AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR COMMUNITY

Petland has proudly called Chillicothe home since opening our first Petland store on S. Paint St. in 1967. At Petland, we believe pets make life better, and unlike large pet supply stores, it is our mission to match the right pet with the right customer. We believe the human-animal bond is an important part of our lives, and everyone should have the right to choose where they find their next pet.

The health and well-being of our pets is always Petland’s top priority. Regardless of where you get your pet, like our own children, pets can also get sick. That is why Petland goes above and beyond all federal and state requirements by providing its industry-leading pet health warranty. Petland’s health warranty gives new puppy owners support in the rare event their new pet needs unexpected medical care. It is the right thing to do; and no business can succeed by selling sick pets with health warranties.

Most of Petland’s 300+ stores are located outside the United States, and fewer than 1% of the eight million dogs that join American families each year come from a Petland store. We proudly support highly regulated professional breeders who sign our Petland Breeder Pledge. These responsible breeders are regulated and inspected by federal and state agencies, as well as Petland and other animal welfare organizations. Petland has publicly committed to obtaining 100% of its puppies from breeders who are Purdue University’s Canine Care Certified (CCC). CCC is science-based and utilizes a third-party ISO standards inspection program.

Despite Petland’s dedication to providing healthy pets and exceptional service, radical organizations like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) oppose our mission and the rights of families to choose the best pet for their home. This DC-based fundraising group has zero oversight of any local humane society, and it does not operate a single animal shelter. Rather, HSUS exploits Petland in its fundraising and legislative efforts across America using late night TV ads of dogs raised in sub-standard conditions as a method to encourage donations. If you want to help shelter pets, donate to the local humane society or animal shelter in your community.

Recently, a Toledo-area state representative unfairly attacked Petland when introducing a misguided bill to promote closing regulated pet stores in favor of unregulated pet sales, such as flea markets and Craig’s List. This state rep’s anti-business attack on Petland was sensationalized by statehouse media. Even our local paper, Chillicothe Gazette, re-ran a story that was published a day earlier in The Columbus Dispatch. Petland, a trusted Chillicothe-area business for nearly 60 years, and has supported the Gazette in advertising, wasn’t contacted by local editors or reporters for an opportunity to provide our side of the story.

Petland is part of this community. We are proud of our countless classroom pet visits, our support of dozens of area police K9 units, donations of thousands of pounds of dog food at animal shelters and food banks, numerous pet therapy sessions at area long-term care facilities, nearly 1,000 wishes granted through Make-A-Wish and our many years of fundraising efforts to support St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Be assured, Petland is a responsible and ethical source for your family’s next pet, and we are a proud corporate member of this community. We are firmly committed to promoting the human-animal bond and being a place for a child to find their first pet. Thank you for your support. We look forward to serving your needs for years to come.

Sincerely,

Joe Watson, President & CEO
Ed Kunzelman, Founder & Chairman
Petland, Inc.
Chillicothe, OH

To learn more about Petland’s commitment to animal welfare, and to learn more about our breeders, visit petland.com/cares.

#PetlandCares #DonateLocal