Andrea Rosebrock 
Ah, you gotta love this! Pets of Bel Air, the now defunct former pet store to the stars has been slapped with a $.484 million judgment for selling sick puppies to unsuspecting customers. This should serve a a serious warning to all the pet stores out there selling “puppy mill” puppies, puppies that so often wound us sick, costing their new owners thousands of dollars in vet bills. You are not immune!
Pets of Bel Air, the pet store was that ousted by the HSUS from selling puppy mill puppies from Midwest puppy mills, claimed its puppies came from professional home breeders and the store’s website advertised that all “of our babies come from private breeders, locally and out of state (we do not use puppy mills).”
In December 2007 a suit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging that Pets of Bel Air sold puppies that later became sick or died because they were bred in so-called puppy mills.
Judge John P. Shook approved the default judgment last Wednesday after the defendants ignored court orders to turn over business documents to the plaintiffs and respond to motions in the case.
“We are pleased that the court has held the defendants accountable for their fraudulent advertising and unlawful business practices,” attorney Peter J. Farnese said.
“We hope this case has helped to expose the practices of their industry, and that this judgment will protect other consumers and serve as a deterrent to other pet stores in California and elsewhere who obtain puppies from puppy mills,” he said.
Last October, Shook certified the Pets of Bel Air suit as a class-action case, meaning an estimated 800 customers who bought puppies at the store between Dec. 28, 2003, and Oct. 7, 2008, will be joined as plaintiffs once they are identified and notified. (NBC LA)
Pet stores beware!! Most puppies that are sold in pet stores come from puppy mills, regardless of what they claim. The judgment opens the doors for customers that have been duped into believing they are getting happy, healthy puppies that were locally bred as most pet stores claim.
Although people are more aware now of the hell of puppy mills and that most pet stores get their “stock” from these infamous hellholes, there are still too many people out there who are either clueless or just don’t care. Sice we can”t get puppy mills shut down, our next best chance is to make it so that they have nowhere to sell their puppies. Pets of Bel Air was buying puppies from puppy mills for around $400 and selling them for $2000. The profit is unbelievable!! It’s supply and demand and millions of dogs and puppies die in shelters because of puppy mills and the demand that people put on them for more and more puppies. Puppies that far too often wound up in those shelter because people buy on a whim and for too many other reason.
The education much continue!! The only way to shut puppy mills down and get puppies and pets out of pet stores is to take away the demand!
Watch out Petland. You’re next. Another nail in Petland’s coffin is Petland employee Elizabeth Carlisle and her drowning rabbits at a store in Ohio.
We can only hope Andrea!! Oh, that story got me so angry! Not that I’m a fan of Petland by any means but the actions of Carlisle and the supervisor who took that disgusting pic have cost someone their business and who knows how many people their jobs on top of everything else! That silly bitch will get a slap on the wrist, the person who took the pic doesn’t even look like they’ll be charged and numerous others will suffer. Who know, they may all be guilty and this is just karma anyway!
D.
When you buy a new puppy, you need to inquire where that puppy came from and take it from there. I just bought 2 new puppies and was told they were rescued from a puppy mill. Both ended up getting Parvo virus and after almost a week hooked up to intervenious and going through so much, they are now fine. Cost me a lot of money, money that some people can’t afford. I really can’t either, but I wasn’t going to lose them no matter what. I will just have to stay in debt that much longer. Remember, when you see a puppy at such a high cost, it is most likely from a puppy mill. Even private breeders don’t charge that high ticket. Now don’t get me wrong, if a breeder, breeds over and over it may, but a breeder that breeds just once or twice usually does not. Most sensible breeders will breed once and have their dogs fixed. Just be careful when trying to buy that new puppy. There are so many out there that think this is the easy way to make money and at the expense of the poor dog. Tell the to get off their lazy asses and get a real job. Dogs weren’t put here to work for us, they were put her to be loved by us and give us comfort and love back. My two just finished romping in the yard and are now sleeping at my feet. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
I can’t believe this, it’s so ridiculous. I’m glad that they got caught, but it’s terrible that puppy mills are still up and running. I think a better alternative is to adopt. You can find adorable puppies at shelters too.
Glad they got caught and maybe this will set an example to others!