PETA: Westport-headquartered PetVet Care Centers tied to blood bank where animals are bled until they die
Video from PETA shows dogs and cats caged and repeatedly bled at a facility in Indiana.
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The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), says a national pet care center that is headquartered in Westport is linked to an animal blood bank they say is a factory for cats and dogs to bleed until they die.
Video from PETA shows dogs and cats caged and repeatedly bled at a facility in Indiana.
"PETA had an investigator work undercover for seven months at an operation called the Veterinarians Blood Bank, which is in Indiana," said Daniel Paden, PETA vice president of Evidence Analysis.
PETA says the animals are kenneled for their entire lives for the sole purpose of taking their blood and selling it to veterinarian clinics.
"They're paying $200 per animal to their workers to take kittens off of the street. They're taking blood from animals who were obviously ill, who had even bone cancer in one instance," said Paden.
There are roughly 360 dogs and about 500 cats at Veterinarians Blood Bank's two facilities in Indiana.
"They don't even have a bed or a blanket to lie down on and so they're on a hard floor for 10, 12 years. They develop pressure sores," said Paden.
PETA says Veterinarians Blood Bank is selling blood to clinics, like those operated by Pet Vet Care Centers, which is headquartered in Westport.
The organization says animal blood is being taken from dogs and cats in Indiana every three weeks, which is very dangerous.
PetVet Care Centers operates 350 locations across the country and reported an annual revenue of $1.1 billion in 2021.
News 12 Connecticut reached out to the company for comment but has not heard back. PETA says it also wrote a letter to PetVet Care Centers a month ago and has not heard back.
The Indiana State Board of Animal Health regulates that blood bank and is investigating. An Indiana sheriff's office has assigned a detective to investigate the criminal neglect of two cats at the blood bank.
