Three central Ohio Petland stores accused of selling sick puppies in legal complaints

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Three families who bought puppies from central Ohio Petland stores are now suing the Ohio-based chain, claiming it sold them sick puppies from puppy mills despite assurances otherwise.

In separate lawsuits filed Jan. 18, the customers, with the backing of the Humane Society of the United States, have accused Petland of lying about the health and origin of puppies it sold for thousands of dollars – leaving owners with seriously ill dogs and hefty veterinary bills. The Chillicothe-based international chain not only sold sick puppies, the complaints claim, but encouraged customers who couldn’t afford to pay upfront to enter into high-interest financing plans.

Macey Mullins, suing in Delaware County, bought a Jack Russell terrier puppy for $4,600 from a Petland franchise store in Lewis Center in June 2020. In her complaint, she claims that Petland employees called the puppy, June, a “top-of-the-line” dog from a small-scale breeder. But seven months later, veterinarians at Ohio State had to euthanize June due to kidney failure arising from a genetic disorder.

Mullins noticed signs of illness in June within days of taking her home, but the complaint claims that Petland dismissed concerns about excessive thirst and a distended abdomen as “normal puppy things.” June’s condition worsened over the next several months until veterinarians at Ohio State diagnosed her with having underdeveloped kidneys – a condition that a responsible breeder should have tested for, the complaint contends.

“June was not a ‘healthy’ or ‘top-of-the-line’ dog, but Defendant Petland Lewis Center ignored June’s obvious symptoms of disease and dishonestly passed them off to customers as ‘normal puppy things’ to keep a sale,” the complaint reads.

Petland declined to reimburse Mullins for the sale and for veterinary bills and left Mullins responsible for interest accrued under the finance plan she entered into to buy June, her complaint claims.

In July 2021, 70-year-old Rosemarie Haddad inquired about a rottweiler puppy for sale at a now-closed Petland at Carriage Place Plaza in Columbus. Petland employees allegedly told Haddad that the puppy was $3,000 and imported from a German breeder.

Haddad has multiple physical disabilities and cannot drive. Hours after she asked about the puppy, an employee drove the dog two hours to Haddad’s home in Bowerston. It was there that the worker pressured Haddad into buying the puppy, her lawsuit alleges, waving away concerns about excessive thirst and promising the dog was healthy.

Haddad signed an agreement and later learned she owed Petland $7,524, $3,000 of which was to be paid through a finance plan with a 25% interest rate.

That night, the puppy had bloody diarrhea in Haddad’s home. Petland told Haddad that to return the puppy, she needed a letter from a veterinarian declaring that she could not care for it.

After getting a letter from her veterinarian and primary care physician, Haddad tried to contact Petland multiple times, to no avail. When her neighbor returned the puppy to the store and demanded a refund, an employee threatened to call law enforcement for animal abandonment. The complaint claims that Petland relisted and resold the puppy but demanded Haddad continue to pay for it. 

In the third lawsuit, filed in Ross County, Robert and Chrystal Rivas claim the corporate-owned Petland store in Chillicothe sold them a seriously sick English bulldog puppy for $3,500, advertising him as healthy and checked by a veterinarian. But the puppy, Louie, has an underdeveloped pelvis and hip dysplasia, causing him to limp and struggle with extended walking and running. He recently developed seizures and may require surgery to alleviate hip pain.

The customers accuse Petland of fraud and deceptive business practices, selling puppies it knew were “ill and not of the claimed pedigree.” The complaints also contend that Petland incentivizes employees to sell sick pets through commissioned-based sales and daily revenue reporting requirements.

While the lawsuits were filed by Medina-based firm Holland and Muirden, the Humane Society of the United States is assisting the families. 

“Welcoming a new puppy should be a time of joy and celebration, but for these families, Petland only delivered heartbreak,” Mark Finneran, Ohio state director for the Humane Society of the United States, said in a news release. “Ohioans deserve better than being duped into paying thousands of dollars for a sick animal.”

Petland did not respond to NBC4’s request for comment. Last week, a Petland spokesperson told NBC4’s sister station, Fox 8, that the lawsuits were filled with “false allegations” that can be disproved by Petland’s own documentation of veterinary records. 

“For 57 years, Petland has been successfully connecting families and pets,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We are a trusted source for providing the quality pets that people want. Our number one concern – always – is the health and well-being of the pets we make available to our customers.”

The spokesperson accused the Humane Society of filing another “frivolous lawsuit” against Petland and insinuated that the Humane Society coincides its actions against pet stores with its fundraising efforts. The Humane Society has long accused Petland of acquiring animals from puppy mills and housing them in inhumane conditions. It has led undercover investigations into the chain, reporting that Petland stores are filled with puppies with serious illnesses, infections and genetic disorders in overcrowded kennels.