Animal Rights: How can they do this??

[SuperPIG]

OK OK. Before you magically decide that you want to go out and buy a guinea pig or two think about it for a second. I was i the forum and I was just reading post and veiwing rplies when i bucked up on a thread that led to www.petsmartcruelty.com . After I watched the video and saw the pictures I litterally cried. I spent 5 minutes mourning the lives of the guinea pigs and all the other critters lost in their days at being at a petstore. Pet-Not-So-Smart was their top customer. What do you think about piggies and other wonderful aminals being bred, captivated, mistreated and being sold to people who actually boost their sales with the animal mills? Well at least their better off in animal heaven.

[angiekay]

Oh my goodness, I couldn't even watch the whole video!!! I hate seeing stuff like that, the images haunt me for days, crying uncontrollably and then what? what can be done about it? What is being done about it? NOTHING, they will continue to sell, breed, mistreat, kill, maim all animals in some way shape or form!!! It's horrendous!!!

[Ly&Pigs]

It's for reasons like this is why we have always promoted anti-breeding and anti-petstores that sell animals.

Originally Posted by angiekay

what can be done about it? What is being done about it? NOTHING, they will continue to sell, breed, mistreat, kill, maim all animals in some way shape or form!!! It's horrendous!!!

There are things being done about it. The word is being spread here in these forums (among others like gl and the pigloo) and always have been. Why do you think we heavily advocate not to purchase pigs in petstores (PetStupid and PetNotSoSmart are just examples of two major scale stores) or to buy your supplies in petstores that sell animals? Each time we convince someone to adopt, it's to help cut down on the demand from breeders and mills. There have been several petstores that have stopped selling pets because of advocacy. Things can often spread faster by word of mouth than any other method. If you continue to spread the word and encourage others, then that will also help demand go down. It doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen.

[xERICx]

Oh, how awful. Those poor animals. This is why I refuse to buy from PetSmart/PetCo/any store that sells animals. I honestly don't get how anyone can look at that and not care, continue to sell them, and just worry about getting paid.

[angiekay]

Originally Posted by Ly&Pigs

It's for reasons like this is why we have always promoted anti-breeding and anti-petstores that sell animals.

There are things being done about it. The word is being spread here in these forums (among others like gl and the pigloo) and always have been. Why do you think we heavily advocate not to purchase pigs in petstores (PetStupid and PetNotSoSmart are just examples of two major scale stores) or to buy your supplies in petstores that sell animals? Each time we convince someone to adopt, it's to help cut down on the demand from breeders and mills. There have been several petstores that have stopped selling pets because of advocacy. Things can often spread faster by word of mouth than any other method. If you continue to spread the word and encourage others, then that will also help demand go down. It doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen.

Thanks Ly! I'm sorry if I sounded like nothing was being done, it just a reaction after watching the video I guess.

[pigsmakemesmile]

Don't read this if your over sensitive or squeamish.

I too have a hard time dealing with stories I hear from sites like Petabuse.com. My daughter was on there last night reading to us some of the stories and I had to tell her to stop. Nothing tops this...to me that is...Channel 69 news (local PA news station), had a story about how male chicks are being thrown into meat grinders as a form of "instant euthanasia." I was so sickened by this story, I still haven't been able to find a way to get it out of my head. The story depicts workers at a conveyor belt with all these beautiful little chicks, along side the conveyer belt is shown a grinder with a male chick pictured in mid-air entering the grinder. My husband and I were so horrified by the story, I'll never eat an egg again. The company in Iowa, targeted by an animal rights group, practices separating the males from the females that have hatched, and discard..."toss" the male chicks into the grinders as a way to keep down unwanted overpopulations of male chicks. The story states it's common practice nationwide and occurs on a daily basis. How can a human being do this??? It sickens me to no end, I'm teary eyed as I'm righting this.

[vicky2]

So did anyone notice the Guinea Pig in one scene eating a dead animal?

[Aquena]

Okay, I found the video, and I had to stop it after I saw that -insert bad word here- man squish a hamster with his foot. I am sickened. I did not realize Pet-not-so-smart got their exotics from mills like that!

