Adopt, Don’t Shop
Inaugural Austin Petland protest wad held on March 15, 2008 2 weeks before the store opened to get the word out. Picketing began every Saturday on March 29, 2008 and will continue until Petland stops selling puppies from puppy mills.
By Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends Network
Animal advocates from Austin and surrounding communities staged a peaceful protest at the soon to open Petland store. Picketers held signs and waved to the passing traffic in an effort to promote the adoption of homeless animals, rather than purchasing them from retail establishments. Based on the number of honks, thumbs up gestures, and waves back, many of the commuters agreed. The chant, “adopt, don’t shop” was heard repeatedly to convince the passers-by to boycott the store and instead support shelters and rescue organizations.
The Petland store in Austin is scheduled to open on Saturday, March 29 and the local animal rescue community is galvanized. Unlike PetSmart and Petco, which do not sell puppies or kittens and instead allow shelter and rescue organizations to adopt their animals at their stores, Petland sells unaltered puppies and kittens directly to the public. To make this travesty even worse, it has been documented that Petland obtains animals from puppy mills; horrific places where animals are bred like livestock to produce litter after litter, solely for profit. Such breeding facilities rarely provide for their animals medically or socially, and when the dogs can no longer produce, they are discarded. Puppies are often sold while they are small and cute, prior to the proper weaning time, making them more susceptible to disease and lacking proper social skills. If not initially sold at the young puppy stage, they too are abandoned or sold at auction to become breeding stock at another puppy mill. Stores like Petland, that obtain their “products” from puppy mills, sustain this cruel industry.
Though the editors of Dog Fancy magazine included Austin as one of the “Top 10 pet-friendly cities” in the nation in 2007, there is still a huge issue of pet overpopulation. While spay/neuter is the most important factor in decreasing the number of homeless pets, the launch of a store like Petland, will work against what many organizations have been striving to correct for years. The introduction of an entirely new source of unfixed animals will quickly put an additional strain on the already overburdened local rescue groups.
“Today’s protest is just the beginning, because we really do have to show that the animal community can come together and let the public know that Petland is not welcome here,” said Julia Hilder of the Spay Austin Coalition. “We have a big enough problem as it is with all of the rescues that we are taking care of currently. Today was a good indicator that we have some real committed activists who will put the heat on. We’re not going to stop them from coming into Austin, but we definitely want Petland to know that we are watching them.”
One of the day’s protesters was Delwin Goss, who is heavily involved in TNR (trap, neuter, return) and volunteers for the Austin low-cost spay/neuter clinic, EmanciPET. He stated, “Last year we euthanized 380,000 pounds of cats and dogs at Town Lake Animal Center. Over 60% of those cats and dogs were healthy and adoptable. Why would we import more? Why should the taxpayers for the City of Austin subsidize a corporation like Petland?” Goss went on to explain, “Their business model is going to affect every taxpayer in Austin. I did a real rough calculation on it and every taxpayer in Austin spent about $50 last year to manage unwanted cats and dogs. Why should we import more cats and dogs from out of state breeders and puppy mills? It’s just going to add to the taxpayers burden here in Austin, while the few people that own Petland are going to make a living off of costing us money.”
On February 28, 2008, the Austin City Council passed Ordinance # 20080228-057, much in part due to the incoming store. The new legislation requires that “pet traders” pay a $50 animal processing fee for selling unaltered cats and dogs, microchip all cats and dogs when sold, and provide a document signed by a veterinarian licensed in Texas stating the health of the cat or dog. Though the fee will not come close to the price the city pays to maintain animals at the municipal shelter, it will help offset some of the costs for when these animals, or their eventual litters, are dumped or relinquished. In addition, the new ordinance will provide a paper and microchip trail of all animals sold from Petland. It also shows the City’s support of animal rescue and knowledge of the importance of spay/neuter.
“It says a lot that the City Council would pass an ordinance specifically from the city’s reaction to Petland opening here,” said Goss. “It’s a weak ordinance, but it’s something. Just the fact that they did it says that we really don’t want Petland here, but we can’t pass a Petland ordinance. I’m hoping we’ll pass a spay/neuter ordinance that will put stores like Petland out of business.”
