# Petland stores- US PUPPY MILL PUPPIES



## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

My husband and I visited Petland in Fairfax VA today as they have copepods instock (live food for our salt water fish). While their aquarium staff and area is nice, I have issues. We did get a few pieces of rock we needed and the copepods but I will not be back as they sell PUPPY MILL PUPPIES. 

When I walked in I thought that might be the situation and their cages are too small, grate flooring which is awful for paws. I did not see a single bed or anything soft for pups to lay on. No toys no bones etc. 

Yes I kept my mouth shut but when I got home I confirmed my thoughts. The HSUS started investigating them in 2008. In 2010 Animal Planet did a show their investigation of where they get their pups and the puppy mills they come from. On 12-24-12 a consumer wrote that they were told these pups are not puppy mills but on the paperwork the pup came from Hunte Corporation one of the largest puppy mills in the US. 

I am sick thinking of the money we spent today on the supplies we bought and I should have trusted my gut. This mistake will NOT happen again. I will drive 100 miles for copepods instead of this 20. I thought everyone should know where if you are like me you will not experience what I now feel. I am the Director of Adoptions for a rescue and this sickens me and breaks my heart. 

Petland - Fairfax, VA

http://www.humanesoc...estigation.html

http://www.sourcewat...dex.php/Petland

http://m.youtube.com...h?v=WJ8z1NULkfg

http://www.consumera...ets/petland.htm 

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php...te_Corporation

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Please do not buy or support these stores at all! This is just makes me sick!


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## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

Petland is notorious for selling mill puppies. There are protests all over the country against them. In Florida, they have successfully shut several stores down. 


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## Jayda (Jun 15, 2012)

It makes me so sad to see this information but thank you for making us all aware. I am sad for this reason as well. My 90 year old dad fell in love with Lady on a visit this summer. He lives in Ohio and does his walking in the mall when it is cold. He is always telling me he stops to look at the puppies but he never sees one that looks like Lady. I keep telling him if he wants a dog please let me find him one (plus at his age he could not train a puppy). I don't have the heart to tell him about where puppies in pet stores might come from. I can not walk into a pet store unless it has rescue cats and dogs up for adoption. So many people just don't know.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

I had no clue until I walked in there. I thought it was just a regular pet store that sells supplies and salt water aquarium supplies. I thought we were past the days of Pet stores selling puppies. I could not believe it! I am still in shock and I am calling Animal control TODAY on this company as no pup had food or water while I was there either. I should have taken photos but I was too shocked to think about it.


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## Evelyn (Oct 14, 2012)

Isn't there any laws against owing puppy mills. Especially the big ones , should be easy to find, just keeping a dog in a pen is cruel. I bought a Dalmation , years ago , from a pet store , had never , at the time heard of puppy mills, he was so sweet, but so sick, within a year he had to be put down. It was heart breaking.The vet warned me about buying from pet store's, even family owned.


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## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

Evelyn said:


> Isn't there any laws against owing puppy mills. Especially the big ones , should be easy to find, just keeping a dog in a pen is cruel. I bought a Dalmation , years ago , from a pet store , had never , at the time heard of puppy mills, he was so sweet, but so sick, within a year he had to be put down. It was heart breaking.The vet warned me about buying from pet store's, even family owned.


There are no laws against puppy mills- as long as the stores don't violate animal cruelty laws and they don't have over X number of animals (which depends on the state) they can operate, at least in Florida. 

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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Glad you posted this Christie. Everyone needs to be aware that Petland is one of the worst offenders in the pet store industry. Unfortunately, the public keeps them in business by their impulse purchases. Who hasn't seen the parents give in to the kids who are begging for a puppy? Who cares if it cost $2,000. They can just put it on the credit card! And they even justify it... well he needed a HOME. It's just a sad and vicious cycle.

When we were in KS and our oldest was in high school, her good friend started working at Petland. The inside scoop? Those kids that work there are paid on COMMISSION. So that's why they are so anxious to bring out a puppy for you to hold. They need to sell puppies in order to keep their job. They are also briefed on how to field questions about where the puppies come from. They are told to say they come from reputable breeders. 

Such a scam. Such a sad sad industry. But as long as people continue to support Petland, they will continue to sell puppies. 

Do you know what happens to the puppies that get too big to sell? Even after they are deeply discounted? Or the sickly ones? They are sent back to the broker and a replacement puppy is given. Disposable. 

I hope that people will learn about this despicable industry and NOT buy from pet stores!!


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Huly said:


> I had no clue until I walked in there. I thought it was just a regular pet store that sells supplies and salt water aquarium supplies. I thought we were past the days of Pet stores selling puppies. I could not believe it! I am still in shock and I am calling Animal control TODAY on this company as no pup had food or water while I was there either. I should have taken photos but I was too shocked to think about it.


