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Report: #432682

Complaint Review: Petland Pittsburgh Monroeville - Monroeville Pennsylvania

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  • Reported By: Indiana Pennsylvania
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  • Petland Pittsburgh Monroeville Rt. 22 William Penn Hwy. Monroeville, Pennsylvania U.S.A.

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My son purchased a new puppy from Petland Pittsburgh Monroeville on March 1, 2009. She was in emergency care by March 5, 2009. More than four Veterinarians that are registered tended her during this time. The puppy died on March 8, 2009. She had to be force fed just to survive. She had infections that came prior to purchase. We have reports stating all the facts. Petland does not care. My son spent $1944.38 for the 15 week old puppy and her supplies. He spent $1,210.75 in medical costs. They have done nothing to help his situation, nor have they offered any sympathy. We tried to contact the Owner (Clay). We are told that he works 14 hour days and will contact us in a week or more.

I am contacting every agency to get the word out. Please add your stories, and if anyone would like to join our cause, please let us know. We are very broken hearted over the loss of the puppy. Petland sells puppymill puppies, and the Human Society has verified it. Please stop purchasing their puppies. It is the only way to stop the unfair treatment of the animals, and the cold treatment to the families that wish to provide a good home to them.

Disgraced
Indiana, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 03/10/2009 11:40 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/petland-pittsburgh-monroeville/monroeville-pennsylvania-15146/petland-pittsburgh-monroeville-yorkie-puppy-was-sick-within-days-and-died-in-less-than-a-w-432682. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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#22 Consumer Comment

Petland

AUTHOR: tim - (United States)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 17, 2020

I thought the extra money spent from petland actually took care of a warranty claim on a dog.  I know that let you finance a pet and that  breaks down in to a payment plan, but the finance company get interest payments to go along with financing. That stil does not expain the extra several hundred of dollars that they charge extra , or should i say thousands. 

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#21 Consumer Comment

Ripped Off by Petland in Monroeville

AUTHOR: Upset Victim in Murrysville - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, November 17, 2011

I am writing this story to you regarding a puppy that my husband bought me at Petland in Monroeville.  He bought me the puppy for Valentines Day and Charlie quickly stole my heart and became the love of my life.  When we had Charlie for three days, he developed a skin condition which we took him to the vets for.  They tested him for a variety of things and were not able to confirm anything.  Our vet feels that Charlie had this skin condition since birth and that Petland probably put oil on him to cover it up so someone would buy him.  He was twelve weeks old when we bought him.  He is a golden retriever and he came from a breeder in Missouri.  Charlie had a variety of different things going on with him since we took ownership of him, all of which were brought to the attention of Petland.  The worse thing happened though in July of this year.  Charlie was very lethargic and wouldnt eat.  I didnt think much of it the first day but the next day he was the same and his eyes were oozing puss.  I called my vet who said that he thought Charlie might have an eye infection and called me a prescription in for eye drops to Rite-Aid.  About noon that same day, Charlie was ready to pass out when I caught him and rushed him to our vet.  They tested his blood and found that his red blood cell count was low.  They immediately started him on steroids and kept him overnight.  The next day they called me to tell me that Charlie had eaten and I could come and pick him up.  They had also administered an IV at this time to get his fluid level up since he had a temp of 104 and was dehydrated.  I picked him up and brought him home and the next day he collapsed again.  I rushed him back to the vet (this was the day before my wedding) and they kept him over the weekend.  His red blood cell count was down again.  They tested him for Lyme disease and a variety of other things, all which came back negative.  I picked him up the following Monday and he was sent home with steroids and an antibiotic.  We went for weekly blood tests after this and his red blood cell count would go up and then down again.  At one point, his red blood cell count was down to 10 and he was given a blood transfusion.  We were then sent to see an internal medicine specialist in Pittsburgh.  After $3,500.00 in veterinary bills, Charlie has been diagnosed with auto-immune hemolytic anemia, a disease which is hereditary and he will live with for the rest of his life.  He is on high doses of prednisone and has subsequently suffered muscle weakness from the steroids.  Petland has always been informed of Charlies condition and I was always told to get a diagnosis which I did.  I took all of my medical bills to Petland as I was advised to do so by one of the owners Ted.  I was told that they would pay for his medical bills once I had a diagnosis.  That never happened.  They turned my claim in to their Claims and Warranties Division which says something about Petland that they have their own Claims and Warranties Division.


