Petland donates to Make A Wish!

[megansmomma]

Originally Posted by Woogie Man

Tammy 8833, while I appreciate your sentiment, I can't agree with your rationale. I would think that it's doing these groups a favor by informing them of their associations. I would hate to think that such associations might cause donations to decrease but that is likely to happen if they continue these type of affiliations that can only tarnish their image in the future. I've never personally donated to Make a Wish but have been a regular donor to St. Jude's. I don't plan on withdrawing my support but do feel they need a 'heads-up' on Petland, who are using them as pawns to enhance their corporate reputation.

I agreed 100% with you Woogieman. Tammy8833~We are not attacking MaW or St. Jude for the work that they do with sick children. I have repeatedly stated they are both wonderful charities and do great things BUT I am questioning the ethics of Petland donating to sick children for their personal gain. You need to go back and reread what has been said about this subject.

There are certain requirements that need to be met for the Make a Wish program and if they only way to grant a puppy would be from puppy from Petland it just should not be an option. How can you possibly say that puppymills are not OK except for kids that are in the Make a Wish program? Your logic here is beyond my comprehension. Puppymills are not acceptable in any shape of form EVER. I just don't understand how breeding sick dogs so that you or anyone else can have a "cheap" puppy is even an argument? To further say that because they are busy it is OK to condone the actions of Petland? All they have to do is say NO! I am not asking MaW or St. Jude himself to fight puppymills! I was questioning whether or not they knew the implications of Petland's donations and was shocked by the response that I received. I believe you have totally missed the point of this entire thread.

[jrsygal37]

I believe strongly in Make A Wish Foundation. With that said, as all of you know I am also a very strong advocate in shutting mills down. I'm wondering if (just a thought) but if our reputable breeders here on YT would be willing to donate a pup to a child in need? I'm wondering if WE as a group could propose a letter to MAW educating them on where these Petland pups come from and supply them with a list of REPUTABLE Breeders that would be willing to join their cause IF and ONLY IF they sever ties with Petland. I know that it may not be a Yorkie that is sought after but maybe it's a start and I'm sure these breeders have friends that breed different breeds that too may be willing to join the cause. Just some food for thought.

Elaine

[megansmomma]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I found a few good links:

Humane Society of the United States: Petland Investigation - Pet Store Sells Puppy Mill Dogs:
Introduction Video:

Petland Investigation | Humane Society


Actual investigation. One breeder does her own spaying and neutering without anesthesia, and she's not a vet.
Petland Investigation | Humane Society

Here are a few consumer complaint places that have lots of complaints regarding sick dog, and while I'm sure Petland gives the charities a healthy dog, this isn't true for many families.

Ripoff reports:

Ripoff Report Search Results: petland

Complaints.com: Complaints Against Petland

This was written by a former employee:

The Voice for Dogs.org What Petland doesn't want you to kow! First hand account of abuse behind closed doors as told by ex-employee Let's end dog abuse now!


We need to let the charities know that what Petland is saying about buying from reputable breeders, just isn't true.

Here is the response that was attached to the email with the email that I received this morning from MaW:

On Nov. 20, 2008, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) launched a full-scale media attack on Petland Inc., with false allegations regarding the purchase of pets from substandard breeders. The HSUS held a press conference in Washington, D.C., disseminated their video and report to media nationwide, and conducted a massive e-mail campaign to its members.

The video used by The HSUS is a gross distortion of the truth and the validity of the report and investigation is HIGHLY SUSPECT.

In The HSUS' report of its 8-month investigation, it claimed to have visited 21 Petland stores, and 35 breeders and brokers. The HSUS also claimed to have examined the records of more than 17,000 individual puppies.

On Nov. 21, Petland asked Stephanie Shain, program manager, The HSUS, to release all documentation that detailed the Petland store and breeder investigation, and the nearly 17,000 puppies in question. To date, this documentation has not been turned over to the USDA or the proper authorities. In fact, the Pet Rescue Examiner reported that the USDA released a statement about the charges filed by The HSUS and said that it had not received any complaints by The HSUS about any particular breeder or about Petland.

