Minnesotans Exposing the Pet Trade

07/15/2025

Thank you to City of Lino Lakes for passing a Humane Pet Store Ordinance at their city council meeting last night! Also a huge thank you to the resident that brought this forward to their elected officials and made it happen! This ordinance is an important preventative measure to avoid the sale of puppies and kittens from breeders who care more about turning a profit than the welfare of the animals.

As we see every single day, rescues and shelters are struggling and always need folks to foster and adopt animals. This is a crisis and we shouldn't be adding to the problem by bringing more dogs and cats into existence if we can't properly care for the ones who are here.

Lino Lakes is now the 14th city to enact this ordinance and we're so grateful!

07/11/2025

Pet stores make it far too easy for folks who are unprepared to expand their family, to do just that. We've heard from many people that they weren't ready to take this leap, but couldn't leave the puppy behind after feeling a bond and also due to the urging from the pet store employees.

Sadly this can lead to people getting in over their heads and surrendering their furry family member, which in turn leads to extra strain on local rescues and shelters.

"Pet rescue organizations across Minnesota are seeing an increase in the number of pets being given up by their families. They say the rising costs of vet care, food and other essentials, along with housing changes, are among the reasons people are giving up their animals."

https://www.startribune.com/more-minnesotans-are-giving-up-their-pets-as-costs-rise/601368448

Rising costs of vet care, housing insecurity and economic struggles are putting pet ownership out of reach for many Minnesotans.

07/10/2025

We're disappointed to share that on Monday night the Spring Lake Park city council vote on the Humane Pet Store ordinance came to a "tie" which resulted in the topic being tabled, for now.

Thank you to Councilmember Dircks for your unwavering support and determination on this issue! We look forward to seeing more movement on this topic in the near future.

Mayor Nelson shared at a previous meeting that he used to breed dogs and may do so again in the future. He also shared that he purchased a puppy from Northtown Mall in the past and will never support this ordinance.

We would love to connect with more Spring Lake Park, MN residents to show support for this ordinance that protects dogs as well as consumers! Please message us if you live in SLP.

https://www.hometownsource.com/abc_newspapers/community/springlakepark/spring-lake-park-council-rejects-pet-store-ordinance-on-tied-vote/article_86d09b0f-cd05-4df7-bda1-8f9d2b58b553.html

The Spring Lake Park City Council denied an ordinance that would have prohibited the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores, and would have only allowed adoption of those

07/08/2025

If you, or someone you know, purchased a puppy from a Minnesota pet store and that puppy became ill shortly after, please contact us.

You can send us a DM here or email us at [email protected].

Many people feel there is nothing that can be done, but that's not true! We would love to connect, hear your story, and see how we can help.

Please share this post so we can find folks who may have had this experience!

The Animal Rights Coalition works to end the suffering, abuse, and exploitation of non-human animals through information, education, and advocacy. We believe that animals matter for their own reasons and that they should not be used by human beings for profit, pleasure, amusement, or simply because....

06/26/2025

This article lists some key examples as to why "USDA licensed" means little to nothing to us.

Steve Kruse allegedly threw a bag of DEAD puppies at a USDA official. The USDA's own inspection reports stated Kruse had dogs who were limping, suffering from bleeding, open wounds, untreated eye infections, severe dental issues, painful fur matting, lack of veterinary care, and more, yet they STILL allow him to maintain a license. Make it make sense.

https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/06/11/lawsuit-over-usdas-puppy-mill-licensing-in-iowa-at-a-standstill-in-federal-court/

A lawsuit alleging the U.S. Department of Agriculture has failed to enforce animal-welfare laws in the state of Iowa remains at a standstill.

06/20/2025

It's going to be really warm Saturday and there isn't much shade at the Four Paws and a Tail pet store protest, so please be prepared! Bring water 💧 and let's stand up for the dogs stuck in puppy mills!

The second photo highlights a puppy mill horror story in Hillsboro, WI, a town where hundreds of puppies sold at Northtown Mall have come from. 26 puppies died at Reuben Graber's after being exposed to very high temperatures 💔 This never should have happened and our heart aches imagining the suffering that occurred.

Stories like these are stark reminders why we dedicate our time to this cause. Change can be slow and it can be frustrating, but it doesn't mean we give up - we keep raising awareness and fighting for what is right!

Protest details: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CKducXEks/

❤️

06/17/2025

Thank you to the City of Shoreview, MN (Local Government) for your willingness to be proactive by putting a Humane Pet Store Ordinance in place in the event a pet store decides to open up! This would allow any future pet stores to partner with local shelters and rescues to host adoption days but they will not be able to sell puppies or kittens from breeders.

Shoreview is the 13th city in MN who has this ordinance in place. They join: Roseville, Eden Prairie, St. Paul, Carver, Cloquet, Minneapolis, C**n Rapids, Columbia Heights, Maple Grove, Oak Grove Park, Edina, and Osseo!

If you live in a city that doesn't have humane pet store legislation but you'd like to see it happen, please reach out, we're happy to help!

06/09/2025

Our efforts to limit the sale of puppy mill dogs in pet stores is being noticed! Thank you to Star Tribune for covering this topic.

Despite what Mr. Swanson says in the article, we've never stated that we want Four Paws and a Tail pet store to shut down. We would like to see him adapt his business to the humane pet store model of partnering with rescues and shelters instead of giving bad breeders an easy place to sell puppies.

Please feel free to leave a comment on their Facebook post or article. Some ideas - comments in support of "adopt don't shop", protecting dogs, the importance of limiting puppy mills from doing business, or even sharing personal stories!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1LBv1YC1HV/

06/06/2025

Could you spare an hour and a half from your Saturday to help raise public awareness about Four Paws and a Tail pet store and their ties to the puppy mill industry?

The records acquired by our pet store coalition show HUNDREDS of pups from Hillsboro, WI, being sold here in Blaine, MN. Documents show a variety of sad realities for these dogs stuck in these breeding sheds including expired medications, improper record keeping, lack of adequate veterinary care, and even inadequate enclosures leading to the death of a dog. This is unacceptable.

We hope to see from noon - 1:30PM on Saturday June 7th!

Protest info here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Chy6XwytW/