Petland

stephanie of margate, FL January 4, 2010

On December 26th 2009, my boyfriend and I decided it was the right time for us to get a puppy. The humane society was out of the question for us, since we only rent our property and do not have a screened in backyard (learned from a previous dog rescue attempt). We unfortunately did not have alot of knowledge about where to get a dog and after a BRIEF online search, found Petland.

We viewed their website and from first glance they seemed like a pretty reputable place with words like "USDA approved breeders" and "health warranty". A little puppy Yorkie caught our eye at a location near our house in South FL and we decided to go and check out the place. We got there and were put into a room with the Yorkie. We quickly fell inlove and were then told of a brother of the yorkie also available and he was put into the room with us as well.

Well my heart sank, I did not want to separate these littermates. There was a size different of the two, the smaller one being priced at 2290! The larger one was priced at 1800! We spent over a hour with the dogs and left the store to privately discuss. I felt inclined, thinking that no one else would purchase these guys together and my boyfriend and I had to do something. We had saved up some money and decided to use it towards getting these two guys a happy healthy home. While in the store, of course the Manager and other sales associate used their usual Petland pitch and us being blinded by puppylove fell right into it. We were originally told that both dogs were 100% healthy.

Upon signing the paperwork, the Manager corrected herself stating that the smaller dog ( now named Bentley) had an open fontanelle and a luxating patellar grade 1. We were reassured it was nothing to be concerned about and there was really no better place to buy a dog from. When we were about to leave the store, the larger dog (now named Jack) started to cough, the Manager of course followed up with a poor excuse of the dog being stressed and it should probably go away on it's own.

When we got the new pups back to our place, we noticed the cough getting progressively worse. The following day was Sunday so we had to wait until Monday for our new puppies to be seen by a vet. On Sunday, I had all these doubts about Petland's pledge to providing healthy dogs. I turned to my computer and decided to do a little research. And yes, I sat there stunned and horrified at what I found out. Petland=puppy mills to be frank about it.

At first I was sickened to have contributed to such animal cruelty and then it hit me that I was happy that we got these guys in our lives and could provide a good home to them. **So a bit of a disclaimer that I am not writing this to be lectured about purchasing dogs from Petland or just petstores in general, so please don't reply to purely guilt me** After learning about Petland, I was skeptical to use the Vet they recommended. I tried to make a visit with a trusted family used vet but was unable to get an appointment. I found another Vet close to my home and brought them in on Monday (two days after getting them).

I was told each one had an upper respiratory infection and was prescribed Claramox. I was only able to get a stool sample from Jack and awaited the results of that. The following day the vet called and said he tested positive for Giardia and recommended treatment for both dogs. Meanwhile I was able to get an appointment with my trusted vet for that day (Tuesday) and decided to get medicine there. UGH, well my vet was overbooked and I saw another vet who was helping out in the office for the day. I inquired about my Jack itching his ears and thought he may have an ear infection, the vet said his ears were just hairy and plucked out some hairs, said they looked clean & fine otherwise.

I was given Panacur for both dogs for the Giardia. Within the next few days, I followed treatment and dosage according to the vets in hopes my pups would get better. Bentley's sneezing and coughing was getting worse, Jack as well. I called the vet and he actually told me vet bils will begin to pile up and recommended to me that I go to the vet Petland told me to be covered. So I did. With the holidays and such, I bought my dogs to the Petland warranty covered vet on Saturday (one week from purchase date, third vet visit).

This vet, unlike the other two was actually very thorough to my delight. I went over their history with him and he examined each one. He found earmites in Jack (hence the scratching; that the other two vets failed to find). He also told me the original dosage of the Claramox was way too low and not even a good antibiotic that gave good results. He checked each dog's stool once again, telling me that not only did Jack test positive for Giardia but also coccidiosis. I was given a new antibiotic for both and a new dosage for the Claramox. Bentley did not have coccidiosis (at least it did not show up yet) and they only wanted to treat Jack. Jack was given his puppy vaccinations and thankfully did not have an adverse reaction.

