Canadian Petland Stores to Stop Selling Puppies and Kittens

Canadian Petland Stores to Stop Selling Puppies and Kittens

September 15, 2011, 12:24PM MT
By Cathy Scott, Best Friends staff writer

Pet store chain decides to follow a humane model and work with animal rescue groups

The Petland chain is phasing out selling puppies and kittens in its stores across Canada, giving hope to those in animal welfare that it is a continuing trend. The decision marks the second Canadian chain in recent weeks to make the humane move, with PJ’s Pets recently stopping its sales of puppies and kittens.

In its announcement, Petland said it was phasing out sales at its 50-some stores in Canada. Petlands in the U.S., however, according to the chain’s corporate office, are not participating.

Elizabeth Oreck, national manager of Best Friends’ puppy mill initiatives, lauds the move. “The fact that Canada is taking such progressive steps to address the puppy mill issue,” she said, “is a really good indication that the world is taking notice of the puppy mill-pet store connection.”

That’s because it is widely believed that overpopulation and abandonment at animal shelters is made worse because of pet stores being supplied by puppy mills, where dogs are bred for profit in inhumane conditions.

“Pet stores in the U.S. have been on the same track,” Elizabeth continues, “and I believe that once the Canadian Petlands demonstrate that a pet store can be successful without supporting puppy mills, their U.S. stores will follow.”

In place of selling pets, the stores plan to instead work with and help animal rescue groups by having adoption events at their locations and even taking in rescued pets at the stores to adopt out.

Petland chief operating officer Robert Brissette, in a statement released to the media, did not acknowledge ethical reasons for phasing out the sales. Instead, he said it was, in part, because of a decline in store sales caused by people shopping online instead of in stores.

“Our business decision to end these sales was a tough one and was based on business fundamentals,” he said. That decision “reflects the fundamental change in the way consumers are sourcing and purchasing puppies, resulting in a decrease of sales within pet stores.”

Lorne Terrault, with Paradise Pet Centre in St. Albert, said he is proud to be at the head of the trend, rallying to make it happen. “It makes me feel great that we were at the start of this," Terrault told CBC Canada, noting that he was motivated by concerns about animal treatment. "We've found, so far, that it hasn't hurt our business. If anything, we're having more people coming in."

Source: http://network.bestfriends.org/17654/news.aspx