Petland demands HSUS provide proof of claims (2 items)

Article (1)

> The Chillicothe Gazette
>
> Petland, HSUS continue battle
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> Company demands proof of society's puppy-mill claims
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> The Gazette Staff
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> January 18, 2009
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>
>
> The latest public salvo between Chillicothe-based Petland Inc. and The
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> Humane Society of the United States will come in the form of an open
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> letter to be posted Monday on Petland's Web site. (Posted below)
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>
>
> In the letter, the company once again will ask for specific
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> documentation HSUS used as the basis for accusations Petland sells
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> puppies obtained from substandard breeders.
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>
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> The letter claims HSUS, which is not affiliated with local Humane
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> Society operations or shelters, has made accusations against Petland
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> without any specific documentation to support the claims. In November,
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> HSUS posted a report containing the accusations on its Web site
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> stating an eight-month investigation of Petland revealed that, after
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> tracking the sources of nearly 17,000 puppies sold by breeders to
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> Petland stores, several came from puppy mill breeders.
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>
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> Puppy mills are breeders that raise the animals in large numbers and
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> in substandard conditions for sale. Dogs coming from them are prone to
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> health problems, genetic defects and some behavioral issues.
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>
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> Petland officials Friday once again said the charges are baseless. The
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> fact HSUS cannot provide any documentation linking pets sold at
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> Petland to puppy mill breeders and the fact HSUS, over a 10-month
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> period, never has taken its alleged findings to proper authorities
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> such as the USDA, indicates no wrongdoing has occurred, the company
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> maintains.
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>
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> "We are selling happy and healthy pets," said Elizabeth Kunzelman,
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> director of marketing and communication for Petland. "If we weren't,
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> you'd know it."
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>
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> In the open letter, Petland asks HSUS why requested documentation has
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> not been provided at the company's request so it could look into
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> allegations against specific stores.
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>
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> "For 41 years, Petland has continued its stand against substandard
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> breeders," the letter reads. "As such, Petland has repeatedly over the
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> last two months asked the Humane Society of the United States to
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> provide information that will lead to the relief of numerous
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> distressed animals allegedly identified by your organization in your
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> supposed report. Specifically, we are asking for the detailed
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> documentation of the 17,000 puppies sold in 21 stores over the
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> eight-month period referenced in your report.
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>
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> "If there was an eight-month investigation and the last two months of
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> unfulfilled requests for information are included, then this is a
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> period spanning 10 months where animals were suffering and the HSUS
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> did nothing. The HSUS has not provided this specific information to
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> Petland or the USDA."
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>
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> Also in the letter, Petland calls the report "baseless slander," says
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> many of the USDA reports used to compile it are from as far back as
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> 2005 and 2006 and involve dealers that are on Petland's "Do Not Buy"
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> list, and indicates videos used in the "slanderous attack upon our
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> good name" shows dogs in cages with no connection to the company.
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>
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> "If information exists, for the welfare of the supposedly identified
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> animals, please supply that information immediately to the proper
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> authorities and to Petland so we may provide assistance," the letter
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> reads. "Only with this specific information may assistance be rendered
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> to the animals."
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>
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> The open letter to be posted online follows an exchange of letters
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> between the two entities.
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>
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> The first, from Stephanie Shain, director of HSUS' Stop Puppy Mills
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> Campaign, is dated Jan. 14 and indicates a packet of information sent
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> to Petland that included a few of the USDA reports used in the
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> accusations - as well as the online report itself - were adequate
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> proof.
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>
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> "We believe The HSUS has presented Petland Inc. with ample evidence,
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> via footage available on our Web site, proving that many of the
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> breeders and brokers supplying puppies to Petland stores are puppy
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> mills ...," the letter states. "Before we provide you with additional
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> records, please respond to the first records we revealed in November."
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>
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> The HSUS letter also invites Petland Vice President Joe Watson to meet
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> with HSUS to review footage of breeders and compare it with company
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> inspection records of those breeders.
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>
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> In response, a Jan. 16 letter from Watson says the only records
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> provided were USDA inspection reports with no connection to Petland,
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> that the video on HSUS' Web site under "Petland Investigation"
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> actually has nothing to do with Petland and that Petland has agreed to
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> meet with HSUS after the company receives the "stacks of information"
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> pertaining to the 17,000 puppies that are the focus of the dispute.
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>
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> "Stephanie, at Petland, the health and welfare of all pets are our No.
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> 1 concern and we stand by your efforts to expose and shut down
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> substandard facilities," Watson said. "But as it relates to your
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> recent efforts with your 'Petland Investigation,' you are truly
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> misguided and Petland won't be intimidated by the rhetoric contained
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> in your Jan. 14 letter.
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>
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> "Rather, we are taking action to obtain every piece of information
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> related to the 17,000 puppies sold in the 21 Petland stores over the
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> eight-month investigation."
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>
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> Petland says franchise owners are prepared to operate a franchise
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> store by going through a four- to six-week training regimen that
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> includes management training and hands-on experience in every aspect
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> of store operations as a regular employee of another Petland store.
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> They also are provided "the tools to do the right thing" in their
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> operations, including screening breeders that will be supplying their
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> store.
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>
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> Breeders interested in becoming a supplier must fill out a form, share
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> veterinarian reports and prove USDA licensing. Store personnel also
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> meet extensively with breeders as a means of developing a
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> relationship, and breeders known to be substandard are placed on a "do
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> not buy" list for store franchisees to avoid, company officials said.

