Thursday, August 18, 2011

PJ's Pets to stop selling puppies...and...

PJ's Pets is a national chain of Canadian pet stores (known as Pets Unlimited in the Maritimes). I must admit that I haven't been in one in years because they sell puppies. And kittens.

Make that "sold", partially. PJ's Pets has announced that their stores will no longer sell puppies.

This is a good thing. A very, very good thing and I applaud them.
As is PJ's announcement that they will partner with shelters and rescues to promote adoption. Again, a very, very good thing.

The stores will, however, continue to sell kittens.

The thing that’s keeping me up about this…well, several things.

What will happen to the puppies currently "in stock" at the stores?

What will happen to all the puppy mill dogs that are no longer ATMs for the despicable owners? Will there be shelters and rescues full of those unsocialized and potentially unadoptable dogs? Or will these poor dogs just be shot and dumped in a ditch, or just dumped? Who will deal with the aftermath of the years of puppy milling?

N.B. PJ's news release says (which I missed because of bad eyesight), "Pets Unlimited had stopped selling puppies in all of its stores earlier this year, while PJ's Pets will wind down sales by September 1st. Between now and October 1st, PJ's will be working with their private kennels to help find adoptive homes for their breeding dogs and any remaining puppies." Ummm, how many breeding dogs? How many remaining puppies? Is this being done with rescue and shelter partners?

When will PJ’s stop selling kittens, stop keeping them in fishbowl cages, work with rescues and shelters to get the kittens properly socialized in foster homes before adoption?

I know. I'm a spoilsport, or a doom 'n gloomer, or something like that. Maybe PJ's will have to take one step at a time, rather than going the whole nine yards.

PJ's - C'mon. You can do it. I have faith.

Let's go for the whole nine yards.

Then, let's go kick butt and close down the disguised millers and the backyard breeders on Craigslist and Kijiji.


1 comment:

Laura HP said...

Yeah PJ's, and stop selling parrots and rabbits and hamsters...
I'm just kidding, I know it will take several years for this to trickle down to small animals. At least this is a start. Public condemnation is a lovely thing.