I signed the PETA letter, and I wonder if it will do any good. How can they get away with this treatment? Why don't they go to jail? And make sure the cage size is 2x2. Also, the forcing of rabbits to mate was where I started crying.

I wish I had not seen this, this is why I cannot even watch Animal Planet, but I am glad to know the truth.

I will be plastering the site on my facebook page.

[Aquena]

I hope I can paste this here without getting into trouble, it is from the email response I received from PETA:

Please also take a few minutes to call PetSmart's chair and CEO, Philip L. Francis, at 800-738-1385 and tell him to dump Rainbow World Exotics as a supplier. Also, tell him that you won't shop at PetSmart until the company stops selling animals.

Thank you for your compassion for animals.

[Ly&Pigs]

When pasting emails you need to paraphrase them unless you have permission from the author.

A lot of the big chain petstores get their animals from mills just like Rainbow.

[princesspoppy]

That video was horrendous. I had to stop watching when it got to the hamsters. Those images will haunt me forever.
Good idea superpig,i'll put it on my,myspace.

[bougie]

Isn't there a society like our RSPCA who can shut them down. I often look at piggies in pet stores around Scotland and can honestly say that in most cases the pigs look healthy and have plenty space etc. Once or twice i have spoken to pet shop owners if i think one of their piggies is showing signs of illness etc and they immediatly react and come and have a look. A couple of times i have had a chance to return to the same stores a day or two later and ask the owner how the piggy was doing.
One time they had stopped sales and quarantined their piggies after having them looked at by a vet.
I'm not saying Pet stores in Scotland are all okay, there will still be horror stories i expect but i have never heard any. I know Scotland is a lot smaller country and our RSPCA doesn't have as big areas to police.
A lot of pet stores here don't sell animals, just supplies.

[MissFormosa]

Originally Posted by pigsmakemesmile

Don't read this if your over sensitive or squeamish.

I too have a hard time dealing with stories I hear from sites like Petabuse.com. My daughter was on there last night reading to us some of the stories and I had to tell her to stop. Nothing tops this...to me that is...Channel 69 news (local PA news station), had a story about how male chicks are being thrown into meat grinders as a form of "instant euthanasia." I was so sickened by this story, I still haven't been able to find a way to get it out of my head. The story depicts workers at a conveyor belt with all these beautiful little chicks, along side the conveyer belt is shown a grinder with a male chick pictured in mid-air entering the grinder. My husband and I were so horrified by the story, I'll never eat an egg again. The company in Iowa, targeted by an animal rights group, practices separating the males from the females that have hatched, and discard..."toss" the male chicks into the grinders as a way to keep down unwanted overpopulations of male chicks. The story states it's common practice nationwide and occurs on a daily basis. How can a human being do this??? It sickens me to no end, I'm teary eyed as I'm righting this.

OMG! That is awful!

I'm not allowed to watch these sorts of things ever since several years ago, I saw a campaign against China. They were skinning cats and dogs alive for the fur I believe - or maybe the cats were for food, I try not to remember very precisely. The image of the dog tied up while someone starts cutting his fur off while other dogs watch on has left me traumatized.

[SuperPIG]

That's one reason i don't eat eggs unless there in cake or something like that... you can't not eat them because there everywhere. But doesn't it haunt people when they tourcher animals?? Doesn't it move them in very touching ways??How do they not realize that what they do everyday is just one dispicable way of being ungrateful for the animals we were blessed with?? All we need is for the government to send out undercovers and let them come back with reports... then close down all petstore mills and animal pet suppliers... Then the pet stores can be renamed as " Pet Supply Stores" and we only get pets in need of homes from humane societies and some breeders... if only these and other wishes could come true, the world would be half as better.

[Vanilla eXe]

They should definitely work on changing their suppliers. At most PetSmarts, the care the animals receive (all except the fish...shared filter systems and vacation feeders? ) is pretty good, other than being in too small cages. So if their sources treated the animals better, there would be no problems other than allowing impulse buys. I'll tell you what peta will do, give some terrorist organization money to bomb the "Rainbow" place, while killing all of the poor piggies and other animals inside. Real humane.

