<Even tho I disdain pet stores, I thought I'd post this anyway>.


Provided by Juan Carmen Lopez
Posted: September 26, 2008

Westfield is going to the dogs - not to mention the cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, and other furry and feathered creatures.

Local entrepreneurs Juan Carmen Lopez will re-open the Petland store across from Kohls and Ashley's Furniture in the Village Park Plaza shopping center just north of 146th Street on U.S. Highway 31 North in Westfield, Oct. 4.

Mr. Bruce Hauk, Deputy Mayor for the City of Westfield/Chief Administrative Officer, City Council, City VIPS, the Westfield Chamber of Commerce and the pet counseling team at Petland in Westfield will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony just prior to opening the doors at 10 a.m. Oct. 4, in front of the store. On Saturday, the store's first 100 customers will receive free Petland T-shirts, with additional door prizes given away throughout the weekend.

ClubPet TM memberships also will be given to customers during the store's grand re-opening. ClubPet offers members special sale events and substantial savings throughout the store year-round. Safari Stan, Petland's #1 pet counselor, will be on hand to greet pet lovers of all ages and other types of 'family fun' are scheduled.

The regular store hours will be Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. -- 9 p.m. and Sunday, 12:30 p.m. -- 6 p.m.

Juan and Carmen reside in the Indianapolis area. Their desire to start a family business coupled with their strong love of animals prompted the husband and wife team to bring a Petland store back to Westfield.

"Carmen and I are excited to be able to offer customers a wonderful selection of pets and pet supplies," said Juan Lopez. "Our pet counselors are the best of the best when it comes to customer service and animal husbandry. We are thrilled to bring a quality pet store to the residents of Carmel and Westfield."

At their 5,500 square foot Petland store in Westfield, Juan Carmen say they are dedicated to fulfilling the Petland Mission.

"We will help match the right pet with the right customer and meet the needs of both," said Carmen Lopez, explaining that part of the fun will be to work within the community to enhance the human-animal bond. "We know that pets make life better at all stages of people's lives."

Pets make life better

Studies of the human-animal bond, like those conducted by the Delta Society, Delta Society - Improving Human Health through Service and Therapy Animals , show pet ownership increases social and verbal skills in children, reduces stress in adults and provides companionship for senior citizens while lowering blood pressure. The list of health benefits from pet ownership goes on and on.

"Pet lovers can come into our Petland store and touch, talk and play with the animals," Juan Lopez said. "The socialization is healthy for our guests and our pets, and, of course, our pet counselors look forward to showing all our guests just how fun and life-enriching pets can be."

Petland has it all

The Petland store in Westfield/Carmel will carry a wide range of pets - adoptable mixed breeds and registerable puppies and kittens, birds, tropical fish, reptiles and small animals. In addition to hundreds of furry and feathered friends, the store also will offer upwards of 6,000 pet supplies, all designed to enhance the health and comfort of each pet and to maximize the quality of the relationship between the pets and their owners.

Petland in Carmel will have features designed to enhance the human-animal bond. A boutique section will be dedicated to fashionable merchandise for customers who enjoy spoiling their pets with trendsetting products, and a Nutrition Center will give pet lovers many varieties of high quality dog and cat foods to choose from, allowing them to add years to a beloved pet's life.

Building community ties with people, pets

A commitment to the human-animal bond has the staff at Petland in Carmel beginning to develop community service programs conducted at Petland stores nationwide. Programs include:

Adopt-A-Pet SM - Petland cares for and helps to place homeless pets from local animal shelters and pet rescue organizations as well as families in the community, who may have accidental litters. During the last 10 years, Petland stores nationwide have collectively placed more than 270,000 homeless puppies and kittens. The Lopezs hope to work with local animal shelters, pet rescue groups and members of the local community to find homes for homeless pets via Petland's Adopt-A-Pet program at Petland in Carmel.

Spay and Neuter Initiatives - The Lopezs emphasize that Petland is a proponent of the spaying and neutering of pets, noting that Petland Pet Counselors in Carmel will be working to educate new puppy and kitten owners about their individual responsibility to control pet overpopulation.

Commitment to Healthy Pets - The health and well being of its pets is the first priority at Petland. Petland puppies and kittens come from professional and hobby breeders who have years of experience in raising quality family pets. The breeders' kennels are inspected to ensure the highest standards of quality breeding practices and cleanliness are rigidly adhered to. Petland puppies and kittens are examined by at least two veterinarians before being offered to customers. Petland puppies and kittens also come with extensive health warranties.

Pets for a Lifetime SM - With its complimentary Pets for a Lifetime program, Petland's goal is to see that no Petland pets end up homeless or in animal shelters. Petland in Carmel does this by micro chipping most puppies and kittens for identification purposes and by using its many in-store resources to assist pet owners in finding new homes for Petland pets they can no longer accommodate. Petland also provides new puppy owners with "Resource Kits," offering obedience-training lessons on DVD and free lifetime consultations with canine behavior specialists.

Pet Therapy - Petland routinely takes its pets to visit school children and nursing home residents as studies of the human-animal bond show that pets are good for people, enhancing verbal and social skills in children and providing companionship and lowering blood pressure in seniors.

Safari Stan's Children's Charities SM - Petland has two children's charities. Annually, Petland fulfills pet-related wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and collects funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Petland, Inc. is a franchise operation with more than 200 quality, full service, retail pet centers across the United States, Canada, Japan, China, Chile and South Africa. Petland is ranked among Entrepreneur magazine's "Franchise 500." For more information on Petland, please visit the company's Web site at Petland :: Pets Make Life Better!.

Juan Carmen Lopez Franchisees Petland in Westfield. Contact Lopez at (317) 569-7387

Pet store brings 'family fun' back to the areas | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

Hi, its really nice information. Thanks for sharing with us..