CAPS protesters have been demonstrating at Pups & Pets of Santee (greater San Diego area) EVERY SATURDAY, for eleven months! During this holiday season, CAPS activists have also been in front of Pups & Pets on Tuesday afternoons for four hours to alert Christmas shoppers!

This past summer, CAPS received a complaint that a puppy purchased at Pups & Pets died of Parvo.

"One of the saddest elements to this store is that the puppies are never let out of their aquarium-like cages for any sort of exercise at all," said CAPS San Diego Campaign Coordinator Sydney Cicourel.

It is our belief that business cannot be going well. Franco Cruz's customer count has decreased substantially due to our nearly one year presence.

One thing is certain: our loyal CAPS protesters believe in this cause and will be there until the store's owner decides to go humane or closes his business altogether.

Pups & Pets

Pups & Pets is a pet store in the greater San Diego area owned by Franco Cruz, who’s notorious for moving his animal business around under new names after getting complaints from vets and customers. CAPS traced several of the dogs sold by Pups & Pets to Midwest puppy mills.

Before Pups & Pets, Franco Cruz owned a pet store in Alpine, CA that he sold after complaints by costumers began to pile up. He moved to El Cajon under the name Puppy Time and was also forced to shut down after public outcry and complaints from local vets. His current location, Pups & Pets, in Santee continues the same model as his earlier ventures, selling purebred dogs from puppy mills.

Despite his experience, Cruz hasn’t given any indication that the store will go humane. CAPS will continue to protest Pups & Pets until the store goes humane. Ironically, Cruz sold his Alpine puppy store to Evan Ames, Alpine Animal Jungle’s new owner, who felt a moral obligation to go humane and bring in shelter dogs for adoption.