 


They are now saying that we only had a 30 day warranty on Charlie and that that time has expired.  I have researched into Petland and they have a bad reputation for selling puppy mill puppies and I have met so many people recently that purchased sick dogs from them.  This isnt about the money as much as it is about doing the right thing and stop selling puppy mill puppies.  I want them to stop taking advantage of peoples feelings by selling us animals that they know we are going to fall in love with and the animals get sick.


 


I love my Charlie with all of my heart and am doing everything in my power to get him treatment and get him at least in a manageable state.  I could have put him down and a lot of people may have done that but my husband and I have chosen to do the right thing by Charlie and try our best to get him better.  All I ask is that Petland stand behind what they sell and for them to stick to selling pet products, not animals that come from puppy mills.  They need to know that animals are more than dollar signs with four legs.


 


I ask you to please help me in getting the word out there that people should not buy their animals from Petland.  Please contact me at your earliest convenience so that we can discuss this further. 


 


Thank you,
Kelly, Murrysville PA

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#20 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Please Help?

AUTHOR: landerson42 - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Hello, my name is Lauren and i hope you are reading this because i was an employee of this exact petland...for about 4 weeks. They fired me, under reasons which they couldnt justify. i simply didn't "fit in" with their clique and they didn't want me around. 


One little weasel in there had a problem with people who were any kind of "competition" so he'd talk about me and watch me like a hawk just waiting to see me mess up and he'd always criticize me. He got his friends to complain about me too. And the manager used that as an excuse. The only thing is...Theyre like best friends. so she got rid of me. 

I was devastated because i loved my job but i think i was blind to a lot of things...but i need to contact the owner. Over the 4 weeks which i was employed, i NEVER saw this Clay guy. I didnt even know his last name. I had to look it up online just now and i came upon your post, ive never used this site so i hope im typing the right person. 

But anyways you asked who runs the store...well not very nice people. Im still heartbroken over losing my job because i thought they were my FRIENDS. I have so much to say about them its too much to type, i have so much info. may i contact you about this? i would also like to know clays contact info i cant find anything and i know getting his number from them will be almost impossible. 

Thank you,
Heartbroken
 
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#19 Author of original report

Petland Monroeville Purchases Dying Puppies from Hunte

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Please help us to find all the information available for a USDA/FDA Breeder. His name is Tim Hyatt, and his License/Certificate No. is 73-A-2001. The name of his kennel is Sandbur Kennel, and the address is very vague. P.O. Box 24, Lane, Oklahoma 74555. Everyone has been so helpful with coming forward with their stories. The class action lawsuit is now taking place, and we plan to add Monroeville. The news stories already have four families including ours willing to discuss their puppy dying after being purchased from the Slivko's Petland. Please let me know everything you can about Tim Hyatt. He obviously sells to Hunte, and Hunte sells to Petland. I have shared all of our documents with BBB, the Attorney General, HSUS, and I have written the FDA with our complaint. One person can make a difference. Please do the same if this has happened to you. The public can't deny that Petland is a problem when we all share our documentation, and are willing to go to court to share the proof. Thanks for your help. The ongoing support is amazing.

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#18 Author of original report

Petland Pittsburgh Monroeville and The Slivkos Disgraced

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 18, 2009

New News Today, and My Family Sent in all of our Documents to Help!

Updated: 7:50 am EDT March 18, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Humane Society of the United States is suing Petland Inc., accusing the pet store chain of orchestrating a scheme to sell sick puppies to unsuspecting consumers.

The animal protection group said Petland, based in Chillicothe, Ohio, intentionally misled thousands of Americans into believing that puppies were healthy and the product of the finest quality breeders.

The group said its investigation shows that many of the puppies sold by Petland were bred in horrific conditions in puppy mills or through brokers such as the Hunte Corp., based in Goodman, Mo.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix.

An urn filled with ashes is all Mary Morrow and her family have left as a reminder of their dog Bear.

Morrow said she paid more than $3,000 for Bear and another dog at a Petland store in Monroeville in March 2008, but both dogs had health problems and in July, 3-month-old Bear died.

"It's horrible buying a dog, and it's like you're buying a new member of your family and they get sick and die," said Mary Morrow.

Petland said Tuesday the company is outraged and disappointed by what it called false accusations. A message seeking comment was left Hunte headquarters.

