Where Did This Puppy Come From?
Humane Society Accuses Petland of Buying Pups from Mills
Humane Society's Report on Petland
A message on the phone line of the Petland press office directed media to this statement on the company's website. Petland did not respond to a request by ABC News for comment.
Markarian said the HSUS has a track record of exposing abuses to animals and that conditions at these breeders are documented on video. He said that it appears the Petland stores are franchises with responsibility for obtaining their own selection of puppies from brokers or breeders, but that the stores appear to receive recommendations from corporate headquarters.
"We need consumers to beware especially during the holiday shopping season, which is the top puppy buying time of the year," said Markarian.
The HSUS, the national advocate for a network of local humane societies which is currently holding its Puppy Mill Action Week to generate awareness about the issue, says it carried out its investigation by visiting the breeders as well as 21 Petland stores and reviewing interstate import records of more than 300 additional breeders. Investigators also analyzed state and USDA inspection records for more than 100 Petland breeders, finding that "more than 60 percent of the reports listed serious violations of basic animal care regulations." They also report that some breeders had sick or dead dogs in cages on their properties.
According to Petland's website, the company currently operates 140 stores in the U.S. and plans to open an additional 25 over the next years.
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