I got a new guinea pig!

[Susan9608]

I still think PetSmart deserves some credit for taking steps in the right direction.

Petsmart gets NO credit for anything on *this* forum until they stop selling animals in their stores. They can do all the cat adoptions and dog adoptions in the world; they can sell the greatest animal supplies ever; they can keep their small animals in the ultimate small animal set up; hell, the could be the world's greatest experts on small animals, for all I care. They still suck.

The bottom line is that they still SELL animals as merchandise. Period. They get no credit or praise or anything else that's good until that practice stops.

Look at it however you want - as the glass is half full or through rose colored glasses. I don't care. But you don't get to praise them *here* on this forum.

[GadgetGirl]

Originally Posted by Coopdog

I still think PetSmart deserves some credit for taking steps in the right direction. More and more of them are doing adoptions, which is definately a good thing. As the saying goes: Rome wasn't built in a day.

PetSmart SUCKS! I can't give them any credit for anything. My baby died because I listened to them. She had a good life in the short time I had her but if they never sold her, she might have had a chance at a longer happy life as opposed to the happy short one.

I hope you don't truly believe what you say. You don't ever know what you're going to get when you get an animal but when you get one from a shelter, you do know that it has been truly taken care of with the love it deserves. PetSmart doesn't love the animals, they love the profits and life is much more important than the bottom line. This is my opinion only but I wish to suggest that you try to see what everyone is saying and rethink your ideas about PetSmart.

GadgetGirl the piggie lover

[Coopdog]

But you don't get to praise them *here* on this forum.

Duly noted. It doesn't change my viewpoint, however. My sincere hope is that the trend increases and catches on with other retailers until it becomes the accepted policy, and not the excepted one. But that takes time. I'm just glad to see it beginning, and I find it encouraging.

That's all I'm going to say on the subject.

[C&K]

My sincere hope is that the trend increases and catches on with other retailers until it becomes the accepted policy, and not the excepted one. But that takes time. I'm just glad to see it beginning, and I find it encouraging.

Sorry if you answered this, but does this store sell any small animals or are they all adoptions from shelters?

[CaRMeLLa BaBy]

Originally Posted by C&K

Sorry if you answered this, but does this store sell any small animals or are they all adoptions from shelters?

there is a petsmart/lypopfarm in brockport new york it is specificly an adoption so selling as merchandise

[spoonyspork]

Yes, Coopdog said several times that this particular store does adoptions only - dogs, cats, small animals, and horses - and doesn't sell *any* of their animals. Personally, I do think it's wonderful that a petstore has moved to adoptions *only*. Maybe this is a 'baby step' that could ultimately lead to the whole chain going adoption only. So long as it doesn't turn into a 'we take your unwanted pets and sell them for our own profit to the same ignorant people who would have come in and bought them if we'd gotten them from a mill anyway!', and they actually follow the same application process a shelter would, I would be quite impressed.

I donno. The cynic in me says 'BS', but the optimist in me says 'maybe!'. *shrug* Maybe more letters should be written encouriging the adoption only thing - not just dogs and/or cats, but *everything*, like that one store has been doing.

[Coopdog]

To clarify: The animals are not "sold". They are adopted out by the shelter staff, and the same screening is carried out. That means they are vet checked and treated for any illnesses/infestations by the shelter vet, and dogs/cats are neutered before the adoption. Potential owners are screened for landlord approval, family situation, etc. They also receive a coupon for a free vet check with any of several local vets after adoption.

[CaRMeLLa BaBy]

dontchya luuuv my 's? well i do just to let you know me and ty'spiggs (yes we are working on this together) think your website is effing gay and faggish you hate people like me n ty for wanting to save ALL GUINEA PIGS even pet store piggs which i LOVVEEE we love gp's just as much as the rest of you but we dont dedicate our ENTIRE lives to them there is more to this world than them and we love them to death but we also have lives! YOU GUYS DONT loveee me n ty


i tried using ALL THE SMILEYS to piss you off but it wouldnt let me

[Ly&Pigs]

Well, thanks. What I have to say to you is GOOD-BYE.

This thread is closed but I am leaving it up as an example to other newbies on what they should NOT do unless they want to join you in BANland.

[CavySpirit]

Actually, I'm moving this flounce post to the end of her diatribe on her pet store purchase. It seems more fitting and appropriate as a conclusion to her argument here rather than standing alone.

[CavySpirit]

There are some really EXCELLENT and well-written responses to many of the common problems with pet overpopulation in this thread. Also, presented is the typical short-sighted view of buying animals in pet stores. Of course, we also have the teen version of sticking her tongue out at us because she is not equipped to handle the issues or debate. But the thread is basically very, very good on the points, so I'm making it a sticky.

[cavygma]

Carmella Baby, sorry about the previous posts!! I to had a similar situation but princess was placed with the boys. You should be able to see & feel the pups in another week maybe a week & half. Just keep an eye on her, and keep her comfortable. Another way is if she is laying on her side and not on all fours (atleast thats what Princess has done). She will need more vegs than a non pregant sow. Hope that this helps.

PS: disregard others who shun you for previous actions. You were only thinking of the guinea pig.

[Susan9608]

Carmella Baby has been banned.

Wheyza, you need to get better acquainted with the ideals and philosophies of this forum before you start posting, particularly in the Kitchen.

disregard others who shun you for previous actions. You were only thinking of the guinea pig.

Statements like these are not acceptable here. We do not condone people's pet store purchases. Period.

