[USA] Pet Store To The Stars Using Puppy Mills

[Guest guest]

Investigation Finds Pets Sold At Store Not Pampered, But Instead Mass-Produced

Comments 17LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12, 2007

 

(CBS) The Humane Society of the United States has just finished a three month

investigation of a top Los Angeles pet store that caters to celebrities like

Paris Hilton.

 

The findings are shocking and prove that the " puppy mill " industry is alive and

well.

 

The Pets of Bel Air pet store in California boasts a high profile clientele and

one would

assume their dogs were born in the lap of luxury. But actually, many of them

were

warehoused and raised in horrid conditions.

 

" These are large scale commercial puppies, where the puppies are treated like

commodities and essentially it's a large scale agricultural operation, " Wayne

Pacelle,

president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States told Early

Showveterinary

correspondent Dr. Debbye Turner

 

In puppy mills, animals are mass-bred and kept in horrible, inhumane conditions

and

careless breeding produces dogs that suffer from chronic illness.

Photos: Hollywood Pet Party

The Humane Society of the United States undercover investigation found Pets of

Bel Air

obtains their animals from 28 puppy mills throughout the Midwest, but a manager

told a

humane society investigator that the puppies did not come from puppy mills.

 

" There is fraud and misrepresentation of what's occurring, " Pacelle said.

 

In a statement sent to The ShowBuzz, Pets Of Bel Air vehemently denied the

allegations.

 

" We do not condone puppy mills; we would never knowingly buy a dog from a puppy

mill;

and we are appalled by the possibility that this may have happened, " Pets of Bel

Air said.

" We are investigating all of our sources so that we continue to nurture the

finest and most

reputable dogs from the best breeders, a practice that we've held central to our

business

since we opened nine years ago. "

 

The Humane Society's investigation prompted an inspection by Los Angeles Animal

Services, which closed the shop Tuesday after discovering the store was

operating without

a permit. The store can reopen, however, by paying a $130 fine, according to CBS

News

affiliate KCAL9.

 

" The permit fee went inadvertently unpaid due to a clerical error, " Pets Of Bel

Air said.

" Upon completion of an inspection by Animal Services, which is scheduled for

Thursday,

Pets of Bel Air will reopen. "

 

Puppy mills are big business: two to four million puppies from 10,000 puppy

mills are

sold annually, which adds up to a heartbreaking bottom line for any animal

lover.

 

In July, the Humane Society expressed concern after Britney Spears reportedly

purchased a

puppy at Pets Of Bel Air in a 30 minute visit to the store.

 

" The Humane Society of the United States is extremely concerned not only that

the pop

star purchased a dog from a pet store, but also that she apparently took very

little time to

make such a major decision, " read a release by The Humane Society sent to The

ShowBuzz

at the time.

 

" Know that if you buy a dog from a pet store you are contributing to the most

horrific kind

of animal abuse, " Humane Society volunteer Jana Kohl said.

 

© MMVII, CBS Interactive, Inc. .

 

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