My poor babies are on a bunch of medication now. I fear these parasites will never go away, the possibility of them spreading them back and forth to one another. My boyfriend and I clean as much as possible. They for some reason love to try and play on their wee wee pads (as we are indoor training). I strongly try to discourage that behavior but they sure are thickheaded little guys.

My boyfriend and I are also having stomach issues ourselves and hope we did not get giardia from them - and that it is just our nerves from worrying about our puppies. We are still trying to communicate with Petland to try and get some sort of refund from our sick dogs (no luck so far). I have inquired about getting in touch with their supposed breeder " Cindy Z." and was told they could only provide an address and did not guarantee i would receive a response.

I contacted Petland Corp. to only get the runaround, and was offered zero help, told that each store is owned privately and to contact the owner. Okay, So I tried calling the owner of the store, the manager told me he was not available but I could try again tomorrow with no guarantee he would take my call. I called up the petaled warranty department, I was told they were not employed by Petland, upon asking who they were employed by I was told, well not Petland Inc. but by the store. If there really a difference?

I contacted the breeder, she was clueless as which dogs I was talking about, wouldn't a good breeder KNOW their puppies? No one wanted to take responsibility. I could go on and on, as there are other parts of my guys story but I think thats enough for now. I am getting very disgusted myself.

Tiffany of Chesterfield, MI January 3, 2010

We have purchased four dogs from Petland but the one story that I would like to tell is of our French Bulldog Sammie. We purchased her on January 26, 2008 for 3499.99. Sammie's Certificate of Pedigree came from The Hunte Corporation and the breeder is Jason Chriswell. Pets purchased from Petland come with a Puppy Waranty Sheet and one of the items on the list is that the new owner must take their new puppy to VCA Animal Hospital within the first five days. She had been diagnosed with Giardia since the very first visit to Dr. Brown at the VCA Clinton Township.

When I called Petland, they asked me to fax all of Sammie's bills and file from the VCA and that they would evaluate it for a refund which tells me that they are admitting to the puppy’s sickness. I have not done this yet. We thought that having a pure bred dog would mean that they come from a high quality breeder. Petland deceived us with all of the facts they had and unfortunately we did not do our research before we bought our dogs. If we would have known that these poor puppies come from puppy mills where the dogs are stuck in small cages and may never touch the ground, with minimal to no health care, we would never have bought our dogs from them. When I talked to the staff at VCA Clinton Township, the ladies on staff have even stated that "You should see how many pets we see that are very sick from Petland." Please us the information that I have provided in any way to help close Petland and as many puppy mills as possible. Thank you for your time!

James of Viera, FL December 18, 2009

Exactly 1 year ago I was pressured by my wife & 2 teenage daughters into an impulse-buy ("Christmas present") of a 6-week old Cairn Terrier that they fell in love with in Petland Viera FLA. Jumping to the end of the story, she is now 14 months old and hasn't had a single problem to date. Read on if you care to hear something besides a horror story...

I hadn't done any research prior to going to the store (didn't plan to buy a dog that day). While there, of course we asked a bunch of questions, but surprisingly (?!) the subject of puppy mills never came up. I didn't know anything about them until I got home, new puppy in tow, and THEN started doing some research into what and where we bought. To say I was shocked and concerned is an understatement, but we took the "let's wait and see" approach. Well, so far all we can report is All's Well. Not every Petland story ends (or begins) with regret, although it certainly appears to be a huge gamble.

Knowing what I now know, if I were doing it all over again, I'd definitely give serious consideration to the other alternatives (such as personally visiting/interviewing breeders, or going to rescue shelters, etc. I see there is a Col Potters rescue shelter that specializes in Cairns?). But in fairness to the honest part-time, minimum-wage employees of Petland, I wanted to offer a tentative success story, and let people know that they aren't all out to bamboozle the public with sickly, defective dogs. But I don't know how to predict good ones, either.

