Although many pet stores have moved away from selling puppies to focus on selling pet supplies, Petland continues to sell puppies and other animals.
Since it can be difficult to track down a breeder for a specific type of breed, Petland offers convenience.
It sells purebred dogs as well as mixed breeds.
However, the price for those puppies can often be quite expensive.
The average price for a puppy at Petland costs between $2,000 and $10,000.
Here are 10 reasons Petland is so expensive.
Why Is Petland So Expensive? (Top 10 Reasons)
1. Interest Rates
One of the reasons Petland is expensive is that they offer lending options.
If you find that you can’t afford a $7,000 dog, then Petland offers financing.
They work with a few different banks to be able to lend you money to make the purchase.
You’ll then have to pay back the loan with interest.
The problem with Petland’s lending services is that the interest rates are usually high.
Sometimes they’re as high as 2.2%.
Those who aren’t familiar with interest rates should know that an interest rate bases itself on the money you owe.
It takes a percentage of that amount, the interest rate, and then adds that on top of your initial debt.
This is the amount that the lender earns extra to make money off of lending.
The higher that the percentage is, the more money the lender makes off of the debt.
The problem with lending is that while your dog may only have been $7,000 at first, a high-interest rate might mean that you actually end up having $14,000 by the time you’ve paid it off.
That’s why it’s always a good idea to consider interest rates over the actual price of an item or puppy.
If the price is high but the interest rate is low, then it’s a better deal than a low price with a high-interest rate.
Petland puppies are expensive if you choose to use their lending options.
You could end up paying double or triple what the dog originally cost.
2. Credit Card Services
Along with lending services, Petland also offers credit card services.
Subject to credit approval, you can potentially open a credit card with Petland.
The card is useful for buying pet supplies or even buying puppies.
The problem with buying goods through their credit card is that it makes your purchases more expensive.
The APR of a Petland credit card is 29.99%.
That’s way above what the national interest rate is.
You can calculate the interest rate of the card by dividing it by the number of months in a year.
That makes the APR rate around the 2% mark.
The national interest rate is around 1.5% to 1.75%.
That makes the credit card one of the more expensive types of credit on the market.
A card that offers a good APR is one that has 14% APR or around that area.
The card also has a few troubling requirements.
You need to make at least one purchase with it a year to keep the card.
This might not be ideal for someone who wanted the card to buy a puppy or only a few supplies with it.
It also has a minimum interest charge of $2.00 per credit plan.
That might not seem like much, but it can add up over the year.
There’s also the fact that buying anything with a credit card is going to make it more expensive.
You may have bought something for $20, but when it comes time to pay off the credit card, it could have grown to $40.
Petland is expensive because their credit card has a high APR and purchasing requirements.
3. Purebreds
The type of dog that you buy at Petland can also make it an expensive place to shop.
Purebreds are more expensive than mixed breeds.
That’s because they involve careful breeding.
Purebreds can only breed with other members of their breed.
It ensures that the breed stays the same.
However, the breeder has to be careful about in-breeding.
If inbreeding occurs, then there’s a chance that the parents can pass on genetic defects to the child.
Since purebreds are all bred together, there’s always a risk of one of them being a carrier of some sort of genetic defect or disease.
If they breed with another dog who is a carrier of the same defect or disease, then the likelihood of their puppy actually developing or having the disease increases.
To avoid this, it’s a bit more costly to breed purebreds.
Breeders have to undergo genetic testing for their purebreds to ensure they’re healthy enough to breed.
That costs extra money.
That then goes into the price of their purebred puppies which Petland buys.
To make back their money, Petland then increases the price of their purebreds.
Besides being more costly to breed, purebreds are also desirable and popular.
Many homes specifically want a German Shepherd rather than a German Shepherd mix.
They may want a Bulldog rather than a Bulldog mix.
Since these breeds are popular and in high demand, Petland can sell them at high prices.
There are only ever so many puppies of that specific breed to sell.
If the demand is high enough, then the price will also be high.
Purebreds at Petland are expensive because of the cost associated with breeding them and because of their popularity.
4. Pet Care
Petland doesn’t sell only goods and supplies.
They sell living creatures.
That means they take on a lot of costs.
They have to keep their puppies alive and healthy to sell them.
If they sell a sick puppy to a family, then there’s always a risk that they can go to court with a lawsuit.
To avoid expensive lawsuits, Petland does its best to keep its puppies healthy.
That means plenty of food, water, and toys to keep them fit and entertained.
Pet food, alone, can be extremely costly.
Certain breeds of dogs eat a lot of food while others don’t.
Depending on the age of the dog, they may also eat more as they go through a growth spurt.
Even cheap dog food can become expensive if you’re buying a lot of it.
They also need to ensure that their stores have the right climate for their puppies.
It needs to be at the right temperatures and have plenty of light to keep them safe and comfortable.
A store that doesn’t have air conditioning or heat threatens the health of a puppy.
Those appliances cost money to run, too.
Keeping puppies healthy and alive costs Petland a lot of money.
To stay operational and make a profit, they have to sell their dogs and supplies at higher prices.
This likely wouldn’t be the case if they were only selling pet supplies.
However, since they need to feed, water, and entertain their puppies, the cost to run their business is high.
As a result, their prices are high.
5. Store Size
The size of the store can also make a specific Petland store expensive.
Larger stores are able to house more puppies, but they’re also more costly to operate.
