Newsstand: November 23, 2009
The Making of a Medley
The Daily Photoist: November 23, 2009
Televisualist: A Kinder, Gentler Televisualist
Transit City and Transit Cities
When I was young and stupid, I took a job in the small animal department of PJ's Pet Store at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. I was really excited about earning extra pocket change and, even more than that, playing with cuddly animals all day long. Now, as someone older and wiser, I recall with disgust all the reasons I should have run screaming from that job. Like that, during my interview, I was told their motto was "The customer comes first" (translation: the animals come second). Like that, during the hot summer months, the guinea pigs and ferrets languished in poorly ventilated cages. Like that, during Easter, I was encouraged to push bunny sales, as though they were a type of candy or greeting card and not living things.
So I'm not surprised that news of the closing of PJ's Pet Stores at the Promenade (above) and Yorkdale has been met by rejoicing from animals lovers (even as it will undoubtedly be missed by the families who flock there on weekends like it's some kind of poor man's zoo). But any "Hooray! PJ's is out of business!" parties are probably premature.
There are numerous PJ's still open and new locations in Markham and Vaughan, and the Canadian-owned chain is absolutely not going under, according to PJ's spokesperson Stacey Halliday. "The fact is we've opened six stores this year and closed two," says Halliday. "The closings just happened to be close together, in two high-profile malls, all while the economy continues to struggle." The Promenade location is already papered up, and the Yorkdale location is set to close in March; Halliday says that the company chose not to renew their lease at the Promenade store and that Yorkdale is turning the currently PJ's-occupied corner of the mall into a "high-end fashion corner" (perhaps Holt's is expanding?), but that there are talks to reopen in Yorkdale sometime in the future.
Over the last four years PJ's has expanded on their previous business model, opening nine "express" stores (seven in Ontario alone) that sell pet supplies and small animals but no dogs or cats. But Halliday notes this doesn't necessarily mean a shift away from selling animals, as plans to open more superstores (yuck) are in the works. It's the superstores that have most earned the company its reputation: in March 2002, two Yorkdale employees were charged with eight counts of animal cruelty by the Ontario SPCA, and PJ's reluctance to say how they get their hands on puppies to sell has prompted protests claiming that they get them from puppy mills. Halliday denies that that's the case—she told Torontoist that PJ's works with a select group of breeders (though she didn't give further specifics). "We've been operating for forty years, and we are a responsible company that is recognized by PIJAC," an association that acts on behalf of the pet industry. "We obviously wouldn't be recognized by them if we were using puppy mills."
Ian McConachie, senior communicator for the Toronto Humane Society, says the THS has never investigated PJ's as the pet stores stores are out of their jurisdiction, but notes that the Society is aware of complaints. "They're not clear on where they get their puppies, never have been. When you ask where they get their puppies from, they are evasive and not willing to be straightforward. Sometimes their records are incomplete." "A reputable breeder," McConachie says, "would likely never sell dogs to a pet store anyway. It's cheapest for pet stores to get their dogs from puppy mills, because they are treated like a commodity and not a living thing. But if they're moving away from selling dogs and cats, then we think that is a step in the right direction. And if customers are moving away from purchasing animals from pet stores, then we're very pleased to hear that." So if you want to live the dream of one day seeing all PJ's stores shut down for good, take his advice and get a pet from a shelter or qualified breeder instead or make like the Obamas and adopt a rescue dog.
Photos by David Fleischer/Torontoist.
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i know i've commented this on here before, but worth restating: one of the most repulsive things about PJs is their payment plan.. "designer" dogs only $100 a month for 36 months! UM. aside from totally commodifying the process, it makes it so easy for snap-decision purchases and also doesn't prepare buyers for the actual financial burden of a new pet.
PJs is an abomination (that would cut even more if I were religious)! I remember protesting them at a mall when I was a teen, as I when I asked what happened to the puppies and kittens over the weekend (when stores weren't open on Sundays - yep, I'm that old), they told me there wasn't a guard or assistant on duty. That meant from Saturday close at 6pm, until Monday open at 10am, all these little frightened animals were left unattended and uncared for. Disgusting.
I also am the proud owner of a rescue dog, that came from a puppymill. She was so messed up for years from the abuse, but is such a wonderful, normal part of the family now. Anyone engaging with puppymills should be sent to jail - see how it feels. Every single person I've met that has bought a dog from PJs ended up with one very sick dog (with expensive vet bills to boot!).
There are so many responsible breeders and shelters that have so many amazing pups and adult dogs up for adoption or fostering. If you're hankering for a furry friend, please consider making a responsible move and contact one of them.
Anyone else want my soapbox now?
Any pet store should have no problem telling people exactly where they get their animals from. If they don't want to tell, they're bad news. Although they're pretty much all bad news when it comes to animal mills.
A friend of mine was planning on getting a puppy and I went through multiple discussions with him about puppy mills and how pet stores obtain their animals and how poorly the industry is regulated. He was absolutely horrified. And then he went right out to PJ's and bought a mill puppy because "it was just sooooo cuuuute!"
Good article Amanda, thanks for this. As the owner of three shelter rabbits, I find it particularly evil that PJs forces its employees to push bunnies at Easter time. Rabbits are a lot harder to take care of than most people think, and far too many of them end up at shelters (or worse, just let go into the wild) after the excitement of the impulse purchase wears off.
Well, as interesting as this article is...I believe PJ's shouldn't be judged on their dogs or cats alone. It is the only store I know of that offer the a numerous variety of animals available and probably one of the best stores to house different species of animals. If you think PJ's treats their dogs and cats cruely that's fine but that is just one department. Have you seen PetsMart? Petco? Walmart's fish? They are much worse at looking after their animals because they are more retail oriented than anything. Next time when you write an article about a pet store, walk into private pet stores or private breeders, some of them are really disgusting.
And to add onto my last comment, many people might not realize this, but the pet industry has progressed in the last couple of years and that animals are being treated better...but you should also hear about the way people treat and care for their animals. Some refuse to listen to advice and prefer to never give their birds a toy, or insist on keep a rabbit in a tiny cage because they don't want to spend the money or even i'd like to return this animal because it does not match my living room carpet.
I don't have much to say like everyone else .. but animal cruelty has just got to stop .. it's so heartbreaking and everyone who does it should be ashamed of themselves and thrown into the bin .. what gives someone the right to hurt an animal .. animals don't have self defense like a human does .. an animal can't pick up the phone and call 911 when it's there left alone hurt .. people like that are pathetic, repulsive and should be shat on. Every time I walk in pj's I look at the cute cats and of course the rest of the animals but start off with the cats .. and it's like .. they don't really even get excited when people come up to the cages .. people just poke them all day .. there not properly taken care of .. animals need attention in one way or another .. you can leave an animal locked in a room with food for life and it will still die because of no human contact or anything .. imagine that happening to a human? so many things wrong and disgusting going on in this world .. money takes over and suddenly animals are objects .. it's so frustrating because sometimes I feel their is no hope in this corrupt world .. cops are crooked .. the government is crooked .. who can we trust?