Unsold pigs in Milford, OH to be gassed

[blairie]

I heard about this on livejournal. The Live Oaks Vocational School in Milford has a student run pet store. There's at least 20 pigs there and whatever's unsold is going to be gassed. They're selling them for $5/each, adults & babies.

Was going to post this in Adoptables Discussion but since it's a pet store, am posting here.

This Little Piggy & Me rescue is going to take in as many as they can, from what I've heard.

I don't know the circumstances behind the gassing, either.

[alerz]

That's terrible. I hope this rescue can take in all of them. Could you post a link with more information on where this school is and how to contact them? Thanks!

[Feylin]

I just adopted a piggy from that rescue and she told me all about the situation. Plus, I teach at a vocational high school here in Ohio- we hear about stuff that goes on at the other schools. It's really unfortunate- the teacher is just ignorant and it never ocured to her that there was a better way. Someone must have reported the school, because the administration is requiring her to stop breeding and selling animals. That is a good thing, but they want a quick fix to squash any bad public opinion which is where the pigs being euthanized (sp) probably comes from.

[pgpsm]

Awww. That is so sad.

[blairie]

School's Address:

5956 Buckwheat Rd
Milford, OH
45150-2238

Phone #:

(513) 575-1900

As far as I can tell, the "pet store" on campus is student run and open during school hours. I can't find a website for the school itself or any additional information on it, and I don't exactly live in that part of the country. Trying to get more information from the original poster in another community. I'll reply if I learn more.

Feylin, glad to see someone else knows about this and it's not just garbage on the 'net!

[fourboys4now]

I have been looking for a boy for a while now. I'm in Alabama, but if anyone between here and there could drive a bit, then maybe we could find places for someone else to get them a little closer to me. I could drive up to 4-5 hours one way. I don't want them gassed!!!

[fourboys4now]

I could probably take 2 if it was a life or death situation for them.

[Feylin]

Just FYI: vocational schools are basically a public school alternative for the last 2 years of high school. The kids spend half of the day learning a skill or trade and the other half in academic classes. (I'm on the academic side of things). Schools have programs ranging from welding to marketing to cosmatology to vet tech. It's meant to give the kids a basic skill set to help them find a job or get a head start on the major in college. The Lab teachers' have to have work experience in their field plus a teaching license. At my school, the kids run a store that sells home decorating things. Hopefully, that helps you understand how there was a pet store in a school!

Please, contact this school about the pet store and remind them that if they are patient the pigs will all get adopted out. But also, please remember to be constructive if you make comments about the fact that there was pet store. The kids have been exposed to a lot of anger and negativity over this plus, they are loosing the animals that they have become attached to.

[PaPiggieLuverz]

How many can The Little Piggy & Me Rescue take? We have the room to take a few but we are located in South Western PA. If they do need other rescues to take some, please let us know. If there are still need to be placed in a rescue we can piggie train them closer to us.

[daftscotslass]

Originally Posted by Feylin

Please, contact this school about the pet store and remind them that if they are patient the pigs will all get adopted out. But also, please remember to be constructive if you make comments about the fact that there was pet store. The kids have been exposed to a lot of anger and negativity over this plus, they are loosing the animals that they have become attached to.

The only constructive thing to say about it really is that whoever runs the school should be brought up on charges of cruelty. It is completely inappropriate to breed and sell animals as part of vocational training. The fact that they're looking at "gassing" them says it all, really. They never had anything organised for the animals and they're seen as disposable. Great attitude to teach today's youth.

[Feylin]

I was trying to make it clear that the adults are at fault here- the kids are supposed to be learning how to run a store properly. It is not the student's fault that their teachers/administrators are doing the wrong thing. so please keep your anger for the adults responsible if you do decide to contact them. Plus, by explaining how to do things correctly and why breeding is so wrong you could help the students learn what to do in the future if they ever encounter a pet store again.

Also, I tried to add this to my last post but it wouldn't let me edit:

ETA: The reason you couldn't find this school very easily is because it is a Charter school, not a public school. This means that it is not subject to most of the same rules and regulations that public schools are subject to. it also means that it is run as a for profit business and not supported by tax dollars. SO. All the things I said above about how vocational schools work may or may not apply here- charter schools generally cater to districts with lots of problems and work in the philosophy that you must try something different to see success. It is located in a suburb of Cincinnati. The company that runs these schools is called Great Oaks. They have multiple campuses. You can find more info here:

Great Oaks - Great Oaks Campuses / Operational Centers

[blairie]

Feylin, Thanks for all the additional information.

I just saw an update saying that some of the pigs have been gassed:

Student who goes there: They killed like 10 of them and put em in the freezer
Auto Response from person on LJ: I am away from my computer right now.
Student: =[
person on LJ: [FONT=Arial]how do you know that[/FONT]
Student: Des told me she saw them in the freezer
Student: There's a lady coming to get them
Student: =[
person on LJ: [FONT=Arial]from a guinea pig rescue?[/FONT]
Student: No there frozzen

Someone else replied that this type of thing is pretty common for schools and labs. When they get to a point where they just have too many, they're killed if they can't find homes.

The lab part reminds me that pigs (like rats/mice) are, unfortunately, lab animals that get tested on and disposed of.


I haven't heard if the rescue was able to take in any.

[PaPiggieLuverz]

We are a Rescue in Southwestern PA, if anyone is able to transport than near us we can take some of them. Our website is Piggie Lovers Inc. Guinea Pig Rescue

[Feylin]

That would be the proper procedure as defined by Ohio law for disposing of animals used in a classroom lab setting. I'm a science teacher, so we're required to know these things. Of course, I'd never be irresponsible enough to have 20 live vertebrates, let alone mammals, let alone breeding mammals in a classroom with 16 and 17 year olds! *rolls eyes* There's pages of law about the use of vertebrate subjects which means most teachers won't go there.

Anyways, I'm wondering if the teacher a) is not a science teacher, was not aware of what she was getting into or b) her administrators decided to follow the letter of the law in this situation to avoid further trouble.

Technically, I CANNOT let students take classroom lab (and there is a difference between comercial lab and classroom lab) animals home with them. I bring in madagascar hissing cockroaches every spring semester for a lab on their behavior and my principal always reminds me that I either have to "dispose of them or maintain them over the summer".

That is what I'm required to do by law- or loose my teaching license. People have lost their licenses over stuff that seems rediculous- if someone wanted to get technical I could loose my license because I gave the whole roach colony to a student who was very enamored of them by the end of the unit last year. Even though I asked the parents, went to the house to help him get set up, ect I was still acting illegally.

So, yeah. This is a terrible situation and I hope the adults involved have learned their lesson. I can see though that it's not something where you can point directly to the reason for the animal cruelty. I did attempt to call the school (as another teacher) but the secretary fed me an offical line about how they have nothing to say and the proper procedures are being followed.

[ortal]

Poor Poor babies.... what a lesson to send out to children.