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| Two demonstrators are shown at Petland's Olathe store.©Suezanne Law |
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Crowds of animal advocates gathered in front 30 Petland stores nationwide on Saturday, March 14 to urge the pet store chain to stop selling puppies in light of The HSUS's investigation linking the pet store chain to puppy mills.
"Car horns honked in support and local shop managers stopped to show their support," said Gloria DeLuco, who demonstrated in Wheaton, Ill.
A few of the many local groups participating along with The HSUS were Concerned Citizens Against Petland in Ohio, Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF), Compassion for Animals in Virginia, Texans Exposing Petland, Tucson Cold Wet Noses in Arizona, and many others.
Demonstrators Young and Old
Not all participants were seasoned advocates. Nancy Despeaux was one of many first-time demonstrators who braved a chilly rain at the Fairfax, Va., location. Despeaux bought her poodle from a pet store 11 years ago, but now, she says, "I wouldn't even be tempted to ever buy from a pet store again" because she has learned more about where most pet store puppies come from.
"[Pet stores] help keep puppy mills in business," she said, adding that she will always adopt from animal shelters in the future.
One of youngest human demonstrators was 1-year-old Benjamin, who attended the Fairfax demonstration with his mother Meghan Meinberg. Meinberg works at the Washington Animal Rescue League, which took in dozens of puppy mill dogs from several recent HSUS raids.
Meinberg said she has witnessed firsthand the effects of puppy mill conditions in the rescued dogs. She said they circled in their cages because they were so used to being cramped in tiny spaces.
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Meghan and Benjamin Meinberg rallied in Fairfax, Va.©Sarah Sertic |
Shout It Out
"These demonstrations show that the public is not going to let Petland sweep the puppy mill issue under the rug," said Stephanie Shain, senior director of the HSUS Stop Puppy Mills campaign.
"Our last demonstrations in January were held at 22 locations nationwide, and this time we had crowds at 30 stores, so our momentum is increasing."
In addition to waving signs urging the public to "Adopt, Don't Shop" many of the locations supported local shelters by collecting supplies to help feed and comfort homeless pets.
Orlando demonstrators collected kitty litter, newspapers, and detergent for local shelters while organizers of Bolingbrook, Ill., collected blankets and towels. Roseville, Calif., organizers collected dog and cat food for the Lucky Paws Foundation and demonstrators in St. Louis gathered pet food for a local food bank.
In some cases, passersby stopped the demonstrators to share their heartbreaking tales of having purchased a sick pet. "A passerby told a story of how they bought a puppy from a pet store only to spend $10,000 in veterinary bills to nurse it back to health and save its life," said DeLuco.
Lawsuit Follows
That kind of pet owner heartbreak soon became nationwide news when the demonstrations were followed March 16 by a nationwide class-action consumer lawsuit filed against Petland and the Hunte Corporation by HSUS members and other consumers.
The suit alleges that Petland, Inc. and the Hunte Corporation are conspiring to sell unhealthy puppy mill puppies to unsuspecting buyers in numerous states. The lawsuit accuses Petland of conspiring to conceal the true source of its puppies from prospective buyers, who would otherwise never have agreed to purchase a puppy from a puppy mill.
If you or someone you know has purchased a sick puppy, please contact us. For more information about puppy mills, visit www.humanesociety.org/puppymills.