Local Petland owners said the accusation aren't true.

"The government agency responsible to make sure puppies are being bred correctly is the FDA," said Clay Slivka, owner of the Petland store in Monroeville. "So if the Humane Society had evidence that the puppies were being breed incorrectly they should have informed the FDA. To this date there's no evidence from the FDA."

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#17 Author of original report

Petland Pittsburgh Monroeville

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, March 13, 2009

My son has sent letters to Clay Slivko, the Owner of Petland requesting a complete refund for the puppy, supplies, and medical bills. He has yet to hear from Mr. Slivko. I contacted the Corporate office, and I was told that Lacey Clever cannot help us. The store is a franchise, and Mr. Slivko will have to take care of it. The switchboard person this morning at corporate said that Lacey had talked to Clay Slivko, and he was handling it. He is not handling anything. My son has left all of his numbers, address, etc. We sent the fax confirmations, and phone records to the Attorney General. How long can Clay and Jessica Neely Slivko avoid this situation? Many people have been supporting this cause, and a few people sent in photos of the Slivkos and videos where they are giving their pets alcohol. They also have a video where they are allowing their dog to make physical attempts with their cat, and they made a video of it thinking it was funny. They at one point push their little kitten into the dog, and the dog starts biting the tiny kitten. I am appalled by the photos and videos. Worse, is the fact that they delightfully published it on the internet. The internet is a public forum, and they own a pet store. What are they thinking? Where is the professionalism? Where is their concern for animals? This is already a terrible situation, and we would like to have some resolve.

Apparently, Petland Corporate is not responsible for the Petland Pittsburgh Monroeville store. If Mr. Slivko is so busy working 14 hour days, and he is so busy that he can't take care of his customers...Who is making the decisions at the store? Is anyone going to take responsibility? Please contact the store if you know them. Please ask them why they haven't attempted to rectify anything. They should know our family, unless more yorkie puppies were sold on March 1, 2009, and died on March 9, 2009 from their store. We have nothing to hide...We have been more than available to the Slivkos. Why are they missing in action? I appeciate that some of you have sent documentation regarding their store. Please don't send anymore negative videos or photos of them with their pets, it doesn't make this any better for us. I also received a few articles where they list Mrs. Slivko, as Dr. Slivko. This was from an article where a bird was stolen from their store. Does Dr. Slivko treat the animals? I am just curious, since the puppy died from illness which it had prior to purchase.

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#16 Author of original report

Federal Government Gave the Loan for Petland Pittsburgh Monroeville

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 12, 2009

Petland Pittsburgh Monroeville Owner - Slivko

(FY 2005)

(((Redacted)))


Expanded Detail on Individual Transactions for FY 2005
Award Or Aggregate #1

Recipient Information
Recipient Name SLIVKO & ASSOCIATES LLC
Recipient City Code 37784
Recipient City Name JEANNETTE
Recipient County Code 129
Recipient County Name WESTMORELAND COUNTY
Recipient State Code Pennsylvania
Recipient State Name PENNSYLVANIA
Recipient Zip Code 15644
Congressional District PA90: Pennsylvania unknown districts
Recipient Congressional District 90
Recipient Category Individuals
Recipient Type individual

Project and Award Info
Major Agency Small Business Administration
Agency Code 7300: Small Business Administration
Agency Name SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Federal Award ID 87762940
State Application ID Number SAI NOT AVAILABLE
CFDA Program Number 59.012: Small Business Loans
CFDA Program Title SMALL BUSINESS LOANS
Assistance Category Loans (both direct and guaranteed)
Assistance Type guaranteed/insured loan
Project Description TO AID SMALL BUSINESSES WHICH ARE UNABLE TO OBTAIN FINANCING IN THE PRIVATE CREDIT MARKETPLACE

Action (Award or Aggregate #1)
Fiscal Year 2005
Fiscal Year / Quarter 20053
Action Type new assistance action
Federal Funding Amount $258,375 *
Non-Federal Funding Amount $86,125
Total Funding Amount $344,500
Obligation / Action Date 04/08/2005
Starting Date 04/08/2005
Ending Date 04/08/2015
Record Type individual action
* Note: The Small Business Administration appears to include loans that have been authorized but for which no disbursement of funding was made in their spending data that is reported to the U.S. Census Bureau. We have alerted SBA of this problem in its data and are working with them to resolve it.


