Petland - Don't Ever Buy A Dog From A Pet Store!

Now that reality has set in that my male maltipoo developed cancer before he even turned 4 years old (read my previous post Cosmo's Update), I've been doing some research about Petland (where we bought him) and I'm horrified. If I had known then what I know now, I never would have stepped foot in their building. Of course I don't regret buying Cosmo because he has been such a joy for our family. But, I will never buy from Petland again because it is clear to me that his cancer is a result from being born in a puppy mill.

I know it's hard to believe that I - the girl who loves to research - didn't research Petland BEFORE we bought Cosmo. But, if you've read my blog The End Of Summer) then you know that it was a spur of the moment decision not only to walk into Petland on February 3, 2006, but to even buy a dog.

We had a girl maltipoo at home - we had bought her from a breeder the year before. For the six months leading up to buying her - my first dog ever - I did a TON of research about what kind of dog to get and what I needed to know once I chose the maltipoo, plus everything else you can imagine.

Of course one of the first things I read/heard was never buy from a pet store. So I didn't even consider it. During those six months I only researched breeders. (Of course, adopting from a shelter is the best, but because I'd never had a pet in my life I was worried I'd have a harder time with a dog that came with an unknown background.)

I was very pleased with the breeder we selected, and the time and energy it took to do my research paid off - Bella has always been strong and healthy since we bought her in March 2005. We thought if we ever wanted another dog we would definitely buy from the same breeder.

However, we let our hearts take over when we went to Petland "for fun" one night a year later. We were told the male maltipoo we had our eye on was healthy and we were given pamphlet after pamphlet that stated they were not a typical pet store. They did not use puppy mills, but were registered with the American Kennel Club. They insisted they had very high standards and worked closely with an animal hospital to promise the dogs were in top health and were well taken care of.

Blah-blah-blah. . .we bought the dog for $750 which was three hundred dollars more than what we paid for Bella (we talked ourselves into it because he came with a microchip and they paid for neutering and initial shots). (Here's a picture of Cosmo 3/1/06 - you can see he was kind of scruffy but you can also see why we fell in love with him!)When we took our new dog - Cosmo - to our vet, she informed us that he had a non-descending testicle, patella luxation (loose knee caps), and hip dysplasia. Since we weren't planning to breed him, we weren't bothered by the testicle. For his patella and hips, they weren't expected to be a problem until he was elderly, and we were told there was a surgery we could do if necessary. So even though it wasn't a perfect appointment like Bella's had always been, we didn't take those as red flags.

Now I've learned those are common problems of dogs that are born in puppy mills. He was also more fragile-acting than Bella, more timid and calm, but we thought that was just his personality. He got car sick a lot his first year (threw up every time we were in the car) and also sometimes had diarrhea and threw up after eating, so we switched his food a few times and found that Science Diet Sensitive Stomach is what worked best for both of our dogs.

In December 2006 Cosmo was truly sick, though, so we took him to the vet for "an unknown" illness. We were told maybe he just had the flu. After that, he had this "unknown illness" a few more times - so we would take him to the vet because he was acting weird or crying or vomiting and having diarrhea and they would take blood tests, and once they took an x-ray, but couldn't find anything wrong. Not long after we'd return home he'd seem normal again, so after that we often didn't even take him in when those things happened. He had dental surgery during the summer of 2009 because his teeth went bad, but otherwise that was it for vet visits (aside from his vaccines). (Here he is 4/8/07)During the summer of 2007, Cosmo began barking and also getting aggressive towards other dogs. Bella followed this behavior somewhat, so I'm not sure whether this was environmental or whether since dogs from puppy mills are statistically like this, that was the reason and Bella just copied. But although at one time he'd been my easier dog, he became harder to control and obey than Bella.

When my son, Logan, was born in April 2008, Cosmo was happier than ever. He'd always been playful and puppy-like, but now he took on the role of "big brother." He loved Logan from the start and was so excited once Logan was mobile. They began playing together and kissing each other non-stop. . .to this day when Logan makes a noise that he's ready to get up from his nap, Cosmo RACES to his door and starts pawing at it. Logan and Cosmo are best buds.

But in October 2009, I was taking a walk with Cosmo, Bella, and Logan and two little girls came over to pet my dogs as they often did. This time, though, Cosmo growled, jumped, and bit one of the girls on the finger (pulling the skin back). Although Bella (my more dominant) dog had bit Logan and me twice in her life, Cosmo had never bit anyone before. I was so horrified, I made an appt. with a dog expert for both of my dogs, but first wanted to take Cosmo to the vet because he had a grape-sized lump on his chest. He'd had a bump earlier in the summer that I'd taken him in for immediately - but it wasn't anything. . .the vet shaved the area and it went away. So for this one I waited a couple of months until November 3rd. Sadly, it was malignant. A week later (November 11th) he had surgery to remove the tumor. A week after that (November 18) we learned he has stage 2 cancer which means at some point it will turn into stage 3 or 4 which means at that point he will have to be put to sleep.(Here he is 8/11/07 lying on Joe's Bible)He just turned four years old on Halloween so we were devastated to think he could die so young (the typical maltipoo lives 15 to even 20 years). But our vet removed more than just the tumor so we are hoping that it hasn't spread and will be awhile before it comes back.

Yes, all pets will die at some point and all animals, no matter where they are from, can develop health problems like cancer - but now that I've finally researched Petland I've come to learn that my story is very common. Too common to be a coincidence. The truth is Petland DOES get their animals from puppy mills, and so I'm afraid my poor little Cozzy didn't ever have a chance. No animal bought there will be in top health.

We've already spent more money than what we had expected on Cosmo's health, and although we aren't going to do chemotherapy, who knows how much more money we are going to spend due to his cancer or other issues that may come up.

Unfortunately, we allowed Petland to stay in business by purchasing from them 3.5 years ago, so they continue to sell non-quality-bred dogs and make money from customers who love animals so much they quickly grow attached and then spend even more money once they get home to try to save their new animal. (This is Cosmo on his second birthday, Halloween 2007)Don't be fooled. Petland IS a typical pet store. Their contract with the American Kennel club was annulled. There have been countless investigations, countless lawsuits, proving how awful they are. Google it for yourself - you'll be disgusted at the thousands of websites giving examples of their cruelty to animals.

For me, a person who has donated for years to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) - this breaks my heart that Petland is still in business. They are NOT animal lovers. I will never walk into Petland again. I am joining the national boycott and I hope you will, too.