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PET STORES IN THE NEWS

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5/29/07 PENNSYLVANIA: Puppy Mills Still Do Big Business - Puppy mills still do a big business. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it has video to prove it, and the organization has been warning buyers to steer clear.

5/25/07 CALIFORNIA: Bill would set pet store standards - Lawmakers, on a vote of 74-0, approved Assembly Bill 1347 by Caballero to impose minimum standards for cages, cleaning, temperature, lighting, ventilation, veterinarian visits and record-keeping. Caged birds, for example, will have to be able to spread their wings, and dogs and cats would have to be able to turn around easily.

5/22/07 TEXAS: Pet owners want BAT permit abolished - More fights Tuesday night at Lawton City Hall over a permit required by the new city pet ordinance. It's called the BAT permit and it restricts how buyers and sellers breed, advertise and transfer ownership of pets. Tuesday at the city council meeting, pet store owners came forward to voice their anger.

5/16/07 TEXAS: PETA CALLS ON WICHITA FALLS PROPERTY OWNER TO BLOW THE WHISTLE ON PETSMART CRUELTY - Today, PETA sent an urgent letter to Andy Lee of the Andy Lee Company urging him to look out for the mistreatment of animals in the PetSmart store scheduled to open in Wichita Falls this Saturday.

5/17/07 NPR: Bill Seeks to Lift Ban on Baby Pet Turtles - Baby turtles as pets may be ready for a comeback. The Food and Drug Administration banned virtually all sales of tiny turtles in 1975 after the animals were linked to salmonella infections in children. But a bill passed by the Senate last week includes an amendment that would lift that ban.

5/15/07 WASHINGTON: Turtles may be crawling back to pet store - The U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would ease a 32-year-old ban on the sale of baby turtles as pets.

5/11/07 MASSACHUSETTS: Pet store employees indicted in theft of animals, pet supplies and cash - Bilodeau and Vancoppenolle were employees - and friends - of owner Kevin McCurley when they allegedly stole pet food, pet toys, pet supplies and a super tiger python during a six-month period last year, according to court documents.

5/8/07 PENNSYLVANIA: Dead Animals Found in Pet Store -Police in Northumberland County are investigating what some call a case of massive animal abuse at a pet store. Dan Phelps said a dead rat at the Rainbow Pets Discount Emporium in Shamokin is the tip of the iceberg. As investigators went through the store they found dead animals all over the place.

5/6/07 PENNSYLVANIA: Bust brings puppy-mill problem to light - Known for riding in horse-drawn buggies and shunning modern conveniences, the Amish are gaining a darker reputation: Puppy-mill operators. Five days after an Amish puppy mill was raided in southern Somerset County, authorities believe a problem generally associated with Lancaster County’s Pennsylvania Dutch country is moving closer to home.

5/3/07 NORTH CAROLINA: ZooQuatic kittens: Too small to take home? - A Christiansburg pet store, already criticized for selling puppies, now faces charges that it sold kittens younger than 7 weeks old.

4/28/07 FLORIDA: Pet Shop Owners Charged After Puppy Gets Sick - A 2-month-old puppy with a viral infection and a troubling cough prompted county animal control officers to file felony animal cruelty charges Friday against two owners of a Tampa pet shop.

4/28/07 FLORIDA: Animal cruelty at The Puppy Store - The pet store's owners are facing charges for not getting help for the sick puppy.

4/27/07 NEVADA: Pet-store puppy complaints still persist throughout the area - A few reports have come in recently about sick puppies purchased at Reno-Carson-area pet stores, especially puppies suffering from pneumonia.

4/26/07 New York: Sick dog stolen from pet store - An 11-week-old Chihuahua with an upper respiratory infection and a price tag of $900 was stolen from a Queensbury pet store on Monday night, and the store's owner is offering a $100 reward to the person who brings it back.

4/25/07 CANADA: Pet store owner fined for illegally keeping opossums in captivity - The owner of a Brockville pet shop didn’t realize the marsupials were native to Ontario — and when he found out, he immediately turned them over to a zoo.