Principal Place
Principal Place Code 4237784
Principal Place State PENNSYLVANIA
Principal Place County or City JEANNETTE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Total transactions for fiscal year 2005: 1

Federal funding (within this search) for the year : $258,375

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#15 Author of original report

New Petland Owner Details

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 12, 2009

Check it out:

(((Redacted)))

Peland Pittsburgh Monroevile Real Owner/SBA Loan Borrower

SLIVKO & ASSOCIATES LLC
1008 TRAILSIDE COURT
JEANNETTE, PA 15644
Phone: (412) 780-9839

SBA Loan Lender

UPS CAPITAL BUSINESS CREDIT
425 DAY HILL RD
WINDSOR, CT 06095

As a member of the SBA's Preferred Lender Program (PLP), this bank is able to streamline the underwriting process and provide a favorable credit decision on behalf of the SBA for long-term loans. PLP lenders can cut through the red tape and accelerate the loan approval process.


SBA Loan Program Type

This loan was issued as a general business loan.

NAICS Code

453910 - Pet and Pet Supplies Stores

Loan Approval Date

4/8/2005

Loan Approval Gross Amount

$344,500

Loan Approval from the SBA

Of the total $344,500 loan amount, the SBA guaranteed $258,375.

More Information on This SBA Loan

The borrower, Slivko & Associates LLC, borrowed this money for an existing business. This loan was used to buy a Petland franchise. At the time of the loan, the company had 15 employees. The SBA loan documents indicated that the loan would help generate 5 new jobs and retain 15 existing jobs. The borrower did not pay back this loan in full.

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#14 Consumer Comment

Your title

AUTHOR: Devilsadvocate4education*just My Opinions* - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 12, 2009

First, thank you for posting the information. But was your title meant to make them feel worse? They just lost their puppy (avoidable or not). They are now doing what they can to educate others on their experience. You now have more members whom advocate your cause whom may not have thought much about it before and will attempt to educate others. Oh, and the website mentioned, the intentions behind it were actually to IMPROVE the standards from within. Whether you or anyone else believes it, there ARE people within the industry who are just as disgusted with a lot of the issues and would like to see things change and work to do so. Maybe not a majority by any means, but they are out there. *just my opinions*

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#13 Author of original report

We learned about Petland because of the new puppy.

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 12, 2009

Unfortunately, we only learned about Petland during the illness of the puppy. However, the puppy cannot die in vain. We are now helping HSUS all that we can, and writing the Attorney General with all of our documentation. It is not too late for everyone to join in this cause. We are so sorry for all of the puppies, and we want to help. HSUS has all of our paperwork, names, addresses, and Vet reports confirming that the puppy was sick. My son went to the store thinking that he was going to get a sweet, healthy puppy. We are surprised that the store is allowed to exist. Each State has to shut them down. The one good thing, is that this puppy was loved, and held, and treated by reputable MVD's in her final days. We are not sorry to have loved her.

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#12 Consumer Comment

If you bothered to check - YOU WOULD KNOW THAT PETLAND IS LINKED TO PUPPYMILLS

AUTHOR: Laurie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 12, 2009

AND SELLS SICK ANIMALS...

FROM WEBSITE CONSUMERAFFAIRS
November 21, 2008
Puppy Mills

An eight-month investigation by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) claims that Petland stores nationwide sell puppies they obtain from puppy mills--despite statements by the company that its dogs come from reliable breeders.

HSUS officials announced those and other findings from its largest puppy mill investigation during a press conference on Thursday.

The HSUS's findings come just days after Petland assured ConsumerAffairs.com that it buys its puppies from expert breeders licensed professional pet distributors, "who have years of experience in raising quality pets."

Petland reiterated those comments today and called the HSUS's investigation "sensationalism at its best."

But HSUS officials said their investigation uncovered evidence that shows Petland's main sources of puppies are puppy mills -- mass commercial breeding operations that churn out two to four million puppies each year.

Those puppies are raised in deplorable conditions and often have health problems, genetic defects, and behavioral issues, according to the HSUS.

During its investigation, HSUS investigators visited 21 Petland stores nationwide. At each of those stores, employees told HSUS investigators that its puppies came from reliable, USDA breeders.

HSUS investigators also tracked the sale of nearly 17,000 puppies sold at Petland stores across the country and found nearly every one of those dogs was shipped hundreds of miles from puppy mills in the Midwest.

