Residents outraged – pet store announces plans to sell breeder puppies

8
22
Pet store selling breeder puppies
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Residents and animal welfare advocates in and around Summerville, South Carolina, are outraged after a local pet store announced their plans to begin selling puppies from commercial breeders. For years, Petland Summerville worked with area rescue groups to place homeless cats and dogs, but a new store owner has other plans.

The fallout from the pet store’s announcement

Shortly after Petland announced its decision to sell puppies from commercial breeders, area rescue groups said that they sever ties with the pet store. Dorchester Paws executive director Kim Almstedt is quoted in the Post and Courier:

“We cannot in a good conscience move forward in a relationship with a business knowing that the animals they are bringing into our community will overwhelm an already existing taxed system.”

Pearl Sutton, president of the South Carolina Animal Care and Control Association, added:

“To import animals from a commercial breeder at a time when we are battling to save more of these precious lives is a tragedy.”

Pet store owner speaks out

Brad Parker, who owns the Summerville pet store as well as two other Petlands in Georgia and Florida, has expressed surprise at the backlash he is seeing from the rescue groups. He commented on a recent press conference which was held about the store’s plans to change to selling commercial breeder puppies:

“I’ve never had a press event held against us. … It was a little disappointing.”

Parker has stated that he wants to sell puppies from breeders and continue promoting shelter pets for adoption.

On the Petland Facebook page, multiple videos and posts have been made about where the retailer gets its puppies from. Despite claims of working only with responsible breeders, many individuals who are angry about the change are leaving comments of disappointment on the page. Others have commented that a reputable breeder would never send its puppies to a pet store to be sold…disputing the “upstanding/responsible” claims that the pet store is promoting to potential customers.

Feel free to weigh in on this situation. Is Petland Summerville making a mistake by working with commercial breeders? Do you believe that the homeless pet situation is overwhelming and more should be done to place rescue and shelter pets in homes?

(Image via Pixabay)

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8 COMMENTS

  1. And when he says “breeders” is he referring to the poor animals that come from puppy mills? I can understand the outrage from rescues when he is selling dogs for a profit and heaven knows where they are coming from. I agree with those that are saying a reputable breeder would never send its puppies to a pet store to be sold. Reputable breeders want to know where their dogs are going and most will take back a puppy that is no longer wanted. I hope this moron changes his mind and goes back to promoting adoptions from the rescues. If not his shop should be boycotted!

  2. The owner of that store needs to work in a shelter for a week and see what it’s like. He needs to be in the euth room when dogs are put to sleep, see the dogs that are so scared to be in a shelter, see the problems shelters themselves face. Typical business owner, just wants to make the almighty buck! Boycott the store!

  3. This idiot store owner really needs to work for a month in a “high kill” shelter, in the euthanasia room (& see all the precious treasures euthanized “for lack of space”)….. it’s beyond heartbreaking to see all those precious lives ended…….

    Perhaps then he might get the message to be “part of the solution NOT part of the problem”…….

    I don’t live in that area but I would certainly boycott his store if I was there…… our fave breed is rescued (& all of our pets are “hand-me-downs”)……

  4. SPEAKING LOUDLY from OUT WEST!!!! I have been reading and posting on this site since it started!!! South Carolina HAD AND SILLL HAS one of the very worst reputations FOR PUPPY MILLS< ANIMAL ABUSE and OVERCROUDED SHELTERS THAT ARE OVERWHELMED & are HIGH KILL SHELTERS!!! This NEW PET STORE OWNER should be ATTEMPTING to HELP curtail the HORRIFIC conditions IN that STATE NOT ADD TO THE PROBLEM!!! SHAME ON HIM!!!

  5. Even when you make progress, some heartless greedy clown can come along and take it all away. Every dog breeding perv is pure poison along with being a moron. I of course hope those good people win and that that store owner gets his comeuppance. Anyone who talks about “reputable breeders” is for bringing more dogs into this hell, for sale, and is living in La La Land.

  6. This owner should be ASHAMED OF himself!! All he is seeing is $$$ he DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE ANIMALS themselves or he would not do this.
    SHAME ON YOU!!! May that business fail and you have to close your doors!

  7. As a life-long rescuer and activist, one of my early volunteer ‘jobs’ was as a pound inspector.

    Walking through those cold concrete and steel prisons was Hell for me. I can only imagine what it is like for the poor animals who have to live, and die, in them. I still feel horrendous guilt for leaving behind some of them who begged especially, and heartbreakingly, hard, to be removed from those hell holes, even though I had quite a few at home already.

    There would not be this problem if breeding was shut down. The breeders, like in all other fields of exploitation, have their denials and justifications set up.

    I think people should stop breeding themselves, too. But it all usually falls on deaf ears.

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