944

Clark Duval and Kim Sill discuss OrangeBone pet shop

OrangeBone opened its doors in November 2007 as The Puppy Store and since then have done a complete 360-degree turn on the type of business it does. Starting out as a purebred puppy store, the pet shop now sells sheltered puppies, rather than dogs from puppy mills. Kim Sill, a past protester of The Puppy Store and leader of The Ban Puppy Mill Campaign for Last Chance for Animals, now works with OrangeBone to bring in rescued shelter puppies. Kim Sill educated owner Clark DuVal while protesting outside his store about what exactly was going on at the puppy mills from which he was getting his puppies. After several attempts and denials to visit the puppy mills, DuVal decided to go in a different direction with his pet store. The Melrose store carries 25 to 35 puppies at a time from the LA city and county shelters. 944 talks with DuVal and Sill about how what they’re doing makes a difference.

944: What makes OrangeBone different from most pet shops?
CLARK DUVAL: We were the first store to convert from selling purebred puppies from puppy mills to [now selling] 100-percent shelter animals. We believe we can save upwards of 1,000 puppies per year in this one store, and when fully developed, we hope we can take this concept across the country.
944: What is the advantage to purchasing shelter dogs at OrangeBone as opposed to at the pound?
CD: I’ve had customers tell me that they want to adopt a shelter animal, but going to the shelter is too depressing. OrangeBone is a very contemporary, hip-looking store in the middle of the Melrose fashion district — so looking for a puppy is a fun experience. We have rescues and volunteers that we work with, who help us find puppies in the shelters all over the county, often allowing us to be able to rescue an entire litter of puppies. That gives our customers the chance to choose from 25 to 35 puppies in our store, versus maybe two or three, or maybe four, in any shelter on a given day. We also offer a free vet exam with every pup purchased and cover any problems the vet finds on that visit. That gives our customers piece of mind and allows us to be confident that the new member of the family is healthy and happy.
944: When you protested in front of animal stores, did you ever find yourself in any scary moments?
KIM SILL: It was after the Oprah show aired on puppy mills. It seemed that the world now understood why I would stand out in front of a pet shop and beg customers not to go inside. At Posh Puppy on Wilshire Boulevard, I stood one Saturday last year with about five other people. A man drove up to to corner where I stood and rolled his window down. He said, “I saw that Oprah show! It’s terrible, good for you! What can I do to help?” I said, “You could go into the store and tell them how you feel.” He quickly put his car in park, got out and rushed into the store and started screaming. The owner of the store came outside with her cell phone and called the police. The man left and gave me a thumbs up and said, “Keep up the good work!” The police came and questioned me and yes, it was one more lesson learned in my year of protesting pet shops.
7574 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles | 323.852.1258 | www.orangebone.com
To learn more about the LCA, hear tales of after-hour doggy mischief and see video of the adoptable pups at OrangeBone go to 944.com/orangebone