Petland Novi is court ordered to provide a list of their breeders

Petland Novi is court ordered to provide a list of its breeders, brokers and employees for the past five years.

Today, attorney Jenifer Measel prevailed during the second hearing in the Rose vs Petland Novi case. Judge Phyllis McMillen ended the “discovery battle” by offering time for the attorneys to hammer out a list of questions not fully answered. During that time, Petland’s attorney was ordered to provide additional information, as well as, deposition dates.

According to court documents, a Northville family purchased a sick puppy that passed an antibiotic resistant Campylobacter infection on to the owner requiring time off of work and medical treatment.

Petland Novi has stonewalled the buyers since the lawsuit was filed in November by refusing to provide complete answers to questions regarding the store’s business practices and not providing deposition dates. Instead, Petland Novi is attempting to dismiss the case suggesting it is “over pleaded” with eight counts, 118 witnesses, including Bob Gatt, the Mayor of Novi and that the couple may have contracted campylobacter while dinning out.

Measel reminded the court this is a Toxic Tort case and everyone in the chain will be sued. She noted that the CDC investigated the campylobacter outbreak across the country in 2016-17 tracing the source to Petland stores. She will need to start by deposing, not only the pet store owner, Randy Horowitz, but two sales managers (Alayna Markle and Melissa Norvakowski) both of whom testified before the House Agriculture Committee in Lansing in support of legislation that would protect pet retail sales.

According to court documents, the Plaintiffs have asked for such items as…..

• A list of breeders, brokers or other entities Petland has acquired animals from along with all acquisition records
  
  
• A list of employees, including bookkeepers, payroll, human resources, record keeping, inventory employees and those responsible for purchasing puppies.
  
  
• List of records regarding animals with parvo, intestinal parasites, diseases or genetic abnormalities.
  
  
• A list of veterinarians and technicians.
  
  
• All vaccination and medical treatments.
  
  
• A list of dogs euthanized.
  
  
• A list of dogs presently housed at the store and veterinary clinic. 

Petland Novi was court ordered to provide a list of its breeders, brokers and employees for the past five years.

RELATED LINKS

Doug Rose vs Petland Novi complaint (Click here)

CDC investigation (Click here)

Notorious Ohio Puppy Broker Abe Miller Named as defendant (Click here)

Local 4 - Northville man alleges sick puppy bought at Novi pet store landed him in hospital (Click here)

Feb 20, 2019 Hearing Media Advisory (Click here)

Sixteen Plaintiffs File Lawsuit Against Novi Pet Store

Lawsuit claims Petland Novi knowingly sold puppies with genetic issues, illnesses and disease from substandard breeders violating the Consumer Protection Act.  

PRESS RELEASE: March 9, 2018

CONTACT: Pam Sordyl, 734-828-1400 or 734-718-7100, pmamichinfo AT yahoo.com

NOVI, MICHIGAN – Sixteen plaintiffs who purchased companion animals from Petland, located in the Twelve Oaks Mall (27200 Novi Rd, Novi, MI), have filed a lawsuit seeking monetary damages for breach of contract and multiple violations of the Consumer Protection Act after purchasing puppies. The puppies suffered from a range of issues, including genetic defects, infections and some had highly contagious diseases, costing the plaintiffs thousands of dollars in veterinary care.

The lawsuit was filed on February 22, 2018 at the Oakland County Circuit Court and assigned to Judge Hala Jarbou. (Case Number 2018-163984-CZ)

In one particularly heart breaking case, one of the Plaintiffs purchased a puppy that brought the Parvo virus home and infected the family’s senior Labrador, Smokey, who had to be euthanized after contracting the virus. 

The complaint also alleges fraud, claiming the store and its owner knowingly sold animals with deformities and illnesses, as well as misrepresenting the origins of the animals.  In many cases, after investigating the documents provided by Petland upon purchase, the animals were found to have been bred in horrific conditions by commercial breeders who many allege are well known “puppy mill” owners.