On Nov. 24, Petland urged The HSUS again to turn over the documentation to the proper authorities through an open letter to the editor. Within the letter, Petland stated, "Petland is outraged that HSUS would intentionally use video footage of unrelated kennels in the report to try to mislead the general public into believing these facilities have a connection to Petland."

On Nov. 27, Petland finally received a packet from The HSUS with documentation, but all that was included were USDA reports, information which is available to the public. There were NO documents of The HSUS' inspections of 21 Petland stores and 35 breeders, and there was NO documentation of the 17,000 puppies HSUS referenced. There was simply NO evidence that The HSUS actually did an investigation. Even the video of the kennels tied to Petland only showed the exterior of the kennels. Also, no interviews with the owners, no inside shots, no specific shots of violations were ever provided.

What Is The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)?

The HSUS is a national animal protection agency based in Washington D.C. that is essentially a public relations entity with no affiliation with local humane societies or local animal shelters.

The Real Issue is Substandard Breeders

The real, disturbing issue is that there are substandard breeders in operation. The way to end the suffering of animals in these facilities is to eliminate those substandard breeders or to bring them into compliance with humane and acceptable standards.

For years, Petland has been a leader in the stand against substandard breeders. Petland is part of the solution. As such, the objective of The HSUS to “shut down” Petland is illogical. The misguided attack by The HSUS does nothing to stop these poor breeding practices, and in fact, hinders the fight against substandard breeders.

Petland – A Leader in Responsible Pet Care

As the largest national pet retailer, Petland continues to raise the bar and set the gold standard for pet care. Petland has developed the following programs to address critical issues, and to protect the welfare of pets and educate pet owners:


Humane Care Guidelines

The Petland Humane Care Guidelines represent commitment of its member breeders and distributors to provide the best possible care for all the animals in their kennels. These guidelines govern care of dogs that live under their care as part of a well-managed breeding system as well as those that are raised through puppyhood for the enjoyment of pet owners across The United States.

Petland strictly enforces these guidelines through the landmark Petland Certified Kennel Program, which mandates regular inspections by licensed veterinarians in addition to current licensure by the governing state and federal agencies.

Spay/Neuter
Petland Pet Counselors educate new puppy and kitten owners about responsible pet care and participate in cooperative programs with local veterinarians. Petland provides families with discount incentives to spay or neuter their pet. More and more Petland stores are making already altered pets available or offering a free or discount spay/neuter certificate to pet owners who purchase a puppy or kitten.

Petland's Adopt-A-Pet(SM)
Petland's Adopt-A-Pet(SM) has helped place more than a quarter of a million homeless pets in the last 10 years. Petland Pet Counselors work with staff at local animal shelters, pet rescue groups and with members of the local community to place homeless pets, such as puppies, dogs, kittens, cats and a variety of small animals. As part of this cooperative program, Petland store operators make available their highly visible Petland display windows to aid in the placement of homeless pets in local communities.

Enhanced Protection Program
The Enhanced Protection Program is a partnership between the American Kennel Club's Companion Animal Recovery (AKC CAR) program and helpmefindMYPET™. Together, these programs provide a comprehensive pet recovery process that includes microchipping, tattooing, tagging and Amber Alert-type registration. This successful program returns 87 percent of lost or stolen pets, compared to the national average of 12 percent.

Pets for a Lifetime(SM)
Petland puppies go home with Pets for a Lifetime Resource Kits. This free, comprehensive dog training program includes a DVD on puppy training by a professional canine behavior specialist and a free canine behavior training membership. Petland offers a free helpline for dog owners with canine behaviors that are not addressed in the provided educational materials. The resource kit also includes information on local pet care specialists and coupons for savings on pet care products from Petland.

Pet Therapy
Pet therapy is a natural extension of Petland's retail environment. By definition, pet therapy is the use of animals in the therapeutic treatment of humans. Petland commonly takes its pets to visit school children and nursing home residents. Studies have shown that the human-animal bond that pets provide are good for people, enhancing verbal and social skills in children, reducing stress in adults and providing companionship and lowering blood pressure in seniors.

