Petland Urges Safety When Handling Any Puppy

September 13, 2017

“Regardless of where they come from, any puppy and dog can carry Campylobacter germs.” 

According to the CDC, nearly 1.3 million people in the United States are affected each year by Campylobacter.  Petland is concerned to hear that 39 of these cases, or .0003-percent of all infections in the nation, were identified as having a likely connection with a Petland puppy. The health and wellbeing of our pets, staff and customers is Petland’s utmost priority and concern.

Petland is committed and stands ready to assist in identifying any possible link between our pets and this bacterial infection.  Petland has requested but has not been given any information from the CDC or any other health department offices related to the dates, stores, or cities where the 39 infection cases allegedly originated. We have also not been provided any information or location of any employees affected.

Petland has resources ready to deploy once we are given case specific information from the CDC.  The only information we have is the limited information shared with us from the CDC. Prior to the public notification from the CDC, Petland had not been contacted by any customers or employees regarding a confirmed or diagnosed human campylobacter infection after visiting a Petland store or from a Petland puppy.

About Campylobacter

Campylobacter is a common germ that can be spread in homes, parks, zoos, doggie daycares, boarding facilities, animal shelters, rescue groups and more. As stated by the CDC, “Campylobacter is one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness in the United States.”  CDC further states, “Most cases of campylobacteriosis are associated with eating raw or undercooked poultry meat or from cross-contamination of other foods by these items.”

As it relates to human contamination by dogs, the CDC states “Regardless of where they come from, any puppy and dog can carry Campylobacter germs.”  In fact, a 2017 study by Texas A&M identified the “prevalence of fecal campylobacter shedding among sampled dogs was 75.7%.” The study states “approximately 70% of campylobacter-positive dogs had grossly normal feces.”

PetMd states “Up to 49 percent of dogs carry campylobacteriosis, shedding it into their feces for other animals to contract.  Because of this, humans can contract the disease if they do not practice proper hygiene after coming into contact with infected animals.”

The VCA Hospital website states “research has shown that campylobacter organisms can be isolated from both healthy and sick dogs.”

Regardless of the widely-known threats of campylobacter contamination from dogs from various sources, Petland finds itself the focus of a national inquiry from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments with hundreds of media reports targeting Petland alone while Petland remains in the dark on any information related to these 39 cases.

Tips for preventing infection

Proper Hand-washing Techniques

1. Wet your hands with running water — either warm or cold.
2. Apply liquid, bar or powder soap.
3. Lather well.
4. Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds.
5. Rinse well.
6. Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel or air dryer.
7. If possible, use a towel or your elbow to turn off the faucet.
8. If soap and water are not immediately available, use hand sanitizer until you can properly wash.
9. Adults should monitor children while washing their hands.

If you have a specific personal concern relating to the possibility of contracting the bacteria, please call our help line at 877-658-5155.

We look forward to our continued work with the CDC and will provide any further updates as they become available.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28371319

http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_multi_campylobacteriosis

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/campylobacter-infection-in-dogs

https://www.cdc.gov/campylobacter/index.html

Petland, Inc. is a franchise operation with quality, full service retail pet centers across the United States, Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil and El Salvador.

For 50 years, Petland Pet Counselors have been dedicated to matching the right pet with the right customer and meeting the needs of both. To its customers who already have pets, Petland is dedicated to enhancing their knowledge and enjoyment of the human-animal bond.

Petland was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in south central Ohio. For more information on Petland, visit www.petland.com.

Read more about how our Petland puppies bring joy to the community by checking out our blog, Petland Miami Visits the WOW Center.