Petland Novi has not only imported sick puppies from the “Puppy
Mill Belt of America”, but the store has continuously brought unfavorable local
and national media attention, including WXYZ’s The Investigators. Petland is
the nation’s largest puppy retailer with over seventy (70) locations in the United States Michigan Novi .
#1 Petland Novi’s breeders have shocking inspection reports, photos and videos showing injured and untreated animals
Contrary to Petland’s “front-yard” breeder photos provided to
the Novi City Council, Puppy Mill Awareness collected 700 USDA photos taken
during kennel inspections. The photos don’t lie. This enormous photo collection
from twenty-four (24) different breeders who have supplied puppies over the
last five years clearly shows the store has no standards and uses no discretion
when choosing suppliers. The photos show underweight, injured and untreated
animals in housing facilities with no primary shelter or access to shelter,
some without shade, wind or rain breaks, overcrowding conditions, excessive
feces, surrounded by grime and filth. Watch videos here.
#2 Petland Novi uses mega-sized kennels,
some with over 500 adult dogs
The puppies sold at Petland Novi are often unhealthy because
they are over-bred in mega-sized commercial kennels in unsanitary conditions without
consideration of genetic quality. 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. One supplier, Opal Featherston (Whiting KS) topped the charts
with 773 adult dogs during a USDA inspection. Petland Novi has continued to
work with large breeders over the last several years including:
°
La Nae and Justin Jackson (340 dogs)
°
Daniel Schlabach, Evergreen Designers LLC (298 dogs)
°
Philip M. Hoover LLC (295 dogs)
°
Mark Landers (275 dogs)
°
Freeman Raber (239 dogs)
°
Julie Snidow (214 dogs)
#3 Petland Novi ships 60-160 puppies per
month from out-of-state commercial breeders where families can not meet the
parents
Petland Novi is considered a high-volume “box” puppy retail
store averaging 88 new puppies per month – this is no “mom and pop shop”! The
store is part of our nation’s largest puppy-selling franchise with a corporate
office in
#4 Petland Novi has a history of
working with bad breeders
The conditions of dogs housed at Petland Novi’s kennels have
been consistently documented as appalling. Puppy Mill Awareness’ 2009-2010 Petland
Supplier Study showed most of Petland Novi’s breeders (11 of the 16) had
non-compliances to the Animal Welfare Act including excessive feces, no heat,
performing surgeries, unattended bite wounds, excessive hair mats, low voltage
fencing, minimum floor space, cats with backbone and ribs showing, dirty dogs,
lack of bedding and shade, accumulated grime and lack of veterinary care. Petland
Novi management has access to USDA inspection reports online prior to ordering
puppies, yet the store continues to use breeders with violations including
direct, indirect and repeat violations. Four of Petland Novi’s 2014 breeders had
violations related to veterinary care and Petland Novi still purchased puppies
from these breeders:
(1)
Julie Snidow (
(2)
La Donna Dailey (Missouri) Aug-14 one adult female French Bulldog
displayed patchy area of hair loss over the shoulders and back and two smaller
areas of open lesions on the face.
(4)
Evergreen Designer (Ohio
#5 Enforcement Actions were filed against fourteen
(14) of Petland Novi’s suppliers
The USDA has filed Enforcement Actions against fourteen (14) of
Petland Novi’s breeders within the last five years. The violations included failure
to provide adequate veterinary care, outdoor housing facilities, health certification
and identification, access to records and property, feeding, water, shelter
from the elements, adequate primary enclosures, adequate cleaning and pest control.
Petland Novi shipped puppies from six (6) of these kennels after
Enforcement Actions were issued. One of these violator’s USDA license was
revoked.
Enforcement Actions were filed against
fourteen (14) of Petland Novi’s suppliers over the last five years:
(1) Shauna Engelken (Kansas 9-Aug-13 which required her to sell or
transfer ownership of any dogs on the premises within 12 weeks. Engelken’s
license was revoked. Engelken supplied Petland Novi 20 puppies during
2010-2011.
(2) Kimberly Coleman/TLC’s Kennel (Missouri 30-May-2010
The following Petland Novi suppliers
received an Official Warning Letter.
(14) Lori Fedders, IA 19-Apr-11
#6 Petland Novi breeders have been exposed
by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and The American Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Petland Novi breeders have been repeatedly exposed by the Humane
Society of the United States (HSUS). Petland’s large breeder in
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(ASPCA) bolstered its campaign against puppy mills by showing over 10,000 photos
of sick puppies and harsh kennel conditions taken by the federal agency that
licenses commercial breeders. The press release for this website included Rod
and Lindsey Rebhan heartbreaking story after purchasing a puppy from Petland
Novi.
#7 Petland Novi uses puppy brokers
or “middlemen”
Petland Novi claims to know their breeders well through regular
kennel visits; however the store primarily uses brokers who supply puppies from
a collection of breeders. Petland Novi uses two brokers: Abe N. Miller/House of
Pets/D M L Kennel/Quail Creek Kennel, (
Linda Baker/Okie Pets (Ketchum , OK
#8 Over 100 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. Many
complaints are related to sick puppies sold. Some illnesses, such as Coccidia
and Guardia, can be passed to humans. Luxating Patella issue is almost always
seen in poor breeding, especially in toy breeds. PetShopPuppies.org revealed
the following problems noted by customers who had purchased puppies from
Petland Novi. — Petland Novi Complaint Log
o Allergies
o Severe
vomiting & diarrhea
o Bloody
Diarrhea
o Bowed
Legs
o Breathing
problems
o Cataracts
o Coccidia
o Congenital
Megaesophagus
o Crystals
o Cysts
o Demodectic
Mange
o Diarrhea
o Brain
Tumor, died at age 5.
o Ear
infections due to allergies.
o Ear
Mites
o Giardia
o Heart
Murmur
o Hermivertebrae
o Intestinal
Parasites
o Kennel
Cough
o Kidney
failure
o Luxating
Patella
o Misaligned
teeth
o Probable
Tracheal collapse
o Regurgitation
o Runny
nose
o Seizures
o Severe
underbite.
o Sneezing
o Stomach
problems
o Tooth
resorption.
o Treated
for URI while in pet store
o Underweight
o Upper
respiratory illness
o URI
o UTI
#9 Petland Novi has been the subject of local investigations including (WXYZ
Not only has the Humane Society of The United States included
Petland Novi’s breeders in their investigative reports, but locally, Petland
Novi has been exposed on Channel 7 (WXYZ Detroit) twice for selling sick
animals. In 2009, a couple purchased a bulldog that later died from pneumonia.
One month later, The Investigators were called about more allegations of sick
animals. Several attempts had been made to talk to the owners of both of the
local Petland stores. They have refused to do an on-camera interview with The
Investigators. In 2011, the Michigan Department of Agriculture found that
Petland Novi was importing puppies without proper vaccinations and missing
certificates (Work Orders 6901 and 7049).
#10 Petland Novi offers discounts
for favorable online reviews.
Petland Novi increased
their favorable YELP reviews by 67% over last year by offering discounts to potential
customers. The store claims these are real reviews, but some of these reviews
are from shoppers that have not visited the store - Jessica Y. posted “Love
them! Can’t wait to adopt a puppy!!! We are planning to go today. I hope this
place is more promising than these reviews. I ‘loved’ them on yelp for $200 off.”
This is considered unethical by YELP. Most of the favorable reviews were posted
recently after the animal advocacy event, Human Chain Rally, was announced in
2014. Many unfavorable can be found online (11 total on Yelp).