The business of pets is BIG business.The pet industry is one of the top industries in Australia, and continues to prosper even through these tough economic times. Pet’s Paradise is Australia’s largest chain of pet care retailers with over 25 years of uniting people and their pets. Pets Paradise website.
Even the name is fraudulent. Pets Paradise are the latest chain of pet shops making the false claim they don’t support puppy factories whilst providing the factories a retail outlet. They call the factories “registered breeders” or “family breeders”. With over 100 stores, where do you think they are going to source a steady supply of ‘stock’?
Is it any wonder that the animals on display in Pets Paradise often show signs and symptoms of being unwell, when their parents are forced to live like this.
Anyone see Paradise yet ?
The photos were taken at one of Pet’s Paradise ‘family breeders’. 22 dogs and 17 cats are now desexed and living in freedom. It was alleged they were stolen and myself and two other ladies were charged with trespass and theft. The factory farmer supplying Pets Paradise has never been charged.
Don’t believe the lies, Pets Paradise are not a pet shop, they are a factory outlet lying to the public, they are anti-consumer and they rely on backyard breeders and puppy factories to stay in business so they can continue to get ‘stock’
Email Pets Paradise ask them to stop selling animals and focus on selling pet supplies like many other ethical pet shops are now doing.
Dont support pet shops that sell animals, despite what they may tell you about not supporting puppy farms, they have to get their ‘stock’ from somewhere. Adopt from a rescue group, pound or shelter or contact your State kennel council to find an ethical registered breeder-ask questions and do your homework, just because a breeder is registered does not mean they are ethical. Dont be an unsuspecting link in this supply chain of cruelty.
Well done in rescuing these poor animals. They deserved better than to be used as a machine, pumping out babies in abhorrent conditions. You may have been charged for trespass, but you are not a criminal- the criminals here are the people abusing and neglecting these animals! Thank goodness there are caring people such as yourself who genuinely care about helping these cats and dogs, and giving them a good life.
I hope the sadness in the little Pug’s eyes has now been replaced with sparkles and twinkes.
I have emailed PP and have also emailed the Melbourne Football Club who in the past acquired sponsorship $ from Pets Paradise so they better appreciate the cruelty behind that sponsorship $. On the flip side, Brad Johnson, of the Western Bulldogs has previously been on TV with the Pedigree Adoption Drive, playing with dogs that are homeless and in need of a family. And ex Collingwood player Brodie Holland proudly sports his dogs he adopted from Save A Dog Scheme in Glen Iris, even choosing SADS as his charity of choice when he competed in Dancing with The Stars.
Anyone can email the Mebourne Football club President on Peter.Maynard@melbournefc.com.au
Assume because of different franchise set-ups, they all have different business deals for pet food and products, but the Highpoint store acquires it’s supplies from Innova (Natura Pet Company) Pet Supplies. They can be emailed on custserv@naturapet.com
The Pets Paradise website also has a ‘Kids Club’ which includes an Animal Activity Page and a section on matching ‘animal babies with their mums’ – how very sad the reality of that statement.
I think what you discovered at this ‘farm’ is horrible – but I don’t think you have the right to label ALL pet shops as horrible. I work for a pets paradise store and I know for a FACT our puppies do NOT come from puppy farms, the way puppies come to the store 99% of the time is because people’s dogs accidently get pregenant. I work with animals because I love and care for them and I have people everyday yelling at us in the shop that we are cruel – but we make sure we provide them with the best care we can. Just because one pet shop has a bad name, it doesnt mean they are all the same. The only way to have a true understanding of EVERY pet shop and their workers is to speak to them all, not have a generalisation of EVERYONE based on some stores. They may be kept in pens but I have also worked in a shelter and they were also kept in cages – on concrete floors outside that are washed out with hoses every morning. Dogs sold from the shelter were microchipped, vaccinated, fleaed, wormed and vet checked. As are ALL our dogs in the shop! I can’t speak for all pet shops, I can only speak for the one I work in and my fellow workers – and I know we care for our animals – make sure they go to good homes and DO NOT come from puppy farms! I have seen a number of dogs that come from backyard breeders and some are kept in horrible conditions – sold with no vaccinations and at a higher price then ANY pet shop would EVER offer them for the pups…
I don’t agree with puppies farms and would never support one.. but I would also not assume all of us at pet shops are bad. I know I do my job right and so do the people I work with.
I truly believe that pet shops who choose to sell animals their days are numbered. At last count Pets Paradise had 76 stores nationwide, not the ‘over 100′ that they claim to have so who knows where they got that number from. Maybe it’s the number of shops they used to have – hope so!
Also, looking on the Pets World website they actually have the nerve to say they are celebrating kitten season! Just goes to show how little they do care about the animals. No-one in their right mind would celebrate kitten season, that’s for sure. It will all come back to bite them on the backside eventually. It’s called Karma!!
Sarah for you to be working in a pet shop, then I would give you the benefit of the doubt and may possibly agree that you are there because you love animals and that is why you have in the past also worked at a shelter. However, it isn’t just one pet shop (selling live animals) that has a bad name, it is the vast majority. I have personally never been in one where the puppies looked happy or healthy. Dogs only get accidently pregnant because they are not desexed. How many of these accidental puppies is your PP employer selling ? The one critical thing you left out about pets sold from a shelter is that they are desexed. Pet shop pets are not. The average price for pet shop puppies is anywhere between $700 up to $1,200. This is double and sometimes triple what a fully vet worked shelter pet will cost. In addition your pet store puppies are microchipped, vaccinated, fleaed, wormed and vet checked because that is what the law requires. Your employer is not undertaking this for the love or welfare of the ‘stock’ he or she is selling to earn a living, they are doing it because if they don’t, they will be shut down or at the very least will incur a heavy fine. Just a suggestion Sarah – maybe you and your work colleagues could encourage your PP employer to have shelter adoption days instead of selling pets. You will have much happier customers and will gain a much better level of support from the community. I agree with Debs, the days of pet stores selling live animals is on borrowed time and those not selling animals are being supported by their local communities.
Sara – I applaud your love of animals, may I ask if you have personally inspected the homes that the puppies came from to make sure they are loved pets. Also “accidentally get pregnant” these days, if you have a pet it should be de sexed unless you are a registered breeder of purebred dogs ie Samoyed, Cocker Spaniel, Poodle etc. Otherwise you are just another person adding to the problem. I have three dogs all desexed and no risk of ‘accidental’ pregnancy. I also do not support pet stores that sell companion animals – let’s face it who goes to “Horseland” to buy a horse?
You’re completly right, we do follow a law. A law that the RSPCA (a shelter you’re all backing) makes us follow and no are animals are not de sexed as they are too young – so no animal in any shelter would be de sexed at that age.
I am nnot here to ‘stick up’ for ALL pet shops – because I can admit there are ones out there that treat animals as ‘product’ but if me working in one pet shop can make some animals life better – then I have at least done something. I’m not sure what pet shops you have been into but our price range IS NOT $700 .. and we have anumber of people stopping in our shop commenting on how ‘happy’ they find our animals to be. Our dogs are trained on leads and the basics (sit, stay) .. which can only be taughted with time spent with them. We also had a well known dog trainer comment that we have ‘restored his faith’ in pet shops after he found out how our’s ran… maybe some other people one day will realise we’re not all like that.
I have also worked in a pet shop that doesnt sell dogs and cats, just rabbits, birds , fish etc .. and they lost a few animals due to poor care and pure laziness .. as they didnt have the law or ‘codes’ checking up on them!
Thanks Sara, your missing the point. The puppies may look healthy and I don’t doubt you look after them.
We are concerned with that puppies parents, who you will never see and who will never be given the chance at being a ‘companion animal’. That puppies parents are ‘breeding stock’ confined for life.
So whilst you are looking after the puppies in the pet shop and taking pride in your work, you are also providing a retail outlet for backyard breeders and puppy factories, therefore you are part of the problem.
Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. I just wanted to get mine out there.
Sarah the other thing you need to think about is that the very crucial period of socialisation for puppies (impacts for life) is between 8-14 weeks of age and they will not get this sitting in a pet shop. You are not correct about the desexing. Most vets will now (with extreme care) desex puppies and kittens at very young ages. Many registered breeders are now desexing dogs before they are placed into homes and it just means they retain them a little longer. Why – because they care about who wants to purchase their dogs and cats. Young puppies and kittens in shelters are often given to rescue groups to care for until they are old enough to desex.
In addition Sarah serious genetic faults may not be present in puppies but as they grow they surface. Most are painful and permanent and are caused by people breeding animals with no care or responsibility.
The rabbits, birds and fish might be just rabbits, birds and fish to you Sarah but those who die in pet shops all over the country suffer as well.
However the biggest issue is the parents of these dogs and the hellish life they live simply to provide an income for people like your employer and you.
Yep everyone is entitled to their opinion and appreciate your comments
cheers
Debra
I am also an employee of a pets paradise store. We do not purchase puppies or kittens from people. As sara has said, 99% of the time our animals are surrendered to us from families of anumals who accidently got prengnant.
These families do not get a cent from us, other than products m(food, bedding and toys for the animals) to ensure the animal’s health and wellbeing. This ensures that when the animal reaches a safe age to leave it’s mother, it enters the store healthy and happy – and we continue to keep them that way through constant interaction. So why would they farm them for us when we give them nothing in return? Would you rather they give the puppies to a shelter where they are terminated after 7 days if they are not raken?
We do not sell our animals desexed. As Sara said, they are too young at that age and is a major health risk. Would you rather we desex them and have them then die as they are not yet strong enough to recover?
DO NOT make accusations against Pet’s Paradise who take every step to ensure that animals are looked after before they arrive, whilst in store and after sale. They go further than just the laws in place.
There is no money exchanged to anyone for the livestock, so there is no way for the breeders to make money from them. Quite simply, they wouldn’t bother delibratly breeding them for nothing!