These are just a few examples of how Petland is committed to the welfare of pets. Petland continues to be at the forefront of setting industry standards and will continue to fight and raise awareness of substandard breeding.

Petland's Response

After reviewing the material that The HSUS provided, Petland responded to The HSUS' allegations on its Web site stating "…healthy, happy, well-socialized pets within our care are our number one priority, as they have been for 41 years. We do not support substandard breeding facilities and we provide each Petland store with 'Humane Care Guidelines,' which were developed in conjunction with the USDA to assist with breeder facility inspections."

Since the initial response, Petland has reached out to its franchisees, employees and the media with the truth. We will continue to disseminate the truth and protect the good name of Petland.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by jrsygal37

I believe strongly in Make A Wish Foundation. With that said, as all of you know I am also a very strong advocate in shutting mills down. I'm wondering if (just a thought) but if our reputable breeders here on YT would be willing to donate a pup to a child in need? I'm wondering if WE as a group could propose a letter to MAW educating them on where these Petland pups come from and supply them with a list of REPUTABLE Breeders that would be willing to join their cause IF and ONLY IF they sever ties with Petland. I know that it may not be a Yorkie that is sought after but maybe it's a start and I'm sure these breeders have friends that breed different breeds that too may be willing to join the cause. Just some food for thought.

Elaine

I would think that the charities could afford to buy a dog from a breeder, isn't that why people donate, so the charities have money to make the wish come true?

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by megansmomma

Here is the response that was attached to the email with the email that I received this morning from MaW:

On Nov. 20, 2008, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) launched a full-scale media attack on Petland Inc., with false allegations regarding the purchase of pets from substandard breeders. The HSUS held a press conference in Washington, D.C., disseminated their video and report to media nationwide, and conducted a massive e-mail campaign to its members.

The video used by The HSUS is a gross distortion of the truth and the validity of the report and investigation is HIGHLY SUSPECT.

In The HSUS' report of its 8-month investigation, it claimed to have visited 21 Petland stores, and 35 breeders and brokers. The HSUS also claimed to have examined the records of more than 17,000 individual puppies.

On Nov. 21, Petland asked Stephanie Shain, program manager, The HSUS, to release all documentation that detailed the Petland store and breeder investigation, and the nearly 17,000 puppies in question. To date, this documentation has not been turned over to the USDA or the proper authorities. In fact, the Pet Rescue Examiner reported that the USDA released a statement about the charges filed by The HSUS and said that it had not received any complaints by The HSUS about any particular breeder or about Petland.

On Nov. 24, Petland urged The HSUS again to turn over the documentation to the proper authorities through an open letter to the editor. Within the letter, Petland stated, "Petland is outraged that HSUS would intentionally use video footage of unrelated kennels in the report to try to mislead the general public into believing these facilities have a connection to Petland."

On Nov. 27, Petland finally received a packet from The HSUS with documentation, but all that was included were USDA reports, information which is available to the public. There were NO documents of The HSUS' inspections of 21 Petland stores and 35 breeders, and there was NO documentation of the 17,000 puppies HSUS referenced. There was simply NO evidence that The HSUS actually did an investigation. Even the video of the kennels tied to Petland only showed the exterior of the kennels. Also, no interviews with the owners, no inside shots, no specific shots of violations were ever provided.

What Is The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)?

The HSUS is a national animal protection agency based in Washington D.C. that is essentially a public relations entity with no affiliation with local humane societies or local animal shelters.

The Real Issue is Substandard Breeders

The real, disturbing issue is that there are substandard breeders in operation. The way to end the suffering of animals in these facilities is to eliminate those substandard breeders or to bring them into compliance with humane and acceptable standards.

For years, Petland has been a leader in the stand against substandard breeders. Petland is part of the solution. As such, the objective of The HSUS to “shut down” Petland is illogical. The misguided attack by The HSUS does nothing to stop these poor breeding practices, and in fact, hinders the fight against substandard breeders.

