Puppygram opened in Green Tree Mall on Black Friday of 2025.
CLARKSVILLE, Ind. — Clarksville residents vocalized their opposition to pet store Puppygram to their councilmembers Tuesday night.
Photos, concerns, and a petition that has gained over 5,000 signatures have been circulating social media, claiming the pet store is treating the animals inhumanely.
Puppygram opened in the Green Tree Mall in Clarksville on Black Friday 2025.
The opening followed Indiana’s decision to overturn a previous statewide pet store ban in March 2024, months after the Louisville Metro Council voted to prohibit city pet stores from selling cats and dogs. That decision led to the closure of the Louisville Puppygram location.
“We didn’t want to leave Louisville, but, you know, they changed the law,” said Puppygram CEO Miles Handy. “There’s a misconception of our business model, and there’s a lot of fabrication about our breeders and us in general.”
Handy says the family-owned business is regulated by the Indiana Board of Animal Health.
“Several observers noted puppies that were minimally responsive sleeping throughout visits, not reacting to sound or movement, or appearing withdrawn,” said Rachael Harless, who’s part of the group Southern Indiana Animal Welfare Watchdogs.
Handy said the American Kennel Club reports that puppies sleep 18 to 20 hours a day.
“They get rotated and played with, but they are puppies, so they do need their rest, and we make sure their well-being is the number one priority,” he said.
While Clarksville has an ordinance that sets regulations for pet shops, including fresh water, feeding, and cleaning, Southern Indiana Animal Welfare Watchdogs member Jinn Bug is pushing for more defined regulations.
“It’s time, I think, to review the ordinance and to strengthen it, to provide some crucial things that are missing, including record keeping, including spelling out very clearly what the animal conditions are, what health conditions should look like, and also enforcement, if things are not as they should be,” Bug said. “I personally find that the retail sale of dogs and cats is a very dangerous thing, and I am not in support of it in any way, shape or form.”
An online petition is urging Green Tree Mall to remove Puppygram from its property.
The general manager of Green Tree Mall, and the newly elected president of Clarksville Town Council, Bob McEwen, shared this statement with WHAS11:
“Green Tree Mall Management and Ownership take any allegations relating to animal health, safety, and welfare very seriously. We are aware of recent public concerns and media reports regarding Puppygram and have referred the matter to the appropriate local and state authorities for investigation.
Management remains committed to maintaining a safe, clean, and lawful environment for all patrons and tenants of Green Tree Mall and will continue to monitor business activities to ensure that all tenants operate in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and lease requirements, including those related to animal welfare, health, and sanitation.”
“I think everybody should have the right to choose their puppy, not let government dictate their puppy,” Handy said. “We welcome animal control, and they’re welcome to come. We tell them exactly how we operate.”
At Tuesday’s meeting, Councilmember Darci Schiller confirmed that animal control had visited the pet store but did not specify any findings.
link