I worked for a ‘breeder’ who had her puppies desexed at 6- 8 weeks, I know three veterinarians who do this and juvenile desexing is looked upon favourably as the puppies do not pick up any ‘male’ or ‘female’ habits, all the puppies we had juvenile desexed were at the Vet at 8am and boucing aorund their yard at 4 pm, the reocvery time is much, much quicker than with an older animal.
I find it interesting how both of you have said that the pets sold at Pets Paradise stores are from dogs who have “accidently got pregnant”. That to me just screams irresponsible pet ownership. Have you seen the parents of the dog? If not, then you can NOT, by any stretch of the imagination say with confidence that your puppies come from a good place.
Also – desexing is an absolutely vital step in pet ownership – if they are too young to desex, they are too young to sell. Simple as that.
Just because you claim Pets Paradise to be a diamond amongst rocks doesn’t mean anything. For every “good” store out there, there are five terrible ones. Open your eyes.
Sara and Brad – I agree that it is great that you care for the pets in your respective stores but seriously….”As sara has said, 99% of the time our animals are surrendered to us from families of animals who accidentally got pregnant” Do you honestly believe that all 99% are the result of accidental pregnancies???!!! Can’t say I’ve ever seen anything in Pets Paridise other than your ‘designer dogs and so called ‘pure breds’ with outrageous price tags attached! Sadly I think you have been mislead to believe that your employment is anything other than a profit making business. I find it hard to believe that your business owners would take such financial gambles on puppies, kittens etc when they can obtain them from the same ‘farmers’ who can take some responsibility for ‘loss of profit’ when something goes wrong (illness, defects, customer ‘returns’. It’s all about the dollar signs here kiddos. If these people truly cared for companion animals they would have a rescue org. or the like – even a stockfeed only shop instead of the money making industry that is pet shops. The industry is so cruel – you only have to look at the videos on this site to see how horrendous. You obviously love animals however the greatest kindness you could do for them is to leave your jobs and help support the end to prisoners for profit.
Echo the comments of Anna
I find it interesting how both of you have said that the pets sold at Pets Paradise stores are from dogs who have “accidently got pregnant”. That to me just screams irresponsible pet ownership. Have you seen the parents of the dog? If not, then you can NOT, by any stretch of the imagination say with confidence that your puppies come from a good place.
Also – desexing is an absolutely vital step in pet ownership – if they are too young to desex, they are too young to sell. Simple as that.
I’m an employee of Pets Paradise store. I can 100 percent say that none of our dogs have been brought in from farms. The method that Brad describes is the same way we bring them in to our store.
I got into this business to see that the animals being sold are receiving the proper ethical treatment that they deserve. I know that there shoddy stores out there but not ALL Pets Paradise stores are run this way. There are many employees who are doing right thing and are trying their best to hold the industry to higher standards.
The people you want to be attacking are much higher up in the food chain. Not people with a genuine love and care for all animals, who are trying to make a living for themselves.
I would just like to say that Brad and sara are full of S#*!T. I know for a fact that pets paradise stores do buy puppies and kittens from “puppy farms” as i once worked for a pets paradise store and i was made to call several puppy farms and place an order of what the owner wonted to sell. I have worked in several other small pet shops that do not sell any animals and only animal products. We would get dogs and cats from local shelters and assist in rehoming then and this was more profitable in a week then the pets paradise shop made in a month.
All pet shops should not be allowed to sell animals only animal products.
Oh and buy the way. the glass boxes that you put the poor animals in at pets paradise accualy do more damage to the animal then you think. It has been proven that the sound produced from a child banging on the glass is so bad to a puppies hearing it causes unnessasery stress on the animal as does the noise produced when the puppy barks in the glass coffin.
I am not proud to addmit that i worked for the pothetic money hungry compony Pets paradies i am accualy asshamed. How every with the work i have done with the RSPCA and many other animal shelters i feel better as a person knowing that i am no longer contrubuting to the pets paradise puppy farm program.
Thanks Scott for sharing your experience working at Pet’s paradise.
Timothy-no doubt you love those cute fluffy puppies and want to make sure they are looked after properly-well done. But it’s not the puppies I am worried about its their Mum’s.
Are you saying there are a lot of ‘accidental’ litters out there supplying the majority of stores ? Are these same people allowing there dogs to have multiple ‘accidental’ litters. Or are there just loads of people in your community that supply your pet shop with their dogs ‘accidental’ litters?
How do you know your not dealing with a broker thats doing business with the puppy factories? I know loads of brokers that sell this way.
You are still providing a retail outlet for backyard breeders and puppy factories-why reward them? Why give them cash for puppies that they will use to keep the mother dogs confined and inflict psychological trauma on her that she may never recover from.
Pet shops can survive by selling supplies not animals.
One of these brokers lied when he stated that all the puppies he provided to pet stores were only sold to responsible people who had adequate sized yards etc. As if ?!……
This fellow said this whilst at a puppy farm open day where the mothers of these puppies were, and still are confined to small concrete cells or barren, dusty small dirt runs.
All these ppl care about is $$$ and gullible ppl fall for their propaganda.
I have been to one pet paradise store, and when I asked where there puppies came from, they just said “oh, we get them from a breeder” and that was that.
Have you guys heard of fish and feather? It is a great pet store to buy animal products, birds, reptiles and fish. But puppies?
I noticed there was one puppy in a cage by himself, with no toys. I asked them “Wouldn’t the pups get really bored, stuck in there by themselves with nothing and no one to play with?” and they said “well, they like to watch the people go by, and we take them out when the store is pretty empty” No.1 Would watching people go by keep YOU occupied, and No.2 We go there all the time, and I have never ever seen the puppies being brought out, even when we are the only people in the store.
You can say that you look after the puppies, and yes, you actually might look after them really well, but would you like to be stuck in a glass cage for most of the time, having to sit in all your poo and muck, until the next time your bedding is changed? I didn’t think so.
I’m well aware pets paradise is a buisness open to make profit, isnt that what EVERY single shop is there for? to make profit?
A lot of people have their minds made up about not only pets paradise, but every other pet shop that sells live stock and I 100% believe that there some out there that have and probably still do buy from puppy farms, but I know for a fact all the ones I deal with DO NOT.
You keep saying that puppy farm puppies are full of health problems etc. Once our dogs are fully vet checked and vaccinated, we must hold them for two weeks – they cannot be sold or leave the store in this peroid. This way the health of the dogs can be monitored and any issues that arise can be dealt with. Puppies from farms ARE full of health problems – we do not support them for the obvious reason, that we do not agree with them. But if we were just in it for the money – we would be stupid to sell unhealthy dogs. If you actually researched it, you would see how little amount of dogs (and cats) sold actually come from pet shops, a larger amount is brought from back yard breeders where the dogs generally dont get vet checked, vaccinated etc. We offer discounts on desexing at a later date because our vet that we deal with doesnt agree with de sexing at such a young age, we offer what we can to make sure the pup has a great life. Im not sure about other pet shops, but I know if someone wants to know the background of their pup (parents etc) I go to whatever measure I can to get what information they require. A lot of people read things like this and come into the shop, scream and yell and storm out. They never stop to ask, there is good and bad in every pet shop .. like there is in every industry. Everyone is going to have their opinion on everything in this world, and if people really know who runs or where a puppy farm is, they shouldnt be writing about it on the internet, they should be doing something about it.
Here’s a very simple question, Sara:
Have you actually been to visit ANY of the places where the puppies come from? Personally?
If not, then you cannot state for a fact that you don’t sell animals that come from puppy farmers.
I, too, am struck by the fact that so many people seem to turn up and say that their animals “accidentally” got pregnant. I strongly suspect that that line is a polite fiction, possibly intended to make YOU feel better as an employee.
Due to the long wait at a breeder, I was sucked into buying this expensive ($1295) dog that I had my heart set on from Pets Paradise. However, the knowledge that his ‘sister’ who was in the window with him was left alone made me go back the next day to buy her to keep the family together. I phoned prior to leaving to ensure that she hadn’t been sold & the conversation made my heart sink. They had both a male and female in store- the next morning! This affirmed my seeking suspicion that they don’t come from reputable breeders, because they have a continuous supply of them and can simply replace one for another! And not being suspicious would make my just plain gullible! I asked who the breeder was, which was not disclosed due to ‘privacy’ reasons… Raise more suspicions?
The point that I’m trying to make is that without going to a breeder where you can see the puppies & parents in their environment, you can never know for sure whether you are supporting this horrible trade. And while the puppies may not necessarily have any health aliments (which mine fortunately doesn’t), the main concern (as Debra alluded) lies with the welfare of their parents. And on a side note, I took him to the vet yesterday because his stomach was bloated- a direct result of the crap quality of puppy food that we stupidly trusted the sales assistant into buying! I love my puppy and he is an integral family member, but it makes me sick to my stomach that there is a very real possibility that I have contributed to this problem. All that I can now do is urge others to buy their puppies from a reputable breeder, even if that entails waiting for them.
Of course they have a continuous supply, they are a business. Wouldn’t they have to know where to get puppies from once they are sold? Also, unfortunately people are irresponsible and their dogs do fall pregnant accidentally, if anyone needs to “open their eyes” it’s those people that are condemning pet shops that do not “reward” such silliness from backyard breeders and instead aim to provide a home for these puppies. What is the alternative? Should these “accidental pups” be sold by the awful people that let the pregnancy happen, gain a profit and continue to produce puppies? Should they be taken to s shelter with the hope that maybe, if they are lucky (fat chance if they have mastiff or kelpie in them) find a good home? You are truly naive if you believe that all puppies in shelters find a home. At least those sold in pet shops have a chance at going to a good home and yes, some do end up back in the shelters but that is what they are there for. People will always be irresponsible and breed dogs, at least there is a chance that they will find a home.
How can you attack someone based on them never having “seen” the parents of the puppies and their conditions. Have you???
I also find it interesting that most of the people screaming about how awful pet shops are seem to lack basic spelling and grammar skills.. not a good look if you are attempting to provide an educated opinion. Just saying.
