By Rachel Vadaj
Published: Jun. 19, 2024 at 2:16 PM EDT
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The Humane Society of the United States confirmed two more lawsuits were filed in Ohio “which seek to hold Petland accountable for business practices that mislead customers and prop up the cruel puppy mill industry.”
Three lawsuits alleging “Petland sold sick puppies and engaged in deceptive sales tactics” were already filed this year, HSUS stated.
HSUS said its attorneys are assisting Ohio law firm Holland & Muirden counsel again to represent two more families “who have suffered much heartache after buying dogs at Petland.”
The following description of the three new lawsuits was shared by HSUS:
“According to one of the lawsuits, when Danielle and Henry Segura saw a picture of Sky, a tiny Yorkiepoo puppy, on Petland Chillicothe’s store website in late 2021, they knew they had to meet her. When they visited Sky in the store, Petland staff assured Danielle that Sky was healthy and ready to go home, despite the fact she had allegedly been treated for kennel cough some days before. The eight Segura children and Danielle’s mother were excited to welcome their new puppy home.
Within days of purchase, Sky was incredibly ill. She was coughing and having trouble breathing. She refused to eat, drink or move around the house. Her veterinarian was not sure if she would survive. Mr. and Mrs. Segura and their children were terrified they might lose their new companion. In the end, multiple trips to the vet, antibiotics, oxygen cage therapy, subcutaneous fluids and a week of observation got Sky past the pneumonia and she was cleared to go back home.
Little did the Seguras know, this was only the beginning of Sky’s troubles. As alleged in their legal complaint, Sky subsequently began suffering from frequent seizures and defecating blood. After more visits to the veterinarian in fall 2023, Sky was diagnosed with a liver shunt, a congenital condition which can be tested for in breeding parent dogs by breeders. Because of Sky’s small size, her veterinarians are currently treating Sky’s symptoms with medication. At the veterinarian’s recommendation, Sky can only engage in limited activity and cannot be left alone for long periods of time for fear that she might suffer a life-threatening episode. They fear she might not survive surgery. Sky’s health problems puts serious limitations on Sky and the family who loves her.
In the other lawsuit being filed, Katie and Jeremy Wheeling allege that their dog, River, an ultimate mastiff, was so poorly bred that she has had to undergo six surgeries for a variety of ailments in her short three years of life. This includes multiple failed eye surgeries and an attempt to resolve a debilitating knee condition. While Petland has assisted with some costs, the Wheelings are still out thousands of dollars in veterinary bills for medical conditions that remain unresolved. Meanwhile, River is still in pain. The Wheelings see no end in sight to River’s suffering, nor to the financial and emotional devastation that comes with it.
Ohioans will continue to fall victim to the puppy-mill-to-pet-store pipeline as long as Petland and other puppy-selling pet stores can hide behind a state preemption law. This law bans localities from putting strictures and regulations on puppy sales at retailers. While nearly 500 localities across the U.S. and eight states have stopped the sale of puppy mill puppies in pet stores, Ohio stands squarely on the wrong side of this issue. HB 443 was introduced to reverse this terrible preemption law, but it remains stalled in the state legislature.
Ironically, Ohio has one of the strongest commercial breeder laws in the nation, which, if properly enforced, would go a long way to stop puppy mill cruelty. Puppies being sold in pet stores most often come from commercial breeders; Sky’s paperwork showed she came from a high-volume breeder in Lancaster, Ohio. We helped enact significant upgrades to Ohio’s high volume breeder law in 2018 and are now joining Ohio’s animal welfare community in calling on Gov. Mike DeWine and his administration to ensure that this valuable law is properly enforced and that meaningful penalties are applied to those who violate it.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture has all the tools it needs to crack down on puppy mills, especially those with serious animal welfare violations. Ohio is home to a number of known puppy mills, many of which have appeared in our Horrible Hundred report, an annual analysis that puts the spotlight on 100 problem puppy mills across the U.S.
Despite the ODA having the authority it needs to hold puppy mills accountable, the Humane Society of the United States is urging the state to follow through with using its enforcement power to protect dogs in puppy mills. The lack of enforcement is harming animals: For example, in 2020, state inspectors discovered a Yorkshire terrier died after a breeder, Joseph A. Miller, performed a DIY dental procedure on the dog. The ODA continues to license Miller to this day.
