Update: L.A.-based vet chain distances itself from controversial Michigan puppy store

KENTWOOD, MI -- A Michigan mall is facing shopper backlash after a controversial puppy boutique joined the mix of retailers.

Dozens of shoppers say they will boycott Woodland Mall after Barking Boutique opened Tuesday, July 5, near the entrance of the Macy's department store.

Thousands have signed an online petition or liked a Facebook page calling for the store to be ousted from the Grand Rapids area mall. They left dozens of complaints on Woodland Mall's Facebook page.

Similar opposition nixed the store's opening in a Muskegon area mall earlier this year.

Woodland Mall is taking the complaints seriously, a spokeswoman for its Philadelphia-based owner said in a statement:

David Boelkes, the Barking Boutique's owner, says his store is being unfairly lumped in with unethical retailers.

The nearly dozen puppies in the shop come from U.S. Department of Agriculture-licensed or American Kennel Club-inspected breeders. He says he has personally visited all the breeders who supply his store, and has the kennel's USDA inspection reports available at the store for customers to view.

"None of the breeders I work with have had any violations," said Boelkes. "The dogs come with a five-generation pedigree and our store is inspected by the AKC."

The puppies range in price from $1,600 to $4,000, depending on their bloodline. One of his puppies is a Morkie, a designer breed that is a cross between a purebred Yorkshire terrier and a purebred Maltese, that has a $2,600 price tag. The Maltese lineage has three champion bloodlines.

The puppies aren't kept in cages, but in white painted wood and glass pens that look like they were ordered from a Pottery Barn catalog. Signs warn customers not to touch the puppies without permission.

They must squirt sanitizer on their hands before playing with the puppies in a closet-size nursery area. While the animals aren't taken outside to play and they don't go on walks, they get lots of daily playtime with employees and customers, he said.

He expects the puppies to say in the shop for less than two weeks before they are sold.

Boelkes said he learned a lot about animals by working in a pet store when he was younger. The Barking Boutique is working with VCA Northeast Cat & Dog Hospital to make sure the puppies remain healthy. Their eyes, ears and gums are checked daily. Their weight is also tracked on daily charts.

Boelkes says he came up with the idea after his own frustrating experience looking for his golden retriever, Maverick. Finding a good breeder online took six months, and then he was put on a year-long waiting list.

Ads on Craigslist were even more disappointing.

"I would show up and they didn't know the dog's genealogy or history," Boelkes said.

He also heard horror stories from friends who said they bought dogs only to have them get sick or die several months later.

"There is a huge lack of quality puppies for West Michigan and Grand Rapids," said Boelkes. "That's why we chose Grand Rapids. You can't really find a good (purebred) puppy."

He added that the shelters do a good job of adopting out adult dogs, and encourages people to try that option first.

One of the people voicing opposition is Cathy Bissell, the high-profile animal activist and founder of the Bissell Pet Foundation, which funds rescues of dogs from puppy mills across the country.

"I'm in shock," Bissell said. "I'm so surprised that a pet store would open in Woodland when we have done so much to educate people about rescue and shelters, and choosing adoptions first."

She says puppy mills are traditionally the pipeline for pet stores because breeders typically sell directly. That's why seeing a puppy's documentation isn't enough, she adds.

"We always say the most important thing is for you to see the mom and dad," said Bissell said. "Puppy mills come in all shapes and disguises. It's important to see where these pets are raised."

She has gone along on some of the rescues of dogs from puppy mills, which mass breed the lucrative puppies. Seeing the treatment of animals in these conditions is hard to stomach, she says. Many were found in cramped cages, malnourished and with infections from sitting in their own waste.

The Humane Society of West Michigan weighed in with its criticism of the Barking Boutique on its Facebook page, with the following message:

Opposition on social media resulted in The Lakes Mall canceling a lease in April for a space that would have been the first location of the first Barking Boutique.

Boelkes says he received an offer for a lease in a location across from the Norton Shores shopping center, and may still open a store in that community at a later date.

Despite the criticism, the store was attracting shoppers on Thursday when a reporter visited.

"People have been coming in loving it, and the puppies are loving it," Boelkes said of the response in the first two days.

Renee Kamper, who discovered the shop during a mall visit on Thursday, said she was impressed with Barking Boutique and the staff's treatment of the puppies.

Employees denied customers' requests to play with puppies that were sleeping or acting sleepy, saying rest was a priority for the baby animals.

"I found they are being very responsible about the puppies," said the Caledonia resident. "(The animal activists) need to go check the place out. I've seen far worse settings."

Kamper says she bought her two dogs from breeders because they came with a family history.

We are disappointed to learn that Woodland Mall is allowing Barking Boutique to open in its facility. When the store... Posted by Humane Society of West Michigan on Thursday, July 7, 2016

Shandra Martinez covers business and other topics for MLive. Email her or follow her on Twitter @shandramartinez.