I bought a kitten from Pets “Paradise” Highpoint last week and had to take it to the vet the next day as it was clearly unwell. The vet advised the kitten was half the weight of a healthy animal. If the store was happy to either allow the kitten to deteriorate to this state whilst in their care or accept it from the breeder in this state then I am 100% certain they have zero regard for the mother of this litter. Such a shame.
STOP THE BACKYARD BREEDING AND PRODUCTION OF PUPS AND KITTENS FOR PURE PROFIT, STOP IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!WE ALL WANT OSCARS LAW,(LOTS OF US HERE!!) AND SARA AND TIMOTHY YOU NEED TO GET A LIFE AND OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE PAIN AND SUFFERING YOU SUPPORT THAT EARNS YOUR BUCKS- DO YOU HAVE A CONSCIENCE???????? GET A REAL JOB AND GIVE UP TORTURING DEFENSELESS BREEDING MOTHER ANIMALS.
God luck with your kitten Kate, you will need it.
Sara- YOU need to check out what you are saying, you are becoming a minority, and your defense of the petshop /factory cycle is going to be scrutinized more and more, so stop and have a good look at the suffering you promote and defend.Does it worry you or are you on another planet?? Start by checking out what really happens to the pups/kits who come to you for sale, and the plight of their parents who breed back to back, doesnt that upset you??Do you have a conscience???
Sara- get a real job and leave animals alone. I am sure there is a better job out there for you, leave pups and kits and stuff about wehre they come from etc alone!!!
It saddens me to read this post not only for the porr animals but for the way Im seeing people attacking people for where they choose to work.
These workers tried to give you their opinion and I think in reading this post they seem to be getting attacked
Yes I also dont agree but isnt it better to have these people to work in their shops than someone who doesnt give a shit!
At least these workers seem to at least be trying to do what they believe in.
IF what they have been told is untrue it wasnt them to say it. It was someone higher up.
I would much prefer to see someone who cares be in there whilst it is legal to sell the pets than someone who is just there for the money..
Im not taking sides.. just showing another opinion. The animals need help not blame pointing.
I dont work and the last time I went and browsed in a PP shop to see if any changes I noticed more animals out of cages being played with.
Please dont asusme everyone is doing the wrong thing, educate not argue. Help not hinder.
Consider it a blessing that there are some good people in a pet shop that might make a difference to a pets start if they are there instead of some uncaring money hungry upper business man..
til the laws are changed we want this type of worker there..
PP employees, you know why I don’t have to feel guilty and defend where I work? Because I dont profit from selling living creatures. I totally admire you caring for those animals in those pet stores, but bottom line is you haven’t met the parents of those puppies, so you don’t know they are not from a farm. AND yes of course shelter dogs are kept in pens, but they have about 10 times the space of the tiny glass coffins in pet stores and the puppies at RSPCA Fairfield QLD even get their own playground! Can you honestly still say you’d rather sell puppies out of tiny window?
Also to “Another Sarah” you say these irresponsible people HAVE to take their litters to pet stores to find homes, because only if their lucky, they’ll find one from a shelter? That is probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard! Most days if we got a litter of pups in at the shelter, within 24 hours of being advertised online, they all had their new homes. Most sell for under $300, most of which covers their de-sexing, worming, vet checks AND shelters actually talk to buyers and make sure the animals are going to good homes…sometimes they even inspect the home themselves! So don’t give me this sob story about shelters not being able to find homes for dogs, because they do it a hell of a lot more ethically than any pet store.
And what, if by some miracle, pet stores actually worked along side shelters?? Instead of housing live animals in tiny glass boxes, they worked with local shelters to sell those dogs onto people. Puppy farming would quickly disappear beause there would be no more retail outlets pumping these pups out as impulse buys. It would be kind people, like Sara, selling pet food and toys and talking to people about their pets and maybe even helping re-home a BEAUTIFUL kelpie or bull mastiff.
I want Oscars Law.
I think Sara, Brad and Timothy should name which store they work in, so people can go in and ask themselves.
I used to work for Pet’s Paradise and let me tell you, it is the worst place to shop/work or even be in contact with.
I was the only staff member who would actually take the animal’s out of the pens and play with them – even when customers weren’t there and wanting a look. I took them out and let them run around an open pen. I personally got great positive feedback from people who came in, saying that it is a great idea to have the animals in an open pen.
When worming the new puppies/kittens that come in, we used the ‘Troy’ brand liquid wormer, but when we sold the puppies or kittens we told customers that we use the ‘Revolution’ brand.
Even when I asked where the puppies came from I got the whole “From a breeder/family friend/family breeder” and was told that the manager/s go out to the properties and take photos of the parents and inspect the livinig conditions. Not once did I see any of these photos. With cats/kittens, we usually got them from people whose other cats had kittens,so they came in being flea ridden, with no vaccinations done or anything.
Working in a pet store has really opened my eyes to what goes on in the background/behind closed doors. The only highlight of working there was nearly every customer or person just looking, would come up and ask about the puppies and where we get them from.
My shihtzu x got IMHA immune attack on the red blood cells by the immune system and his bone marrow completely shut down. He was 9 months old. He came from a pet shop. It was most probably genetic. The pet shot refused to notify the breedor of this pup. Probably did not even know which puppy farm he came from. It caused me huge heartbreak and cost to try and treat and he ended up being put down at Lort Smith Hospital after a month of treatment. Pet shop didn’t want to know anything about what happened.Another pet shop horror story.
A couple of points. I feel sorry for the PP employees, My guess is that they are both fairly young & do truly believe what their bosses tell them. I’m also sure that they do love animals. Perhaps I would be better to leave them alone, not only because they are defending the indefensible, but because they are not in a position of authority.We should target the owners of PP & those customers that would consider buying a pet there.The owners know exactly what they are doing, the prospective customers can be educated . I also believe that pet shops that sell cats dogs & the likes days are numbered. Many large chains ie Pet Stock don’t sell dogs & cats, & seem to be doing quite well .If a pet shop did wish to sell cats & dogs, I am of the opinion that they should form a relationship with their local RSPCA/AWL/POUND/RESCUE & put pics up or if a more hi tec approach is needed perhaps use those digital picture frames showing dogs/cats available.
I fully support the work of Deb & her team
WE WANT OSCARS LAW
Get a real job that isnt with ‘kits’ and stuff?
wow – maybe you should try an education before you jump on here.
So where else would you like me to get a job? You think by me not working at Pets Paradise that they would stop selling dogs and cats? You my friend are delusional!
Just putting it out there. If Pets Paradise are so interested in animal welfare why don’t they offer a desexing voucher to the dog who became ‘accidentally’ pregnant as payment, instead of offering toys. Maybe then we will take you seriously about trying to control this cycle of unwanted puppies.
Im just wondering is the whole solution to desex every pet? Its ridiculous to think that everyone who has a dog and it has puppies musnt care about their pets. I think the best thing to do is educate people on owning a dog, not putting them off buying one entirely, which is one of the best joys of life.
Keep to the topic of horrendous puppy farms, which need to be stopped, not regular pet owners who love their animals as part of their family.
Another thought, how would you feel if humans were pets and we were all sterilised?
Hi there,
I am a past employee of a pets paradise in a small regional town. We used to sell domestic kittens and puppies including Desexing voucher, microchipping and vaccinations. We used to work in with the local shire pound to re home dogs that were due to be destroyed. Almost unheard of for a PP store. The franchisees of this particular shop went to every effort to help animals within the local community, we also ran a massive xmas drive for the rspca shelter. I left that store and that town, and now work in a privatley ownded store where the owners will just buy puppies from just about ANYONE. Its scary. So many people are just letting their animals breed and breed. Personally, I have a moral issue with this and I’m having a hard time with it. One part of me loves my job, because I get to educate people on pet care, the other part of me wants to quit, because I can’t stand to work in the industry I so despise.
Here is one way to look at it; by staying in my job – I get to keep a close eye on what is going on. I have reported two people (my boss does not know this) to the RSPCA who I have suspected are “Puppy Farmers” (we always get details from the people who sell us dogs). I try and talk as many people as I can, into not breeding their dogs, or cats. I DO believe there needs to be laws preventing the sale of live puppies and kittens in pet stores. But first there needs to be a law to make the breeding of unregistered & designer dogs ILLEGAL.
I have two pedigree registered dogs of my own, who by the way, are house dogs and will be bred from only once they pass their genetic testing at the age of two.
Thats enough rant from me for one night
I think Lauren hits the nail on the head here –
‘Just putting it out there. If Pets Paradise are so interested in animal welfare why don’t they offer a desexing voucher to the dog who became ‘accidentally’ pregnant as payment, instead of offering toys. Maybe then we will take you seriously about trying to control this cycle of unwanted puppies.’
Failing this, PP have no credibility in saying they don’t support backyard breeders and puppy farms.
We do sell our dogs with a desexing voucher Lauren – clearly you are another person who judges us by what they read on the internet and see on TV instead of actually coming into the store and asking and voicing your opinion there.
Sara? Your last name wouldn’t be Collishaw would it? I’m sure you won’t disclose that info, but you’re sounding an awful lot like my ex employer who franchised several Pets Paradise stores with her husband and close friend. I apologise if i’m incorrect. Your argument just sounds very similar
I would love to know which store you worked for because my boss franchised A LOT of the major ones…and they were ALL stocked via puppy farms.
Sara you didn’t understand the comment from Lauren and Nikki. The suggestion is you provide vouchers for desexing to the owners of these ‘accidentally’ pregnant dogs. Thereby stopping the never-ending cycle.
hi folks,
well one way to prevent all of this would e to ensure that all dogs and cats regardless of age, could not be sold from a pet shop with out having been desexed…. yes this may increase the time frames involved before animals could either leave their breeder, or the pet shop… but hey… so be it… you breed the animal, you take the responsibility…
I work at a pets paradise store in WA. I have worked in this store for 2 years.
