Our Breeders

What does it take to be a

Petland Racine Breeder?

Every breeder that has more than 4 females that sells to Petland Racine must be licensed by USDA. Their inspection record with the USDA must have zero direct violations within the most recent 24 months. They also cannot have any violations on their most recent inspection that relate to the veterinary care of any animal on licensed property. Each customer will receive a copy of the most recent USDA inspection from their puppy’s breeder. The State of Wisconsin also regulates Petland Racine’s Breeders. If a breeder sells more than 25 puppies to us in a year they are required to obtain a State of WI dog seller license. Each out of state breeder is also licensed and regulated by their own state. Many of our breeders are also inspected by the AKC and must abide by all AKC’s requirements in order to keep their AKC credentials. We do also occasionally get puppies from hobby breeders (breeders who have less than 4 females). Those breeders typically specialize on a single breed and must still adhere to all Petland’s humane care guidelines and medical protocols. When you purchase a puppy from Petland Racine, you are choosing the most regulated, inspected source available for your new family member!

At Petland Racine, our approach to sourcing quality puppies is different from most other pet stores. As stated above, we use state and federally licensed breeders but that is not the end of our buying standard, it is just the beginning. Our owner and managers travel all over the country to actually personally visit our sources, so we know each breeder we are supporting. We have visited kennels in Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. Since the beginning of 2014, we have taken over 20 breeder inspection tours and traveled over 35,000 miles visiting over 300 kennels. It is a massive investment of time, effort, energy, and money to KNOW where our puppies come from. Below are videos from our recent kennel tours. This page will be continually updated as we visit more and more breeders. We want you to be proud and confident that your Petland Racine Puppy came from one of the best breeders in the country!

Petland Racine has also been an early supporter of Canine Care Certified breeders. Canine Care Certified is a nationwide, voluntary program that addresses the health and overall welfare of dogs in the care of breeders in the United States. It is the only program that not only incorporates measures of the physical health of dogs and puppies raised by breeders, but also strongly emphasizes their behavioral well-being. The certification program is based on standards developed and led by Dr. Candace Croney, Ph.D. at Purdue University in 2013. Consumers and pet owners can be assured that dogs and puppies raised by the program’s certified breeders are cared for under stringent standards. Learn more about canine care certified here: https://vet.purdue.edu/ccc/consumers.php

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