4/24/07 MEXICO: Mexico imports choice Chihuahuas from the U.S. - Some Mexican pet stores have begun selling U.S.-bred Chihuahuas to well-heeled customers drawn by the cachet of an American pedigree. Celebrity owners such as Paris Hilton have turned the tiny canines into a status symbol, and the "imported" tag heightens the allure, store managers say.

4/16/07 TENNESSEE: Contract dispute follows pet store dog's death - A Maryville, TN woman bought a purebred dog by contract from a pet store. But when the dog died after an emergency illness, she was initially denied a refund because pet store managers said she didn't go to the right vet.

4/09/07 TEXAS: Group Provides Sanctuary for Forgotten Easter Pets - Yule is in the business of saving rabbits. And, unfortunately, this time of year is her busiest. Parents surprise their kids with bunnies on Easter morning and then dump them when the novelty wears off — which can happen faster than Bugs Bunny says, "Eh, what's up, Doc?"

3/30/07 UK: Revised Pet Store Management Qualification The Pet Care Trust, (PCT) has re-launched its Pet Store Management Qualification - The new syllabus, developed between the PCT, National Proficeincy Test Council, NPTC, City & Guilds and livestock experts, covers sections on livestock husbandry needs and best practice advice to pass on to new owners.

3/28/07 CANADA: B.C. pet store chain pulls Easter bunnies - Vancouver-based Petcetera said it would no longer sell rabbits in its 11 Lower Mainland stores because of concerns raised by the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals that there were too many rabbits in shelters, Petcetera's vice- president Richard Kaga said in an interview.

3/26/07 WORLDNEWS: First, the dogs and cats die - It seems the wheat used in that Canadian produced, American formulated pet food, which was contaminated with a deadly rat poison, was imported from China. When this news story first broke, the connection to China wasn't mentioned and in fact, many news outlets still omit that. The front-page story in the Contra Costa Times on Mar. 24 is 34-inches long, with no mention of China.

3/24/07 BLOOMBERG: Menu Asks Stores Remove Pet Food Regardless of Date (Update2) - Menu Foods Ltd., which recalled 60 million cans of wet pet food in the U.S. last week, asked for all brands involved to be removed, regardless of the date of manufacture, amid concern tainted products are still being sold.

3/25/07 NEW YORK: Investigators still unsure how pet food became contaminated - This weekend government investigators said they still don't know how the toxin got in the pet food, and no criminal investigation has begun. One of the chemists did speculate that the substance wouldn't be in the food unless "someone put it there."

3/24/07 FLORIDA: St. Petersburg Store Sells Recalled Pet Food - Coralette Damme never thought twice about what she feeds her cats until she read an email about the Menu Foods recall on 60 million cans of dog and cat food. Right away, she went out to buy a new supply, but she was in for another surprise.

3/22/07 MARYLAND: Woman Discovers Problem With Purebred Puppy Purchase - Tina Sloop paid $399 for Mr. Toodles because she says a Salisbury pet store, Air, Land and Sea Pet Store, told her he was a purebred Pekingese and able to be registered. But, she says, it wasn't so.

3/22/07 NEW MEXICO: Pet Food Recall Does Not Allay All Fears - Though the recall was limited to the cuts-and-gravy types of food in cans and pouches, some shoppers at PetSmart said they're worried about all types of pet food - and they're not sure what to do about it.

3/22/07 ALABAMA: Tainted dog food suspected in local pet’s death - Ric Agee doesn’t know what caused Lacy, his family’s 10-year-old Pomeranian, to suddenly fall ill in late February, but he has a good idea.

3/22/07 NEW YORK: Pet food recall raises Tier alarm Worried owners calling vets, shops - Southern Tier pet stores and veterinary offices have been flooded with phone calls and walk-ins this week as a nationwide pet food recall has many pet owners fearing for the safety of their four-legged loved ones.