Whilst i am unsure what other pets paradise stores do in regards to purchase of puppies,i am proud to say that NONE of our dogs or cats have come from mills or puppy farms. All are purchased from local breeders. My boss personally travels to the house in which the puppies are, meets the owners and parents ( i know this as i have gone with her on various occasions to meet the parents etc). It is during this time that she observes the environement in which they live. From here puppies are taken straight to the vet where they are vet checked, if the puppies are suspected of having a treatable illness they are cared for by the vet.
At no stage have we ever ordered puppies, brought puppies, or sold puppies that have come from puppy farms or mills.
I think people who sit on here and acuse pet shops of selling dogs and cats that are mistreated or from mills should take a step back and think about it… if the care we give to our animals is so bad, we would be shut down.
So the next time you decide to critcise a shop think about it, just because a select few pp shops or shop owners decided to make some wrong decisions does not mean that other pp shops are doing the wrong thing by their animals.
So before you go accusing, do some research like the person who started this original post!!!!
@ nala, sorry lovey you are the one who needs to do your homework, shit is dribbling out your mouth and you make me sick, have you stopped to think ” hey maybe it looks fine now, but what about when we leave?, do they move the dogs for our benefit so we don’t see them sitting in their own shit?, that wouldn’t be appealing to a potential buyer would it?” do your homework, do you not feel sorry for the mother dogs who are made to breed over and over again? Do you think this is right? You are a dreamer and living in a dream world where everything must be dandy. Wake up to yourself and tell boss to grow a pair and be ethical, instead of being a money hungry scum bag who feels no shame purchasing from puppy farms and not to mention seeing those poor pups sitting in those horrible glass cages with nothing to do, by the way, where are the pups toys? Mental stimulation? Do u take them
for walks daily? Are they exercised? Your a fool and just as bad as the puppy farming scum if you think there is nothing wrong with what’s going on in the shop, IDIOT!!!!!!!
@ Sara ur an idiot also, people do go into pp and ask where the pups come from ….. Ur little puppets tell the public what their managers tell them to say ” we don’t source from puppy farms” blahdee blahdee blah blah ” and when the person asking says “well where do I get them from then? It’s “no comment” ur a liar and how you sleep at night I don’t know, even if you don’t source from puppy farms which is a lie, shame on you for being affiliated with a brand that does!! Grow some balls and tell the big boss that it’s not acceptable, start a movement to make ur stores ethical then u won’t have to defend urself!!!!
Makcenzie, you are nasty!!! What do you mean the poor mothers who breed over and over again??? WE DO NOT BUY FROM PUPPY FARMS!!!!! Yes i do feel sorry for all the puppies and parents who live and have bread for puppy farms…but the business i work for does not buy from puppy farms so i can honestly say that it does not support it. And if you are trying to imply that people move a mother from a puppy farm so that they can sell to us..WTF!! So they take photos of the puppy from young and hang it on their walls,photos which include their children etc.
I am completely with you…PUPPY FARMS are nasty pieces of work that need to be saugth out and the people who own them need to get a piece of their handy work. But who are you to sit their and criticise me what did you call me an IDIOT!! You havent been in the PP shop i work…the pups have toys!! And you IDIOT they cant go for walks because they are under 16wks which means they havent had their third vaccination which means they can get PARVO…ever heard of that???? They are given the chance to run around the shop every arvo and play with us after we have mopped with bleach and F10!! Like i said i am positive their are shops who do use puppy farms and the people who run them who do buy from puppy farms need to take a good look at themselves, however just because you know of or have heard of a few shops buying from them does not mean that you can ASSUME that we all do. Tell ya what if you feel so strongly about it why dont ya get the RSPCA on to it….dont you think we’d all be shut down if we were doing something against the law??? All our pens are RSPCA approved…that is they come in check the pens and give them the tick of approval. If the animals in our shop were treated SO bad, no stimulation, excercise etc then like i said we would be shut down.
Also although i am answering sara’s question when people ask where we get our pups from we answer with “we purchase all our puppies from local breeders, most of which are sorced out of the paper” …yes thats right we get our never ending supply from the local paper…the quakka!! People also come in to our shop and let us know that they have puppies, majority of the time this is how we purchase majority of our puppies otherwise like i said we use the paper. We take photos of both the parents and stick them on the windows of the pens that pups are in. We have contact details for the owners that sell us the pups. Anything else you want to challengs me on??? Dont personally attack me this time…what else do you want to know??? By the way when im writing this post im not speaking for any other pet shop, just the one i work in…. Chow for now love…
Hey fiona,
My brother did some maintenance work in a pi9und and said that majority of the dogs were just lovely…i think thats where ill be getting my dog from!! A dog that is need of love. Its almost as if a law needs to come into play that states you have to have a license to breed dogs, so that only a select few are bredding healthy pups. Now that would be a handy law to have and would stop puppy farms and any other issues.
That is a valid suggestion and it is something that all pet shop owners should consider….i also think that it would be better for pet shops to take on dogs who have been left at the pound, K9 etc.Alot of those dogs have been just left because the owners cant be bothered. Its sad
Nala, your shop is providing a retail outlet for backyard breeders and puppy factories. Your shop is participating in this cycle of cruelty. Pet Shops do not need to sell animals to stay in business, there are plenty of ethical pet shops around proving that.
Ok fair enough…but you can not comparfe back yard breeders to puppy farms.
Why not ? both are using dogs to breed and sell for cash. Both view dogs as a way to make money.
Pet shops are a link in the chain of cruelty by rewarding this kind of behaviour and providing a shop front
Pet Shops = Factory outlets!
Nala, I am not saying they move mum from the puppy farm, i have heard of cases where they will take the mum and pups for buyer to view away from where they are normally kept. There is video footage of this being done, when a undercover reporter went to a puppy farm and showed the evidence to a “buyer” from a major puppy farm buying pet store, she seemed shocked and said she had never seen the parts of the property the reporter did, she cried and said if she had seen the entire property and the sickening state of the dogs and they enclosures they lived in she would have not purchased from this particular puppy farm, unfortunatly this lady has no brain and should realise as sad as it is for business they are all hell holes that need to be closed down FOR GOOD, and she should not source any animals from puppy farms or back yard breeders, ok im not a vet so instead of “are they taken for walks daily?”, are they exercised? you say they run around the shop and play, sorry hun not good enough,for an excited little pup – who would love to run free. well whoop de doo the rspca approves the pens, they are still horrible and I think even cruel – those poor babies! Well they would shut you down if you were doing something illegal, but the thing is this is what all these puppy farmers, pet shops say – we are not doing anything illegal, if we were not doing the right thing we would be shut down blah blah blah the same spiel over and over again. I do feel strongly about this, thats why I support oscars law and I am doing my best to help stop animals being sold in pet shops and stop unethical/ backyard breeding, Also sourcing from papers ect – these mum dogs have more likely than not had loads of litters which would mean even though the person who “cares” for the mum may not think so, they are back yard breeding, which is where your store sources from, it all adds to the problems, cruelty thousands of beautiful animals being PTS every year. Nala since you are so open to answering questions, I do have a few things I would like to ask, I heard ALL PP stores makes an order for pups that gets sent to your head office and they order (spew in my mouth) the pups? Is this true for all stores or just some?, Where are the pups kept at night when the young workers go home? are they taken home and snuggled up nice and warm? or do they sleep in the glass cages that they are kept in during business hours? What are the regulations for the pens? (amount of pups per cubic mtr, mental stimualtion, food ect). Not that any of this helps at the end of the day as selling these bubs in shops should be FULLY BANNED, legal rspca approved or not. Is it a condition of having a PP fran. that you sell live animals? Why does your franchise not try and rehome unwanted older animals? only puppys and kittens?
Ta – Mackenzie
and Nala, the business you work for is Passion for Pets or Pets Paradise yes? They do buy from puppy farms – its a franchise – all your stores are tarred with the same dirty brush – the dispicable, horrendous, filthy & sickening brush
mack
As far as I am aware there is no such thing as “RSPCA approved pens” and their is not “tick of approval” system in place. RSPCA do not routinely inspect pet shops, they only go there to follow up compliants. It’s up to Council to inspect and regulate pet shops.
RSPCA are opposed to the sale of animals in shops.
I thought so, with the RSPCAs campaign to “closepuppyfactories” and their “prove it” campaign, so nala, are they RSPCA approved or council now? and it may well be that they havent been reported by anyone as yet, which may be the reason that you think they are fine??
Hey deb mack,
Ordering from head office is complete lie. I have heard of many pp stores that do deal with puppy farms, however this is not done through head office. All franchise owners are to sorce their own puppies, kittens etc. Head office have nothing to do with where these puppies come from. It heavily relies on the owners, if the owners are complete heartless bastards they would defo sorce from puppy farms. Puppies dont come home with us at night, they do stay in the pens. this i was never keen about, but it is somehting that is done. It may not be fresh air and complete run of the shop but we definatley make them comfortable with toys, blankets, bedding etc. cats get domes and cat scratchers.! I realise that for major activists backyard breeders are seen on the same terms as puppy farms, ‘puppies for profit’ however i would like to state that alot of the time whether we take them or not they are still being breed and sold. Alot of the puppies we buy come in with fleas etc as the owner of the parents had not treated them for fleas worms, etc. When we buy these pups they are vet checked by a local vetenery clinic, vaccinated, microchipped wormed and flea treated. My boss has paid for all her staff to have extensive training in treatments for fleas and worms, as well as basic care needs. Whilst our shop does live off of a profit, we are at the end of the day trying to promote responsible ownership and bring awareness on how to afficiently look after pets. I believe that our animals are often better off being sold by us, as people are given all the information and are offered support. Unlike one gentlemen came in, he had brought a 6wk old puppy from his mate! the puppy was infested with fleas and no doubt had worms and god knows what else. he came in to buy a lead so he could take the dog for a walk on the beach!! All i can say is that he walked out with a vet appointment!!! The point i a tryng to make is that i realise backyard breaders are shocking, but us selling the pups is not always a bad thing. Especially our store who is there to educate the community and are genuinly concerned about the well being of our puppies. Until back yard breeding is stopped we are probably a better option for most pups.
