Petland responds to criticism

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Dear Editor,

In response to the Oct. 15 letter to the editor from the Executive Director of the Fayette County Humane Society, I feel it is important to clarify a few facts about the Petland in Washington Court House and dispel some of the misrepresentations presented in her letter.

We are saddened the director decided to terminate our working relationship over our decision to find homes for other Adopt-A-Pet dogs that were not from their shelter.

The Washington Court House community has embraced the Petland store since its opening in 2012. We are very proud of our relationship with our customers and will always offer assistance in the placement of homeless or abandoned pets. Since February of this year, 95 percent of the puppies and kittens placed through this Petland were Adopt-A-Pets from the community and the shelter.

We welcome the opportunity to work with any legitimate shelter or rescue and will also work with community members whose pet has had an unplanned litter. Petland stores nationwide partner with shelters and rescues and through our Adopt-A-Pet program, we have found homes for more than 350,000 homeless pets.

Through our Pets For a Lifetime Program, all Petland pet owners who can no longer care for their pet can bring them back to Petland to be re-homed. Our pets are also microchipped and enrolled in a lost-pet recovery program. No Petland pet should ever burden a shelter and because of our programs, they don’t.

We believe that pets are part of our family, and this is a value we hold dear. The process of choosing a new member of your family cannot be one-size-fits-all. Animal shelters and rescues undoubtedly provide a valuable service in placing pets into forever homes. Others prefer to go through pet stores like Petland who source puppies from regulated, licensed and inspected breeders as well as Adopt-A-Pets. Choice is good.

It’s unfortunate that an emotional decision is being made that will not benefit the homeless and abandoned pets in Fayette County. With our consumer friendly hours and location, we stand ready to continue to be a helpful resource to all pets in our community.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Kunzelman

Director of Public Affairs, Petland, Inc.

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