3/20/07 OHIO: Recalled pet food found on store shelves - Nearly a week after a nationwide pet food recall was announced, pet owners and shelters are scrambling to make sure their pets are okay and to find alternative foods.

3/13/07 NORTH CAROLINA: ZooQuatic adding puppies to its inventory - Jonathan Couch's decision to sell puppies at ZooQuatic Pet Center has landed him in the doghouse with local animal welfare activists opposed to the pup-peddling practice.

3/12/07 FLORIDA: South Beach Pet Store Sues Mickey Rourke For Defamation - South Beach pet store is suing actor Mickey Rourke for defamation, claiming he made false public statements about the business.

3/06/07 FLORIDA: Pet Owners Upset Over Lack Of Registration Papers - Customers of an Orlando pet store are outraged that they can't get important documents because the store closed up shop.

3/05/07 MISSISSIPPI: Friday fire damages Gautier pet store - Paula Vassey said she did not have to ask for help before people started arriving to her fire-damaged pet shop to clean up the mess from a Friday night blaze.

2/28/07 OHIO: Former pet store owner ordered away from animals - A 23-year-old man, who is the former owner of a pet store, has been found guilty of a cruelty to animals charge and has been ordered not to own or possess any animals for five years.

2/22/07 TEXAS: Two Petco Employees Fall Ill From Scabies - Workers at a Petco pet store have fallen ill on Thursday, possibly from something inside the store.

2/19/07 SOUTH CAROLINA: Thousands Of Pet Fish Dying In Transit From Atlanta To Charleston - Local fish store owners feel left out in the cold as thousands of their fish shipments are arriving dead. The reason, they say, neglect by cargo handlers in Atlanta.

2/15/07 KENTUCKY: Nicholasville pet store abandoned; owner faces cruelty charges - A Jessamine County woman was in custody Thursday night facing 97 counts of animal cruelty after she allegedly left animals at an abandoned pet store with no heat.

2/15/07 CANADA: PetSmart to Acquire 19 Super Pet Stores in Eastern Canada - North America's largest specialty pet retailer, plans to acquire 19 Super Pet retail stores in 17 Eastern Canadian communities.

2/13/07 TENNESSEE: Pet store catches fire; 9 animals die - A Monday morning fire forced the evacuation of a Dothan pet store and the death of nine animals, but just a few hours later the store was open again for business, urging people to "come pick out a pet for their loved ones for Valentine's Day".

2/10/07 FLORIDA: Puppy Heartbreak -- Part I - Puppies -- seriously ill, some are even dying soon after being purchased from a popular pet operation in South Florida, Wizard Of Claws.

2/10/07 COLORADO: Pet Spot Facing Fines - A state inspector has given a local pet store until Thursday to submit an improvement plan that outlines how the owner and employees will curb persistent problems with puppies suffering from sometimes deadly illnesses.

2/8/07 FLORIDA: Puppy Palace Lawsuit - A Boynton Beach woman paid 800 bucks for the perfect puppy and eight days later, the dog ended up dead.

2/8/07 MEDSCAPE: Pets May Make People Sick - This year's ACNP National Clinical Conference highlighted the growing awareness of pets as a potential risk factor for some individuals.

2/8/07 PENNSYLVANIA: Puppy mill predicament - Elaine Brim says her dog Buddy is a "genetic mess." She also says he's friendly, and makes for a good watchdog.

2/2/07 FLORIDA: Rourke to protest outside pet shop - 'Sin City' actor Mickey Rourke was angry at a pet store because he bought a puppy from the shop for his girlfriend and it died a few weeks later.

1/22/07 CONNECTICUT: PETA Submits Complaint Against Pet Store - PETA submitted a complaint today with the state's attorney's office asking for an investigation into Petsmart's treatment of animals. PETA also is requesting that the state's attorney move for a preliminary injunction that would prevent PetSmart from getting and selling more animals while cruelty-to-animal charges are pending.

1/25/07 FLORIDA: Rourke Attacks Pet Store Owner Over Sick Dog - Former Hollywood wildman MICKEY ROURKE is barking at a Miami, Florida pet store after discovering owners are selling sick puppies.

