The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has issued a statement congratulating Jack's Pets (formerly Jack's Aquarium & Pets) for its decision to no longer sell puppies in any of its stores and to expand its work with local animal shelters and rescue groups to offer in-store pet adoptions. Jack's Pets owns and operates 27 regional stores located throughout Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

"We have over one million customers coming through our doors every year," said Scott Brenner, president of Jack's Pets. "We recognize that we can have a very positive impact on our local pet community by working with various adoption agencies surrounding our stores. We have worked with and supported many animal shelters and rescue groups in the past, and starting next year, we will expand our partnerships even further. We appreciate the ASPCA's support."

"The ASPCA is thrilled to see a pet store chain like Jack's Pets transition to a no puppy sales model," said ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres. "We look forward to partnering with Jack's Pets to connect them with local shelters and rescues to offer pet adoptions in their stores. We hope that Jack's decision will convince other pet stores to stop selling puppies and instead support local animal adoption programs, which would improve the lives of countless dogs."

The decision by Jack's Pets coincides with other changes as the company positions itself for future growth. Over the last six months, Jack's Pets has changed its name, expanded its pet food selections to more than 30 brands, and tested a successful new store format that does not include the sale of puppies.

Last month, the ASPCA unveiled its national "No Pet Store Puppies" campaign in Columbus, Ohio. The campaign raises awareness about the connection between pet store puppies and puppy mills and aims to reduce the demand for puppy mill puppies by urging consumers not to buy any items—including food, supplies or toys—if the store or website sells puppies. As part of a major public education campaign, 19 outdoor billboards were posted in the Columbus area that raise awareness about puppy mill cruelty and targeted online ads were placed providing a captivating and simple call to action.

"While we were always extremely vigilant to acquire our dogs directly from local breeders we trusted and who met our strict health standards, we realize that not all pet stores operate the same way.  Our ultimate decision to stop selling puppies is one we believe will be a win-win for everyone. We want to continue to provide our customers with lovable companions while helping to save dogs' lives, and we hope other stores will follow suit," added Brenner.

Why Selling Puppies From Stores/Shops is Wrong

• Breeders who are prepared to wholesale their puppies have no control or vetting procedure regarding the dog's eventual owner
• NO responsible breeder would EVER be prepared to sell their puppies to a retailer
• Wholesaling puppies creates a supply chain that requires breeders to produce puppies for profit
• NO responsible dog owner would purchase a puppy from a store as it would indicate they haven't done much research on responsible buying
• Buying from a store all but totally eliminates the opportunity to talk to the breeder, examine parents and get a feel for the breed
• Commercial production of puppies has lead to puppy farms who view dogs as a commercial commodity to be traded for profit
• Animal welfare in puppy farms has been shown to be lacking. Poor conditions, poor breeding stock and unhealthy puppies are very common.