Pet Store Chain Stops Selling Puppies, Promotes Adoption

By Jennifer Mishler, Ecorazzi

PJ’s Pets, a nationwide chain of pet shops in Canada has announced that they will no longer sell puppies in their stores!

The company announced this week in a press release that as of Semptember 1, 2011, their stores will facilitate adoptions of pets in need of homes instead of selling puppies most likely from puppy mills. If you would like to know more about the puppy mill industry, check out our recent story on the upcoming documentary Madonna of the Mills. PJ’s Pets says that they are hoping to help “find homes for thousands of pets in local SPCA’s, Humane Societies, rescue groups and shelters across the country.”

Michael O’Sullivan, the CEO of the Humane Society of Canada, told CTV News, “I think it puts the responsibility where it belongs and it’s wonderful for the animals.” He also praised the stores for supporting the process of adoptions, instead of letting people take the dogs home on impulse decisions. “You actually do an adoption process, so that the animals don’t come back even to the shelter for the same reasons they came. And you look for a permanent loving home.” He stressed the importance of considering all of the care and attention that a dog needs before adopting, but points out that there are other ways to help too. “It’s a long-term commitment and I think that people need to think it through,” O’Sullivan said. “If you can’t have an animal right now for one reason or another, volunteer at your local shelter.

The stores will allow rescue organizations to use space in the store to set up information tables, hand out leaflets, show photos of the dogs and take adoption applications. Some stores will also have kennels with shelter dogs available for adoption. As O’Sullivan reminds us, hundreds of thousands of animals are euthanized in Canada each year because homes cannot be found for them. Hopefully, this will make a difference for some of the lonely dogs waiting in shelters.