The very last item on my list of favorite things to write about is animal abuse and typically I don’t. With the way the economy is and with fears increasing everyday that things could get worse after the first of the year, the sad fact is that now more than ever people are turning to pets as a way to make a quick buck. While some do manage to turn a buck illegally, untold innocents both human and animal are often the ones that ultimately pay the price for the wrong doings of others. As I mentioned I typically avoid stories of animal cruelty, but since this latest report involves a national retailer I felt you the consumer had a right to be informed.

According to a report filed yesterday on MSN, the Humane Society of the United States is accusing the nationally known pet retailer Petland of selling dogs which they obtained from puppy mills located throughout the country. The Humane Society released its findings at a press conference and citied at least 21 different locations that they believe sell puppies bred at puppy mills. The conference also went on to include several breeders and brokers involved in the illegal activities. In a statement from Executive Vice President of the Humane Society Michael Markarian “They are buying from puppy mills where these dogs are not treated like pets. They're treated like a cash crop, where mother dogs live in wire cages, sometimes stacked on top of each other in filthy, dirty, cramped conditions, where they receive little socialization or human interaction or exercise.”

The numbers of pets that are believed to have been purchased from puppy mills and sold to consumers at Petland stores under the disguise of coming from certified breeders are a staggering 17,000+ puppies. Puppy mills are known for the routine abuse, filthy conditions, and inadequate conditions that they force the puppies to endure. Facing what many hope is prosecution for these charges, Petland issued a response on their website stating “Petland stores are independently operated by qualified franchisees. Each is responsible for choosing healthy pets offered to Petland customers. Petland, Inc. provides each Petland store with humane care guidelines to assist in this important task.”