The bell tolls as you push open the door and you immediately smile. Why wouldn't you? You've entered a pet store full to the brim of happy, smiling, adorable puppies. The staff openly hands you puppies to cuddle and hold. Even though the business is rather crowded, you're still at ease around the furry babies. Looking down at the fluff ball in your arms, you begin to talk in your puppy voice, attempting to get a reaction from the tired puppy.
If you have ever stepped foot in the Kennesaw Petland, you know this scenario to be true. For the past 15 years, Petland has been "helping thousands of families adopt new pets into their homes." According to their website, they "are committed to making your new relationship with your pet the best that it can be." Petland's store and social media pages are covered with pictures of precious, seemingly happy puppies.
However, a closer look will reveal the opposite. A quick Google search will reveal many discouraging results. Out of 82 Google reviews, the store received 3.1 stars. Several of these reviews told accounts of the company selling sick puppies. One review by "Michelle" states:
"Petland should be ashamed. We bought a puppy here just a few days ago and they gave her a clean bill of health. We noticed she had a horrible cough and took her to a different vet today only to find out she has an upper respiratory. Petland should be ashamed. We bought a puppy here just a few days ago and they gave her a clean bill of health. We noticed she had a horrible cough and took her to a different vet today only to find out she has an upper respiratory infection, Giardia (a parasite found in feces), and she was anemic..."
Because Petland employees continuously hand around puppies without washing their hands, puppies are highly susceptible to becoming sick. Fox 5 News spoke to veterinarian Dr. Clay Phillips of Briarcliff Animal Hospital on the subject: “"For distemper, flu or really for any virus, it's fairly easy to catch for sneezing, being on the hands, not cleaning properly…I would hope a pet store, shelter or anything else would have the same protocol from one dog catching something from another dog, especially a puppy."”
Aside from numerous reviews about the selling of sick puppies, several reviews have brought up Petland’s preferred doctor, Dr. Walton Waller of My Pet’s Vet, formally known as Abundant Animal Care Vet Hospital. With the purchase of a puppy, Petland offers a complimentary visit to My Pet’s Vet. Dr. Waller’s practice received 2.8 stars with a massive amount of nauseating reviews.
One reviewer stated that “The staff was very short and not welcoming at all. We were told one thing over the phone as far as price and then charged another. I went to pick her up and she was wet from head to toe with blood in her fur on her head?? I was tripped out needless to say. I looked at her incision and it looked completely botched me and the stitching & staples were horrible…”
This review was just one of many. Dr. Waller was recently in the news for causing the death of a dog. According to Randy Travis of Fox5, “In August, 2015, Erin Drumm brought her rescue pit mix Casanova to My Pets Vet in Holly Springs. Casanova was 11 years old, suffering from arthritis. Erin agreed to let the veterinarian, Dr. Walton Waller, give Casanova oxygen therapy by putting the dog inside a hyperbaric chamber in the clinic.”
On Casanova’s Aug. 22 visit of last year, the hyperbaric chamber caught fire while the dog was still inside. After an investigation by the Cherokee County Fire Department, it was discovered that Dr. Waller placed a battery operated fan inside the chamber. Waller claimed that it was merely to cool the dog off, and that it was the dog’s fault because it must have kicked the fan.
Petland has raised much alarm in the past few years and should be under more scrutiny than it is receiving. A Facebook page entitled Shut Down Petland in Kennesaw, Ga has been made as an effort to raise awareness and bring these atrocities to an end.
Next time you or someone you know ventures into Petland, I urge you to open your eyes.