They feed them 'behind the scenes.' Before the store opens and after they close. Sometimes an extra feeding during the day. Why? Because puppies will usually POOP after they eat. And who wants to look at a puppy in a cage with a big smeared poop all over its feet or diarrhea squirting out. That's another thing those kids are told. Clean up poops ASAP. They might miss a sale!!! The public doesn't want to see that. :daisy:


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## Jayda (Jun 15, 2012)

I am simply afraid to look for the name of the pet shop in the mall where my dad walks. It's not just kids. My 90 year old dad walks into the pet store to look at the puppies all the time. I am tearing up,


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## KittyD (Apr 2, 2010)

Huly said:


> My husband and I visited Petland in Fairfax VA today as they have copepods instock (live food for our salt water fish). While their aquarium staff and area is nice, I have issues. We did get a few pieces of rock we needed and the copepods but I will not be back as they sell PUPPY MILL PUPPIES.
> 
> When I walked in I thought that might be the situation and their cages are too small, grate flooring which is awful for paws. I did not see a single bed or anything soft for pups to lay on. No toys no bones etc.
> 
> ...


I think the pet stores in the US are quite bad from everything I read online, my mother bought a Lhasa from a pet store in Florida one year (1980's) She just loved him and was not leaving him there. He checked out fine at the vet but once they got him home he was pretty sick with worms, he ended up being a great little dog, lived a long life & his pet store aquisiton story was always the subject of jokes (My parents actually showed dogs and were friends with judges and what not) So he was the quirky pet store doggy 



Brodysmom said:


> They feed them 'behind the scenes.' Before the store opens and after they close. Sometimes an extra feeding during the day. Why? Because puppies will usually POOP after they eat. And who wants to look at a puppy in a cage with a big smeared poop all over its feet or diarrhea squirting out. That's another thing those kids are told. Clean up poops ASAP. They might miss a sale!!! The public doesn't want to see that. :daisy:


Again, that sounds awful, we only have one pet store here who sells dogs, and the set up is very clean! They also only sell small breeds, the pups have beds, toys, lots of food and water and they don't keep them in the cages aside from night time, I guess if it's going to happen it should happen that way!
My best friend has a Chi from that store actually (he's 10) to me it seems like it's one of those things, the mills are always going to be around, because it's pure profit for them, Every single person I know who has bought a dog from a pet shop has owned that dog until it died or still does, I realize it's not right but I'm thankful the dogs are getting good homes. I'm more concerned with all the morons breeding pitbulls and hawking them on Kijiji around here, the SPCA is loaded with large breed pitbull type dogs here, people buy them, cannot control them and they end up in the pound. 

The only way all of this will stop is if you can find a way to stop the mills and due to the profits they seem to make it seems to me that it's much much more of a problem in the USA than Canada, I know some regions of Canada here no longer allow dogs sold in stores. As I understand it the mills don't get paid much for dog, so they operate on a volume basis, Even you shut them down pet store wise, I see the mills on Kijiji all the time! so I'm not even sure what the right answer is.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Brodysmom said:


> Glad you posted this Christie. Everyone needs to be aware that Petland is one of the worst offenders in the pet store industry. Unfortunately, the public keeps them in business by their impulse purchases. Who hasn't seen the parents give in to the kids who are begging for a puppy? Who cares if it cost $2,000. They can just put it on the credit card! And they even justify it... well he needed a HOME. It's just a sad and vicious cycle.
> 
> When we were in KS and our oldest was in high school, her good friend started working at Petland. The inside scoop? Those kids that work there are paid on COMMISSION. So that's why they are so anxious to bring out a puppy for you to hold. They need to sell puppies in order to keep their job. They are also briefed on how to field questions about where the puppies come from. They are told to say they come from reputable breeders.
> 
> ...


That is crazy! Disgusting about feeding in back too as some of these little guys need more than what they are getting.


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## Moonfall (Nov 16, 2012)

We had a nasty pet store in our mall for a while..the animals were pretty bad.. I saw a few puppies who were emaciated but with a huge worm load (bloated, but thin..).

And once I went there and one of the iguanas was dying. I helped try to save it..I don't know if he made it or not.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

For those on facebook: I am starting a firestorm with this company localy but I ask that all of you search Petland Fairfax on Facebook and post on their page to stop selling puppy mill puppies. There might be more Petlands so you can search all of them but this one is Petland Fairfax.


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## AussieLass (Mar 1, 2012)

Wonders how long they'll allow this comment to stay on f/book page:

Why do you keep deleting posts from people warning that you sell puppy mill puppies - is the truth too painful for you to face? You can delete as much and as often as you like but, in the end, karma will get you, and she is the biggest, nastiest most evil bitch you and anyone having anything to do with vile activity will ever have to face in your miserable existence, evil ones!!!


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