY WORLD KENNELS--FLORIDA--MIAMI
Ronald Lee Jacoby, owner and operator of Puppy World Kennels at 19890 SW 200th Street, Miami, was arrested in February of 2005. He is charged with selling what he claimed were purebred puppies but were not, and with using fake health certificates indicating that the animals had been examined by licensed veterinarians when they had not.
Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said, "This individual not only ripped off his customers, but he engaged in selling sick animals and some animals died as a result of his neglect. The arrest was made by Bronson's Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement following a seven-month investigation. The investigation began as a result of consumer complaints to Bronson's department by puppy buyers who claimed they were defrauded by Jacoby.
--from Department press release, 2-25-2005
SANDIE'S PETS AND SUPPLIES--GEORGIA--TOCCOA
Animal control officers seized 102 dogs, 93 birds, and 15 cats from the residence of Evelyn Nelson, operator of this pet store. Animal control reported that many of the animals were in small dog carriers with no food or water, and some dead animals were found. Nelson was hospitalized at the time. Because she gave up rights to the animals, Nelson was charged with only 3 counts of ill treatment of animals instead of over 200.
--From AP and WISTV.COM Feb. 16, 2005
SEACLEAR AQUARIUM & PET CENTER--FLORIDA--NORTH PORT
2008: There was an article in the Sun-Herald about a Chihuahua puppy who was purchased there. The puppy died shortly afterwards. The diagnosis was parvo. The dog's guardian, Maria Treat, is considering legal action against the store.
http://www.sun-herald.com/Newsheadline.cfm?headline=9581
SHAKE A PAW--NEW JERSEY--GREEN BROOK
2008: A person who rescued a homeless dog originally purchased at this store tells us that the dog's paper list her as coming from the Hunte Corporation. Hunte is a large puppy broker that ships puppy mill puppies to stores all over the U.S. daily. Shake a Paw (website www.shakeapaw.com) bills itself as "New Jersey's Puppy Superstore." The puppy's breeder is apparently not USDA-licensed. This is the dog's third home. She has chronic hematuria [blood in the urine], kidney mineralization [calcification], and mild hip dysplasia.
SUPER PETZ--VIRGINIA--ANNANDALE
This building is very large and could easily be a "supplies-only" store, but instead it has a menagerie of small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, along with large and small birds, all crammed into the front corner of the store in cramped cages and aquariums. On 7/29/05, three hairless guinea pigs each had several bloody scratches on their bodies (animals have fur for a reason!), and one had an eye infection (eye half open, pus coming out). On 9/3/05, at least two hairless guinea pigs had pus coming out of their eyes. On both occasions there were rabbits who could not move more than a couple of steps in their cages, housed right next to numerous birds squawking loudly while they paced around their own cramped cages. There were snakes without enough space to fully extend their bodies and frogs without enough room to jump. A hedgehogs was also for sale, even though it is illegal for Fairfax residents to keep these wild animal (it is legal to sell them).
T-TURTLE PETS--OHIO--GROVE CITY
June 2006: A visitor to the store writes: "We have a small pet store near us (In Grove City OH) called T-Turtle Pets. They originally had only reptiles, but now they have fish, rodents, birds, etc. Most of the reptiles and amphibians seem to be well taken care of, but the rodents and dogs are not. The rats are kept in cages of about 50-75 per 20-gallon tank, which is definitely not acceptable. Every time I go in there I see rats sleeping on, eating, or being dead rats. Many of the rodent tanks are often so filthy as to be hard to see into. The dogs are kept in a room the size of an average bathroom. Their cages are hardly big enough for two puppies to lie down. Each day they take out one puppy, but the customers are not allowed to interact with it, and the cage is barely bigger than their normal cages. All in all only about half the animals in the store seem to be properly cared for."
VIENNA AQUARIUM & PETS--VIRGINIA--VIENNA
This store is filled with small animals in small cages, as well as hundreds of fish in aquariums. The birds are kept in barren cages; some had nothing at all but seeds and a perch in the cage; birds are intelligent animals who need mental stimulation. The following letter was written by a member of the rescue group Phoenix Landing:
Owner Vienna Aquarium & Pets
303 Mill St NE # C Vienna VA 22180
August 18, 2005
To whom it may concern: On Saturday, August 13, 2005, I heard an acquaintance talking about a horrible situation in your store. I have not visited the premises in a few years because I do not like the state of the animals in your care, especially the birds.
However, once I heard about the blue and gold macaw on the second floor, I felt compelled to write and let you know that not only will I never visit your store again; I will urge others in the pet community to avoid you as well.
From what the person related, the state of the blue and gold macaw in your store was shameful. The bird was nearly dead, lying at the bottom of a tiny cage. Half of its tail protruded through the bars because the cage was far too small. Roaches crawled on the bird and on the bird's food. There were no perches in the cage. I wanted to see for myself.
I visited the store on Tuesday, August 16 in the evening. I saw birds with filthy cages, dirty water, and inadequate food. Most of the birds had nothing in their cages but one dirty perch. All large birds were in cages meant for cockatiels or smaller birds. When I saw the birds in the back room on the second floor, I saw yet more cases of animal cruelty.
In a dark room were at least half a dozen large birds: Amazons, a grey, and the blue and gold macaw that I heard the story about. This bird's body was longer than the cage it was in. The bird struggled desperately to perch on anything. Bars on the cage were broken. The smell was strong, not a good sign. Birds generally have no odor unless they are very ill.
I urge you to abandon the practice of selling birds, as your staff obviously does not have the abilities or time to properly care for them.