[Paula]

Originally Posted by Vanilla eXe

They should definitely work on changing their suppliers. At most PetSmarts, the care the animals receive (all except the fish...shared filter systems and vacation feeders? ) is pretty good, other than being in too small cages.

They're in tanks that are entirely too small to begin with, crammed in with others that may or may not be the same sex, given hay only sometimes and very often have water bottles that are too low to the ground for them to get to. Not to mention how very often illnesses go unnoticed until the day some worker finds the animal dead or dying in the cage. Then, it's off to the dumpster to be disposed of like trash. When they do notice that they're sick there's about a 50/50 shot that they will be seen by a vet and less likely to be treated with the appropriate course of medication. More often than not the sick animals are merely removed from public view and left to die on their own an agonizing death in a back room somewhere. I'm sorry, that is not "pretty good" care. That's horrendous care that's more often than not horrifyingly inhumane.

So, no, what they need to work on is not changing their suppliers. They need to stop selling animals, thereby negating the need for those suppliers in the first place and encourage adoption instead. Because even if they were getting animals from a breeder who had the most ideal of conditions set up and the most humane treatment possible, they would still be selling animals as merchandise, and they'd still be contributing to an already existing overpopulation problem.

Originally Posted by Vanilla eXe

So if their sources treated the animals better, there would be no problems other than allowing impulse buys.

No, that would be far from the only problem. They'd still be allowing someone to buy an animal without the slightest idea what the nutrition, care, or housing requirements actually are. They'd still be using animals to serve as the gateway purchase to other products in their store, including cages that are too small, items that are dangerous and food that's unhealthy at best.

The bottom line here is that selling living animals for profit, as nothing more than a piece of merchandise is the root cause of the problem. Made worse by the fact that they get these animals from wretched conditions and then sell them to the first person able to pay the asking price.

[Ash31373ben]

i dont know if i can say this here but...

post the link to the website on you myspace, facebook ...etc. and if you use email, send it to everyone you know and tell them to foward it. Thats what i do everytime i find a video or anything like this online. Also do call that number Aquena posted and get others that you know to call the number as well. You should also go in to petstores (dont buy anything just look) if you see anything that is not right get a manager, tell them whats going on(cage too small, sick animal, etc) then send a complaint email to the store.

if a lot of people do it, change will happen.

[Vanilla eXe]

Originally Posted by Paula

They're in tanks that are entirely too small to begin with

At most Petsmarts there are 3-4 pigs in a 2x4 area. Too small for that many, yes. But given the fact that they're babies, it's not as big of a deal.

Originally Posted by Paula

crammed in with others that may or may not be the same sex,

Petsmarts have a strict policy of "male" stores and "female" stores, which must also be a certain amount of miles away from each other so people don't buy from both and accidentally get opposite genders. The suppliers are the ones that do the sexing, and that's where the problem lies.

Originally Posted by Paula

given hay only sometimes and very often have water bottles that are too low to the ground for them to get to.

They have huge piles of hay added daily in addition to cavy pellets and water bottles that are often not too low, in fact, I have yet to see that

Originally Posted by Paula

Not to mention how very often illnesses go unnoticed until the day some worker finds the animal dead or dying in the cage. Then, it's off to the dumpster to be disposed of like trash.

Petsmart also has a strict policy on sick animals. They are to be taken to a vet on the first sign of illness, and I have seen an employee there who knew nothing about animals do this very thing on her own. And do you really think a pet store is going to spend the money to buy a plot at a pet cemetery for every animal that dies in it's care? It's illegal to bury dead animals in other places you know.

Originally Posted by Paula

When they do notice that they're sick there's about a 50/50 shot that they will be seen by a vet and less likely to be treated with the appropriate course of medication. More often than not the sick animals are merely removed from public view and left to die on their own an agonizing death in a back room somewhere. I'm sorry, that is not "pretty good" care. That's horrendous care that's more often than not horrifyingly inhumane.