Article (2)





> Petland
>
> An Open Letter to The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
>
> January 19, 2009
>
> http://www.petland.com/truth/RequestForDocumentation.htm
>
>
>
> Dear Humane Society of the United States,
>
>
>
> Petland is continuing its stand against substandard breeders. As such,
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> Petland has repeatedly, over the last two months, asked the Humane
>
> Society of the United States (HSUS) to provide information that will
>
> lead to the relief of numerous distressed animals allegedly identified
>
> by your organization in your supposed report. If there was an 8month
>
> investigation and the last two months of unfulfilled requests for
>
> information are included, then this is a period spanning 10 months
>
> where animals were suffering and HSUS did nothing. The HSUS has not
>
> provided this specific information to Petland or to the USDA.
>
>
>
> If information exists, for the welfare of the supposedly identified
>
> animals, please supply that information immediately to the proper
>
> authorities and to Petland so we may provide assistance. Only with
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> this specific information may assistance be rendered to the animals.
>
>
>
> We strongly contend that the HSUS has not reported its supposed
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> findings to the proper authorities because HSUS has no substantive
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> information to provide to the authorities. One cannot report baseless
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> slander as evidence to a federal agency.
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>
>
> Facts are stubborn things. The continuous emotional spin and
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> sensationalized slander by your organization cannot alter stubborn
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> facts.
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>
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> These are the facts:
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>
>
> Fact: The HSUS has not supplied Petland with any material, other than
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> USDA reports which were already public record. The few USDA reports
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> provided by you are dated and many regard breeders that are on
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> Petland's "Do Not Buy" list.
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>
>
> Fact: Videos used by HSUS in the slanderous attack upon our good name
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> show dogs in cages that have no connection to Petland, (as verified
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> personally by Stephanie Shain during a phone conversation with Petland
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> Vice President Joe Watson on Dec. 9, 2008), however, the title above
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> the video of the distressed animals falsely says, "Petland
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> Investigation."
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>
>
> Fact: Videos of breeders on the HSUS Web site, referenced by you as
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> "evidence," are on Petland's "DO NOT BUY" list, which means we have
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> identified them as substandard breeders and are not doing business
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> with them.
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>
>
> Fact: Petland has taken a stand against substandard breeders by
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> forcing the closure of substandard breeding facilities and, as a
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> result, have raised the bar for the entire pet industry.
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>
>
> Fact: Through Petland's "Pets For a Lifetime," "Adopt-A-Pet," early
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> Spay/Neuter programs and our Humane Care Guidelines, Petland has a
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> proven history of taking action and improving the lives of pets for
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> more than 41 years.
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>
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> Fact: Petland has agreed to meet with HSUS once we have received the
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> information we have justly requested.
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>
>
> Fact: The summary of the HSUS "investigation" shows your organization
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> listed Petland stores in states that do not operate stores.
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>
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> Once we have received the information we originally requested 57 days
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> ago, we will review it as a basis for a substantive discussion.
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>
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> We genuinely want a solution that is best for the animals.
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>
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> As Petland is committed to taking a stand against substandard
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> breeders, we welcome all partners in this noble undertaking and urge
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> that the requested information is sent immediately.
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>
>
> Sincerely,
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>
>
> The Petland Family

HSUS should be sued by everybody, company and group it slanders.

Open and shut SLANDER lawsuit.

I think Truman would let me co chair this one, its so easy.

The Petland here has been getting bad press lately for selling puppy mill dogs. I went in the store one day and looked at the dogs, and they don't look to healthy at all. That and they have been telling people one price and then when t hey go to get the dog, they want to charge them a higher price and dogs have been dieing once people get them home. Been two news stories about this within the last 2 weeks here.