Explosive campaign on Change.org calls on Petland USA to end the sale of pets in its stores; more than fifty bloggers join campaign.

WASHINGTON, DC – Thousands of people and more than fifty pet bloggers have joined a popular campaign on Change.org calling on Petland to stop selling commercially bred pets and support pet adoption instead.

Mary Haight, who owns the Dancing Dog Blog, launched the campaign on Change.org following an announcement from Petland Canada that it planned to end pet sales across its Canadian stores. When she tried to contact Petland’s U.S. headquarters in Ohio to find out their response to the announcement, she never received a call back.

“This is an opportunity for Petland to be a corporate leader,” said petition creator Mary Haight. “They claim to care about animals, but their actions don’t match that claim when the foundation of Petland’s business is based on buying from commercial puppy mills.”

“Petland can break with past cruelties, be welcomed in communities, and build a strong base for the future by embracing the adoption model,” Haight continued. “Now that Petland Canada has announced their plan to fire puppy mills and employ the adoption model, Petland USA needs to stand up and be counted. Millions of animals are waiting for their help.”

Earlier this month, more than fifty pet bloggers joined a blog action day hosted by Be the Change for Animals in support of Mary’s campaign on Change.org, the world’s fastest growing platform for social change. News of the online campaign is likely to increase pressure on Petland, which has long been under fire for its connections to commercial breeding facilities referred to as “puppy mills.”

“What the pet blogging community has accomplished in just a few days is remarkable,” said Change.org Director of Organizing, Stephanie Feldstein. “Mary has managed to recruit thousands of supporters across the U.S. in her call for Petland USA to follow Canada’s lead in ending pet sales. Change.org is about empowering anyone, anywhere to demand action on the issues that matter to them, and it has been incredible to watch Mary’s campaign take off.”

Live signature totals from Mary Haight’s campaign:
http://www.change.org/petitions/petland-usa-stop-selling-pets-fire-puppy-mills-petland-canada-has