For the second time in less than six months, Petland Inc. faces lawsuits accusing the Chillicothe-based firm of selling sick puppies and of using questionable sales tactics at two of its franchise stores.
The lawsuits, filed by two separate families in Ross and Fairfield counties, accuse Petland of using deceit and high-pressure sales tactics to sell sick puppies to two Ohio families in 2021.
"Until Petland and the puppy mills that supply the chain are exposed and made to pay for their heinous and insulting indifference toward the well-being of animals, stories like (the ones in the lawsuits) will keep unfolding," said Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Washington-based Humane Society of the United States.
Although Petland had not been served with the court papers as of Thursday afternoon, Petland CEO Joe Watson denied the Humane Society's allegations that Petland utilizes puppy mills or that it intentionally sells sick animals.
While the puppies in the two latest lawsuits did become ill, Watson said Petland's health warranties for each puppy were activated and the company reimbursed both families for veterinary costs in 2021. The company had not heard from the families since, until it became aware of the lawsuits, he said in a prepared statement.
“Clearly, HSUS is burdening Ohio’s busy legal system to generate publicity for its unwarranted, long-time attacks on Petland, and to draw the attention of state lawmakers to consider legislation proposed by the radical animal rights group," Watson said.
"We saw this same PR tactic play out at the beginning of Ohio’s legislative session in January 2024 when HSUS generated three lawsuits that focused on Ohio pet owners and their alleged pet experiences," Watson said.
Petland had been sued by three Ohio families in January for similar accusations, The Dispatch previously reported, but Watson noted — and court records confirm — that Petland was dropped as a defendant in two of those lawsuits.
Kirsten Peek, media relations manager for the Humane Society, said the plaintiffs in those two cases chose to drop the lawsuits due to a clause in their purchase contracts that, if enforced, could cause "substantial financial risk" to them.
Petland accused of fraud, deception and high-pressure sales tactics
The first of the two most recent lawsuits state that Katie and Jeremy Wheeling bought River, an Ultimate Mastiff, on Feb. 28, 2021, for $5,000 from a Petland store in Lancaster. Store employees told the Wheeling family that River had a herniated navel but otherwise was considered healthy and ready for a new home, according to court documents.
Not long after bringing River home, she started experiencing recurring health problems, including having to undergo multiple surgeries, most of them relating to her developing a condition known as "cherry eye" in both eyes, the lawsuit alleges. River underwent two surgeries to address them; the first one was successful, but the second was not, the lawsuit states. As a result, the lawsuit contends, River now has a skin bubble that fluctuates in size throughout the year, at times covering almost half her eye, according to the lawsuit.
In addition to her eye problems, River also began limping in early 2023. A veterinarian diagnosed her with a torn cranial cruciate and recommended she once again undergo surgery. River went through with the surgery but was still limping, the lawsuit states. During surgical follow-ups, veterinarians from MedVet told the Wheeling family that River had "weak ligaments" and would need another surgery to address her limp.
The Wheeling family is demanding at least $25,000 to pay for vet costs and attorney fees.
In the second case, Danielle and Henry Segura say that they bought Sky, a Yorkie-Poodle mix, from a Petland in Chillicothe on Oct. 29, 2021. Petland staff told the family that Sky had recently been treated for a condition known as kennel cough but that besides that, she was healthy and ready to be rehomed, the lawsuit states. The Seguras bought Sky for $3,906, paying $700 cash and then financing the rest through American First Finance.
The lawsuit states that within days of Sky's purchase, she became ill. A veterinarian diagnosed her with pneumonia and prescribed her antibiotics, but her health continued to deteriorate, the lawsuit states. After what the lawsuit contends were repeated calls to Petland about Sky's health, the company only reimbursed the family part of the vet costs for Sky's treatment. Sky eventually recovered but soon began suffering from recurring seizures and was defecating blood, the lawsuit states. In fall of 2023, she was diagnosed with a congenital condition known as liver shunt.
A veterinarian recommended to the Seguras that Sky only engage in limited activities and shouldn't be left alone for long periods of time in case she suffers a seizure. In April, she was again hospitalized after refusing to eat or drink and defecating blood more than usual, and she was later diagnosed with hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, the lawsuit states.
Petland says that families were reimbursed for vet costs
Petland officials said that as of Thursday afternoon the company still had not been officially served with the lawsuit and was unable to respond to the specific allegations raised in those cases. However, based on information published by the Humane Society, Watson said Petland records show the claims each of the two recent plaintiffs made were "satisfactorily resolved" in 2021.
“In each case, the health warranties provided with the new puppies were activated, and each pet owner was reimbursed in full for the costs associated with the pets’ care and treatment," Watson said. "Neither of the parties named (as plaintiffs) in these alleged lawsuits has reached out to Petland with further concerns about the health of their pets in the three years since.”
Petland said in a release that the Wheelings contacted Petland on March 9, 2021, to report the puppy had developed “cherry eye,” which the company called "a very common and correctable eye condition for the Mastiff breed." The dog was approved for surgery coverage up to $5,000, the price of the puppy. The eye was corrected, and it was then discovered the puppy’s other eye had developed the condition. It, too, was corrected, Petland said.
The Wheelings were instructed to submit invoices for the surgery cost and took several months before submitting the claim to Petland, the company stated. On Sept. 30, 2021, the customer was reiumbursed $1,848.21 for the first surgery, Petland said, and a direct payment to their veterinarian of $2,060.68 for the second eye surgery was made.
In the case of the Seguras' Yorkie Poo puppy, Petland said it was discovered during a veterinary visit on Nov. 4, 2021, that the puppy had an upper respiratory infection that progressed to pneumonia. The pet was successfully treated in the veterinary clinic, Petland said, incurring a charge of $754.46. The Seguras provided Petland with the necessary invoices, and on Dec. 3, 2021, Petland said they were reimbursed for the full amount charged by the veterinarian. Petland said its records show the Seguras have had no further warranty-related claims or recorded concerns.
Petland cites extremely low percentage of complaints
When asked about claims in all five recent lawsuits and by the Humane Society about a pattern of Petland selling sick dogs, Petland spokesperson Maria Smith pointed to numbers compiled by the Ohio Attorney General's Office and said that of the 125,000 consumer complaints filed since 2019, 36 were filed against Petland.
Of the 36 complaints, 12 of them were related to health issues regarding a puppy, Smith said. Petland estimates that within that same timeframe, Petland has rehomed 51,000 puppies and that the 36 complaints represent 0.07% of all puppies sold within those five years, she said.
When looking at the 12 health-related complaints filed with the attorney general's office, Smith noted the claims represent 0.0096% of consumer complaints filed against Petland.
The first paragraph of Petland’s New Puppy Warranty states, “Puppies are living things, and like people, they can become ill. Petland policies prohibit puppies with known illnesses from being sent home. If a puppy is diagnosed as ill, Petland will not send a puppy home until a licensed veterinarianhas released the puppy to join its new forever home.”
Petland said the health warranty is available to eliminate unexpected veterinary costs in case a pet becomes sick and/or needs medical intervention. To learn more about where Petland puppies come from, including its breeder requirements, Petland suggests consumers or others concerned visit petland.com/cares.
"Any time an animal or person is ill, it creates stress for our loved ones," Smith said in an email to The Dispatch. "These are emotions that make us human. Petland is grateful for its customers, and we do whatever we can to ensure a pleasant experience with their new pet."
smeighan@dispatch.com
@ShahidMeighan
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Petland refutes lawsuits, says it paid for sick puppies' health bills
