PETLAND RESPONDS TO HSUS’ REPORT

(Chillicothe, OH, May 28, 2019) – At Petland, the health and welfare of all our pets is our number one priority.  We work closely with and take direction from respected, professional animal care personnel such as veterinarians, and local, state and federal animal agencies, all of whom frequent our stores and inspect our operations.

As for the specific claims this month, it is once again ridiculous that HSUS would sit on information for six months without making Petland aware of any specific animal welfare issues. And, once again, these allegations coincide with a time period when an undercover representative of HSUS was employed at the store.

Petland is aware of an activist who has been moving from state to state, apparently under HSUS’ direction, to work at the stores mentioned in the report. At three of the locations, she worked for less than a month and in one case, less than two weeks. She has lied on her applications and has initiated or manipulated situations for video and for the current report that would best serve HSUS’ agenda ­– activity that is potentially illegal.

Regardless of HSUS’ recent history, legal problems, and downgraded charity status, Petland has continued attempts to have meaningful dialogue with them and, rather than engage in our open offer of productive discussion, they continue orchestrating exaggerated public “Gotchas.” Kitty Block and John Goodwin have committed themselves to destroying the regulated sources of pets in favor of the black market.

HSUS is a politically-oriented fundraising group that is out of touch with the animal world.  HSUS has demonstrated they lack acceptable ethics and has lost their place as a credible source to those who truly put animal-welfare first, evidenced by their ‘D’ rating from Charity Watch. We can’t imagine the number of animals that could be helped if they spent just a quarter of the energy and money they use targeting regulated sources of pets and instead, focused on true animal welfare.

Petland, Inc. is a franchise operation with quality, full service retail pet centers across the United States, Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil and El Salvador. For more than 50 years, Petland Pet Counselors have been dedicated to matching the right pet with the right person and meeting the needs of both. To its customers who already have pets, Petland is dedicated to enhancing their knowledge and enjoyment of the human-animal bond. Petland was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in south central Ohio. For more information on Petland, visit www.petland.com.