1/24/07 MAINE: Woman settles in Portsmouth dog sickness case - A Maine woman has settled a lawsuit against the Little Shop of Pets she purchased a sickly Jack Russell terrier from.

1/22/07 CONNECTICUT: PETA alleges abuse at a Conn. pet store - Officials from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Va., are alleging that animals in a couple of PetSmart stores in the country, including the Manchester store, are not properly cared for and often languish and die in the pet store.

1/20/07 SOUTH CAROLINA: How lethal pet food got on store shelves - Mark Brinkmann believed he had staved off a contamination threat at Diamond Pet Foods' Lexington County plant, until he got a call the evening of Dec. 16.

1/13/07 COLORADO: Pinky’s fate unknown - Pinky might live after all, but the state veterinarian’s office is investigating the pet store that sold her.

1/12/07 MICHIGAN: Homeowner, Pet Store Part Of Animal Cruelty Investigation - The investigation began two miles away from Pet City at the home of an employee in Ypsilanti. The conditions of the home were deemed unlivable by the city, and 30 dogs were removed.

12/29/06 TENNESEE: Maryville pet store forced to close on short notice - A Maryville pet store must close its doors by Monday, which could mean it won't be a happy new year for several animals still inside.

12/28/06 VIRGINIA: The Other Side of the Pet Store Window - Sophia is the reason no one should ever buy an animal from a pet store. Like most dogs for sale in stores, she came from a puppy mill.

12/23/06 AUSTRALIA: Pet store owner says not all dealers unscrupulous - A Canberra pet shop owner has raised concerns that responsible operators are unfairly given a bad name at Christmas.

12/22/06 NEW YORK: Pet store owner has cats removed from her Glens Falls home - The owner of a Greenwich pet store was cited by police for "unsanitary and unhealthy conditions" at her Glens Falls home Monday after a dead cat and animal feces were found in her home, police said.

12/22/06 CALIFORNIA:Pet store prohibited from selling animals - A San Mateo pet shop owner with a history of animal neglect was banned last week from selling all animals.

12/20/06 TEXAS: Piranhas confiscated from pet store in Plano - Piranhas sold in a local Plano pet store were confiscated Tuesday by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department after game wardens discovered the fish were being sold illegally as pets.

12/19/06 CALIFORNIA: San Mateo Pet Store Shut Down - A San Mateo pet store owner on probation for not properly caring for animals was barred completely from selling animals last week by a San Mateo County Superior Court judge.

12/14/06 ILLINOIS: Protesters irk pet store owner - A local merchant is challenging animal lovers who have been picketing one of his stores by threatening legal action against the protesters.

11/3/06 CALIFORNIA: Selling sick pets? - We found some of them sick, overmedicated and underweight. While you see the cute and cuddly dogs in the pet stores, we went behind closed doors… undercover with a hidden camera, sending in a producer -- who volunteered at pet stores for weeks -- exposing what really goes on!

10/28/06 ILLINOIS: Police: Fish poisoned at pet store

10/27/06 WISCONSIN: Police investigate Dells pet shop

10/09/06 OHIO: Animals removed from local pet store

10/07/06 MASSACHUSETTS: Pet store manager charged with willful burning of shop

10/04/06 Unsuspecting Consumers are Buying Sick and Dying Animals from Pet Stores According to New Study by The HSUS

10/01/06 FLORIDA: Dog Owners Learn Law's Bark Worse Than Bite

9/30/06 FLORIDA: No contest plea in pet hearing

9/24/06 MASSACHUSETTS: Going to the dogs:State oversight of pet stores is limited

9/23/06 NEW HAMPSHIRE: Pet owner says shop should pay vet bills

9/21/06 WISCONSIN: Many want pet store cleaned up

9/16/06 MASSACHUSETTS: Family, pet store battle over bills for sick pup

9/12/06 NEW JERSEY: Pet shop landlords hit with 424 counts