In regards to the pens, when setting up the pens they had to be made to a certain standard to ensure that ‘whilst they are compact’ they are safe! All have an airlfow unit that draws air from outside the pens. allowing filteration and fresh air. Our shops pens are checked every half an hour for poo and wee. poos are taken out instantly with ‘poo bags’. Puppies and kitten pens are cleaned out every morning, in which time the puppies are also played with, fed etc. Water in the pens is changed four times a day. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon and just before we go home.Puppies are also fed the recommended amount of 3 meals. So they are cared for. I am not sure which shops you live near, and i have heard plenty of stories about pp shops, hell i read complaints and posts like this one all the time.
I would also like to point out that people who breed dogs i.e “registered breeders” arent any better themselves. they often have multiple dogs, and there puppies often go home with defects, fleas, worms blah blah!! So where does the line get drawn?
I am unfamiliar with oscars law, that is something i will have to GOOGLE
I dont disagree i do believe that pet shops if anything should re home older dogs and cats. older cats we have re homed, older dogs are a little harder. Often older dogs are too big for our pen space! Whilst there is no regulations on how many puppies to a pen for the franchise, our shop tend to use common sense. Our pens are built so that we can turn them into single or doubles. depening on the size of the dog would depend on the amount of puppies we place in there. usually no more than five to a double pen- im talking bit bigger than jack russel size. If we had mastiff pups at 8wks, we wouldnt take anymore than 2! When the shop first open i went to another shop and saw a rather large pup ina single pen…this i was disgraced at, on returning to my shop are asked the area manager person if there was a regulation for how many pups per pen etc she had said NO.
Pen approval i will have to look into further….council approval i have never heard, However we have to be checked and appoved for safety and welfare policies.
I work for Pets paradise, never heard of passion for pets. Yes i know they are all put into the same criteria. However is it the same thing as the rest of life, you cann not a label a place based a majority. One person does the right thing, and because they are apart of one culture they are seen the same.
A pet shop, who does not come under any franchise…privately owned had their puppies in open spaces, fresh air, took them for walks. Within 3 months majority had contracted parvo and died. we can not allow puppies to us their full energy but we do try with the afternoon and morning play time. But in sayin that you can say that for an adult dog that doesnt get walked, or walked for long periods, that is locked in up in the ever growing ‘small’ back yard or house is just as creul.
we can go back and forth for weeks on this topic, but as you have said until laws are brought in there is not alot anyone can do. I know the shop i work for is something you are passionate about having closed down, until then it is my job, my bosses job and everyone elses to make sure that the puppies that come in and out of our shop are cared for the best way possible and sold to people who are actually going to care for them. Many pups and adult dogs end up in pounds because people are unaware about the breed requirements and how to care fot them. Many people go home after buying a dog (both backyard and registeered), and after weeks realise that it is not appropriate for them. That is where i am trained to make sure that people realise about the different breeds. we always inform people about energy levels, grooming, care, food requirements.
I am not sure whether it is a condition, i would assume probably. I know in england it is illegal to sell puppies and kittens etc (the old puppy in the window). i am sure that it will not be long until it is fully banned!!
Last note, whilst i know it goes completely against your ethics! Would you not prefer that the puppies are sold to people who have been made aware of all the care requirements etc..than them be sold to people who have no idea?? In my eyes it is a better option for puppies until the laws come in to stop all backyard breeding, pet shops etc.
Other shops have done wrong, and reading through the comments there is a few things that still is wrong. But until i leave the company i work for, there is nothing someone like me can do other than inform people and ensure that the puppies dont come form puppy farms!!
Ok, so i have actually read up on oscars law. Watched the footage! and whilst you probably do not give a shit about mu opinion… the ‘backyard’ breeders we have brought from are good. The parents definately do not look like that, the conditions they are kept in are also definately not like that. the shop i work for, whilst theya are in confined spaces they are only in there for a max of 2 wks, and they are treated by vetenarians, well looked after and cared for!!
I do agree as said before that other pet shops dont have the same standards.
Nala thanks for your comments.
Whilst we may disagree about the role pet shops play in promoting backyard breeders and puppy factories, we appreciate your comments and point of view.
Nala the issues are hard to grapple with but there is no real difference between a BYB and a puppy factory except perhaps in terms of scale or perception. I have seen abused, neglected dogs in the custody of many BYB’s and what would be classed as BYB’s by most. Just because they may only have 5-10 dogs doesn’t for an instant mean those 5-10 dogs don’t suffer every bit as much as all dogs on puppy factories. It’s not about the name it’s about the ‘game’ of breeding for no other reason than profit. All pet shops (who trade in live animals) are part of this dirty and greedy cycle. Like it or not, that is a fact and like it or not, there is 1/4 million healthy and adoptable pets killed in our pounds while pets shops and all who profit turn a blind eye and refuse to accept any responsibility and then argue the toss about the level of good or bad for each pet shop or BYB. They are ALL feeding the problem Nala and they all need to outlawed. I want Oscar’s Law.
Hi there. Just wanted to say I too worked for pets paradise. I lasted a week. This shops manager openly scoped out new puppies from the trading post and internet, paying up to $200 for them. There were no questions about about the puppies parents except how large they were if that. The other employees would lie to customers about the puppies breeds to make a sale; if someone had a small backyard they’d say the dog was only medium sized, even though we knew it was large.
This shop also was unaware of checking the gender of bunnies and guinea pigs and their dietary requirements. Twice I came in contact with angry customers who had been sold pregnant animals.
When asked by customers why the puppies, kittens etc werent desexed, customers were regularly told it was to leave breeding an option, or because they were pure bred.
This pets paradise is in my local shopping centre and it made me sick to my stomach to see their “we do not support puppy farms”signs.
Thank God I got out of there. Im now a veterinary nurse at my local shelter.
Just wanted to put out there Im a strong advocate for compulsary desexing and want oscars law, thanks
Well this was all very entertaining to read!
I work for a petstock, as far as i know and have been told no stores should have puppys/kittens. well atleast the ones in melbourne ive seen. Anyway, and one of the gents there used to work for pp and another store that claims to be melbournes biggest pet store (feel free to take a guess. clue? ff) both stores he guaranteed only used puppys from farms. One situation they bought a golden retriever for $50 at 9am and sold it for $900 by 3pm. I can understand why businesses do this with this sort of extreme profit. But it is so wrong!!!!
I love how once sara was named she has stopped!
I would like to thank everyones here for making me realise whilst we only sell fish at my store it is in fact part of this cycle in a minor way
But on a positive note, we do run in store adoption days with our local animal aid shelter to try and find some lucky pets new homes. We have multiple donation bins for the shelter as well as huge donations to the flood appeal, black saturday and our petstock foundation. We also have oscars law petitions and brouchers.
We are trying to do our part and educate the public as best we can
Fingers crossed to a better future!
I used to work at RSPCA in the admissions section. Every day I interviewed people surrendering their animals. The most common place of purchase was PP. The most common age of surrender was under 2 years (usually between 6mths to 18mths) The most common reason for surrender was misinformation at point of sale.
Case in point…1 gentleman who lived in an appartment without any open space was sold a puppy that he was told was well suited to his situation. He was told it would grow to be small and quiet and would not need access to open space. At 9mths he ended up with a Rotti cross (probably Doberman). This man was heatbroken. He had trusted the supposed authority of the PP sales assistant. This was his first dog and he tried to provide it with care and love. He surrendered the dog because he realised he could not provide the necessary environment for it to thrive in. He was in tears having to part with this dog…he clearly loved it very much. In parting he said to me that he would never get a dog again because of the emotional impact this experience had on him.
That is just one example of what was a daily occurance. We also received many animals with significant congenital disorders also purchased from PP. These disorders are clear indications of indiscriminant breeding and inter-breeding…the type of breeding conducted on puppy farms and by BYBs. The owners often could not afford the enormous cost associated with maintaining these conditions and often the animals were living a painful existance. I spent a lot of time assisting in euthanasia’s of young dogs and cats that were doomed from birth. I also spent alot of time consolling distraught owners.
I often hear criticism of people who surrender their animals to shelters. Yes there are some who are heatless and should never have been allowed to own a companion animal. There are many who were well intentioned and responsible owners who found themselves in the situations I have mentioned.
The 2 most common misconceptions I hear over and over are:
1. Get a puppy/kitten because adult dogs/cats cannot be trained or resettled.
2. Dogs and cats from shelters have behavioural problems.
These could not be further from the truth. In fact there is great benefit in adopting an adult dog or cat.
Once we all realise this the argument becomes very simple. Why would you spend $800 and up on an entire animal with maybe a microchip when for around $300 you can get a grateful companion that is desexed, vet checked, temperament assessed, microchipped, vaccinated and worm and flea treated? In most cases you also get real advice and support.
Shelter adoption officers are not looking for a quick sale. They are looking for the right home for each animal in their care. If the pet shops wont stop selling live animals then lets get consumers to stop buying them. With no demand there can be no supply and those ruthless bastards can go get a real job!!
I feel sick…
I stand with you..
ONE BY ONE, THERE WILL BE NONE
I would just like to say, not all pet stores are retail outlets for BYB and puppy/kitten farms.
This is a pet store that has a store in our local area. Take a look at their link. http://www.bestfriendspets.com.au/
We go in frequently to buy food for our two guinea pigs (both male, one of whom was purchased at that store and was the only one in at 5 1/2 months old. All my friends and family adore him.), and we have only ever seen two dogs in the store- who were terriers. They really do advocate adoption first. When looking for our second piggie, they suggested contacting our local pound to see if any were in, as they had none. The staff are very knowledgeable, about all their animals, I actually had a discussion about some reptiles with one of the staff, who said about a snake I was admiring (she was an albino) “She’s got a good temperament, but she’s a little cranky at the moment, she’s just moulted. The two up here are about to moult, see their eyes?” They were for sale, but not allowed to be picked up until they had fully completed moulting. (A former housemate of mine had a snake, and boy could he get cranky around moulting time!)
