Protesters march at Petland in Lake Saint Louis
March 15, 2009
Lake Saint Louis
Several protesters marched on the sidewalk in front of Lake Saint Louis Petland pet store Saturday afternoon.
The protesters cite an eight-month Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) investigation of Petland stores. The investigation results state that some Petland stores obtain puppies from puppy mills, online and through brokers.
The group says that some of these stores have been found to purchase from filthy, dangerous facilities where hundreds of breeding dogs are packed into cramped cages.
The march was part of a national campaign against what the HSUS claims is the number one retail supporter of puppy mills, Petland. In this video, the HSUS states in every Petland store they visited, the use of puppy mills was denied.
While St. Charles County W.O.R.L.D.S. interviewed protesters, drivers passing by on Ronald Reagan Drive honked in apparent agreement of the protest.
Tom Killmade, owner of the Lake Saint Louis Petland, told St. Charles County W.O.R.L.D.S. that his store was not among those implicated in the recent investigation.
When asked about the sources of animals sold at his store, he stated that facilities are usually investigated before purchase. If an animal comes to him indirectly, he said, the facility of the animal’s origin eventually gets inspected.
Killmade said there are usually rescued animals in his store, currently: a three-year old chocolate lab as well as some puppies found in a pipe in Portage des Sioux.
“I have been a protester and a rescuer,” said Killmade. “I believe in rescue.” “It’s the core of who I am,” he said.
For more about the HSUS visit www.humanesociety.org.
For Petland Corporation’s statements about pet welfare, visit www.petland.com/AboutPetland/PetWelfare.htm.
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