Pet Giant Linked To Puppy Mills

(CBS/AP)  For anyone planning on getting a new puppy this holiday season, the key question may not be "How much is that doggie in the window?" but rather "Where did that doggie come from?"

It may be hard to imagine the cute pups found in reputable pet stores being born in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, but that is just what a new investigation alleges, reports CBS' Early Show resident veterinarian Dr. Debbye Turner Bell.

According to a report by the Humane Society of the United States, many stores of the Ohio-based Petland Inc. pet store chain support puppy mills while telling customers the dogs come only from good breeders.

The animal protection group made the charge at a Washington, D.C. news conference, saying it conducted an eight-month investigation of the chain headquartered in Chillicothe in southwest Ohio.

Petland Inc. did not return repeated calls from CBS News seeking comment on the report. But in a message posted on the company Web site, Petland said the company does not support substandard breeding facilities and provides each store with humane care guidelines developed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Petland also said the Humane Society's reports "surface every year around the holiday season in conjunction with their annual fundraising efforts ... This is sensationalism at its best."

The Humane Society said investigators visited 21 Petland stores and 35 breeders and brokers who sold puppies to Petland stores and reviewed interstate import records of an additional 322 breeders, USDA reports and more than 17,000 puppies linked to Petland stores.

"We found very classic puppy mill condition," the Humane Society's Stephanie Shain told CBS News. "Dogs in small cages. These animals were living in those cages 24 hours a day, 365 days out of the year."

In puppy mills, hundreds of breeding dogs are packed into cramped, barren cages with no socialization, exercise or human interaction, she said.

The stores investigated are perpetuating an abusive industry where dogs are treated like a cash crop instead of as pets, said Shain, director of the Humane Society's campaign against puppy mills.

"They know that consumers won't stand for the cruelty inherent in mass-breeding facilities, so they make outrageous claims to hide the reality that the dogs came from puppy mills," Shain said.

The Humane Society said its investigators saw puppies living in filthy conditions with inadequate care at breeding operations linked to Petland stores. Also, many of Petland's puppies are not supplied directly by breeders, but are purchased from large-scale pet distributors or brokers - some of whom also buy from puppy mills, the Humane Society said.

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[rf35]

Im perfectly fine.
Posted by PJS42

Considering the grammar, punctuation, and spelling in your post, that really doesn''t seem to be the case.

[rf35]

I''m surprised people still get dogs from pet stores. It is usually less expensive to buy direct from the breeder. My family''s dogs have all come from breeders we know personally. We know what conditions the dogs live and breed in. This is the best way to buy healthy, cared-for puppies. An even better option for finding a pet, as opposed to a show dog or working breed, is to go to your local animal rescue organization or pound.

[pjs42]

I love how everyone is all upset about these puppies when there are MILLIONS of other types of animals in worse danager than these puppies. Personally i believe that someone out of the paper is a d@mn puppy mill they have NO FREAKING idea what thier doin they just want thier money. I believe that Pet-Stores arent all bad. Im sorry i had a bad up bringing my child hood was horriable but im now a full grown functional, bill-payin mother. Im perfectly fine. So what honestly i think everyone is being too over dramatic. We treat cows, chickens, turkeys, and all other kinds of animals as a cash crop and treat them as these supposed &quot;puppy mills&quot; but no-one gives a $hit about them. Why dont you think things completely throw before you go and judge them!! Most Pet Stores are JUST FINE they get thier puppies from USDA breeders. Oh wait do you even know what that is or do you just go by what The Humane Society says. And who exactly do they think they are someone needs to investigate them maybe then we''ll see the truth.

[nancyjoellefox]

I Have owned all kinds of animals in my life and also heard of puppy mills since i was quite young; I cannot imagine anyone that has not heard about them, so WHY would anyone buy from pet shops, unless they are small local shops. I have purchased dogs for many years at the animal shelter. They are fabulous dogs!!!!
Much to be said about adopting pets from shelters. The dogs appreciate you immediately, you feel better because you are saving a life. We now have a german shorthair pointer, and a mini sheltie beautiful dogs, love us as much as we love them.My parents raised petigrees for years, and yes they were wonderful too, as they grew free on a ranch so they were healthy, happy pups. Please save lives for christmas, do not perpetuate these mills, if we stop buying they will go out of business and animals will not suffer; as they will with SUMMAREX-- thankyou, CHRSAS, and thankyou, CBS for reporting lakes100

[nancyjoellefox]

I Have owned all kinds of animals in my life and also heard of puppy mills since i was quite young; I cannot imagine anyone that has not heard about them, so WHY would anyone buy from pet shops, unless they are small local shops. I have purchased dogs for many years at the animal shelter. They are fabulous dogs!!!!
Much to be said about adopting pets from shelters. The dogs appreciate you immediately, you feel better because you are saving a life. We now have a german shorthair pointer, and a mini sheltie beautiful dogs, love us as much as we love them.My parents raised petigrees for years, and yes they were wonderful too, as they grew free on a ranch so they were healthy, happy pups. Please save lives for christmas, do not perpetuate these mills, if we stop buying they will go out of business and animals will not suffer; as they will with SUMMAREX-- thankyou, CHRSAS, and thankyou, CBS for reporting lakes100

[conservevoic]

I have two wonderful dogs. One I adopted from the &quot;pound&quot;, one from an owner who had passed away. I can''t imagine buying one from people who treat these wonderful animals like livestock.

[kansas1946]

No one should ever, ever, ever, buy a puppy from a national chain, or a pet shop in a mall. These puppies are always a result of inferior breeding and breeders only in it for the money. You can find any breed you want from a reputable breeder. People buy puppies in those places based on an emotional spur-of-the-moment decision. Never a good idea. Research what type of dog you want, pick up a dog magazine and looks for breeders in the back. Or contact the AKC for reputable breeder lists. Get on the internet. Visit the kennels if you can. And you know, a puppy or dog from the pounds is likely to be healthier and just as good a dog, or better, than anything you can get from those chains. Try your newspaper. Local breeders are often just people who love their dog and spoil her puppies rotten until they find homes. Much better.

[spadeisspade]

As long as people keep taking the easy way out, buying pets in pet stores in the mall instead of adopting from a shelter or seeking a reputable (and local) breeder, the demand will keep puppy mills in business. Period. There is no possible way a chain store can back up where all their dogs come from-they have to meet consumer demand, that''s it.

[displeased]

This country is in trouble. There are tons of important things that need to be done and done now. We don''''t have the time or the money to worry about nonsense like this. let''''s get our priorities straight.
Posted by summarex

Yes, let''s dwell on our problems. We can''t drift until everything is perfect! I''m pretty sure there are other articles regarding the issues you are concerned about. Perhaps you should remain there until the problems are solved.