By Alicia Graef From Care2

Just a few weeks ago the suffering and deaths of rabbits at a Petland store in Virginia was brought to light, but that wasn’t the start of problems, and it certainly wasn’t the end either. Now, an expanded investigation has uncovered sick and dead puppies at stores across the country.

The latest findings are the result of an expanded undercover investigation conducted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that was conducted between September 2018 and April 2019 at six Petland stores in Sarasota, Florida; Novi, Michigan and Tyler, Texas, while issues have also been recently exposed at Petland stores in Kennesaw, Georgia; Las Vegas, Nevada and Fairfax, Virginia.

What was uncovered in the report is troubling to say the least. According to the HSUS, at all six locations sick puppies were found with health issues ranging from seizures and respiratory infections to diarrhea and vomiting and they were routinely denied veterinary care. At some of the stores, they died before ever even being seen by a vet. Not only is that extremely inhumane, in some cases highly contagious diseases were found, including parvovirus and drug-resistant Campylobacter—which the Centers for Disease Control previously linked to Petland puppies following an outbreak that made 118 people sick. Even more worrying is that Petland seemingly made no effort to protect its employees, or make customers aware because of sales goals.

What’s really tragic is that these puppies are suffering and dying because they’re victims of a system that treats them like they might as well be toaster ovens. Sadly, most of these puppies are coming from commercial breeders that mass produce them, which have otherwise become known as puppy mills.

This investigation alone found that puppies at these stores are coming from a number of problem breeders across the country, including a few who had the dishonorable distinction of being featured on the 2019 Horrible Hundred puppy mill report over disturbing animal welfare violations.

“Our investigations have revealed a distressing trend in Petland stores across the country: sick and dying animals who desperately need help being peddled to  deceived customers,” said John Goodwin, senior director of the Humane Society of the United States’ Stop Puppy Mills campaign. “Our investigations have linked Petland to cruel puppy mills and even a rabbit mill. If you want to bring a new pet into your life, the best place to start is a reputable shelter or rescue, not a pet store which puts profits over the welfare of the animals.”

It’s a vicious cycle highlighting the need for more retail bans on selling puppies. So far, hundreds of cities, towns and counties have acted to address this problem, whileCalifornia and Maryland have passed statewide bans, and more states are considering similar action. It’s also a heartbreaking reminder for people to be more far more vigilant when it comes to researching where they’re getting their next pet, whether it’s a rescue, or shelter, or reputable breeder – which is one who would never let their puppies be sold in any pet store.

TAKE ACTION

You can help by signing and sharing the petition asking Petland to stop supporting animal cruelty at both its stores and at puppy mills by ending its sales of puppies.

If you want to make a difference on an issue you find deeply troubling, you too can create a Care2 petition, and use this handy guide to get started. You‘ll find Care2‘s vibrant community of activists ready to step up and help you.

Photo credit: Getty Images

For more on this story go to; https://www.care2.com/causes/investigation-finds-sick-and-dead-puppies-at-petland-stores-across-the-country.html