See AlsoPetland - Real Customer ReviewsIn the 2024 Horrible Hundred report, Ohio-licensed breeders were cited for sick or injured dogs not receiving the veterinary care they need; dogs and puppies living in wire cages dirty with feces and other sanitation problems; and breeders using tools like toenail clippers, hoof trimmers and box cutters for DIY surgical procedures. It is somewhat astounding that we have to say that such treatment of animals is unacceptable.”
“Until Petland and the puppy mills that supply the chain are exposed and made to pay for their heinous and insulting indifference toward the wellbeing of animals, stories like this will keep unfolding,” President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States Kitty Block stated. “And until the puppy-mill-to-pet-store pipeline is closed for good, at the very least, humane standards for dogs in puppy mills absolutely must be upheld.”
The Humane Society of the United States in directed Ohio residents to urge urge Gov. Mike DeWine “to protect dogs and the people who care about them by ensuring his administration requires humane treatment of animals in breeding facilities.”
Petland shared the following response to the lawsuits with 19 News on June 20:
“Petland has learned the radical Washington DC-based animal rights group, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has shared information regarding its coordination of two, new lawsuits filed against Petland in Ohio. The organization claims it is supporting and working alongside animal rights attorneys that have alleged to have filed these new claims. Petland has not been served in either of these alleged legal claims, and therefore cannot comment on the details of the claims referred to in the announcement.
“Based on information published by HSUS this week, Petland records show that each claim was made and satisfactorily resolved in 2021,” said Petland President and CEO Joe Watson. “In each case, the health warranties provided with the new puppies were activated, and each pet owner was reimbursed in full for the costs associated with the pets’ care and treatment. Neither of the parties named in these alleged lawsuits has reached out to Petland with further concerns about the health of their pets in the three years since.”
The first paragraph of Petland’s New Puppy Warranty states, “Puppies are living things, and like people, they can become ill. Petland policies prohibit puppies with known illnesses from being sent home. If a puppy is diagnosed as ill, Petland will not send a puppy home until a licensed veterinarian has released the puppy to join its new forever home.” Petland’s New Puppy Health Warranty is available to eliminate unexpected veterinary costs in the rare instances when, like a human, a pet becomes sick and/or needs medical intervention.
Henry and Danielle Segura purchased their Yorkie Poo puppy on Oct. 29, 2021. During a veterinary visit on Nov. 4, 2021, it was discovered the puppy had an upper respiratory infection that progressed to pneumonia. The pet was successfully treated in the veterinary clinic, incurring a charge of $754.46. The Seguras provided Petland with the necessary invoices, and on Dec. 3, 2021, were reimbursed for the full amount charged by the veterinarian. Records show the Seguras have had no further Petland warranty-related claims or recorded concerns.
Katie and Jeremy Wheeling purchased their pet on Feb. 28, 2021. Wheeling contacted Petland on Mar. 9, 2021, to report the puppy had developed “cherry eye” a very common and correctable eye condition for the Mastiff breed. She was approved for surgery coverage up to $5,000, the price of the puppy. The eye was corrected, and it was discovered the puppy’s other eye had developed “cherry eye.” It too was corrected. The pet owner was instructed to submit invoices for the surgery cost, which took several months. In September 2021, the claim was submitted to Petland’s Solutions Center and on Sept. 30, 2021, the customer was reimbursed in the amount of $1,848.32 for the first surgery. Direct coverage was paid to her veterinarian in the amount of $2,060.68 for the cost of the second eye surgery. The claim was closed, and the customer has not been in contact with Petland since that time.
Watson added, “Clearly, HSUS is burdening Ohio’s busy legal system to generate publicity for its unwarranted, long-time attacks on Petland; and to draw the attention of state lawmakers to consider legislation proposed by the radical animal rights group. We saw this same PR tactic play out at the beginning of Ohio’s legislative session in January 2024 when HSUS-generated three lawsuits that focused on Ohio pet owners and their alleged pet experiences. Relative to those earlier cases, Petland, Inc. was removed as a defendant in two of those cases.”
Petland is a reputable, ethical business that for 57 years has been matching the right pet with the right individual or family. We make available pets with whom guests can touch, feel, and interact to determine if it is the healthy and well-adjusted pet that they desire - prior to purchase. Petland is grateful to its customers, and we do whatever we can to assure a good experience with their new pet.
To learn more about where Petland puppies come from, including its breeder requirements, visit petland.com/cares/.”
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