Most of those breeding operations had numerous violations with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the federal agency charged with inspecting dog breeders.

"Petland is perpetuating the abusive puppy mill industry, where dogs are treated not like pets, but like a cash crop," said Stephanie Shain, the HSUS's puppy mill expert and director of its Stop Puppy Mills Campaign. "They know that consumers won't stand for the cruelty inherent in mass-breeding facilities, so they make outrageous claims to hide the reality that the dogs came from puppy mills. People have a right to know exactly what they are buying, but the real victims are the breeding dogs who are confined to life in a cage for as long as people are duped into buying their puppies."

The HSUS made the following claims from its investigation:

Many Petland puppies come from massive commercial breeders in Missouri and other Midwestern states, where hundreds of breeding dogs are packed into cramped, cages--often for their entire lives -- with no socialization, exercise, or human interaction. But Petland's employees--and even its corporate Web site-- claim the company knows its breeders and deals only with those who have "the highest standards of pet care."

35 of the large-scale breeding operations linked to Petland stores that HSUS officials visited were puppy mills. "At many, investigators saw appalling conditions: puppies living in filthy, barren cages reeking of urine, with inadequate care and socialization," HSUS officials said.

Petland buys many of its puppies from "middle men" -- large-scale pet distributors that are often called brokers. "The company may not even know who the breeders are or what their standards of care may be like," HSUS officials said. Investigators also learned that some of Petland's brokers also buy from puppy mills.

Petland buys some of its puppies from an online pet auction Web site. "Many Petland stores are not screening breeders as the company's Web site claims," HSUS officials said. "In fact, in some cases it may not even know the breeder's name until after purchase."

Petland often tells consumers that it uses "USDA licensed" breeders -- and use that claim as a shield to hide the truth. But HSUS investigators reviewed the publicly available USDA inspection reports and state reports for more than 100 Petland breeders. They found more than 60 percent of those reports listed serious violations of basic animal care regulations. "Many USDA breeders exhibit a long history of substandard care and yet remained licensed," HSUS officials said. "While USDA regulations are minimal, some of the Petland breeders are not even complying with these basic animal welfare standards."

Some of Petland's breeders and suppliers had numerous USDA violations. For example, they were dirty, had unkempt enclosures, inadequate shelter from the cold, poor veterinary care, and housed many dogs in cages that were too small. Some breeders also had sick or dead dogs in their cages.

"We are nation of dog lovers," said Michael Markarian, executive vice-president of the HSUS. "And people are going to be shocked by what we foundthey won't stand for this."

Markarian called on Petland--a company HSUS officials describe as the No.1 retail supporter of puppy mills -- to stop selling puppies in its stores.

He also urged the company to join other pet retailers, like PETCO and PetSmart, which let animal shelters hold animal adoptions in their stores.

"As we lead into the holiday season, when many people think about getting a puppy, we wanted to let them know about the dark side of this (pet) industry," Markarian said. "And we are calling on Petland to be socially responsible."

"Sensationalism at its best"
Petland spokesperson Lacey Clever defended the company's practices.

"At Petland, healthy, happy, well-socialized pets within our care are our number one priority as they have been for 41 years," Clever said. "We do not support substandard breeding facilities and we provide each Petland store with "Humane Care Guidelines," that were developed in conjunction with the USDA to assist with breeder facility inspections as it pertains to pet selection."

Clever also criticized the HSUS's investigation, and the timing of its release.

"Reports such as those posted on the HSUS Web site surface every year around the holiday season in conjunction with their annual fundraising efforts," she wrote. "Unfortunately, we were not interviewed or consulted nor were we a part of any of the editing process.

"This is sensationalism at its best," Clever added. "HSUS has a history of publicizing false information in an effort to raise money. They do not operate a single pet shelter or pet adoption facility anywhere in the U.S. To the contrary, over the last 10 years, Petland has adopted out more than 270,000 homeless puppies and kittens nationwide."

During an interview earlier this week with ConsumerAffairs.com, Clever echoed many of those sentiments.

She also told us that Petland representatives inspect their distributors' and breeders' facilities.

"In addition, these facilities are licensed and inspected by the federal government (USDA)," she said. "We require that our franchisees buy only from Petland, Inc. associated facilities. We even encourage our franchisees to visit facilities for themselves."

Petland, she said, even has a "Do Not Buy List" of breeders that operate substandard facilities.