On a related note, my sister bought a Labradoodle from a breeder in Maine around the same time, and by comparison, hers appears to be mentally handicapped and physically imperfect. So I'm much happier with my result at Petland than I would be if I were my sister. And for full disclosure, I am not employed by/ friends with/ or even aquainted with anyone at all in the breeding or selling business. I'm just a guy off the street whose family pressured him to buy a dog one day and couldn't say no during the holiday season.

Jackie of Smiths, AL December 8, 2009

We purchased a puppy from Petland Columbus, Georgia almost three years ago and have sorely regretted that rash decision. We paid an exorbitant price for our puppy, almost three times what a local breeder wanted, but we felt it was worth the extra money because Petland had such a great health guarantee and they assured us we were getting a quality puppy, from premium breeding stock. About two years later we started to realize what bad shape our little dog was in. Our vet confirmed he had horrible joint and back problems, all genetic issues. "This is the result of bad breeding," he said. "What were his parents like?" We had to admit we had no idea. But we loved our little dog to pieces so we were willing to do whatever we could to get him the extremely expensive surgeries that our vet said he desperately needed.

We went back to Petland and explained the situation. They were very accommodating at first, saying how sorry they were and how they wanted to help us and would absolutely pay for the surgery... on one condition. We had to take the dog to their vet and have her confirm he really did need the surgeries. Imagine our astonishment when we reached the vet’s office, she took a quick look at him and said, "No. He looks like he's managing just fine. He can live a very full and happy life without surgery." He died two months later from complications of his back problems. He was playing in our front yard one day and fell, compressing his spinal cord and paralyzing him. He was in severe pain and would likely never walk again. We had no choice but to have him put down. My kids were devastated.

Here's what I learned the hard way about Petland. They buy their puppies from a farm that breeds for quantity instead of quality. Meaning, they breed females who have genetic problems and aren't fit to have puppies. Then Petland marks them up 300% and sells them to the public with a "Health Guarantee", but the fine print on that guarantee states that their vet must be consulted if any health problems arise. Their vet spent five minutes with our dog and declared him fit when our personal vet clearly told me if was in danger and required surgery right away. This is the experience of a heartbroken pet owner. I won't tell you to not buy your dog from Petland, but I do hope you read my story and make your own decision.

Ashley of Denton, TX December 6, 2009

My fiance and I purchased our bull terrier puppy from Petland in Lewisvile, TX on November 21, 2009. We got a really good deal on him considering he is a rare breed in this area. He is 4 months old, so his price was considerably cheaper than other breeds (he went from 2000 as a baby to 400 when we got him). We went had him checked out at our vet (not associated with Petland in any way) as required by Petland. He is perfectly healthy! We were told by Petland and it was in our paperwork that any congenital issues that might arise in the first 3 years of his life would be covered by the company; luckily he is excellent! The Petland in Lewisville was EXTREMELY friendly and helpful. Our puppy is full blooded and came with all of his paperwork from his original breeder. We are registering him after Christmas. He is the sweetest dog and so good with children as well as other dogs. I would definitely go back to Petland again.

Brittany of Bedford, TX December 4, 2009

I bought a yorkshire terrier puppy for an early christmas present for my family. I brought her home on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. On Wednesday morning I had her examined by our vet. He noticed she had received weekly vaccinations for something that is usually only vaccinated monthly in puppies. Other than that she checked out "seemingly" okay. She began vomiting later that day. My husband and I thought it just adapting to a new environment. By Sunday we were at the Emergency Animal Hospital because she was having a hard time breathing and was lethargic. She was diagnosed with pneumonia.

We left her overnight for treatment and then took her home on Monday. We had her rechecked with our regular vet on Thursday Dec 3rd. She died on the examining table at the vet's office. I contacted Petland and they basically told me it was negligence on my vet's part. He should have heard the pneumonia as it is usually a crackle sound in the chest. They sent me home with kennel cough information but told me she had been cleared of it. Now in retrospect, I think they were just trying to "unload" her.