Petland – A Leader in Responsible Pet Care

As the largest national pet retailer, Petland continues to raise the bar and set the gold standard for pet care. Petland has developed the following programs to address critical issues, and to protect the welfare of pets and educate pet owners:


Humane Care Guidelines

The Petland Humane Care Guidelines represent commitment of its member breeders and distributors to provide the best possible care for all the animals in their kennels. These guidelines govern care of dogs that live under their care as part of a well-managed breeding system as well as those that are raised through puppyhood for the enjoyment of pet owners across The United States.

Petland strictly enforces these guidelines through the landmark Petland Certified Kennel Program, which mandates regular inspections by licensed veterinarians in addition to current licensure by the governing state and federal agencies.

Spay/Neuter
Petland Pet Counselors educate new puppy and kitten owners about responsible pet care and participate in cooperative programs with local veterinarians. Petland provides families with discount incentives to spay or neuter their pet. More and more Petland stores are making already altered pets available or offering a free or discount spay/neuter certificate to pet owners who purchase a puppy or kitten.

Petland's Adopt-A-Pet(SM)
Petland's Adopt-A-Pet(SM) has helped place more than a quarter of a million homeless pets in the last 10 years. Petland Pet Counselors work with staff at local animal shelters, pet rescue groups and with members of the local community to place homeless pets, such as puppies, dogs, kittens, cats and a variety of small animals. As part of this cooperative program, Petland store operators make available their highly visible Petland display windows to aid in the placement of homeless pets in local communities.

Enhanced Protection Program
The Enhanced Protection Program is a partnership between the American Kennel Club's Companion Animal Recovery (AKC CAR) program and helpmefindMYPET™. Together, these programs provide a comprehensive pet recovery process that includes microchipping, tattooing, tagging and Amber Alert-type registration. This successful program returns 87 percent of lost or stolen pets, compared to the national average of 12 percent.

Pets for a Lifetime(SM)
Petland puppies go home with Pets for a Lifetime Resource Kits. This free, comprehensive dog training program includes a DVD on puppy training by a professional canine behavior specialist and a free canine behavior training membership. Petland offers a free helpline for dog owners with canine behaviors that are not addressed in the provided educational materials. The resource kit also includes information on local pet care specialists and coupons for savings on pet care products from Petland.

Pet Therapy
Pet therapy is a natural extension of Petland's retail environment. By definition, pet therapy is the use of animals in the therapeutic treatment of humans. Petland commonly takes its pets to visit school children and nursing home residents. Studies have shown that the human-animal bond that pets provide are good for people, enhancing verbal and social skills in children, reducing stress in adults and providing companionship and lowering blood pressure in seniors.

These are just a few examples of how Petland is committed to the welfare of pets. Petland continues to be at the forefront of setting industry standards and will continue to fight and raise awareness of substandard breeding.

Petland's Response

After reviewing the material that The HSUS provided, Petland responded to The HSUS' allegations on its Web site stating "…healthy, happy, well-socialized pets within our care are our number one priority, as they have been for 41 years. We do not support substandard breeding facilities and we provide each Petland store with 'Humane Care Guidelines,' which were developed in conjunction with the USDA to assist with breeder facility inspections."

Since the initial response, Petland has reached out to its franchisees, employees and the media with the truth. We will continue to disseminate the truth and protect the good name of Petland.

I give up, too many people now associate HSUS with PETA. They think the are some radical organization and believe the propaganda put out by commercial breeders. I think HUSU is very different than PETA, while they are both concerned with humane care of animals, HUSU is not against breeding or pet ownership. If you don't believe me, here's a comment from none other than Rush Limbaugh. Rush Limbaugh Speaks Up For Humane Society

[jrsygal37]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I would think that the charities could afford to buy a dog from a breeder, isn't that why people donate, so the charities have money to make the wish come true?

