07/17/2024
Over the weekend, we shared a video on our Instagram page of a very sick Husky puppy for sale at the Pinellas County, FL location of Sunshine Puppies – their Largo store to be specific. We will post the video in the comments section below, but warn you – it is very difficult to watch. We apologize to the followers we lost on our Instagram account, but felt the story needed to be told.
This puppy's life is no less important than the life of Dexter, a Pinellas County shelter dog who was killed by his adopter. This Husky puppy does not have a name, but we're going to make sure people know that his little life mattered. And in doing so, perhaps we can effect change.
To answer some questions:
🐶Yes, Pinellas County Animal Services was called by several concerned citizens, thanks to the creator and poster of the video, who also spoke up about the puppy's condition to employees.
🐶Yes, an Animal Control Officer (ACO) responded to the complaints the following day – visiting the store, speaking with employees and to the store's owner, Dan Cohn. Cohn stated he took the dog home to be treated for URI; bloodwork being done by a veternarian was pending. Cohn stated that if the puppy could not be treated, he would be returned to the breeder. ACO followed up with Cohn on their original request to see copies of the veterinarian's paperwork and was told by Cohn that the puppy passed away. Cohn further advised the ACO that the puppy's body had been sent back to the pet dealer for a necropsy.
🐶Sunshine Puppies has now received a citation for animal neglect. Cohn asked how this could be avoided in the future. The ACO explained that he needs to seek immediate treatment for the puppies.
1) Sunshine Puppies has two locations in Pinellas County. They are two of six stores grandfathered in by the Pinellas County BOCC to continue operating and selling puppy-mill-sourced puppies. We want to see the wording in that ordinance changed so that it phases out, entirely, the retail sales of puppies and kittens in Pinellas County.
2) Sunshine Puppies is the business that has partnered with the SPCA Tampa Bay and Pinnacle Pet (one of the largest puppy mill brokers and transporters of puppy mill sourced puppies to retail stores across the country). This partnership has not been "put on hold" as has been stated by the SPCA Tampa Bay CEO and their board president. In fact, the SPCA Tampa Bay CEO was a keynote speaker alongside Chris Fleming, co-owner of Pinnacle Pet, at a conference hosted last month by Purdue University. The audience was made up largely of breeders. The words "puppy mill" were forbidden to be used at the conference. The title of the conference: Raising the Bar on Responsibility and Sustainability of Dog Sourcing and Supply.
3) The SPCA Tampa Partnership with Sunshine Puppies and Pinnacle Pet is not saving puppies and dogs. The partnership continues to step over the Tampa Bay Area community's adoptable shelter dogs in an effort to import what they believe to be more desireable dogs and puppies. They use dynamic pricing for these imported puppies and dogs. That is not animal sheltering. It is retail. In that regard, shouldn't that be considered a violation of the Pinellas County ordinance that disallows new retail businesses to open up to sell puppy-mill-sourced puppies and dogs? 🧐
4) Regarding Cohn's question to the ACO on how he could prevent getting another citation in the future. We thought your partnership with the SPCA Tampa Bay assured that their veterinarians woudl make regular visits to your stores. Did we misunderstand that part of the arrangement, or is this another ruse in your effort to fool the public? 🤥
5) Since Cohn sent the puppy's body back to the distributor for a necropsy, there is, conveniently, no evidence. We do not know what this puppy had. Could this be considered a public health concern, now? What have the other puppies been exposed to? What about the public's exposure as customers visit the stores with their children and handle the puppies? What if they purchase a puppy not knowing what the puppy has been exposed to? How can either Sunshine Puppies locations be allowed to remain? Florida Department of Health (DOH) BTW, the puppy was transported to Pinellas County from Missouri by Pinnacle Pet, the aforementioned entity partnering with the SPCA Tampa Bay.
If you have taken the time to read this far, thank you. If you would like to know what you can do. Share this post. Tell your family and friends. Sign our petition to help us in our efforts to phase out the retail stores selling puppies in Pinellas County. Do this in the name of the little Husky puppy who died from lack of medical attention at the hands of Sunshine Puppies.
Petition link: https://form.jotform.com/240956780144057
Pinellas County Animal Services, thank you.
Pinellas County Government, please do better.
Make it Illegal to sell Dogs/Puppies in Pet Stores
The Humane Society of the United States - Puppy Mills Campaign Bailing Out Benji Harley's Dream Florida Leaders in Lifesaving Best Friends Animal Society VOCAL - Voices of Change Animal League, Ocala Florida Voices for Animals
Animal Legal Defense Fund
Photo: The front of the Clearwater, FL location of Sunshine Puppies.
