Elizabeth Carlisle was a Petland employee at the Akron, Ohio Petland store. In the back room on July 28, 2009, she drowned two rabbits and then smiled as she posed for a picture which she proudly posted on her Facebook page. Carlisle admitted to drowning the rabbits, “[T]he manager took the pic for me. [S]he reminded me that there were people outside as [I] was swearing at them to just hurry up and die but then she was so kind as to take this picture.” Carlisle posted additional comments indicating that the rabbits were drowned after they had sustained severe injuries when they were permitted to ” attack and eat each other.”

Carlisle has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty and will appear in court on August 17 in Summit County. Her actions and attitude surrounding such a cruel, sadistic, and heartbreaking incident will certainly warrant the maximum penalty under Ohio’s weak animal cruelty laws. The Akron Petland store is permanently closed.

The Ohio SPCA urges everyone to refrain from buying animals from pet stores. If everyone would adopt from a shelter or rescue, there would be no demand for puppies, kittens, and rabbits that have been bred for profit.

The Ohio SPCA will be following this case closely and will update our website, so that animal lovers everywhere can make their voices heard to the court and to Petland.

Join us as we urge Petland to STOP the sale of all animals.

Please be polite when sending letters or calling.

Ed Kunzelman, Founder and Chair
Frank Difatta, President
Petland USA
250 Riverside St.
Chillicothe, OH 45601
740-775-2464
800-221-5935
740-775-2575 (fax)
frank.difatta@petland.com