Janice of Simpsonville, SC November 23, 2009

I purchased a Bengal TICA regerstered kitten on 10/23/2009 from Petland USA. I have not received my TICA regeristered papers. I have spoken to the breeder and he has assured me they were sent to Petland. Petland closed on or around November 10th 2009. Petland also said the DOB for the kitten as 06/29/2009. This was not true. after speking with the breeder he assured me the dob was 05/17/2009. I need my papers for the kitty.

Andrea of Papillion, NE November 19, 2009

In February 2006 my husband and I bought a male maltipoo from Petland. We had another maltipoo at home, a girl we'd bought from a breeder the previous year. We'd had such a flawless experience with our maltipoo from the breeder that we let our hearts take over when we saw the maltipoo at Petland. We hadn't planned on buying a dog that night (we went there just as something to do) but we were told he was in great health. Once we took him to our vet, however, we were told he had problems with his knee caps and other things that might be issues in the future - but since there was nothing major at the time, we assumed "the future" wouldn't be until he was elderly.

While our maltipoo from the breeder has had zero problems (she will turn five in January 2010) - we've had to take our maltipoo from Petland to the vet on numerous occasions because he gets sick and we never knew why. Just days after he turned four years old we learned that he has stage 2 cancer. It is just a matter of time before it becomes stage 3 or 4 which means he will only have months to live at that point. Of course we don't regret buying him because he's been such a sweet joy to our family - but, as I've reflected over the past few years, it is so obvious why I hear people say don't buy from pet stores. My maltipoo from the breeder is so strong and healthy compared to my fragile maltipoo from Petland. We don't know where he came from or what kind of life he led prior to buying him when he was 3 months old. I am certain his cancer and other problems are a result. Yes, our pets die but having it happen at 4 years old and spending huge amounts of money in the meantime is not the way it has to be. Use your head - get your pet from the Humane Society or a breeder, never a pet store. I thought Petland had higher standards than others, but I've learned the hard way that I was wrong.

Shane of Laredo, TX November 10, 2009

My family has bought dogs in the past and we had luck finding healthy ones. None being from Petland. I wanted to add that it is VERY IMPORTANT, and I will repeat myself, it is VERY IMPORTANT to do lots of research before you buy a dog. Do not ever buy puppies or dogs from puppy mills. I know it is hard to say this because they have a life like we do, but every time somebody buys a pet from these places, the puppy mills only get more money, which means more business and more dogs that are hurt and abused. STOP buying from Petland.

I believe they acquire their dogs from puppy mills which come with all sorts of diseases and nasty infections. Be careful about other pet places as well. Other pet stores may recieve dogs from puppy mills as well because they are cheap and can be sold for a lot of money. This is how they keep their stores alive. My family was considering buying a norfolk terrier at a pound on November 6, 2009. The dogs in the same kennel with it looked diseased and sickly. My mother was thinking about getting it and we decided we would rather wait a couple days. We went back and the same kennel was empty.

I asked the people in the front what happened to the dogs and apparently they had contacted parvo. All of them were put down the morning we had visited there. We looked at some other dogs and found another one. They tested the dog for lyme disease and it was in the early stages of it. They wouldn't consider helping us pay to help it and get the problem fixed.

victoria of bolingbrook, IL October 20, 2009

we bought a pomeranian puppy who had a bilateral hernia operation already preformed on her. also she had an upper respitory infection, coccidia, & giardia infections. they did pay for all medications, but not the stool sample, i had to pay for that test! she is still sick, but we love her & do not want to take her back. she shakes alot & seems very scared, i cant imagine what this poor puppy went through!

i found out that this puppy came from a confirmed puppy mill in indiana that goes by various names, "KNEPP", deliaha, jean, abner, etc...& this puppy was bought through a broker who is known to sell sick puppies named, "levi G." PLEASE, buy from a reputable breeder instead where you can visit their home & see where your puppy was raised! do NOT BUY FROM PET STORES! i wish i knew this before, we need to put these mills out of business!

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