Yes, this is true but unless I'm reading it wrong isn't Petland donating the pups to the sick children? If that's the case then my suggestion would give Petland another alternative other then using a store that gets their pups from mills. MAW is not going to use funds to buy a pup if they are getting a pup for from from Petland. It comes down to dollar and cents and not necessarily where that pup came from. Elaine

[megansmomma]

This was just sent to me:

http://www.stoppuppymills.org/pdfs/f...-v-petland.pdf

[postalmom1987]

Originally Posted by megansmomma

This was just sent to me:

http://www.stoppuppymills.org/pdfs/f...-v-petland.pdf

Ugh! A lot to wade through. Some of those stories were heartbreaking. I have always loved my pets growing up(they were cats). I could not imagine what some of these families have gone through with regards to thier kid's heartbreak, let alone the expense. This is just horrible and unforgiveable. Companies like this should NOT be alowed to stay in business.

[manolos mom]

Jodi, Can all of us start a petition and send it to the appropriate people? I have also emailed Oprah and Dr Phill. We need to get this out to the media. Let me know your thoughts.

[megansmomma]

Here is what I have been doing........Late last night I was really thinking about how to get a good petition together as suggested by nancy1999 and Manolo'smom. I did a search right here on YT and found a post from Yorkiesmiles

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...peaks-out.html

It listed all of the contact emails for people involved with the Petland protests that are going on all over the country~so I emailed them all Believe it or not even they were not aware this was going on! But they are NOW

An online petition is being put together by a member of HSUS and as soon as it is up and ready I will let everyone know. In the mean time if you have not already done so please send an email to the Make a Wish Foundation regarding Petland and their association to puppymills.

Finally, I would like to stress AGAIN my intent is not to cause problems to MaW or deny a child their wish. I fully intend to do whatever is in my power to enlighten MaW of the facts surrounding Petland. Like Nancy said earlier, there is no reason to accept dirty "money" puppymill dogs from Petland~they could purchase from reputable breeders to fulfull a child's wish! This association is what bothers me and how Make a Wish is being douped into believing that Petland is doing a great thing for these kids. This is the website that the petition will most likely be placed but for now you can go and check it out. Puppy Mill Dogs Voice - HOME

[Fancy_Pants]

As a Wish family, I can say they do have the money to buy from a respectable breeder. The average wish costs around $7K. Which is more than enough to fufill the child's wish if they are wanting ANY kind of puppy....

[sevenfortythree]

Originally Posted by tammy8833

i think its wrong to expect them to accept a decrease in donations because some people dont agree with what another company is doing to help st judes. Regardless of the marketing that the store gets.

its a petstore, that yes is not reputable by any means. but i hardly see it tarnishing their image. they are a extremely honorable organization and i cant for see something like this making them look bad. the big problem here is petland and the puppy mills not st jude and make a wish. someone has already stated to them what their opinions are of petland to the organizations, at this point to proceed further i believe in going forward with finding way to correct the root of the problems

petland would be the one at fault and therefore need the negative attention. my guess is if they get tons and tons of negative attention and it becomes national news, st jude would probably not bother with dealing with them anymore

Hi everyone! I am "the one" from the other thread. Tammy, I agree with you whole heartedly, which is why I joined the forum to express my displeasure at the thought of punishing a charity for accepting a donation. I told everyone that I was an ex-franchisee to support my agrument and not seem like I was pro Petland; which I am not. Unfortunately some irrational people think that because I stated my opinion, that I am part of a conspiracy with Petland. My question is: why would I admit to being an ex franchisee if I was part of this alleged conspiracy? I would like to see all Petland stores closed down because I do not think the Petland monitors their franchisees enough to ensure that puppies are not bought from puppy mills. However, I would not like to see a charity suffer because they tried to make a dying child's wish come true. Puppy mill politics should be addressed on its own, write a campaign to Petland or the state, or the federal government...whatever you want. By these charities losing your support, the families they help are the ones that suffer. Petland will not be affected by it at all- if you want to stop Petland you need to reassess your target.

[sevenfortythree]

PS- I'm sure Make a Wish is enlightened about Petland; they just have priorities- which is to help families get their wish. Your goal seems to be to stoop MaW from accepting donations from Petland. Even if MaW stopped taking donations from Petland, it would not affect Petland. Petland donates these puppies, they do not receive money for them. So ceasing to donate to MaW does not hurt their sales- which means they will continue to purchase from these puppy mills. The "publicity" that you think MaW donations get Petland does not help their sales. The publicity is mostly from Petland Corp. And there are never spikes in sales. I just wanted to further elaborate on my point about how MaW is getting caught in the crossfire against your anti-Petland campaign. Since apparently you read into everything I say as pro Petland...I will make this clear: I would like to see all Petlands closed. I would not like to see the MaW foundation unnecessarily financially hurt in order for this to happen.

