The New Petland Coalition

The Barking Boutique is leveraging the new Petland Coalition

In response to pet retail sales bans and state laws restricting the retail sale of puppies, Petland formed a coalition to improve the industry’s image. They had to! Petland is losing the public debate, and the evidence against Petland is compelling.

Petland Mall of Georgia mentions a new coalition on their website:

“That’s why we formed a coalition to improve animal welfare and work in a collaborative effort with a cross section of the pet industry, including animal welfare organizations as well as the veterinarian and academic community. 

Who exactly is a part of this coalition? While there isn’t a name or website for the coalition, a few news articles and some research in southern Iowa suggest that the following individuals and organizations are working on new model kennels and updated breeding standards. There is no evidence that animal welfare groups are part of this coalition.

1. Levi Graber (Blue Ribbons Puppies), Petland’s broker.
2. Purdue University Center for Animal Welfare
3. Will Yoder (Blue Ribbon Puppies), consultant to Southern Iowa breeders.
4. Iowa Pet Breeder Association, Iowa Kennel Alliance Program (IKAP) linking many stakeholders such ask AKC, breeders, brokers, and transport companies.

Broker Levi Graber (Blue Ribbon Puppies) is a large stakeholder and he regularly speaks at city council meetings and state legislatures to fight off retail bans and regulations that would protect families from irresponsible puppy peddlers. 

Sarasota, Florida City Council 2016

Graber was featured in a recent article outlining plans the pet industry had to improve its reputation.

Amish aim to restore dog breeding rep (May 22, 2016)

“When some people think of dog breeding in the Amish community, images appear of puppy mills full of unhappy and mistreated dogs.

Amish breeders in the state want to change that, and they're reaching out for help.

Commercial breeders from Odon — a Southern Indiana town with a large Amish population — are working with Purdue University's Center for Animal Welfare Science to establish breeding practices that make consumers and dogs happy.”

"It was time that we as breeders recognize that there are professionals out there that can help us and we need to involve them in our businesses," said Levi Graber, a member of Odon's Amish community who helps several breeders in the area.

Again, there is no mention of animal welfare organizations. The owner of the Barking Boutique has participated in Purdue University’s program and is using this as a marketing promotion. 

  

Will Yoder, a consultant working for Blue Ribbon Puppies, helped coordinate efforts in southern Iowa. Yoder is featured in this recent article exposing rescues for profiting off the industry to counter retail bans. 

As part of this effort to improve their reputation, ten Iowa kennels were selected to be built, expanded or upgraded.

Kennel Name	Kennel Status
1) Cloveridge Kennels	2015 expanded
2) Daynes Ridge
3) Hillview Kennels	2016 New
4) Howling Hill
5) Oakridge Kennels	2015 new facility
6) Shadey Lawn	2015 updated
7) Shadow Valley	2015 updated
8) Stoney Creek	2015 new
9) That’ll Do	2015 training lessons from AKC completed
10) Yoder Kennel	2015 new

With all kennels newly built and refurbished, Petland organized tours of the kennels in 2016. Will Yoder provided some tours in 2016.

~The kennel buildings might be new and spacious,
but the puppies still have problems.~

While the few new kennels offer indoor/outdoor runs and play yards, there is still little oversight and no guarantee the puppies will be healthy. Some of these featured kennels shipped puppies to The Barking Boutique with abnormalities listed on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. 

Kennel Name	Veterinary Inspection Date	Abnormality Noted
Cloveridge Kennel	4/13/2017	Luxating Patella Grade 1 L Latfral
	5/24/2017	Small open font.
		Open font
	6/8/2017	Moderate open font (all 3 dogs)
	8/31/2017	one of the three female cockapoo had mild underbite
	12/20/2017	Puppy 174655-04 has a moderate open font
	1/10/2018	Puppy 174656-06 has a mild open font
Oakridge Kennels	11/22/2017	Unilateral Crypt Orchid
	2/7/2018	Crypt orchid neuter done 1-31-18
Shadow Valley	Not provided	Left knee grade 5 patella not in trochlergroorse
	5/15/2017	Open Font ~ 3mm
	6/2/2017	Double inguinal hernial repaired
		Castrated, double inguinal hernia repaired
	7/13/2017	Underbite
	7/19/2017	Very small double inguinal hernia
		Unbilical hernial repaired by Dr. McClintock
	10/18/2017	Umbilical Hernia and double inguinal hernia
	10/25/2017	Umbilical hernia repaired by Dr. McClintock
		Castrated by Dr. McClintock
	11/1/2017	Neutered by Dr. McClintock had an abscess on right side of chest - healing
	11/8/2017	Right testical not fully descended into scrotum
	12/6/2017	Very small open font, left knee grade 2 patellar luxator, right knee grade 1 patella lux
		Umbilical hernia repaired by Dr. McClintock
	12/19/2017	Grade 1 right knee, small open font
	12/27/2017	Umbilical Hernia repaired Dr. Mcintock, Umbilical Hernial repaired Dr. McClintock
	1/31/2018	Double inguinal hernia, open font ~ 4mm, extremely small underbite 1 mm
Walnut Ridge Kennel	1/3/2018	Puppy has a moderate overbite
Ervin Lee Mast	7/13/2017	Overbite
	1/17/2018	Grade 3 knees right and left
David Troyer	6/16/2017	Castrated by Dr. McClintock
	1/31/2018	Umbilical Hernia..small amount of fat on the outside.
Melvin Nisley	1/24/2018	Puppy had crypt orchid neuter done 1/10/18

It appears that The Barking Boutique is following Petland’s new “showcase” kennel initiative and coalition efforts which misleads families as to the true source of some of the puppies. 

~Unless all breeders step-up, make huge investments and agree to higher standards, these kennels will simply be used as “showcase” kennels while the pet stores continue to source from sub-standard breeders.~

Learn more about The Barking Bouique’s bad breeders on our boycott website.

If you purchased a sick puppy, had warranty issues, genetic problems, were sold the wrong breed, discovered the puppy is not a purebred or were misled by the financing package, please contact Pam Sordyl at 734-718-7100.