The store mainly takes in smaller animals, like guinea pigs and birds. All tame animals are well handled, if you want to hold one, you just ask. (You can ask about their backgrounds too, and you get good answers, including them looking up files) But they do really believe in adoption first. And most of their store is not pet enclosures… it’s pet supplies, cages, enclosures, food, toys etc. And they do have a vet in, in fact, our piggies are going in soon for their usual check up.
And, they are one of the few places in our area that actually stock those little dried fish treats. Not the flavoured ones, the actual fish, which our cat goes nuts for. She’s feral/domestic and was found in our backyard at 4 weeks, and raised by us since. We also buy our food and toys for her from there as well. (She likes to change her toys around, don’t ask me why, most cats I’ve known are happy to have that ball, but not her…)
I just wanted to say that not all pet stores get stock from bad breeders or farms. There are some that do great work by providing themselves as an outlet… for dogs or cats needing rehoming. And even other animals. (Also, as an aside, if you are getting something for your pet, if you check in advance they will most likely let you bring your pet in as long as it is fully controlled. They do ask a few questions first.)
I have seen pet stores in our area that are horrible. A friend got a bird from one, and three days later it was pooping blood. They took no responsibility. Their aviaries are separated only by mesh, allowing any bird with a disease to easily pass it on, and the smell is awful going past. They have no idea how to look after rats and guinea pigs, even selling piggies with wheels that would hurt their backs! I’ve seen piggies put in with rabbits, and they can’t even eat the same foods! That is the sort of store I’d like to see closed down, not the ones providing mostly pet accessories, and link to shelters, sometimes even housing some pets from shelters when they run out of room. (Some kittens were brought in due to an influx at the shelter).
Not all pet stores are bad. Just an unfortunate amount, but those that do the right thing should be supported. The more good pet stores that help animals in need that get supported, the more people will go to them, and not the dodgy ones, which is one way of putting those bad ones out of business!
Hi All,
Aren’t legitimate breeders of purebred dogs making puppies for money? The breed of dog that I like sells for upwards of $1300 from a good breeder. For a pet dog, not even a show dog.
On another note, what about members of the public who will pay hundreds of dollars for a gorgeous little mutt from a petshop? I honestly had never heard of a puppy mill before I started researching my next canine purchase. Lets educate the potential customers, as well as attacking the pet shops. And would somebody please make it illegal to sell or give away undesexed dogs, in the same way as it is illegal to give away unmicrochipped pets? Just bandying about possible solutions to this problem of “accidental” litters.
I hold no ill feeling towards these youthful petshop employees who are just doing as they’re told by their boss, in order to get their $16 an hour and get on in the world. They don’t know any better at their tender young ages.
Thanks Lauren, most ethical registered breeders only have very few litters and do not make money, they simply do not breed for a commercial market. There are some registered breeders however that really are puppy factories and the public really need to do their research.
Oscar’s Law is a campaign to raise awareness and educate the public about puppy factories and pet shops so they can make informed choices.
Please check the website http://www.oscarslaw.org/ download some leaflets to give to the public, or email oscarslaw@live.com and they will send you out some.
cheers
Hey all, i used to work for pets paradise and i cant wait for them to shut down completely!! animals do not deserve to be locked in a cage/box for weeks waiting for someone to buy them! they get left in those pens overnight with no air con (depending on the store/shopping centre) and little room to move, and they have to sleep in their own droppings, they spill the water bowls half the time so they get left with no drinking water either, and when you have 6-12 puppies per pen, thats alot !!! i worked for the company for 3 years and had 3 different managers, and they were all the same, in it for the money and not the welfare of the animals! half the dogs came from back yard breeders or puppy farms, papered breeders know better than to sell to pet stores! most of the puppies were covered in flea’s and i was the only staff member who would care for these animals when they came in and picked every single flea off them! most of the time the back yard breeders would lie and tell us they were pur breds to get more money, then we’d cop the blame when the owners come back telling us they were crossed bred!! thats all for now.. ive got heaps more stories if your interested
oh and another horror story… we once bought a litter of approx 10 corgy puppies from a registered breeder who sold us the pups cheap without the papers, half an hour later it turns out the hole litter was infected with parvo, so not only did that hole litter have to be put down the 2 six week old maltese puppies in the next pen (they were not even old enough to be away from their mum as they werent even eating solid foods yet, i had to force feed them) had to be put down also (one of them had already been purchased aswell!!) thats what happens when you dont do background checks on the breeders!! thats why pet stores should not have any live animals as its just a way for people to make a quick buck when selling their animals off cheap
I want Oscars Law!!
Animals should not be sold at Pet stores at all…A friend I know bought her puppy from a reputable breeder..not..she was told when she was to pick it up that they would met her half way..so she couldnt see the bad conditions the puppy was brought up in..I feel for the poor mothers who have several litters a year, no love no kindness..no walks or plays in the park, no sitting in front of a warm fire. No yummy treats and not being able to be a proper mum in the first place. I look at my two purchased from RSPCA in Toowoomba..3 months old..the payment was for their vet checks immunisation, and de sexing. and for the first visit to the vet after we have had them for a week. The cost just covered the whole deal. Since then 7 years I always donate to animal shelters every year.
if the rspca came accross a backyard with locked up animals they’d be taken away from them…
why is it that these animals are caged up in small pens for weeks and weeks and weeks.. yet the rspca have no say in it ??
how unfair is that… its cruel for these pups to be locked away with no room for their legs to grow!!!
(they dont normally take the dogs out of the pens to play with them because the carpet/floor may be harmful as they are not fully vaccinated)
I work as a vet nurse,even though the law clearly stated puppies sold from pet store must be vaccinated, microchipped and treated for parasites we still see puppies purchased through pet stores WITHOUT the required treatments. I’ve frequently seen puppies and kittens sold the day they were vaccinated NOT the 2 weeks prior as suggested by most reputable sources.
Pet stores have ridiculous contracts stating they will not be liable for any illness if the puppy/kitten is not fed the ‘correct’ brand of food or given the ‘correct’ worm treatment. Frequently these are pet shop own brands. We frequently have to treat problems caused by poor advice given by poorly trained pet store employees. By the way pet shop employees it is illegal to give veterinary advice unless licensed to do so.
Pet stores, in general, promote the impulse buying of pets. I sure as hell have never seen a pet store with a cooling off period before taking an animal. I also know many pet stores in my area are purchasing puppies and kittens bred by people who have previously been convicted of animal cruelty or are currently under investigation.
Some pet stores are known for spreading parvo virus due to their refusal(denial) to accept their stores are contaminated.
I smell a rat!
I suspect that Sara, Timothy and Brad are all in fact the same person, or have been prompted to post here on behalf of Pets Paradise.
I would not be in the least surprised if Pet’s Paradise watches this site, and quickly has “ex employees” post positive things about Pet’s Paradise in an attempt to white-wash their dirty secret- that they have always, still do, and WILL always, buy from puppy farms and backyard breeders.
It definitely doesn’t look like paradise to me. I think there are just many people who don’t realize where these pets come from and the conditions that they have to endure. I know several people who purchased expensive puppies from pet stores and then realize that their dog has some type of sickness (which equals expensive vet bills). This is a major disappointment, and is a big reason why pets are so often returned or abandoned.
Keep up the great work, as I think educating people is the key to ending this horrible practice.
I think there are a lot of vaild points after reading the above posts, however we have had and are still fighting our problems with one particular Pets Paradise store.
We originally bought a beagle x basset which we spent an hour talking to them about – our lifestyle, yard space exercise, how big he would grow etc and also did our own research. We were going to buy from a breeder but fell in love with a pup at Pets Paradise. After we bought him, he kept growing. Everyone would ask and I’d tell them there was no way he could get any bigger. End result – we have a harrier hound or foxhound with some sort of cross. We had to move to suburbia (something we told PP and discussed with breeders re. space and excercise and they said that was fine) and we are struggling. Due to his breed and size (he’s double the size and energy what he was meant to be) he’s unhappy and destructive (and rightly so). He is a breed that isn’t meant for a backyard and we are having to rehome him after trying everything we can. He is the most beautiful dog and it breaks our heart as we’ve never, ever had to rehome a dog as we’ve been very careful and responsible.
We are currently fighting them after first finding out he wasn’t microchipped properly (found that one out after he ran away and we couldn’t find him) and the fact that he is CLEARLY not the breed he was meant to be. God only knows how the other families are coping with theirs.
We are demanding to know where he came from/breeders etc but I am dealing with the owner (an asian who tells me it’s not her problem and we should have realised in the first 3 days – what the??), so I’m unsure on how far we will get.
We are all in for Oscars law and will never make the same mistake again. Please if you buy, only buy from registered breeders.
On the note of buying puppies from accidental pregnancies – how come the RSPCA and others charge only $300 yet PP charge $900? Is there some amazing care that we’re all unaware of? Pet stores need to be banned.
Haha, haven’t checked this for a while, love that Sara stopped commenting as soon as I asked if she was my old boss
scumbag. Nala, you sound exactly like the staff who worked under my old boss after I left. Hate to break it to you, but you’re wrong. Yes franchise owners have to source their own pups, but they are also given a handy help list of where to source them from by the lovely Pets Paradise head office. I assume your “local breeders” conveniently have a constant supply of cavoodles, spoodles, labradoodles, schnoodles, beagleirs, pugaleirs, jugs etc? These dogs are being bred to death…what can possibly be “good” about that? It’s easy to tell yourself that your store doesn’t support puppy factories…you work there, you love animals and don’t want to be associated with them being treated badly. But that doubt in your head of whether we just might be right is there for a reason..
Pets Paradise stores are all the same, yes there are plenty of caring staff in them, but the dogs (not all, but most!) are sourced from puppy factories. The turn over of dogs in store is too quick for them to rely on locals to supply them with their “stock” I should know, I managed the high turnover superstore in Melbourne..
Maybe you visited the broker’s houses and not the puppy farmers houses..and that’s why you’ve been lead to believe your store is not a supporter of puppy factories? Either way, keep researching..and find a new job!