And the company encourages its customers to adopt from local animal shelters. "We have an Adopt-A-Pet program that enables our stores to partner with local shelters and rescue groups on whatever level works for them," Clever said. "Some stores have fundraisers and donation drives for their local shelters while others have a more intense partnership, providing kennel space for shelter animals."

Petland, she said, is also taking action to put substandard breeding operations out of business.

"(We) want to be part of the solution in regards to substandard facilities, which is why we are out there inspecting facilities and making sure that our puppies come from happy, loving environments," Clever said. "As an industry leader, we hope that others follow this example and soon these facilities will no longer be in business."

"Don't be fooled"
"We're calling on consumers to not be fooled by the assurances they hear from Petland," said the HSUS's Markarian. "If they tell you that they only get their dogs from the best breeders, don't be fooled. We found that in many cases they are buying puppies from middleman and brokers -- and they may not even know who the breeder is."

HSUS officials said they will continue their investigation and determine in any charges can be filed in connection with their findings.

Consumers can learn more about the HSUS's Petland investigation -- and view a video about its findings -- on the organization's Web site.

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#11 Author of original report

Kindness

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 12, 2009

Thank you for your kind words. I haven't ever purchased a puppy from a pet store. My son is away at school in Pennsylvania. He wanted to have a puppy like the kind we have always had at our home. He saved his money and thought that by going to a local store, he would be purchasing a healthy puppy. Unfortunately, none of us were aware of Petland and their disgusting ethics. This little puppy was doomed from the beginning, and it wasn't fair to treat her that way. Nor was it fair to put my son through the emotional trauma of dealing with a puppy they knowingly sold sick. We are so glad that the MVD's are willing to help us. No matter what the outcome, we know the truth. We will never stop trying to get the word out. The internet is a fast way to let others know. However, anyone that has gone through this trauma needs to contact the Attorney General. We already have enough people uniting to make a difference. My guess is a class action law suit is going to have to happen to even begin to form a change with Petland. Thanks for your kindness and support. Our family appreciates the support.

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#10 Author of original report

Kindness

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 12, 2009

Thank you for your kind words. I haven't ever purchased a puppy from a pet store. My son is away at school in Pennsylvania. He wanted to have a puppy like the kind we have always had at our home. He saved his money and thought that by going to a local store, he would be purchasing a healthy puppy. Unfortunately, none of us were aware of Petland and their disgusting ethics. This little puppy was doomed from the beginning, and it wasn't fair to treat her that way. Nor was it fair to put my son through the emotional trauma of dealing with a puppy they knowingly sold sick. We are so glad that the MVD's are willing to help us. No matter what the outcome, we know the truth. We will never stop trying to get the word out. The internet is a fast way to let others know. However, anyone that has gone through this trauma needs to contact the Attorney General. We already have enough people uniting to make a difference. My guess is a class action law suit is going to have to happen to even begin to form a change with Petland. Thanks for your kindness and support. Our family appreciates the support.

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#9 Author of original report

Kindness

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 12, 2009

Thank you for your kind words. I haven't ever purchased a puppy from a pet store. My son is away at school in Pennsylvania. He wanted to have a puppy like the kind we have always had at our home. He saved his money and thought that by going to a local store, he would be purchasing a healthy puppy. Unfortunately, none of us were aware of Petland and their disgusting ethics. This little puppy was doomed from the beginning, and it wasn't fair to treat her that way. Nor was it fair to put my son through the emotional trauma of dealing with a puppy they knowingly sold sick. We are so glad that the MVD's are willing to help us. No matter what the outcome, we know the truth. We will never stop trying to get the word out. The internet is a fast way to let others know. However, anyone that has gone through this trauma needs to contact the Attorney General. We already have enough people uniting to make a difference. My guess is a class action law suit is going to have to happen to even begin to form a change with Petland. Thanks for your kindness and support. Our family appreciates the support.

