ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 22, 1997 TAG: 9704220038
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JENNIFER HUANG THE ROANOKE TIMES
Problems associated with 'puppy mills' have made it hard to find a pup in pet stores. Petland tries hard to make its animals and customers content.
Sharon Savchenko cuddled a 9-week old chocolate laborador poking his nose into her left ear. An elderly couple reached into an open cage and stroked the silky feathers of a white dove. A 6-year-old boy crouched on the floor as a brown hamster scurried down his back and across his neck.
No, it's not a petting zoo, but the region's latest pet store.
The largest Petland store in the country opened earlier this month at The Shops at Hunting Hills, adjacent to Hunting Hills Plaza on U.S. 220.
Roanoke natives Tommy and Kathy Perdue and their daughter, Cheyenne Walters, manage the 10,000-square-foot outlet. It is a franchise of a Chillicothe, Ohio-based company that has 150 operators in the United States, Japan, France and Canada.
"The neatest thing about our Petland store is that pet lovers will be able to come in and touch, talk and play with the animals," Kathy Perdue said.
The Roanoke store allows its customers to interact with its animals. Amazons (a type of parrot), cockatoos and macaws are housed in open cages and hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits are kept in petting pens. Many fresh and saltwater fish are shown in the store's 250 aquariums.
Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the store is that along with kittens, tropical fish and birds, reptiles and other small animals, the local Petland sells puppies.
Because of concerns about the animals' health and their breeding, many pet stores have decided not to sell puppies.
Petland said it is the only store in the Roanoke Valley that sells them regularly.
All of its puppies are registered with the American Kennel Club and approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Petland says.
Dr. Mark Finkler, a veterinarian at Roanoke Animal Hospital, said some pet stores carry puppies received from dealers at "puppy mills" who breed their dogs every time they are in heat. This leads to undesirable breed traits and unhealthy dogs, he said.
Puppies bought from a puppy mill are sent to a holding facility. Shipment at such a young age and separation from the mother causes much stress, Finkler said. He suggests that pet stores buy puppies directly from a local breeder.
"It's challenging to sell healthy puppies and not have any adverse problems unless they're local breeders," Finkler said.
Jim Whitman, executive vice president of Petland, says the 30-year-old company doesn't buy from local breeders. Instead it has developed relationships with breeders across the country to find healthy pups.
"We have an advantage with the longevity of our relationships," Whitman said. "We know the quality and we know we are dealing with USDA-inspected breeders."
At 8 to 10 weeks old, Petland puppies are shipped in a kennel van directly from the breeder to the store. There is also an animal caregiver to monitor the dogs during the trip, he said.
When a customer buys a dog at Petland, it comes with a warranty that is activated if the puppy is taken to a vet to be checked during the first four days after a purchase. The store also offers a veterinary exam free if buyers use the staff veterinarian.
For the first 14 days afterward, the dog carries a warranty stating it had no diseases before the purchase. For the first year, there is a warranty against any hereditary and congenital disorders. The customer can receive the cost of treatment for an unhealthy puppy or be given credit toward a second purchase.
The lifetime warranty gives a 25 percent credit toward a replacement puppy if the dog dies.
"I must admit this store sounds like it's doing a lot of the right things," Finkler said. "There's a guarantee against congenital birth defects, they're vaccinated well, dewormed well and fed well."
Al Alexander, executive director of the Roanoke Valley SPCA, said he is impressed with Petland regulations so far.
"From all indications, they seem very reputable," Alexander said.
Finkler said that before buying a puppy, a customer should check to see whether it is alert, has a discharge from the nose or eyes or signs of diarrhea. He also cautions against spontaneous purchases because puppies take a lot of time to keep healthy.
``It really is `buyer beware' when buying a puppy,'' Finkler said.
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: KELLY HAHN JOHNSON THE ROANOKE TIMES. Bailey Davis,(above) 8 months, makes the acquaintance of one of the youngsters at
Petland and Julian Parry and 2. Amy Griffith of Roanoke (left) play
with a prospective pet in a puppy pit. color.