And I want to correct myself as I’ve made myself look like a fool and titled myself as an ex pets paradises employer…but I’m an ex let’s paradise employee!! Oh dear haha
It’s one thing to believe something blindly when you are ignorant of all the facts- it’s not a persons fault if they simple don’t know whats going on. That’s where Oscar’s Law comes in- education!!!
BUT to vehemently defend your position once it’s been blown wide open and to then continue to deny the facts once you’re aware of them is something appalling. To ‘disbelivers’: listen to that little voice in the back of your head that is telling you something is wrong… don’t disregard it- investigate! Ask questions!
I can only imagine the horror some employees would feel at finding out that the gorgeous pups they’ve been selling to ‘good homes’ with the best of intentions come from these dire situations and are part of the disgusting cycle.
I feel for these employees. If it were me, that would break my heart.
Having said that. I cannot abide by the majority of employees i’ve had the experience of meeting who are content with their blinkers on and have treated my queries/information/explanations/kind words/pleas with contempt, eye rolls and anger.
They give pet stores everywhere a bad name and I feel no hesitation in slandering not only their business practice but naming and shaming them personally…informatively of course hahaha
Debra- I have the utmost respect for you and everyone you work with- especially in OpenRescue. Watching those videos and images breaks my heart and to see Oscar’s Law taking a real hold with people and gaining such strong support as was seen at the rally is a testament to the strength of you and those working with you.
I have only been involved in animal rescue for a few years. The anger/frustration/sadness and sometimes hopelessness I feel at the companion animal industry (not to mention the food industry) drives me close to crazy at times. Reading this blog and knowing there are people like you working so hard to make a difference gives me gumption and strength.
Thank you
Hi there! Please allow me to join in as I strongly support what this journal/forum is all about.
I’ve been into a Pets Paradise shop and I asked a staff about a puppy’s background, example the breeder, parents of the puppy, etc. The staff said they are not legally allowed to give out the breeder’s information, citing Privacy Laws. Is this true?
If the breeder of the dogs gave their authority to the pet shop to allow the latter to provide the breeder’s details to prospective buyer of a pup, it seems to me that the question of the puppy farms could be partly resolved.
If pet shops and breeders have nothing to hide, they would be more transparent.
Thank you!
PS
I was not in that shop to actually buy a pup and I will never ever buy a pup from a shop.
It’s good to see Pets Paradise exposed for what they really are, Paradise is not what i would call them. They Should change their name to Pet Hell. If they can do this to defenceless animals what are they like to human beings.It always baffles me how they continually get away with it. Council’s are always there for everything else but when it come to making these monster’s accountable where the hell are they. Obviously they are blind. Thankyou Debra, and thank you to your friend who goes in these puppy factories to expose their dark hidden secrets.
Hi Nala, after reading your reply it is obvious that you still work at one of the pets paradise stores as you don’t seem to have a problem with their ethics except that for the fact that the animals are kept there overnight. We have a pets paradise store in our local shopping centre the proprietors do not own it they rent it. i don’t know who tells you the information about head office but i think they have a problem with telling the truth. It amazes me how someone like you can work in a pets paradise and not witness what i witness as a person of the public. In the past 3 years i have seen dog carriers coming in and out of that store filled with up to 6 puppies in each, sometimes there have been up to 8 carriers at a time of numerous breeds of puppies.i have seen puppies with their hair falling out and also puppies with diarreoha, i have seen kittens and puppies with no water and no soft bedding to lie on.As recently as yesterday at closing time i saw puppies with diarreoha, glass windows were smeared with feacale matter that was not only on the bottom of the glass and side of the glass but also stuck on the puppies fur.I have no reason to make this up in fact i wish i’d never knew about this particular store and the proprietiors continually get away with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think it is really fantastic that you ex-imployees who have worked at pets paradise are willing to share your experiences. I am frustrated though, that you haven’t taken the opportunity to report these incidences when you have been a witness to them first hand. You have the opportunity to report what you have seen and the people involved to the RSPCA and other animal organizations.until we stand up, speak out and report the people that are involved in this puppies for profit business industry nothing will ever change.The Government is not going to do anything, it is up to us the public.we need to make people aware and educate the public about what’s going on so the cycle can stop.Were not saying that these people can’t have a business were just saying sell pet products not animals.ENOUGH IS A ENOUGH!!!One person can’t change the situation but if we unite together we can be their voice!!!!!
Me and my fiancé have been into several pets paradise stores and noticed obvious signs of sickness. In one store budgies in a glass display were suffering severely from stress to the point of pulling thier own feathers out. In another store we found kittens with signs of obvious skin conditions up for sale. Every time we seemed to take intrest in the animals well being we were had razzed by staff members. We were followed around and told off for documenting the problems with photos. Now they have moved into selling reptiles. I have particular concerns about this. I personnaly have cats rats fish and two pythons and thier health is always my concern I take care of them with the same respect that I do humans. Reptiles require specific living conditions and are susceptible to infection because of thier domestication. We are good friends with a local pet shop that only takes animals from breeders they know and only single litters. Even their rats are single litters and socialized. They often have very few cats and dogs because of this they show you the parents and will put u in contact with the breeders. They breed their own reptiles and the stores own lizards and snakes are. Celebrities amoungst the staff and regulars sometimes we just go in to vist them and mellow yellow thier resident male bearded dragon. It’s stores like this that people need to look for they care for their animals and take handing them over very seriously. They fight against farming animals and so do their affiliates. If u see an animal unhealthy or obviously overstocked don’t buy it. Your not rescuing it your only encouraging the bastards that sell them. Try and document the problems and kick up a fuss attract attention and write into council and your RSPCA type groups local to you. Animals deserve the same respect and care as any human. They are living beings not a product to be sold pets paradise is only the first layer there are “wholesalers” that are go betweens for them. De-sex your household pets And remember a “pure bred” is more likely to have health problems from genetic defects and inbreading. Always do research and get to know the people u are buying from.
Surprise!!!Surprise seems pp stores are starting to take down their ‘We do not support puppy farms’ signs.Umm how interesting excuse me for being so sarcastic all of a sudden they seem to have had a conscience and given the puppies toys to play with as well.Months and months ago when I tried giving them toys for the puppies to play with they told me that it was against head office policies. They really are a bunch of scumbags because all this is just a ploy to draw the public in. So let us keep up the fight get the truth out there and educate the public. Animals deserve better!!!
I use to work for Pets Paradise in Victoria AU, they knowingly sold sick animals and treated staff really badly. They never let the dogs out of their pens to get any exercise with some puppies being in store until 5 months of age.
A store which will remain un-nammed forced an employee to kill some guinea pigs as the store owner refused to pay the $30 it would cost to get them put down.
What about the other end of the scale though?
Let’s pretend that all puppies are from ethical backgrounds, their parents are loved family pets and everything is dandy (which as another former PP employee I can tell you it most certainly is not.)
What about the people that buy the puppies? Do you not think they are entirely capable of breeding from them? Would this issue not be eliminated by desexing the animal?
It also puts a halt to the cycle, someone buys a $1500 puppy, surely there’s margin in that profit for a $100 desex.
I agree that everyone has a right to say their piece @ Sara, but now let me say mine…I rang a Pets Paradise store around 2yrs ago now just out of curiosity and said that I have 3 maltese shitzu pup 2 girls and a boy, and asked them if they had the room for them and if I could sell them to them etc (the puppies didnt exist) I said that I would have them desexed prior to bring them in, a very clear objection was made, I was told that they preferred to get them undesexxed because they gave out a vet voucher with the dog, when I told them I could get them desexxed quite easily I was offered a slighty higher amount to get them into the shop undesexxed, and was asked if I would have more puppies to sell next season. I can only think of one reason people would want to buy puppies undesexxed and so insistantly, keeps the market more open, to byb and puppy farmers also, I believe that Sara truely cares for the animals she has the joy of seeing at work she really sounds sincere, and from a business stance I understand making ur product more appealing to the greater public, BUT these are not products, these are innocent little beings that cant help that they were born to who they were born to after coming in to the world in such horrific conditions just to be sentto a pet shop, then to be sent to god knows where, isnt that like being born in maximum security prison, then being transferred to juvi, then either getting a break or going back to maximum security prison again
Id just like to ask any of these ex or current pp workers what happens to the puppies you don’t sell? Is there a standard procedure when it comes to puppies that just don’t sell.. I don’t believe that they get away with asking the prices they do. Those poor dogs.. Not knowing they’ve been bred into a life that ultimately sees them as barter, not a family pet, just cash. For shame!
This is personally very offensive. The stereotypes that have been established about pet stores is totally unjust. Im a manager at pets paradise and i personally visit, check and pick up the puppies we sell. The breeders i deal with are some of the nicest animals lovers you will ever meet. Sure some puppy stores do the wrong thing and are lying but to say ALL stores do this is utterly appalling. We got to the effort to give customers pictures/details/bloodline etc. to abolish this trend. So next time you walk into a pet store, just know that the staff and managers that work there hate puppy farms more than you could possibly imagine.
I invite the journal writer of this story Debra Tranter to meet with our breeders, if you exist contact me via email.
I dont think you guys understand that not all the pets paradise stores are owned by the same person. I work at pets paradise and I would never work there if the puppies were from puppy farms. I have as well as all of the employees at my store have personally visited our breeders houses and seen the mums, dads and the houses/conditions that they live in.
There are some PP stores that buy from puppy farms such as Melbourne central and doncaster.
Ben, you can contact me on debratranter@gmail.com, gladly visit your ‘breeders’ with you.
GH um yes I think its quite clear to us that PP are franchised
Family breeders my foot! Responsible breeders don’t supply pet shops!
Actually, we don’t need any breeders at all, not even family breeders. There are enough pets at shelters waiting for a good home.
Dear GH and Ben…
As a franchiser would i want to be associated with a brand name that has such a poor reputation? I would have to ask myself… “Do i want to be part of a franchise chain that appears to support “puppy farms?”, even if my store does not?