Some Plaintiffs were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement or “gag” document in exchange for reimbursement of veterinary costs and a refund of the purchase price of the puppy. Families were asked not to hold Petland, Twelve Oaks Mall, Northlake Pets Inc., VCA Animal Hospitals, or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates responsible, nor could they post anything negative on the internet, go to the media, or do anything defamatory against Petland Novi to obtain reimbursements or refunds.

The Plaintiffs are represented by attorney Jennifer Measel of Haas & Goldstein, P.C., a Farmington Hills based law firm which recently prevailed in similar pet store retail fraud cases in Mt. Clemens, Mich.

“The puppies sold at Petland Novi are unhealthy because they are over-bred in warehouse-sized kennels in unsanitary conditions without consideration of genetic quality,” says Measel. “This results in generations of dogs with unchecked hereditary defects. Mass production of puppies in unsanitary kennels harbor diseases and illnesses that travel with the puppy to the pet store and can be shared among other puppies from other puppy farms on the broker transport truck.”

The named defendants in the lawsuit are Petland Novi and owner/operator Randy Horowitz. Horowitz lost two recent court cases after DNA testing proved the store sold the wrong breed of dog to members of the general public.

Petland is the nation’s largest puppy retailer, with over 80 locations in the United States and only one store remaining in Michigan. Last year, the Animal Legal Defense Fund announced a nationwide racketeering class actionlawsuit against Petland. The lawsuit claims predatory business practices of charging premium prices for puppies “guaranteed” to be healthy – as certified by Petland’s veterinarians —when Petland knows it is selling puppies prone to illnesses and other defects, including “puppy-mill” sourced puppies.

Puppy Mill Awareness of Southeast Michigan launched a public education campaign against the Novi store in 2010. The group has continued to warn mall patrons and families of the risks involved in purchasing puppies from Petland through protests, petitions, outreach events, and social media. The group took their campaign to the Novi City Council and police department after collecting over 100 complaints - 24 in 2016 alone - and discovering Oakland County Animal Control was not logging or responding to complaints over a three year period in which records were requested. A list of concerns was presented to the city council and can be found on this blog:  

• Petland Novi has a history of working with irresponsible breeders. Enforcement Actions were filed against fourteen 14 of Petland Novi’s suppliers and others have serious violations to the Animal Welfare Act - 700 USDA photos and videos show these violations including injured and untreated animals.
• Petland Novi uses large commercial breeding facilities, some with over 500 adult dogs on site.
• Petland Novi imports 60-160 puppies per month from out-of-state breeders where families can not meet the parents.
• Petland Novi uses puppy brokers or “middlemen”, ensuring that customers will never meet the parents of the animals they purchase.
• Over 100 customer complaints have been logged related to Petland Novi. Complaints have been reported to local Animal Control, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, PetShopPuppies.org, Puppy Mill Awareness of Southeast Michigan, and the Better Business Bureau.
• Petland Novi has been the subject of local investigations including (WXYZ Detroit) The Investigators.

“It has been impossible to help families escalate their complaints when elected officials in Novi and appointees within the Oakland County Executives Office directed us to the Michigan Department of Agriculture which no longer regulates pet stores, “ stated Pam Sordyl, founder of Puppy Mill Awareness. “We asked repeatedly for a police detective to be assigned after more sick puppies were sold and highlighted in the news.”

Those wanting to add a pet to their household are encouraged to adopt from their local shelter or Michigan Certified foster-based animal rescues organizations- many of whom specialize in specific breeds- or thoroughly research and personally visit the breeder from whom they intend to purchase an animal.

To follow the progress of the Petland Novi case, click below

https://courtexplorer.oakgov.com/OaklandCounty

Puppy Mill Awareness of Southeast Michigan is a grassroots organization dedicated to ending commercial breeding "puppy mills" and protecting families from puppy peddlers, pet stores and bad breeders by lobbying for stronger laws, setting up information booths, completing research studies and launching pet store campaigns.

