Rosemarie Haddad had recently lost her husband of many years when her beloved dog became terminally ill. The best thing she could do for her longtime companion was humane euthanasia. In a moment of grief and loneliness, she called the Petland at Carriage Place in Columbus, Ohio, to inquire about a Rottweiler puppy.
At 70 years old, Ms. Haddad suffers from pulmonary disease and degenerative disc disease. At the time, she also had a broken foot and could not walk independently. She was on a fixed income with little to no disposable income. According to a lawsuit filed today, upon hearing of Haddad’s disability and financial limitations, the Petland employee with whom Haddad spoke offered to deliver the puppy to her home, complete the purchase and help her finance the puppy even on her limited budget. Later that evening, she says, another Petland employee showed up at Haddad’s home with the puppy. Despite the clear physical and financial impediments Haddad faced, the Petland employee allegedly urged her to complete the purchase, with the promise of large discounts and a healthy dog. Soon she was signing an agreement that, according to the lawsuit, was not explained to her and that she did not understand, which she later learned committed her to paying $7,500 for the puppy plus interest.
It’s no surprise that Haddad felt pressured to complete the sale. Many Petland customers have come to our teams at the Humane Society of the United States about the high-pressure, misleading sales tactics Petland staff employ when trying to make a sale. (See our Puppy Buyer Complaint Form.) Petland is the only national pet store chain in the U.S. that still sells puppies; it is also the largest retailer of puppy mill dogs. Petland promises healthy, top-of-the-line puppies while encouraging moderate- or low-income customers to sign up for financing plans with exorbitant interest rates. Employees appear to have a prepared response to every customer concern.
Macey Mullins
Haddad is one of four people who today filed lawsuits against Petland stores in Ohio for deceiving them into purchasing sick puppies.
Sadly, Haddad’s new puppy was not healthy, as alleged in the lawsuit. Shortly after the Petland employee left, the puppy had severe, bloody diarrhea and was defecating frequently in the house. The next day, Haddad’s neighbor called the store on her behalf and demanded they allow her to return the puppy. Petland staff insisted on a letter from a veterinarian and Haddad’s physician stating she could not care for the puppy before allowing the return. And yet, even though she did obtain these documents, Petland ignored Haddad’s follow-up calls. For days, she struggled to care for the ill puppy while attempting to arrange a refund. Six days after the puppy arrived in Haddad’s home, her neighbor drove the puppy the two hours back to the Petland store. According to the lawsuit, instead of issuing Haddad a refund, Petland staff accused the neighbor of criminal animal abandonment and threatened to call the sheriff.
Haddad’s story is not surprising in light of what we know about Petland’s sales practices. Haddad, along with Macey Mullins and Chrystal and Robert Rivas, are represented by Ohio Law Firm Holland & Muirden in three lawsuits against two Petland franchises and one corporately owned Petland store. Each alleges that Petland engaged in fraudulent and misleading sales practices in order to sell them sick puppies. One of these puppies did not survive.
According to Macey Mullins’ complaint, her Jack Russell terrier puppy, named June, was promised by staff at Petland Lewis Center to be healthy, checked by a veterinarian and to have come from a smaller-scale responsible breeder. In reality, June came from a high-volume breeder and was sold to Petland by Blue Ribbon puppies, a known puppy mill broker. Almost immediately after arriving at her new home, June started excessively urinating and drinking. Mullins called the Petland staff at the Lewis Center store, who assured her that this was normal puppy behavior. But seven months after being purchased, June was hospitalized with bilateral renal dysplasia. She could no longer eat or drink without an IV. After spending thousands in hospital fees, in consultation with veterinarians, Mullins made the gut-wrenching decision to humanely euthanize her beloved pet.
Chrystal and Robert Rivas’s English bulldog puppy, whom they acquired from a corporately owned Petland store in Chillicothe, Ohio, is still alive, but suffering. As alleged in their lawsuit filed against the store, Louie has a severely underdeveloped pelvis and hip dysplasia, which has resulted in limping, lameness and apparent pain with extended walking or running. To accommodate Louie’s needs, the Rivas couple has moved twice, first to a ground-level apartment and now to a ranch-style home, where Louie no longer has to climb stairs and does not interact with as many dogs. According to the complaint, Louie has also recently endured seizures, which causes stress on the whole family. In addition to ongoing care, Louie may eventually need expensive surgery to alleviate his pain. Louie’s sale price was $3,500; with an interest rate of 44.67%, the cost amounted to $5,263.56.
Seven states and 485 localities have banned the sale of puppy mill puppies in pet stores precisely because of the pain the puppy mill industry causes dogs and the families who love them. Yet Petland continues to sell sick puppies from mills, including dealers who have been cited for repeated violations of animal welfare laws. Just two months ago, we issued the findings of our investigation at a Petland store in Novi, Michigan, where undercover footage shows puppies with wounds, hacking coughs, nasal discharge and bloody stools.
The shame of this business model is compounded by the fact that Petland has options that would be better for its customers and more humane. Petland should end retail sales of dogs, cats and rabbits and focus on the profitable business of selling pet-related products and services, as many other pet stores have. Industry data shows that in 2022, people spent more than $58 billion on pet food and treats alone in the U.S. And people should adopt animals from shelters or rescue organizations or visit a responsible breeder in person to help ensure they are getting a happy and healthy companion who is a good fit for their families.
Attorneys with our Animal Protection Law department are assisting counsel at Holland & Muirden in these three cases to hold Petland accountable for these harmful and unjust practices.
If you or someone you know purchased a sick or otherwise unfit animal from a Petland store in Ohio, you can contact Holland & Muirden at 330-239-4480 or submit a complaint from any state by filling out our Puppy Buyer Complaint Form.
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