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| - TODAY, I received another email from Yelp stating my review was once again being removed because it was based on "hear say." Again, I will reiterate that my review is based on my own in person interactions with the staff and my own visits to the store. I have been in the store on a few occassions and have been a customer when purchasing food and other supplies in the past. A bad review should not be suppressed simply because the business owners and puppy mill apologists don't like it.
My review:
On January 18, 2013, Animart posted on their facebook asking people to write reviews for them on Yelp because apparently they are always so interested in finding out what their customers think. I had previously posted a review of them and it was up for about 2 years, possibly longer. On January 31, 2013, I received an email from Yelp telling me that my review was being taken down because it violated their rules because it was based on "hearsay." I wonder who reported my review, but I will leave the reader to draw their own conclusions since anything else might be interpreted as "hearsay."
My suspicions and accusations regarding Animart are based on much more than "hearsay" so I will clarify why I believe that Animart is dishonest about the origins of the puppies that they sell, based on personal experience when I went into the store. Animart always has popular, purebred and hybrid, mostly toy breed puppies that they sell for hundreds of dollars each. They say right on their website that you are "adopting" a puppy from them, as opposed to purchasing a puppy. When considering why you should "adopt" from them, they say: "all our puppies come from reputable breeders, rescue groups and from unplanned, unwanted litters." I'm not sure which breeders have unwanted litters of purebred puppies that they want to hand over to a pet store to sell for several hundreds of dollars per puppy, so naturally, I'm curious. Also, if rescues are giving Animart purebred puppies, I'd like to know which ones they are working with. You would think that they would be happy to promote area rescues that give them purebred puppies to sell for hundreds of dollars each (because the rescue probably doesn't need the money and can't adopt out the purebred puppy?? I guess??) However, that information is not posted on their website, nor, in my experience, are staff forthcoming with information about where the puppies are from.
Animart, according to its website, is proud that they get puppies from "reputable breeders" (who, by the way, never sell in pet stores, reputable breeders handle their own sales). So, naturally, I wanted to know about the breeders. Yet, when I personally asked them, while I was in the store, where the puppies came from, I was given a very vague, incomplete answer. It started when I asked the check out person. He looked distinctly uncomfortable and said something to the effect of "we're not supposed to talk about that" and also that he was a "reptile guy" and didn't care for the puppies, and someone else would have to answer my question. He quickly called over the "puppy person" who told me that a nice older couple living in Beaver Dam breeds the dogs, and they always give the dogs exercise, give them breaks in between litters, etc. etc. She had a very nice, probably pre-planned and rehearsed public relations speech to share with me. When asked if I could have the name of this nice, older couple in Beaver Dam so I could research the breeding facility, I was told no. If a pet store is proud of the breeders that supply their puppies, why not share that information with a curious customer (I was there to purchase some food for my dogs).
With regard to the other products in the store, the selection is average, and the prices are better at Mounds and Petsmart, in my experience of going to all three places.
How Animart has managed to continue to sell puppies in Madison, a place that proclaims to be politically correct and has progressive and compassionate values, is beyond me. Willful ignorance? Clever marketing? Who knows. Adopt, don't shop.
4/17/14 Response to Owner Reply to my Review: Thanks for the note. If Animart is interested in providing complete transparency to the general public about where its puppies and kittens come from, including anyone who is interested and not just those buying a puppy, then breeder information should be posted on each kennel. I believe there is a law of this nature on the books in Illinois, that states that each pet store has to post the breeder or origin for the puppy. If the breeder really is USDA or DATCP licensed, then inspection reports of the breeders are public information anyway, available on the APHIS website or from DATCP. If a rescue is providing the purebred/hybrid puppies for you to sell, then provide all the information about the rescue, posted on the kennel where you keep the puppies. That would clear up any confusion about where the dogs are coming from really quick.
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