Petland defends puppy swap meets

Much has been said and written about unscrupulous dog breeders raising large numbers of puppies in inhumane conditions for profit. The Hawaiian Humane Society and others have blamed pet stores for aiding and abetting such activities.

There's no doubt that irresponsible breeders are a problem. Nonetheless, responsible pet stores such as Petland provide a valuable service for those who want to sell and buy purebred dogs in a safe and caring way.

Hawaiian Humane Society spokes­woman Jacque LeBlanc, in a recent story about the rescue of more than 40 Pomeranian puppies in Halawa, said, "Pet shops and Internet sales protect irresponsible breeders who may not want you to see how they care for animals they sell," ("Pomeranians taken from breeder," Star-Advertiser, May 15).

As the president of Petland, a long-established kamaaina pet store, I take issue with such a broad accusation and the assumption that pet stores don't care as much for the health and safety of puppies as the Humane Society. The Hawaiian Humane Society should work with us, not against us.

For example, every quarter, Petland submits a list of breeders who participate in our puppy swap meet to the Humane Society. If any problem breeders come up on our report, the society has agreed to notify us.

We have never been notified by the society about any problem breeders, even though the society has police powers that we lack, and is well-paid by taxpayers to provide these services.

Both the society and pet stores share the difficult problem of identifying dogs that are not provided adequate care. Some breeders use other people to sell for them, disguising the quantity of the puppies they breed. We have banned breeders suspected of having too many dogs.

In the past, we have explored other ways to work with the Hawaiian Humane Society. The society was offered space at our puppy swap meet on Saturdays to display the society's adoptable pets at no charge. The society declined, citing a desire to eliminate the free puppy swap meet, which competes with the society's services. Despite this, we still have agreed to help the society prevent the inadequate care of puppies by sending the society the lists of breeders who participated in our puppy swap meet. We hope to continue these efforts into the future.

Petland's main concern is the health of the pups available at the puppy swap meet. We require that all puppies be examined by a licensed veterinarian and to be in apparent good health within two weeks from their reservation date. Puppies are required to have current shots and a fecal check to test if intestinal worms or parasites are present. The breeder must have a record of the shots.

The veterinarian verifies that the breeder took the puppies to get examined. We also require all breeders to bring the original receipt from the vet examination. To be certain that they are fully weaned from their mother, the puppies should be no younger than seven weeks of age. All breeders are required to show a valid picture identification during the check-in process.

We have these requirements in place in an effort to help prevent puppy mill breeders from participating in our puppy swap meet.

Petland does find homes for more than 100 pets monthly, some at no charge to the community. We recognize our responsibility to the community that supports us. We do not seek public funds to support our staff. Instead, we provide proper education and a wide selection of products to help and encourage our community to care for and nurture their pets and companions.

Our primary concern will always be the health and happiness of the puppies.