Petland sells its puppies the right way

Petland was disappointed by the Editorial Board’s May 10 editorial, “Gov. DeSantis, Floridians love pets. Veto this bill that helps puppy mills.” It misrepresented our four decades of work to unite families with their forever puppies.

Americans love their pets. That is why they will be surprised to learn that local governments, with the support of a Washington, D.C., fundraising group, are actively passing laws to restrict families from obtaining a pet of their choice. This has exacerbated an existing dog shortage across the country. Experts estimate that Americans are seeking 8 million dogs per year, creating a shortage of up to 2.3 million dogs.

For many families, shelters cannot meet this demand, and banning the regulated sale of dogs, which many municipal and county governments are unfortunately proposing, is not the solution.

Petland franchisees own and operate 15 stores across Florida and employ more than 600 people. We have created and maintained the highest standards of pet care for every animal. We oppose puppy mills and reject the accusation that our stores contribute to unacceptable breeding practices. Breeders must provide USDA inspection reports that comply with the Animal Welfare Act and a veterinarian-signed state health certificate.

When you buy a puppy from Petland, you have our guarantee that we will not purchase a dog from any breeder that has received a direct or critical USDA violation in the past three years.

This story was originally published June 1, 2022 at 9:39 AM with the headline "Petland sells its puppies the right way."