Regarding MaW buying from a direct breeder. I think that is a perfect idea. And a campaign to MaW to support this would be a good idea; but please dont stop donating to them.

[megansmomma]

Originally Posted by sevenfortythree

Hi everyone! I am "the one" from the other thread. Tammy, I agree with you whole heartedly, which is why I joined the forum to express my displeasure at the thought of punishing a charity for accepting a donation. I told everyone that I was an ex-franchisee to support my agrument and not seem like I was pro Petland; which I am not. Unfortunately some irrational people think that because I stated my opinion, that I am part of a conspiracy with Petland. My question is: why would I admit to being an ex franchisee if I was part of this alleged conspiracy? I would like to see all Petland stores closed down because I do not think the Petland monitors their franchisees enough to ensure that puppies are not bought from puppy mills. However, I would not like to see a charity suffer because they tried to make a dying child's wish come true. Puppy mill politics should be addressed on its own, write a campaign to Petland or the state, or the federal government...whatever you want. By these charities losing your support, the families they help are the ones that suffer. Petland will not be affected by it at all- if you want to stop Petland you need to reassess your target.

Once again, I do not understand were you are getting that we want to "PUNISH"" a charity? I email Make A Wish and asked that they please reconsider offering puppies from Petland for a child's wish. Somehow you are twisting this into I am personally attacking Make A Wish That could be further from the truth. I wanted MaW to underastand that Petland was not a good choice when it came to granting a wish not that I wanted to stop people from donating to their very worthwhile charity. Not only that but you quoted Tammie in your reply and this was also clarified to her as well and she now understands what our point is~to not accept Petland donations.

Do not worry because this is now being taken care of and address in a very positive manner. HSUS is not a radical organization as Petland is presenting them to be to MaW as a matter of fact they have a resource to direct people to good breeders that are not puppymills. Hopefully in the future with a little encouragement MaW will use donation money to purchase a puppy for a child wish instead of taking puppies from Petland.

I am still curious how you found this forum so quickly when it came to Petland and an thread about Petland birthday parties that turned into Petland granting Make A Wish donations? I don't think I am trying to make this a conspiracy as you stated, I truly am curious how you found us. This is a question that is asked often on this forum.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by sevenfortythree

Hi everyone! I am "the one" from the other thread. Tammy, I agree with you whole heartedly, which is why I joined the forum to express my displeasure at the thought of punishing a charity for accepting a donation. I told everyone that I was an ex-franchisee to support my agrument and not seem like I was pro Petland; which I am not. Unfortunately some irrational people think that because I stated my opinion, that I am part of a conspiracy with Petland. My question is: why would I admit to being an ex franchisee if I was part of this alleged conspiracy? I would like to see all Petland stores closed down because I do not think the Petland monitors their franchisees enough to ensure that puppies are not bought from puppy mills. However, I would not like to see a charity suffer because they tried to make a dying child's wish come true. Puppy mill politics should be addressed on its own, write a campaign to Petland or the state, or the federal government...whatever you want. By these charities losing your support, the families they help are the ones that suffer. Petland will not be affected by it at all- if you want to stop Petland you need to reassess your target.

How many times do we have to write that no one wants these charities to suffer? It's just that they need to make an informed decision about receiving a pet from Petland. You seem to be suggesting that we should keep the whole thing quiet, I hope this is not the case. This is an ethical sort of question, similar to "Should a church stop taking donations from someone who they know has stolen money from others?"

You could be a very valuable ally in this task, as you have first hand information about Petland, I hope you focus on what we are trying to accomplish, and that's educating these charities that Petland is not the sort of company that they should associated with. I hope you will join us in educating others about the problems. Once the facts are out there, we can all make a decision on what to do.