San Antonio resident and Lil’ Paws Maltese Rescue volunteer, Shannon Greer, drove up to Austin to participate in Sunday’s protest. This is nothing new to her, as she has been one of the organizers picketing the San Antonio Petland. Her friend Holley Pridmore purchased a toy poodle puppy from San Antonio Petland last year. Riley was sick, when she adopted him and when she brought him to the vet for treatment, it was discovered he had potentially deadly parvo. When Pridmore informed the manager of the store of Riley’s illness, she was told she could exchange the puppy for another dog. Already bonded, that option was unthinkable and though the medical bills were around $1,000, thankfully he survived. Greer says, “When I saw Holley’s tears and her daughter so upset, I just jumped in.”
Greer and Pridmore launched a protest of the store, to educate other consumers, and hopefully prevent them from having to go through the same pain and expense. The news media was contacted and others who had endured similar heartbreak joined the cause. The group started picketing in November and was out in front of the store every Saturday and Sunday the few weeks prior to Christmas. In order to maintain public participation, the group has decided to protest seasonally. They have taken a hiatus, but expect to start up again soon now that the weather is warming up and families begin to consider adding a pet to the family. Greer also maintains the Adopt Don’t Shop website, to expose the truth about Petland in San Antonio and promote shelter and rescue adoptions.
She shared her experience at the Austin protest and feels picketing will be very effective, since the store does not yet have dedicated customers. She says, “In a city with the University of Texas and ‘Austin Weird,’ there is so much that the community stands behind. This is one of those things we should not let fall through the cracks. Austin is a strong community, a proud community, an educated community and (Shannon Greer, courtesy of Julia Hilder) for them to take a step back, that’s not the Austin way!”
Hilder admits that “There are always going to be people who want to buy a purebred puppy or kitten. I would say what they need to do is avoid Petland and instead do their homework. Go through the purebred rescue group that they are interested in. If that rescue can not come up with a rescued animal, then they can at least give them an avenue to go to a breeder in our area and actually visit, ask questions, and meet the parents of the puppy. Do your homework and get recommendations. The fear is that people go to the puppy store and they see a cute little face in the window. They take out the credit card and buy it right away. Then they get home and it’s not the right breed for them or is sick, which are the complaints that happen all the time at Petland. If the animal grows up too big, or is not what they were hoping for, then they dump it at the pound.”
It is now time for the whole community to step up and take a stand against Petland. A second picket is scheduled for 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, March 29, Petland’s opening day. Hilder states, “I would love to see participation from more of our rescue groups and the folks who work closely in animal welfare. We really need to make it a community effort. I would love to see individuals who don’t necessarily have anything to do with animal welfare, who just decide to show up because they’re mad.”
(Protestor spreading the word, courtesy of Julia Hilder)
How to help:
• Join in the next peaceful protest of Austin Petland:
Date: Saturdays
Time: 1:00 to 3:00 PM
Where: Southpark Meadows Petland store, 9900 IH 35 (the furthest southern end of Southpark Meadows, located off the service road of I-35 southbound, South of Slaughter Lane, between Chili’s and the Cinemark movie theatre)
Bring a sign and bring a friend. Make a difference with other people who are as passionate about animals as you.
• Do not patronize stores like Petland that sell puppies and kittens; not for an animal, not even for supplies. Instead shop at stores that support animal rescue.
• Contact the Southpark Meadows management company to let them know that Austin does not welcome Petland:
Inland Southwest Management, LLC
2901 Butterfield Road
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523
E-mail: prestinario@inlandgroup.com
Phone: 877-646-5263
• Please sign the online petition to “Say No to Petland in Austin.”
For more information:
• Please contact the Spay Austin Coalition at info@spayaustin.com or call 512-656-6299 for more information about the upcoming protest.
• Dontbuypuppies.com
• See the many Petland customer complaints.
• Puppy Mills and Pet Stores
• What can one person do to help stop puppy mills?
Posted by Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends Network
Photo credit: photos courtesy of Julia Hilder of the Spay Austin Coalition and by Jennifer Hayes
Lead photo shows Kynama Wald, Shannon Greer, and Delwin Goss, taken by Jennifer Hayes
