Humane Society: Petland intentionally sold sick puppies

COLUMBUS: The Humane Society of the United States is suing Petland Inc., accusing the pet store chain of orchestrating a scheme to sell sick puppies to unsuspecting consumers.

The animal protection group says Petland, based in Chillicothe, Ohio, intentionally misled thousands of Americans into believing that puppies were healthy and the product of the finest quality breeders.

The group says its investigation shows that many of the puppies sold by Petland were bred in horrific conditions in puppy mills or through brokers such as the Hunte Corp., based in Goodman, Mo.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix by attorneys representing members of the Humane Society and individuals who say they were sold sick puppies.

Messages seeking comment were left Tuesday at Petland and Hunte headquarters.

--Associated Press