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#8 Author of original report

Kindness

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 12, 2009

Thank you for your kind words. I haven't ever purchased a puppy from a pet store. My son is away at school in Pennsylvania. He wanted to have a puppy like the kind we have always had at our home. He saved his money and thought that by going to a local store, he would be purchasing a healthy puppy. Unfortunately, none of us were aware of Petland and their disgusting ethics. This little puppy was doomed from the beginning, and it wasn't fair to treat her that way. Nor was it fair to put my son through the emotional trauma of dealing with a puppy they knowingly sold sick. We are so glad that the MVD's are willing to help us. No matter what the outcome, we know the truth. We will never stop trying to get the word out. The internet is a fast way to let others know. However, anyone that has gone through this trauma needs to contact the Attorney General. We already have enough people uniting to make a difference. My guess is a class action law suit is going to have to happen to even begin to form a change with Petland. Thanks for your kindness and support. Our family appreciates the support.

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#7 Consumer Comment

its a known fact!!

AUTHOR: Objective1 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 11, 2009

im sorry for your loss of such a young animal. here is momething to keep in mind and there was a news report on this and even made discovery channel and investigation NBC.
the pet stores around monroeville and MOST of pennsylvania get their puppies from known puppy mills which are mostly owned and run by the amish. they are often mistreated chained down and live in an environment where quite frankly it is amazing they survive at all. unfortunately it sounds like your pup came from one of these places. was sold to a mom n pop pet store NEVER had any shots or checkups. i have seen this with my own eyes and it made me sick. unfortunately police are powerless for the most part to do anything since MANY states consider dogs and cats as "AGRICULTURAL" animals and they fall into the USDA category.
the solution:
i recommend finding a friend that may have puppies for sale and maybe helping raise the puppy so at least you are aware of what happened and the health of the pup is not questionable maybe pay for the first shots of the pup you chose.

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#6 Author of original report

Petland Refuses to Respond

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Petland stated that they did not sell a sick puppy to my son. Dr. Abt their Vet stated that she did allow a sick puppy to be sold at Petland. However, The Owner where she works left a voicemail today stating his opinion that the puppy was already sick. We have enough hard evidence to support our case now. The puppy was a baby yorkie. This is not the first yorkie in our family. We had a yorkie that lived for 15 years. I purchased her when she was 8 weeks old, and we never had any illness issues. I currently have a yorkie maltese, he is four pounds and is 8 years old. Again I purchased him as a small puppy, and we have not had any illness. In my lifetime, I have had four yorkies in my family. They all lived to an old age. This is something that should not have happened. I sent the reports to Petland Corporate and to Petland Pittsburgh Monroeville immediately, and so did the attending Doctors. They wish to ignore that they sold her to my son sick. They wish to ignore that she was infectious. You should contact them. Maybe if enough people do, they will have to operate morally, or not at all. We can continue to notifiy everyone, and post our notes. This will be moot if people do not support the animals, and refuse to allow their ethics to be allowed.

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#5 Consumer Comment

Lighting a fire

AUTHOR: Devilsadvocate4education*just My Opinions* - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Your other post was not up as I put mine in. I'm glad you are receiving so much help. Do they believe it was a result of the coccidia which was the cause of death? What else was the puppy being treated for? I completely understand what you are saying, but coccidia is not generally looked on as a serious illness (unless the animal become clinically ill as a result as in your case) and in fact is not generally considered a husbandry issue. Clearly it WAS most likely a serious issue in the case of your puppy and that can happen sometimes as well. Being familiar with the general response and how people who work with animals tend to view it I am letting you know so you may be prepared for it. The fact that the head vet at THEIR clinic agrees with you is a very good thing. Did the vet who performed the necropsy ask for other tests when nothing was found? Sometimes this is necessary if there are no other obvious reasons during the basic necropsy. Or like in a situation if there was fluid in the lungs as an example. There might be more tests necessary to find out if it was bacterial, viral, fungal, aspiration, drowning, whatever. Did they save samples in case further testing becomes a necessity? Also, may I ask the puppy's name and what kind of puppy? Please keep us updated (which you seem to be doing an excellent job of doing). I can't wait to hear what they have to say. You are doing a great job of making this a matter of public awareness I think :-). Is it possible to post any of the breeder's info or email me at yahoo(name, address, kennel, USDA number whatever)? I'd like to see what I can find if anything. Or have you already been able to look them up? When did the puppy arrive at the store? The incubation period can be a good indicator of whether the puppy picked it up at the breeder (or maybe during transportation), the broker if there was one, or in the store. The store as the seller is responsible regardless, but it would be good to know I think. Is the manager essentially telling you they will most likely not be doing anything? *just my opinions*

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#4 Author of original report