For one, they need to pay to rent the space.
The more space that you rent, the more expensive the fee is going to be.
That also includes any outdoor areas.
Dogs need a lot of space to roam and run to stay happy and healthy.
Stores that don’t have an outdoor area likely aren’t suitable for carrying live animals.
The problem with having an outdoor space is that it can also be costly.
Besides renting it, the store also needs to maintain it.
That means lawn services and fencing services to keep the dogs on their property.
Larger stores also mean they have more inventory.
While this means they may be able to make more money, it also means they have more costs.
They need to ship those products in, which is a cost.
They also need more supplies to take care of additional puppies.
The larger the store is, the more costly it is to run.
To cover the cost, Petland has to increase its prices.
6. Vet Costs
One of the areas that is a matter of controversy with Petland is their vet costs.
Taking a dog to see a veterinarian is expensive.
Since Petland has a lot of dogs, vet costs can become extraordinary.
Because of that, they don’t always take a dog to the vet when it first displays signs of an illness.
That can be extremely problematic since the dog can make other dogs ill.
It can even make humans who come into contact with the dog ill.
However, when Petland does take their puppies to the vet, then they also take on a lot of expenses.
They need to pay for any kind of ongoing medication that the dog needs.
If the puppy needs surgery, then they’ll need to pay for the expensive surgery and all the costs associated with it.
Even costs for vaccines and other shots can add up when you have to do it for a large number of dogs.
To ensure they’re still able to operate and cover future costs, Petland puts high prices on their dogs and supplies.
Some dogs may be more expensive than others specifically because they were ill at one point and racked up some debts with the vet.
Other dogs may be expensive because they’re perfectly healthy and are covering the costs of less fortunate puppies.
Petland is expensive because they have to make sure they have enough money to cover vet costs when they decide to take in an ill dog.
7. Breeders
Petland buys dogs from breeders across the country.
Since Petland buys their puppies instead, they have to overcome the costs they took in by buying them.
That’s often why they choose to buy from breeders across the country because they can offer them a large number of puppies at bulk prices.
They can then resell those puppies at a much higher price and earn a nice profit.
Dogs that they buy from reputable breeders are more expensive since the breeder took on more costs to ensure their puppies were healthy.
Since it costs more to buy these puppies, Petland has to mark them at higher prices to earn back their money and earn a profit.
Petland is expensive because they buy puppies and resell them rather than breeding the dogs themselves.
8. Popularity
Certain dog breeds are more popular than others.
As with everything else, if a dog breed is “trending,” then it’s going to be more expensive.
That’s because there’s a high demand for that specific breed of dog.
Any seller who sells that type of dog will want to cash in on the trend as much as they can.
Petland is no different.
Bulldogs and pugs are currently trending.
It’s why they go for higher prices than other dogs at many Petland stores.
They know that families and future pet owners want that breed of dog.
They’re more willing to pay a higher price to get the dog of their dreams.
Since supply is low, or at least lower than demand, it also increases the price of the dog.
Whenever a specific dog breed increases in popularity, then its price also increases.
Since Petland wants to make a profit, they sell their trending dogs at high prices which makes them expensive.
9. Low National Supply
A few recent events, like the COVID-19 pandemic, have also contributed to the high prices at Petland.
Since people were stuck at home and unable to hang out with friends and family, many sought companionship from animals.
Others found a unique opportunity to finally own a pet since they were at home.
That led to a sudden increase in buying puppies across the country.
That also meant that the supply for certain breeds ran out.
With an extremely low supply of certain puppies across the nation, it makes any existing supply of that breed expensive.
That’s because the demand for that specific type of dog was so high that owners were desperate to buy it at any cost.
Petland is able to put a high price on dogs that are difficult to find because of the national shortage of puppies.
Until breeders are able to replenish their stock, the price for some puppies will continue to be high.
10. Labor Costs
To take care of the animals, stock the store, and run the business, Petland has to pay its employees.
While these employees aren’t veterinarians, they do need to at least know how to perform basic animal care.
That means they earn a little more than a basic wage.
To cover the costs of their employees, Petland places expensive prices on their pets and supplies.
How To Save Money On Petland Purchases
If you don’t want to spend $10,000 on a puppy or another pet at Petland, then there are a few things you can do.
Follow these tips to save money at Petland.
1. Buy From A Shelter
The best way to save money on buying pets is to actually buy them elsewhere.
The marked-up prices from Petland can be quite high.
A shelter, on the other hand, tends to sell low.
They’re more concerned with placing an animal in a loving home rather than making a profit.
Adopting a pet from a shelter can easily save you thousands of dollars.
2. Don’t Buy On Credit
Purchasing things on credit will almost always end up costing more than the original purchase.
You’ll end up spending more money than you originally intended.
Instead, take the time to save until you have enough money to buy the pet from your savings
You’ll save a ton of money by avoiding interest rates.
3. Choose Mixed Breeds
Purebreds are always more expensive than mixed breeds unless they’re unhealthy.
If you want a cheaper dog and don’t mind what you get, then a mixed breed is a great option.
They’re often healthier and certainly cheaper than purebreds.
Conclusion
Petland sells a lot of expensive pets and products.
Much of their expense is due to the costs associated with buying the pets from other breeds and running their business to keep the pets alive.
You can save money by adopting a pet from a rescue or shelter instead.
Follow the tips above to save money on your new pet.
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