Learn more about Puppy Mill Awareness

https://www.meetup.com/puppymillawareness/

MEDIA COVERAGE

Petland sold sick,worm-infested puppies, lawsuit claims

Detroit Free Press Published March 19, 2018 

Novi Petland sued for allegedly selling diseased andsick puppies

The Oakland Press Published March 14, 2018 

Lawsuit says Novi Petland sells unhealthy puppies

Local 4 March 16, 2018

Couple says Novi Petland sold them sick dog that had to be put down

FOX 2 Detroit March 16, 2018

RELATED POSTS

Petland Novi, what happened to this Great Dane?

Oakland County Animal Control Is Failing to Protect Animals and Families

Petland Novi continues to use no discretion in choosing suppliers

Petland Novi frequently asked questions that can be answered in two words

Top Ten Reasons Why PetlandIs Michigan's Worst Pet Store

#

No Thanks Petland

11/3/12 NORTHVILLE PUPPY AUCTION??? We went into action.

Last week PMA members sabotaged Randy Horowitz’s, owner of Petland Novi, master plan to auction off a puppy at the Northville Christian School. When the principal found out that Randy has relationships with puppy mills and was using his good name, he immediately contacted Petland to call it off. No thanks Petland! Instead the school accepted our basket filled with awesome pet supplies prepared by Nicole, one of our regular Petland protesters. Thanks Nicole!

 Live animals should never be auctioned off at events. They only end up promoting spontaneous purchases that may not be good for either the family or animal. Bringing a pet into your home should be well thought out and not part of a local event. 

Thank you Tami for reaching out to the school and making this happen. 

Please join us for our Holiday protests at Petland Novi (Twelve Oaks Mall). See our calendar.

Learn more about Petland Novi.

Join our Petland Novi Boycott Facebook.

What you should know about Petland, Novi

There is only one Petland store remaining in Michigan, located at Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi. Petland is the nation’s largest puppy retailer who has been exposed locally by Channel 7, the Humane Society of the United States and Animal Planet. Now Michigan dog advocates from the Puppy Mill Awareness Meetup have been calling on the store to stop supporting puppy mills and start supporting rescue.

Join us every Saturday from 12-3 for peaceful demonstrations starting June 4th, 2011. See our calendar for details.

Protests at Twelve Oaks Mall began after Channel 7 exposed this store in October 2009 for selling a sick puppy. Heather Catallo, an Investigative Reporter, completed a second investigation in November 2009 after another sick dog allegation was discovered.

The store is selling sick dogs because they come from large commercial breeders and brokers. One regular supplier, Opal Featherston (Whiting KS), has inventory records listing 773 adult dogs!. This is considered a mega mill.

Just looking at Petland’s 2009-2010 breeder list, this store is not choosy. Puppies are shipped from a wide range of Missouri, Kansas, Minnesota, and Ohio breeders and brokers.

Abe Miller, House of Pets (Fresno OH) was the store’s primary 2010 supplier who delivered 68% of the puppies which equals approximately 57 per month. The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) records show that this kennel housed 133 adult dogs and 110 puppies in June of 2008, which indicates it is a commercial breeding operation. With approximately 16 different breeds, the House of Pets provides the wide variety of dogs demanded by pet stores. Inspection reports show this broker was not only working with unlicensed breeders, but that it was also cited for non-compliances to the Animal Welfare Act in the regulated areas of housing, primary enclosures, cleaning, veterinary care, records, compatible grouping, feeding and identification.

The pressure has been on all the Petland stores across the county to stop supporting. Beginning in March 2009, Bora Kim from Channel 4, covered the Class Action Lawsuit with ties to the Peltand Westland store. Animal Planet exposed the chain in May of 2010 after the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) completed a 8-month investigation. In addition, the courts are allowing a racketeering lawsuit to proceed against Petland.

Petition
Support the efforts of Puppy Mill Awareness by telling Petland Novi to stop selling puppies.