Petland Batavia
401 N Randall Rd
Batavia, IL 60510
(630) 592-0206
Date and time of CAPS investigation: 3-1-25; 1532
Approximate number of dogs observed at time of investigation: 40 puppies
Puppies were in aquarium-like enclosures set in a wall on one side of the store. There were 18 total, each about four feet long, two feet tall, and 1.5 feet deep. They had solid walls excepts for metal bars on doors of their back walls, and metal wire floorings. Plastic pads covered about 20% of the floorings. Not all enclosures had puppies, but those that did had 1-4 puppies each, and there were metal bottles attached to rear doors and toys on the floorings.
An employee at the store told me that the store does not buy from puppy mills. When I asked about the specific conditions that breeding dogs are kept in, he told me that while some dogs are kept in kennel runs, they all have access to yards to run and play in. He said that the store’s breeders have no violations on their USDA records. The worker showed me pictures of dog kennels, which all showed the outsides of dog runs by lush, green yards in which dogs and puppies played. When I asked if the dogs have constant access to the yards, the employee claimed that they did.
The employee also told me that financing is available for puppies and claimed the Petland credit card is only six percent interest.
I asked for breeder information on a French Bulldog. The breeder was Smokey Lane Homestead (33-A-0527)
Breeder information obtained during store investigation
Lonnie, Louise, and Larry Herschberger, Smokey Lane Homestead, 1673 CR 2000 N, Arthur, IL 61911, 33-A-0527, 48 dogs and 25 puppies at 9/17/24 USDA inspection
Evidence of lies and misrepresentations by the store
The employee’s claim that the store does not buy from puppy mills is not true. Smokey Lane Homestead had 48 dogs and 25 puppies in their USDA inspection on 9/17/24. Satellite imagery reveals the kennel is a series of runs lined up next to each other. Such facilities that commercially breed dogs for profit are exactly what puppy mills are.
The employee’s claim that dogs get constant access to play yards is a lie. While some breeders have play yards, no breeder provides dogs unfettered access to them. If they did, the yards would become dirt in a short amount of time, instead of being the green yards Petland shows in their ads.
The worker’s claim that the Petland Credit Card has only a six percent interest rate is misleading. The standard interest rate for the card is 35.99%
Petland Batavia is violating 225 ILCS 605 by selling puppies
(225 ILCS 605/3.8)
Sec. 3.8. Prohibition Sourcing of dogs and cats sold by pet shops; recordkeeping.
(a) A pet shop operator may offer for sale a dog or cat only if the dog or cat is obtained from an animal control facility or animal shelter, located in-state or out-of-state, that is in compliance with Section 3.9.
Petland Batavia is violating 815 ILCS 123 by offering loans for canines and felines
(815 ILCS123/15-5-16)
Sec. 15-5-16. Prohibition on secured loans for canines and felines. No person or entity shall make a secured loan for the purchase of a canine or feline. Any secured loan made for the purchase of a canine or feline is null and void. This Section shall apply prospectively and shall not apply retroactively.
Petland Batavia is violating 815 ILCS 405 by offering installment transactions for canines and felines
(815 ILCS 405/29.5)
Sec. 29.5. Prohibition on retail installment transactions for canines and felines. No retail seller shall enter into a retail installment transaction for the purchase of a canine or feline. Any retail seller, including his or her assignee or successor in interest, who enters into a retail installment transaction for a canine or feline has no right to collect, receive, or retain any principal, interest, or charges related to the retail installment transaction and the retail installment transaction is null and void.
