Today, people are more conscientious than ever about puppy welfare. People are going to great lengths to research where puppies come from in an effort to avoid puppy mills. Everyone at Petland Texas wholeheartedly supports conscientious people like you, which is why we use a fully transparent approach. In this article, you’ll learn about Petland’s […]
Today, people are more conscientious than ever about puppy welfare. People are going to great lengths to research where puppies come from in an effort to avoid puppy mills. Everyone at Petland Texas wholeheartedly supports conscientious people like you, which is why we use a fully transparent approach.
In this article, you’ll learn about Petland’s standards for ethical breeding and get to meet the breeders we work with. Best of all, our breeders have an open door policy, which means that you can stop by their facilities and see for yourself how well Petland Texas puppies and their dog parents are treated.
First, it’s important to understand that all puppies come from breeders. The term “breeder” simply refers to the human in charge of the birthing dogs and their litters of puppies. There are many different categories of breeders, and these categories denote the number of litters the breeder manages per year. For example, a hobby breeder will manage about two or three litters per year, while a commercial breeder could manage dozens. Your neighbor up the street whose dog just had a litter of puppies is also a type of “breeder,” albeit a novice one.
FACT → 34% of dog owners get their dogs directly from the breeders
FACT → 37% of dog owners get their dogs from animal shelters
FACT → 4% of dog owners get their dogs from pet stores
FACT → Very few dogs purchased from pet stores end up in animal shelters
Only about 2 – 4% of puppy owners get their puppies from pet stores, and as a matter of Petland’s research, very few dogs purchased from pet stores end up in animal shelters.
The second thing to know about the pet industry is that each state in the U.S. has developed its own laws and regulations regarding the ethical treatment of puppies and pets. Unfortunately, in the eyes of the law, a puppy is regarded as an item, merchandise, or “goods.”
At Petland Texas, we don’t happen to agree with that. Puppies are obviously more than “property.” This is the primary reason that we have developed our own set of ethical standards to ensure that the puppies that end up at Petland are as healthy and happy as possible not only at the time of sale, but for the duration of their lives.
Petland works exclusively with USDA licensed breeders and distributors, but holding a license with the USDA isn’t the only requirement that we expect our breeders to maintain.
Petland’s breeders must also meet our high-standard criteria for ethical animal treatment.
Petland’s operations team also travels to our breeders for surprise visits and inspections to make sure that the litters of puppies and their parent dogs are being treated well and reflect the health that comes from the standard of care we require.
If that wasn’t enough, Petland’s Director of Animal Welfare Education works with local, state, and federal regulatory agencies and legislators concerning animal welfare issues and education.
Now for the fun part, let’s introduce you to our breeders.
Cloveridge Kennel is family-owned and operated by the Mullet family in southern Iowa. The Mullets all help out with the care of each adult animal in their kennel, raising and socializing the puppies and introducing them to new surroundings, toys and surfaces, like their huge outdoor play areas!
Daynes Ridge Kennel is the labor of love for Jeremy Rogers and his daughter, Payton. They have been breeding and placing puppies in loving homes for over 15 years. The Rogers’ raise Bernese Mountain Dogs, English Bulldogs, and French Bulldogs. Jeremy and Payton are so proud of their state-of-the-art kennel, they allow visitors at any time.
Oak Ridge Kennel is family-owned and operated by the Yoder family of Seymour, Iowa. Levi and Wilma Yoder, along with their seven children, began raising puppies with a pair of pet Shetland Sheepdogs, and their passion for breeding was born! In 2015, they built an impressive breeding facility for breeding Shetland Sheepdogs. In 2016, they added a large outdoor yard for the dogs to run and play in the lush, green grass.
Stoney Creek Kennel is family-owned and operated by the Troyer Family of Bloomfield, Iowa. They raise Siberian Husky puppies, English Bulldog puppies, and Pomsky puppies. Their dream has always been to have a state-of-the-art, dog-friendly facility to attract both visitors and friends. And they realized this dream in 2015 when they built their facilities. Stoney Creek Kennel works hard to raise top quality, healthy, and socialized puppies that are ready for their new home with you.
Once a litter of puppies reaches one of our Petland Texas store locations, the high quality of care is maintained even further.
We adhere to strict and intensive processes in order to care for our puppies.
Our Trained Animal Care Technicians monitor the weight, temperature, and feeding habits of each puppy every day. Any inconsistencies are noted and reported to the store veterinarian.
Petland puppies are dewormed and vaccinated, too.
Petland pet counselors educate our customers on the importance of spay / neuter procedures and often provide discounts and / or incentives to the customer.
In order to help our new puppy parents maintain the health and happiness of the Petland puppies they take home, we provide our customers with the following:
There you have it! Now you know everything there is to know about Petland Texas’s ethics, standards, and where we get our puppies! The only thing left for you to do is come into one of our Petland Texas locations and speak with our pet counselors about the best dog breed for you to take home and love!