I think i would be thinking through my association with them! Being part of such a franchise is the franchise owners choice…its a “brand name” that you are taking advantage of, just like being part of Mc Donalds or Hungry Jacks franchises… And so you are tarred with the same brush as those owners who buy from puppy farms… if you dont like it, either change the franchise requirements from with in the company (like not selling dogs and cats from within store) or you change your brand…
its your choice….
I worked for pets paradise a few years ago and we had no idea where the pups came from!!!! People brought them in and money was paid. Get real people any one can sell pups and kittens to them for the correct price ( which isn’t much!!!)
Also to Ben. How about an open day for interested parties? I’d gladly come, with an open mind. Let’s make a date
I have questions for the pets paradise employees. All of these are real situations from customers of PP stores in the last few years.
1.Why have you sold puppies and told people they were vaccinated, yet not provided them with a certificate. Same goes for “vet checked”-yet no piece of paper with a veterinary surgeons signature on it.
2.Why are you selling puppies such as “cavishons” and “maltipoos” as “purebred”? And for amounts up to $900!! Granted people should do their research and know that these dogs are just crossbreeds that someone gave a fancy name to, but to charge these amounts is criminal.
3.Why did an owner with a 9-wk-old puppy she’d bought the day before come to me saying that she was told puppy needed its first injections?
4.You say you “inspect” the breeders premises. Do you check hip scores, eye checks, etc. Clearly not. I’ve seen the genetic defects in puppys that come from your stores and nobodys ever checked anything on their parents, I guarantee it.
5.Why are puppies kept in glass boxes? They aren’t goldfish.
6. When you get complaints, why cant you do something useful? Chip in for vet costs, etc? Teling people to simply “return” their puppy is a dirty trick and you know it. Hand a small, sick, vulnerable puppy back to the people that allowed it to get that way in the first place is something normal kind and caring people cant do. And you know that. And you prey on it.
I could go on forever. I’ve seen everything from Coccidia to Parvovirus to severe genetic defects in these dogs. Nothing you say will discount the evidence that is widely known throughout the animal industry about your stores. You would be a laughing stock if the idea of little lives being treated so badly wasnt so damn unfunny. And to all the employees that are defending these moron business owners-follow up with all your puppy buyers in a year and listen to the horror stories.
Cry with the sweet old lady whose fluffy white puppy dropped dead 2 days after she brought it home.
Look at the faces of the little kids when they ask you if their puppy is going to be ok- and you know it most likely will not be ok because Parvovirus is devastating on a small puppy’s body.
My sister-in -law bought a shih-tzu x Cav at PP Rouse Hill NSW about 4 years ago for $1200. She was told she would be microchipped, but wasn’t. She was also covered in fleas. She has a bad bite, which means she can’t chew her food properly, so she can really only be feed soft food, hence bad teeth that need cleaning by a vet (more expense) The silly sales girl also tried to tell her that she had “Papers” from the breeder. Thats when I steped in, As a registered breeder I knew this was a lie. Cassie also has degenerative Spinal issue’s which cause her to scream in pain ( poor breeding) I tried my best to talk my sister-in-law out of buying her, but she felt sorry for her. Cassie is much loved and a great litle dog, but my sister-in-law learnt her lesson. Her next puppy came from a registered Cav Breeder. Full Pappers, microchipped, wormed, viewed Mum and siblings. $100 Refund on proof of desexing and Arthur was $500 cheaper than Cassie. Next pup will be a rescue!
FYI Ben McKenna did email me (not a very nice email) and I did agree to him showing me his ‘breeders’ however he has failed to answer my emails. I can only presume he has changed his mind.
Hey all! I haven’t read this all but I’ve read a bit and okay yes I used to work for pets paradise, I believed that it would be a great job getting to look after all the baby animals! No.. It wasn’t like that at all.. We have to have atleast 2% sales meaning per customer we have to sell atleast 2 items (I still dint see how that fits in with animal care, yes we can suggest to by things for them but can’t force them) at my store I did not have any training in the animals and care of different animals. When I went into work the other day I lost it! The dogs claws had not been clipped (like I’d been asking my manager to show me how to do for weeks!) and what had happened all three pups were covered in scratched and cuts and one had it’s eye sliced and bleeding.. I couldn’t help but cry. Next we had a dead zebra finch because it had no food and water and then the gouldien finches also were near death and couldn’t move (genrally they move like lightning, yet they let us touch them..) i called my boss to ask why to do she said I was a bitch and she was sick of it. I was asking how to SAVE THE ANIMALS after that she came instore, yelled at me and the other worker we were both hysterical crying and shaking we had never been sworn and yelled at like that before! We called her not long after she left saying we want to leave, we both went to the doctor under stress are both on valium and although we already left our badges, keys and uniform behind the doctor said to never go back! And I never would, we had other staff taking in underweight kittens and inbreed rats.. Weather that was because she didn’t care or didn’t know still it’s not acceptable and it’s not how a pet store should be run!
Please dont forget I am talking about the Pets Paradise I worked at not all stores are the same. Have a close look at the animals and speak to the staff before assuming (:
In the ‘Opinion’ section of our local newspaper was a piece written by some compassionate person requesting people to stop buying pets as Christmas presents. Basically she was bringing people’s attention to the fact of life that those little puppies and kittens they buy (especially at Christmas) don’t remain tiny and cute. Buying a pet is a commitment to the life-time of that pet. At this time of the year when the weather is cold, wet and miserable they are forgotten, abandoned and thrown out of the comfort of that warm ‘loving’ home. I applaud that person!Overwhelmed at the reminder for the reason why I regularly support the RSPCA and lost all control of my senses. Approaching the owner of the Pets Paradise at our shopping centre I told her ‘stop selling pets’, to read that piece from the paper I put on the counter. She said it would go in the bin the moment I left the shop. She maintained that the pets are ‘only sold to families’. Very loudly I reminded her of the puppies left in the window overnight in the heat of summer and when I go home at 6.30pm they are panting. Her response was that all pet shops leave pets in the shop window overnight. Angrily leaving the shop with everyone standing staring at me I told her it was her sense of conscience I was telling. I remained upset and shaking after the exchange, the greed for profit above the importance of the lives of all God’s creatures. I wonder if she will be taking the profits from this with her when she passes from this world one day? I don’t know the legislation on ‘who is responsible for the desexing the animals sold’. I trust the shop is only allowed to sell desexed animals. This would not put a stop to the puppy factories but would at least reduce the number of pets that have to be euthinasied each year.
yeah—the pp people commenting are all regional managers of pets paradise or pet goods direct-both owned by paradise retail holdings. I was a manager of one of their rural stores-they don’t care where the puppies or any other animal comes from as long as they are all marked up by gary diamonds(owner) 400% rule. so stop bull craping you or the company have any ethics-or you’d have quit too.ESPECIALLY when Gary directs you to drown animals that require vet treatment!and if all you people want to affect this buisness you need to research to- for instance, who eats at billy baxters????? huh you say-what has a food place have to do with a pet shop?? yeap ..all owned by paradise retail holdings. you want to end pp and pgd. then end paradise retail holdings.
Don’t worry Lynette, Pet’s Paradise now have their comeuppence! They have gone into receivership….People Power, let’s talk with our wallets bacuse when you try to reson with selfish, greedy unethical people they don’t care – it’s the dollars they care about so just make sure you tell everyone you know what people like this do…I WANT OSCAR’S LAW…keep up the good fight Deb!
It’s so heartwarming to see so many people caring for these beautiful living beings. But there is still alot more work to do to ruin these vile despicable creatures that own or franchise PP or any other store like it. Also these bastards that run the puppy mills. Shoot the lot of them i say. And there would be no guilt!! But seriously, the PP staff are deluded. They really are. But while that minority might be living in la la land, thank god that the majority of us are realists and see the truth. Keep up the good work everyone and lets keep fighting for the rights of these precious lives that can’t fight for themselves. And a MASSIVE THANK YOU to you Debra for the fantastic work you and your people are doing
Great Job Debra
For those who think pets paradise use puppy farms:
I have worked for a pets paradise and have personally helped pick up puppies from sellers homes.
These were not puppy farms.
I know for a fact that the franchise I worked in did not use puppy farms. I think it’s ridiculous to pin point a whole franchise when I know the one I worked it didn’t.
The people that sold the puppies were selling them for the reason of not being able to look after them as there dog fell pregnant unexpectadedly and could not provide for the puppies.
Wouldn’t it be logical to give them to someone who could provide for them????
Also at the store I worked in, puppies were adored, loved, constantly cuddled and fed. The staff I worked with were the most compassionate bunch of people I has ever met. They genuinely cared for the pups.
Stop judging before you know the truth.
I brought my puppy back in 2003. she is not a dog but a family member. pets paradise in Marrickville was the store I brought her from. in those days all stores were ok, but over the years all stores went down hill. I treasure my jack russell she is a good memory of the good service they used to have.
Today as I walked past Top Pets in Highpoint, Melbourne to look at the husky puppies, i noticed one of them was urinating blood, ofcourse i told the shop staff and to my horror and I am sure yours, they seemed very unconcerned about it. The girl went to tell one of the senior staff (I am presuming her manager) who then told her very bluntly, as if it was no big deal, just to change the paper. After the girl had changed the paper, i then asked if the dog was going to be okay, she snapped back quite rudely, that it was just worms.
I found this whole scenario disgusting and very upsetting.
As soon as i left the pet store i called RSPCA, who informed me that they will be sending out a vet to look at the poor puppy, which I assume would have been done this afternoon. Unfortuntly though, from my understanding over the phone, the dog will be left at the pet shop after the vet and the store will just be told not to display the puppy.
I understand RSPCA are doing the best that they can do, but I do not think it is fair for the puppy to stay under these heartless unconcerned people’s care. I do not believe them to have a sudden change of heart. From what i saw, i honestly think they have known the dog has been sick for a while now and just have chosen not to act on it.
I will call the RSPCA tomorrow to follow up on what has happened for my own piece of mind.
This has really upset me! I can not believe how selfish and cruel people can be!!!!
THIS STORE NEEDS TO BE CLOSED DOWN