[jackrungh]

I agree with the logical equation of mass breeder plus pet store equals overpopulation, that reality is easy to comprehend, impossible to deny, and unfortunate. However in spite of the fact that I do not buy from stores that sell animals any longer, I take exception to this hard line position damning pet stores. They indeed are motivated by profit (not something I consider an inherent evil), but screaming at them and acting like the morons at PETA is really not a constructive way to instigate change. Some of the most intelligent posts in this thread have all centered on the adoption through store issue, and in supporting stores that are transitioning towards those sorts of practices.

Lets be real about something. When does someone who has never owned a guinea pig, and perhaps never owned a pet say to themselves, "Ah yes, I feel like I would like a guinea pig in my life. Let me consult the nearest Cavy rescue center." The answer is never.

A non-owner doesnt know there is an issue with Cavys, doesnt know they are called "Cavys", and doesnt know about the breeding mills and overpopulation. People go to pet stores, and they check out the animals and they make that purchase, whether it be an impulse-buy or not. That is how I got my first cavy, but once I had her, and wanted to be the best owner I could possibly be for her, and read these forums and sites and books on caregiving, I became knowledgable about this problem and its ramifications. Once pet store customers do this (And I sincerely hope they all invest as much thought and research into their pet as the users of this forum do.), they effectively become one of the "good guys." They no longer buy from pet stores and contact guinea pig rescues, and they buy online more cheaply and stop funding chains that sell animals.

The important thing to realize is that the demand will always be there. People will always want to go somewhere and get a pet, with the key selling point being they want to go somewhere where pets are and get a face to face with potential pets, in order that they might get an idea of what they want. If you want proof of this go to petsmart on saturday when they exhibit dogs for adoption. Not buying from pet stores who sell animals might help in some miniscule way, but the real solution is to have the same stores (read: the same demand) be purchasing pets that are not farmed. Having a rescue fuel the demand of your local Petsmart is ideal, because pigs on "death row" are given homes, breeders are made obsolete, and the end consumer is none-the-wiser.

What I am objecting to is this rigid mentality that they are evil, we are good, and no cooperation can exist, because that would be dealing with the devil. This sounds great and makes one feel all warm and fuzzy and righteous inside, but does little to change things, and dooms more and more generations of pigs to the current way of things. The devil doesnt care how these pigs are shuffled around, he only cares about what he can make off them. Any business that cared about anything else above profit would be irresponsible. However if a company can make the same or greater profit by using a rescue or shelter as its source for animals, not only would it make profit but would be able to plaster all over signs and ads everywhere that it was doing this great laudable thing to stop the exploitation of cute furry creatures, increasing consumer support for the firm and most likely market share. This is the appeal of adoption through stores and this is the party line concerned owners must deliver to those in charge of pet stores, if the welfare of Cavia Porcellus the world over is to improve.

[Susan9608]

When does someone who has never owned a guinea pig, and perhaps never owned a pet say to themselves, "Ah yes, I feel like I would like a guinea pig in my life. Let me consult the nearest Cavy rescue center." The answer is never.

Actually, quite a few people on this forum have done research first and have ended up adopting guinea pigs rather than purchasing them.

Having a rescue fuel the demand of your local Petsmart is ideal, because pigs on "death row" are given homes, breeders are made obsolete, and the end consumer is none-the-wiser.

This is an excellent idea; unfortunately, while some stores participate in this sort of thing, not all of them do, particularly in the big chain stores. Some of the big chains do adoptions only while others still sell animals. How are you to know which is which? You can't - which is why you have to take the hard line, the "rigid mentality", to boycott them until the policy of selling animals is completely reversed.

What I'm not understandin is what your point is. You don't agree with the rigid mentality, but you see that overpopulation is a problem that pet stores contribute to. So ... what are you advocating here?

What I am objecting to is this rigid mentality that they are evil, we are good, and no cooperation can exist, because that would be dealing with the devil. This sounds great and makes one feel all warm and fuzzy and righteous inside, but does little to change things, and dooms more and more generations of pigs to the current way of things

It actually does a lot to change things. This same rigid mentality brought about the end of the sales of dogs and cats in pet stores. I don't see why the same thing can't happen with guinea pigs, chinchillas, hamsters, etc.

The more people are educated about this, the more people will boycott pet stores that sell animals. And maybe, when stores realize that selling animals isn't making them any revenue, then and only then will they realize that adoption is the way to go.

(Edited to add:

but screaming at them and acting like the morons at PETA is really not a constructive way to instigate change.

- you might want to be careful with these kinds of statements. I - and many others on this forum - are very PROUD to be one of "the morons at PETA".)

[jackrungh]

Actually, quite a few people on this forum have done research first and have ended up adopting guinea pigs rather than purchasing them.

Theres the rub, right there exactly. Quite a few people on this forum.

Most people never get or go this far in their ownership of any pet, and while it was wrong of me to call you who are members of PETA "morons", again it is a unwavering ethic and combative position that prevents your own goals from being realized. That is what I mean when I speak of things moronic. The flood of customers going to Petsmart and Petco are not member of PETA, nor do they visit care guides and forums either on the internet or in any community about any pet they own. Yes education can help, but just like the noble work people in shelters do, that is an uphill battle. When you combine the uphill, effort-intensive battle of re-education with a combative attitude towards those in a position to change things (Pet store CEOs), you have a nearly hopeless endeavour that does nothing but gain support from a minority and scorn from the majority.

If you want any proof of how the stance PETA has taken is percieved by the masses, visit Urban Dictionary: Define Yo