Plano Petland claims national protest a fluke

[Guest guest]

A fluke? Do they even know the definition of the word? No, that's why they clean dog crap out of kennels for a living. It's no accident or stroke of luck....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In The Community, With The Community, For the Community

 

 

 

 

 

Friday, April 17, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from Archives - News:

 

Plano Petland claims national protest a flukeBY Stephanie Flemmons Staff writer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every Saturday afternoon, protesters swarm the corner of Coit Road and George Bush Tollway to demonstrate against what they believe is a national policy of Petland, Inc. stores: that they allegedly purchase puppies from breeders who raise them in unclean and cruel environments.But despite the controversy, Plano’s local Petland franchise claims the allegations are false and that Hunte Corporation, which buys from breeders and distributes puppies to Petland stores all over the nation, does not buy from puppy mills and is indeed an ethical company.Lisa Abair, Plano Petland owner, said her lifelong dream was to own a pet store, so that others could experience the same type of happiness she received from her pets as a child.“We would not be a part of a puppy mill situation,†Abair said. “I mean we just wouldn’t. There is no reason to purchase sick puppies.â€Abair said the group of protesters, who

have rallied every Saturday since the store opened in October 2008, have asked her staff to stop selling purebred puppies and to sell rescued animals instead.“My plan from the time I opened the store was to sell both purebred and rescues, but the protesters have made that impossible,†Abair said. “We were going to have adoptions set up through rescue organizations, but they have received e-mails from the protesters asking them not to be affiliated with us, so they pulled out.â€The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) claims Petland is the nation’s largest chain of pet stores that sells puppy mill dogs and Hunte is one of the country’s largest distributors of factory-produced puppies.Members of HSUS and other consumers filed a class action lawsuit alleging Petland and the Hunte Corporation are conspiring to sell unhealthy puppy mill puppies to unsuspecting consumers in numerous states.The lawsuit, filed in

federal district court in Phoenix last month, alleges that Petland and Hunte violated federal law and numerous state consumer protection laws by misleading thousands of consumers across the country into believing that the puppies sold in Petland stores are healthy and come from reputable breeders. The lawsuit states many of the puppies sold by Petland come either directly from puppy mills or puppy brokers such as Hunte, which operates as a middleman between the mills and Petland’s retail stores.“Unscrupulous dog dealers like Petland and Hunte reap massive profits by pushing unhealthy puppies on well-intentioned dog lovers who would never knowingly buy a puppy mill dog,†said Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president and chief counsel for Animal Protection Litigation at the HSUS. “Families often bear the great expense of veterinary treatment for sick and unhealthy dogs, or the terrible anguish of losing a beloved family pet. This industry has been

systematically lying to consumers for years about the source of the dogs they sell, and it’s long past time for a reckoning.â€The class action lawsuit is the result of many months of investigative and legal research, and comes after an eight-month investigation into Petland stores by the HSUS that demonstrated a direct link between multiple Petland stores and unscrupulous puppy mills. Numerous other reports have also surfaced of Petland’s allegedly deceptive sales practices, including the marketing and sale of puppies with life-threatening genetic defects and highly contagious parasitic and viral infections.But Abair claims these allegations are false and that Hunte provides accurate documentation, including breeder information with the puppy’s ancestry. Abair said she has traveled to Hunt on two occasions while the United States Department of Agriculture conducted an investigation on their 100,000-square-foot

facility.“I feel comfortable with Hunte; that’s why I stick with them,†Abair said. “I could use local breeders, but I don’t know the health of them. I don’t know their ancestry or if they keep track of vaccinations. Hunte provides vaccinations for the breeders to make sure they are complying. I totally feel they are ethical.â€John J. Pippen, co-founder of Texans Exposing Petland and weekly protester at the store located on Coit Road, said the Petland store in Plano buys its puppies from puppy mills and is therefore committing consumer fraud.“I’m darn well sure they would sue us if it wasn’t true,†Pippen said. “They are lying to the public. We have whistle blowers from the Plano store who have told us they are selling mixed breeds. We are calling them out.â€Pippen said he believes Petland owners are naïve to what is going on at the Missouri-based Hunte Corporation.“Hunte gets the

majority of their pets from puppy mills. It is just wrong the way puppy mills operate,†Pippen said. “They are dragged across the country and treated like toaster ovens. They are supposed to get vaccinations, but they say the hell with them. They take four- to five-week-old puppies away from their mothers.â€Abair said she has researched the breeders Hunte claims the dogs come from, and she believes they are not puppy mills with unclean and abusive environments.“If I found out the puppies were coming from puppy mills, I would not buy from that breeder anymore,†Abair said. “I would include that specific breeder on my ‘do not buy’ list. I’ve had plenty of customers check into the breeders as well. These allegations are false.â€Abair said she supports House Bill 3180, which would require the licensing and regulation of large-scale commercial dog and cat breeding..“There shouldn’t be other Petlands

purchasing sick puppies from unethical breeders,†Abair said. “We have guidelines to follow to ensure healthy and happy puppies.â€Contact Stephanie Flemmons at sflemmons