on the evils of petstores...

[lilipution1013]

People lament that pet stores don't treat their animals well: small cages, dirty litter, ignorant staff, lack of food, etc. The animals go to anyone who has the $30 to buy one. They say that you should adopt your piggies from a breeder, rescue, or shelter so that you're not putting more money in the hands of those stores. Adoption centers have screening and forms - they know they're piggies are going to good homes. Pet store piggies are not so lucky. Adoptiong and rescue centers (especially No-Kill centers) treat their animals very well because they have been properly trained to do so.

This is why I think that, if you have the opportunity to buy a store guinea pig, you should do so. This is the real rescue: saving a pig from bad conditions and a potentially bad home. Younger ones, especially, are at risk: small children who don't know any better could very easily squeeze them to death.

Rescuing abandoned older animals from an adoption center is perfectly wonderful and I'm not trying to lecture anyone for doing so. I just think that young animals kept in cold, unhealthy pet store cages deserve to be saved just as much.

[mncavylover]

I agree that the animals deserve to be saved as much as you do.

However, there is one problem: even if you are "rescuing" the pig, you've just condemned future generations of cavies, because they still succeeded in their goal: to get as much money as possible. You just made a sale, regardless. And thus, you are supporting the entire operation, pet store, breeder, and all.

If you really want to help, send letters to the manager, talk to employees, and see what you can do to get the animals out of the stores permanently.

[mom to cujo]

I totally agree with you, lilipution. Some of us do not have access to rescues and I feel the same as far as "rescuing" from a pet store. To think of my Cujo in the home of someone who wouldn't give him all the love and care he gets from me really upsets me. Whenever i see a piggie in a store my heart breaks and I want to "save" him. Breeders will always do what they do and someone needs to save the bred piggies and that is how I feel.
Rescuing abandoned older animals from an adoption center is perfectly wonderful and I'm not trying to lecture anyone for doing so. I just think that young animals kept in cold, unhealthy pet store cages deserve to be saved just as much.

[mncavylover]

"I totally agree with you, lilipution. Some of us do not have access to rescues and I feel the same as far as "rescuing" from a pet store."

Tell me, who doesn't have access to a rescue? This is one of the major problems that keeps these pet stores in business: our need for convenience. Just by spending an extra ten or twenty minutes, you can be really adopting vs. just paying the breeders. Please think about that.

"To think of my Cujo in the home of someone who wouldn't give him all the love and care he gets from me really upsets me. Whenever i see a piggie in a store my heart breaks and I want to "save" him."

I agree that all pigs should get homes, but if you buy them then you're just continuing the cycle and contributing to the piggies in shelters by not taking them in.

"Breeders will always do what they do and someone needs to save the bred piggies and that is how I feel."

You can save more than just the few you can take care of by writing letters and taking action. Thus, "rescuing" is not saving as many piggies as this would, and there will be more to come.

[mom to cujo]

As was said in a previous post - everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you feel it is okay to try to make me feel badly for my opinions - well good for you. There are NO rescues anywhere in my area. All the shelters are over crowded with doogs and cats and none have any guinea pigs. If there were a rescue anywhere nearby I would adopt and donate- but there isn't.

[mncavylover]

I honestly didn't mean anything to hurt your feelings, and all the posts are not meant to attack you personally or anything, I'm just saying these things for the general topic, not against you. I'm sorry if you feel that way.

There are two listings in the classifieds on www.cavyrescue.com, one in Copenhagen and one in Brooklyn. Other rescues listed there:

Redwood RescueN. NY & Ontario Watertown/
Kingston Area/
Redwood
Kathy Nelson
bobkatt@northnet.org
315-482-5851

The Pig Pen Rescue
Upstate NY/
Near Watertown/
Antwerp
Tracie Ritchiepigpenrescue@aol.com
315-287-1658
There are also several cavies listed on petfinder in your region. There are some from Middle Island, and there are also some from close states.

There are also several listed on the classifieds.

http://www.h4ha.org/shelters/USA/New_York/1-33-0.html shows you a list of shelters in your area.

[Access]

As consumers we create demand with our purchases, if you buy a pig from a store you are creating the market. If no one bought pigs from the stores, the stores would stop. If everyone buys their pigs from the stores, the stores get even more pigs and the problem becomes worse. You have to think long-term, you can't trade a short-term gain (saving one pig) in exchange for a long-term atrocity. If you do, it's selfishness on your part and nothing else.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Rescues are no-kill, but rescues across the country for every breed and type of animal are full. There is only so much space especially when there are a lack of qualified homes.

There are more animals than there are good homes. That is a fact, yet you want to support more breeders.

Most shelters are not no kill (which means guinea pigs can and are euthanized if they even take them), and even the ones that are turn away adoptable animals so they can afford to care for the ones that are older and maybe not so adoptable, or vice versa.

I don't know if you've ever stepped inside your local animal shelters, but the ones around here have employees that don't care so much for animals. They are ill equipped to deal with small animals like rabbits and guinea pigs. Some do not get fed at all if volunteers do not go in and take care of them.

If you adopt from a rescue, you are providing a loving forever home and allowing the rescue to take in another guinea pig. They get their animals from animal shelters. They rarely take private surrenders. They have to prioritize ones on death row. So where exactly are the no kill shelters?