VMD's Are Willing to Help our Case

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 11, 2009

We are quite amazed at the pouring out of support and help from the Doctors and support groups. The Owner of East Suburban Hospital where the Petland Veterinarian works left a message on my voicemail that he is in agreement with our other Doctors. The puppy was sold to my son sick. We also have all the other reports in hand now which also put in full detail, that the puppy was sold with coccidia. Puppies are not born with coccidia. Petland's Manager said that all of their puppies carry the infection, but they sell medicine to treat it. Coccidia is typically caused by a dirty environment due to fecal matter. This is also highly infectious. I have contacted Petland Corporate, and I have contacted Petland Pittsburgh Monroeville. Other puppies most likely are sick with the infection at their store. The puppy was not strong enough to handle the infection, and all of her illnesses and symptoms were secondary to the illness she had at Petland. It is hard to believe that Petland brushes off severe illness as common. We are willing to share every item of documentation. The Attorney General's office has been in contact with us, and we are pleased with the support. Again, we will not let the puppy die in vain. Thanks for your continued support and assistance.

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#3 Author of original report

Response to Consumer

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 10, 2009

We have kept all records of the puppy. The puppy went to a VMD prior to the emergency visit, and another VMD prior to the emergency hospital. The puppy was clearly sick, and all agree that it would have had to occur prior to the sale. The nice thing about the VMD's is that they are all writing reports, and have already written their findings to support the real truth about Petland. We are not planning to let this go, we have contacted the BBB, The PA news stations, all the advocates in Pittsburgh, The Attorney General, All attending physicians, and I am hiring an investigator to check where the puppy came from, and the records of the puppies he sold to Petland. This isn't going to go away, just because Petland wants to bury it. They refuse to let us talk to the Owner. The store manager/part time student at the store is the only person that talked to my family, and she is not a VMD or an Owner. We plan to stage peaceful rallys, and get others involved. The truth is not something that can be hidden. I have no doubt that the truth will win. If losing a puppy to death because of their ethics had to happen. It will not be in vain. There are many people that have looked at our documentation, and the truth will come out for this puppy. Hopefully, others that have suffered like our family will not be afraid to fight for the health and welfare of all the animals at Petland. The pain and suffering that Petland causes cannot be erased. I believe that if you read all the blogs, and emails on countless sites, you will see other customers have had to suffer the same way. I also believe in the Pennsylvania Attorney General.

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#2 Consumer Comment

14 days

AUTHOR: Devilsadvocate4education*just My Opinions* - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 10, 2009

I am very sorry for your loss and not defending them in any way. Did your son follow his agreements as listed in the purchase contract and by law? What kind of puppy was it? What exactly was wrong with the pup? Were any of the things wrong things like parasites or hypoglycemia which are not generally covered by a lot of the lemon laws and purchase guarantees? Was the puppy seen by a vet before needing emergency care? Was a necropsy done? What did the puppy pass away from? What reasons are they giving you for denying any claims? When were they first informed of a problem (PA law says they must be informed within 2 days of exam and receive the paperwork within 5 or you forfeit your rights I believe, so make sure they have all the copies of the paperwork)? Or have they just not gotten back to you yet? It can take some time to review records and consult and evaluate the situation and such. If everything is done in the correct manner, they have 14 days I think. Please let us know what happens. You can find more info on PA puppy lemon laws at attorney general dot gov slash consumers (though I believe consumers are to get something in writing concerning these laws at the time of purchase, it may be written into the purchase contract itself).

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#1 Author of original report

East Suburban Animal Hospital Vet

AUTHOR: Disgraced - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Dr. Abt that works for Petland Pittsburgh Monroeville states that she could not find the cause of death for the puppy. We asked to move the puppy to another Vet, and they never replied. Where is our puppy now? The Owner of East Suburban let us know that they are not affiliated with Petland, and he also agreed with the reports from the attending Vets for the puppie's care. Is the Petland Vet not responsible for the way the puppy was sold? How often does she not find the cause of death? If anyone is familiar with this situation, please let me know thank you. The emergency hospital, animal clinic, and all the attending Veterinarians have written us to show their opinion of the puppie's illness and resulting death. Out of five registered VMD's, only the one that works for Petland doesn't think that she was sick...interesting. If you read the Pennsylvania pet lemon law on the Attorney General's website. It is clearly defined what is expected from their store. Please get the word out that we are not going to let this be acceptable, nor or we going to let the puppy die in vain. Thanks for your help.

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