Beverly Center's Pet Love to Close After Puppy Mill Allegations

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Photo via LAT

Pet shop Pet Love at the Beverly Center will be closing shop after 15 years in business on January 31, as the mall has terminated the lease agreement after national animal rescue org Best Friends Animal Society staged an anti-puppy mill campaign at the mall with table and fliers and petitions for "A Puppy-Store-Free-L.A."—though on a different floor from the pet shop.

The LAT reports that Best Friends official Elizabeth Oreck "also wanted to have a presence in front of the store," with signs and literature, but was declined by the mall. In response, "Best Friends filed a lawsuit asking a judge to decide if the group had a constitutional right to protest in front of the store." Shortly thereafter, the mall terminated Pet Love's lease, but "In exchange, Best Friends would agree to withdraw its lawsuit and 'cease its protest activities' when Pet Love moves out of the Beverly Center."

According to Best Friends, "their protests have prompted the closure of two other stores, while a third store has stopped selling animals entirely." Oreck told the paper that the org doesn't want to close pet shops down, but wants "the businesses to stop selling live animals, and sell only pet supplies—or sell animals obtained from rescue organizations and shelters." She also said the org extended an offer to help Pet Love do this, but the shop wasn't interested.
· Pet shop moving out after protest at Beverly Center [LAT]