Jun 7, 2008 11:01 pm US/Pacific
Protesters Say Bel Air Shop Supplied By Puppy Mill
BEL AIR
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Investigative reporter David Goldstein exposed the sad reality that some seemingly reputable dog breeders are in actuality fronts for puppy mills.
CBS
Animal activists protested protested Saturday at a swanky Bel Air pet shop they claim sells dogs bred at a puppy mill.
Last Chance for Animals, Best Friends Animals Society and other groups kicked off what they say will be a weekly protest in front of Pets of Bel Air, 2924 Beverly Glen Circle, to stop the shop from selling dogs born in squalid conditions at industrial breeding operations, according to an LCA statement.
The shop has reportedly been patronized by Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.
"LCA and Best Friends do not want Pets of Bel Air to go out of business, we only want Pets of Bel Air to stop selling puppy mill puppies and deal only in accessories and pet supplies," according to the statement. "We would welcome the opportunity to promote Pets of Bel Air as a humane pet store and help boost their business."
The group said that after five months of protests, another pet store business, Posh Puppy, "have ended their puppy sales and began a humane trend for Los Angeles pet stores. Their announcement of no longer selling live animals or supporting the puppy mill industry has brought a newer hope for animals to be adopted. Best Friends and LCA are committed to a 'Puppy Store Free LA.'"
"We don't think that anyone has any business breeding, selling or buying dogs until those (shelter) cages are empty, and that's why we're here educating shoppers," animal activist Carole Raphaelle Davis said.
Some animal activists are against pet stores in general and believe people should get their pets from a pound. Davis, who rescued her pooch from a shelter, said many shelter pets are purebreds.
"Those dogs are going to die if somebody doesn't step up and adopt them," Davis said.
Undercover video released last year by the Humane Society of the United States showed Hilton shopping at Pets of Bel Air, and animal control officers temporarily closing the store for allegedly operating without a valid permit.
Many customers who bought puppies at Pets of Bel Air believe the animals came from puppy mills and are suing the store for fraud and false advertising.
A statement issued by Pets of Bel Air said in part, "We are horrified by the ... video released by the Humane Society of the United States showing footage of puppy mills. We do not condone puppy mills; we would never knowingly buy a dog from a puppy mill; and we are appalled by the possibility that this may have happened. We are investigating all of our sources so that we continue to have the finest and most reputable dogs from the best breeders."
In the statement, the company said puppies purchased out-of-state were from U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved pet breeders and that all puppies were given health checks by a store veterinarian before being sold.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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