The Washington pet store was sued by the state in 2023 for selling sick puppies, trapping people into “predatory” loans and restricting honest online reviews.
SEATTLE — Following a 2023 lawsuit, Washington pet store Puppyland and its owners must pay the state $3.75 million and end its “illegal” advertising and sales tactics, according to the Washington state Attorney General’s Office.
On Friday, Attorney General Nick Brown announced the resolution. Puppyland must pay in installments by June 30, 2026, with 12% annual interest until the amount is fully paid.
In April 2023, the Attorney General’s Office sued Puppyland and its owners for selling sick puppies, trapping customers into “predatory loans” and using more than 7,000 illegal agreements to restrict customers from leaving truthful online reviews, the AG’s office said.
RELATED: Washington files lawsuit against Puppyland, alleging it sells sick puppies and pushes predatory loans
Puppyland has one store in Puyallup and previously had a store in Renton. The owners included in the lawsuit were previous owners of Puppyworld in Olympia and have Puppyland-branded stores in Georgia, Idaho and Texas.
The lawsuit claimed Puppyland, which opened in 2018, misrepresented the breeding standards of puppies sold by the company and the health guarantees it offered. The lawsuit also stated Puppyland “unfairly maneuvered buyers into signing loans with interest rates approaching 200% without adequate time to review and understand the terms.”
The lawsuit was filed under former Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is now Washington’s governor.
“Puppyland took advantage of people’s love for pets to maneuver them into taking on crushing debt for dogs with serious health issues, and then they tried to silence them,” said Brown, who was sworn in as Washington’s 19th attorney general on Wednesday, Jan. 15. “This resolution will give pet buyers more transparency and require Puppyland to end its predatory sales tactics.”
In addition to the payments, Puppyland must stop requiring non-disparagement provisions in sales contracts; stop advising on consumer loans; stop false advertising of breeding; and clearly advertise the price range of the puppies for sale.
Puppyland customers who purchased a puppy that got sick within a year of purchase may be able to file a claim for reimbursement of significant veterinarian bills. To see join, send an email to [email protected] to receive notice of any future claims process.
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