Why don't you look on the main page of cavyspirit.com? There are guinea pigs in danger of being put to sleep because they are in overcrowded shelters.

The only way I can see as 'buying' a guinea pig from a pet store is to get it for free or make them pay for any vet bills if he or she is sick.

Are you going to 'save' all the guinea pigs by buying every single one, that is what you mean, right? Saving one out of the thousands that the pet mill produces doesn't really help since they breed several more to take its place.

Also, it seems you only want young guinea pigs. There are plenty of young and baby guinea pigs in shelters and rescues. People buy guinea pigs that turn out to be pregnant or get mis sexed pairs and dump them. Three of my adopted four were babies. One was 2 months old, two were about 4 weeks old. My other one was about 1 year old.

That they were abandoned has nothing to do with them personally. In fact, it says more about their owners than them. The surrender forms usually say 'moving,' too many, owner ill, children bored, etc.

[jhoban]

The only prblem I have is this. If those who hate breeding were successful in their quest, then noone would ever breed again, meaning we can only enjoy these wonderful creatures for another 5 years or so. Where is that line drawn as to when it is OK to breed.

[Animalhut210]

My sweet peachy is from a petco they actually take care of their cages at ours every week twice a week i go in there on the same days and they are playing with or cleaning the cages peach is healthy and happy.

[AngelsCavies]

There maybe some pet stores that really look after all the animals and clean them too. I went to petsmart by my place and I never saw a sick animal at all and they always have them divided by there sexes the only thing I saw wrong at petsmart was that they had a lil too many in one unit. I asked a girl about that and she said that when they got the animals the people gave them too many that they could take so they had no choice but take them and they sell them on sale to open up spaces. I have gone to a pet store where the animals look bad or not taken care of.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

It's what you don't see that is the problem. IF they do take care of their animals, never mis sex them or sell pregnant ones, sell them to good homes, provide medical care, care for them correctly, sell only good products (big cages, no wire bottoms, no pellet mixes), promote only good products (i.e. no running balls), then they STILL get their animals from pet mills.

Do you know what those are? They breed guinea pigs en mass without regard for health or conditions. Petco gets theirs from Kelly's, which is under investigation by the USDA. Petsmart gets them from similar pet mills.

http://www.peta.org/feat/napd/

Warning: graphic

[Access]

The only 'good' petstores are the ones that don't sell animals. Just because a pet store seems to treat animals well today doesn't mean they'll continue to do so. The best pet stores realise that an animal constitutes at best a one-time sale, while supplies -- food, bedding, hay, etc. is something owners buy on a regular basis. So they don't bother with selling animals, they make a better profit on the consumables and send people who want a pet to a shelter or rescue.

[sofiemuffins]

There's a pet store in a town near by mine, and it's the only place I will shop at. They only sell fish...and they're fish actually look great. The staff there is real friendly and knowledgable about animals. There's another store across town that's a different story however =( They sell dogs, cats, guinea pigs, reptiles, bunnies, birds, etc. Even if the store I shop at doesn't carry something, and I know the bad place does, I'll go without. They basically know nothing about their animals and how to properly take care of them...it's sad. I've complained to them before, but they haven't changed.

[Rocinante]

Everyone in the NY area:

The Petco in Waterford, CT is going to display adoptable guinea pigs this Saturday. It is only an hour and a half from the NYC metro area. Just look in petfinder.com and click on some of the pet shelter links. That is how I found the information. Is anyone going there to take a look?

[mncavylover]

jhoban, that is just not a valid argument today. It's not going to happen overnight. Also, if that does eventually happen, then there is a definition for a responsible breeder. This is not, however, in effect today because there is just no excuse to breed while there are so many other unwanted pets. However, once there are not (if that happens), there will be a chance for those truly loving these animals to breed responsibly. This definition is explained at http://www.cavyspirit.com/responsiblebreeder.htm. However, in today's day and agge that battle is yet to be won.

Animalhut210, that's just great that that particular store takes good care of their animals. However, we must remember that things can change. Also, you are still supporting all of the other parts of that chain store, whether or not they take good care of their animals.

AngelsCavies, those are the usual pet stores--they don't usually take good care of their cavies. That's why we can't buy from them.

rabbitsncavyluv, I totally agree. They still get them from bad sources, so it's never justifiable.

Sofiemuffins, I'm glad you've found one that seems to be good. I hope that it truly is, and I also hope that it's an independent store that gets their stock from reputable sources. I'm sorry about the other store, but that's the majority of stores today.

Rocinante, that's awesome that the Petco is showing adoptable piggies! I hope that they all get adopted. However, it really doesn't help if they continue selling themselves.

[k_ann91]

the story of my pig

I bought my gp in a pet store,which I will never step in the shop again.When I was choosing,I saw a black and brown pig that looks really cute.So I paid for it and go home.
The pig looks sorta shy so i decided not to pick it up the first few days.

When I finally pick it up,I saw a patch of crust that all the hair had fallen off.In fact,the patch was quite big.I took the pig back and show them.All the workers was very defensive.they said that all their pigs was being taken care of very well and said that it was my fault instead.

I left the shop not wanting to argue and headed straight to the vet.I spend around $50 on each visit.luckily,now pig is a healthy and cheerful pig!!