Jennifer adores Elvis but feels that his chronic health problems are symptoms of a puppy mill past.

By Kathleen Summers

Since The HSUS's investigation of Hollywood's Pets of Bel Air pet store, a number of dog and cat buyers have contacted The HSUS saying they either purchased sick animals from the store or were lied to about where their pets came from (namely, that they did not come from mills).

Elvis, an English bulldog, is alive and well and living in Los Angeles. But this is no thanks to Pets of Bel Air, according to his owner Jennifer (who didn't want her last name used in this piece).

Jennifer said that when she bought Elvis in 2005, store personnel assured her that his cold was just "the sniffles" and that the 6-month-old puppy had never been owned before.

But Jennifer later found out that Elvis had indeed been purchased before. In fact, she found out by accident that he had been returned and had spent two weeks at the veterinary clinic used by the store, suffering from pneumonia.

More Than Just 'The Sniffles'

Elvis has been plagued by serious health problems ever since, including ear and eye infections, chronic digestion problems and allergies so severe that he nearly died of anaphylactic shock on two occasions. Jennifer feels the store deceived her about Elvis' health and other details of his past.

"They told me Elvis came from a home breeder who had only had one litter," Jennifer said. "When I tried to track down his breeder in Missouri, their story never matched up. I truly believe Elvis came from a puppy mill. They lied to me."

Bugsy's Story

Holiday Heartbreak

Last year, Valerie Belsky purchased Chloe—a tiny Yorkshire Terrier puppy—from Pets of Bel Air as a Hanukkah gift for her 5-year-old daughter. Within days, she noticed that Chloe seemed ill, but Valerie said that the store and the veterinary clinic used by the store insisted there was nothing seriously wrong with her.

A month later, Valerie's daughter woke up to find the puppy dead. Valerie said her daughter still cannot speak about her puppy without bursting into tears. Watch Chloe's story»

Cats Affected, Too

When Erin Lamphere—another customer—purchased Charles, an Abyssinian kitten from Pets of Bel Air, she said she was assured that he was on sale for half-price ($800) simply because another buyer had returned him. When Erin discovered Charles was suffering from chronic intestinal problems, she began to think he had been returned for a reason.

Erin took the kitten to the veterinarian "time and time again" for more than six months to treat his chronic diarrhea, and he finally recovered. She said the store was uncooperative when she asked for help with the veterinary bills, and it never gave her paperwork identifying the kitten's origins. Charles had to be on a special diet for the next two years.

"I will never buy a pet from a store again," said Erin. She has adopted her other two cats from shelters.

A Widespread Problem

Pets of Bel Air is just the tip of the iceberg. Puppy mills, kitten mills and even bird and ferret mills hide their dirty business by selling through pet stores, over the Internet or directly to buyers who don't visit their facilities in person. Many of the pets born in mill-type conditions have serious behavioral and health problems that might not be apparent for months—problems that can cost thousands of dollars to treat, if they are treatable at all.

You can help end the cruelty this holiday season. Do not buy any pet from a breeder you haven't met in person, and consider adoption first.

For more information on adoption, see our Proud 2 Adopt information. For more information on puppy mills, visit our Stop Puppy Mills website.

Kathleen Summers is the puppy mills program assistant in the Companion Animals section of The HSUS.