End Petland's Animal Abuse
42,446 signatures toward our 50,000 Goal
Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site
Petland is one of the top retailers in the United States, and one of the biggest supporters of puppy mills.
As the only national pet store chain in the United States that still sells puppies, Petland is also the largest retailer of puppy mill dogs. The company claims their puppies come only from reputable breeders and are in good health, but investigations have proven otherwise1.
An HSUS investigation into Petland in 2008 found that many of the store's puppies came from puppy mills and unlicensed breeders2. Ten years later, another undercover investigation found Petland staff abusing puppies under their care, and selling ill or sick puppies to customers3.
In 2018, a Petland store in Michigan faced its third lawsuit in a single year year after a man said he was hospitalized after buying a puppy later found to be sick from the store4.
In 2020, seven families in Summerville, SC, took legal action against Petland Summerville and the franchiser Petland Inc., alleging the Summerville store knowingly sold them sick puppies5.
The following year, a lawsuit against Petland in Florida exposed questionable tactics Petland uses to dupe customers and make large profits off the sales of sick animals.
"The case involved a Petland store in Plantation, Florida, which sold a customer a golden retriever, Sunny, for $3,500," the HSUS reports. "Sunny's owner entered into a financing contract with Lending USA, a company Petland partners with, which apparently charges outrageous interest rates. According to papers filed with the court, Sunny's owner would have ended up paying $26,655 for the dog over the period of her contract6."
There have been several protests to shut down the one remaining Petland store left in Novi, MI. For more than a decade, the store has been receiving animals from puppy mills all across the U.S., some linked to numerous Animal Welfare Act7.
Petland stores operate simply to make a profit. The safety and health of the animals in Petland stores are hardly an afterthought in the company's mission to strengthen its bottom line.
Sign the petition below and demand the USDA ban Petland stores from selling animals by removing the company's license!
- The Humane Society of the United States (2021), "About Petland puppy mill dogs."
- The Humane Society of the United States (November 2008), "Petland Investigation Report."
- Kitty Block, The Humane Society of the United States (11 December 2018), "Undercover investigation exposes Petlands treatment of sick puppies."
- National Desk Staff, WCVB (30 November 2018), "Petland store faces 3rd lawsuit this year alleging it knowingly sold sick puppies."
- Jerrel Floyd, The Post Courier (14 September 2020), "Customers sue Petland Summerville, claiming store sold them sick puppies."
- Kitty Block, The Humane Society of the United States (7 January 2021), "Lawsuit over puppy that would cost $26,000 after interest exposes Petland's deceptive sales and lending practices."
- Puppy Mill Awareness Meetup of Southeast Michigan (2011), "Petland, Novi."
The Petition:
To the United States Secretary of Agriculture,
Petland is the largest retailer of puppy mill dogs in the United States. This not only contributes to the pain and suffering of animals raised on these often unsanitary farms, but also those who purchase them as pets, not realizing the potential illnesses and behavioral issues that accompany mill puppies.
As revealed in multiple investigations and lawsuits currently in progress, Petland stores operate simply to make a profit with no concern for who is hurt in the process. Animals are often abused out of sight of customers, or sold while suffering from serious disease.
Petland has faced class action lawsuits and closures as customers come away with sick pets and egregious financing charges, but many locations still exist in the U.S. The safety and health of the animals in Petland stores are hardly an afterthought in the company's mission to strengthen its bottom line.
As a pet lover, it saddens me that puppies are allowed to be treated this way. I demand you pull Petland's license to sell puppies, and save countless animals and people from illness, abuse and heartache.
Sincerely,