Though I will avoid your business, I do plan to follow up with others who may visit your store. Please take better care of the birds on your premises. If you cannot handle a bird, please relinquish it to a local rescue group that can help it find a better home.
cc: Vienna Police Department; Better Business Bureau; Fairfax County Animal Shelter; Humane Society of Fairfax County; Phoenix Landing (a non-profit for parrots based in the Washington DC area); 7 On your side (ABC local affiliate news program)
The owner did not respond to this letter.
In addition, on September 5, 2005, there was a rabbit for sale whose body took up approximately a quarter of his cage, so small he could even take a few steps, much less hop. There appeared to be no hay at all in his cage; people who care about rabbits provide unlimited timothy hay for rabbits at all times. There was no place provided outside the cage for the rabbit to get any exercise, he had no toys, and his companions had been taken away from him. Animal Control was notified and saw hay in the cage the next day. A Virginia State Vet was consulted about the space requirements and proclaimed the amount of space "adequate," despite Virginia's laws requiring enough exercise for "normal muscle tone" and enough space for "normal body movements."
November 2005
A third visitor to the store writes: There were birds with no water and cages so small their feathers stuck out. One bird was extremely scruffy-looking. One bird was allowed to fly loose in the store. There were also several bearded dragons that were about half the length of their cage. There were about 30 "feeder mice" in what I would estimate was an 18" x 12" cage. There was a rabbit in a cage twice its body length, with newspaper bedding that it was eating.
But the guinea pigs were the worst. There were 7 guinea pigs in what I would estimate was a 2' x 2' cage. There were 4 adults and 3 babies. The pigs had no hay or veggies, only pellets. Guinea pigs should have constant hay and daily veggies. A teddy clearly had mites, as there was an enormous bald and crusty patch on its back. It also had crust around its eyes. One cavy was constantly baiting and trampling the babies. Their bedding was newspaper, and it was thoroughly soaked in some areas. There was with tape on one side that the pigs had clearly been chewing on [consuming tape can cause digestive problems]. They also had very poor supplies; for example, they were only selling one type of food that was supposed to be good for all small animals!
WALMART--FLORIDA--PACE
2006: "Every time I go into Walmart, there are dead fish floating in their aquariums. Now, I do understand that fish can die because I have two aquariums, but it seems to be extreme in Walmart's case. If they cannot take care of these animals, then they should not be able to sell these animals.
I have already complained twice to two different store managers and nothing seems to be done about it."
WARRENTON PET SHOP--VIRGINIA--WARRENTON
This store gets its puppies from the largest puppy mill broker in the U.S., the Hunte Corp.
WILD SIDE PETS--PENNSYLVANIA--STATE COLLEGE
We received a complaint about the conditions in this store in November 2007. If you are in the area, please check it out yourself and report any violations of the law to the local authorities. Also, you can complain to the store about conditions or about their sale of animals in general at info@wildsidepets.inc.
WIZARD OF CLAWS--FLORIDA--PEMBROKE PINES
Please visit www.stopwizardofclaws.com for extensive information about this puppy mill pet store, which buys at least some of its dogs from the Hunte Corporation.
There will be a demonstration against Wizard of Claws on Saturday March 11 from 10:30 AM to 2 PM. 9113 Taft Street Pembroke Pines. Anyone who can make it is welcome to attend!
Check out the fantastic 6-part NBC news report done on this store in Feb. 2006. It can be read or viewed at http://www.nbc6.net/news/6824599/detail.html.
WOOF & CO.--MASSACHUSETTS--SAUTUS & BRAINBREE--CLOSED!
Woof stores go poof: Turn tail after Herald report
By Thomas Caywood Boston Herald, Wednesday, June 8, 2005
[NOTE: WOOF & CO. OBTAINED ITS PUPPIES FROM THE HUNTE CORP., THE SAME COMPANY THAT SUPPLIES PETLAND.]
Embattled mall pet store chain Woof & Co. turned tail and quietly slinked out of Massachusetts last week, six months after a Herald special report spotlighted serious problems with the way the chain handled its high-priced pooches.
"We kept picketing, but, finally, we think the Herald articles put it over the top,'' said thrilled Jamaica Plain animal rights activist Mary Felthouse-Weber.
The Herald reported in December that Woof & Co. piled up 19 complaints and 27 violations of state pet store regulation in less than two years at its stores in the Square One Mall in Saugus and South Shore Plaza in Braintree.
An outbreak of the contagious intestinal parasite giardia at both stores a year ago prompted town health officials to intervene to protect the public. Saugus health agent Sharon McCabe ordered employees at the Square One Mall store to get tested for giardia after the outbreak there.
Employee-turned-whistleblower Sara Purcell, who told the Herald the New Jersey chain routinely offered sick dogs for sale, yesterday said she was relieved to see Woof & Co. leave.
"It's a big thing. I didn't think they were going to close down this quick,'' she said. "I figured they would have fought more. But every time I've gone by there (since the Herald series) it seemed like there were less and less people in the store.''
The manager of the Square One Mall said the company broke its lease and closed up shop at both Massachusetts stores last Tuesday night. Calls to the chain's New Jersey offices weren't returned yesterday, and both local numbers have been disconnected.
Helen Rayshick and other members of the Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition picketed both Woof & Co. stores several times to protest the company's treatment of its pups.
"Thank goodness this company won't be able to do this in Massachusetts any more,'' she said. The chain, which is incorporated under the name Rufus Inc., pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges and got slapped with a $9,800 fine in New Jersey last month for allegedly allowing a sick Shar Pei puppy to languish in the back of a store for 21 days without treatment. Inspectors also said they found dead puppies on ice in the store refrigerator.
YANKEE PET AND SUPPLY-NEW HAMPSHIRE--NEWPORT