Where is your proof for this? Because I have proof of otherwise. Granted, you may be right about what care they receive at the vet, because not all vets are knowledgeable about Cavy Care. But there is more of a 90% chance they will see a vet at a petsmart, especially if it's one with a banfield attached.

Originally Posted by Paula

So, no, what they need to work on is not changing their suppliers. They need to stop selling animals, thereby negating the need for those suppliers in the first place and encourage adoption instead. Because even if they were getting animals from a breeder who had the most ideal of conditions set up and the most humane treatment possible, they would still be selling animals as merchandise, and they'd still be contributing to an already existing overpopulation problem.

Not if we didn't have backyard breeders. Same problem as in the dog world.

Originally Posted by Paula

No, that would be far from the only problem. They'd still be allowing someone to buy an animal without the slightest idea what the nutrition, care, or housing requirements actually are.

You mean impulse buying? I wish I thought of that. Oh wait.

Originally Posted by Paula

They'd still be using animals to serve as the gateway purchase to other products in their store, including cages that are too small, items that are dangerous and food that's unhealthy at best.

If someone helped them make the connection that bigger cages = more profit, this wouldn't be a problem. Oftentimes employees who actually know what they're talking about will help people choose the right items for their pet. The store has no control over the pictures on the products, but they do have control over what they suggest. Seems more like an education problem to me. Easily fixed.

Originally Posted by Paula

The bottom line here is that selling living animals for profit, as nothing more than a piece of merchandise is the root cause of the problem. Made worse by the fact that they get these animals from wretched conditions and then sell them to the first person able to pay the asking price.

Selling the animals is not the root cause of the problem. Lack of education and poor sources are the root cause.

[sophistacavy]

I know it's normal for mice in mice colonies and rats in rat colonies to canibalize, but do guinea pigs do the same thing? It's just that that part of the video with the carnivore guinea pig was kinda icky....just made me wonder. Guinea pigs are herbivores, so I thought maybe the mice/rat's being omnivores had something to do with their cannibalism.

[Paula]

Originally Posted by Vanilla eXe

At most Petsmarts there are 3-4 pigs in a 2x4 area. Too small for that many, yes. But given the fact that they're babies, it's not as big of a deal.

If that's the case at the Petsmart you're familiar with, great. It is most absolutely not the case at ANY of the PetSmart stores in my area. And that they're babies doesn't change the fact that they need adequate space.

Originally Posted by Vanilla eXe

Petsmarts have a strict policy of "male" stores and "female" stores, which must also be a certain amount of miles away from each other so people don't buy from both and accidentally get opposite genders. The suppliers are the ones that do the sexing, and that's where the problem lies.

Again, this isn't the case where I live or any of the places I've ever lived.

As for the sexing. Sure, okay, I'm sure fault lies entirely with the suppliers. Because the pet store employees certainly shouldn't be tasked with the tedious duty of ensuring that the animals are sexed appropriately, should they?

Originally Posted by Vanilla eXe

They have huge piles of hay added daily in addition to cavy pellets and water bottles that are often not too low,

Often not too low, you say. Well, that's something. And I can't tell you how many times I've gone in to one of these stores to find not a piece of hay in sight. So, like I said, if it's different where you live, outstanding.

Originally Posted by Vanilla eXe

And do you really think a pet store is going to spend the money to buy a plot at a pet cemetery for every animal that dies in it's care? It's illegal to bury dead animals in other places you know.

Burial is most certainly not the only means of disposal, and even if it were, it wouldn't even be a concern if these stores, your beloved PetSmart included, weren't selling these animals in the first place.

Originally Posted by Vanilla eXe

You mean impulse buying? I wish I thought of that. Oh wait.

No, I don't mean strictly impulse buys. A person can plan to buy an animal from a pet store and not bother to look elsewhere. Or, they may look elsewhere and not care. There most certainly is proof of that from some members on this forum.

Originally Posted by Vanilla eXe

If someone helped them make the connection that bigger cages = more profit, this wouldn't be a problem. Oftentimes employees who actually know what they're talking about will help people choose the right items for their pet. The store has no control over the pictures on the products, but they do have control over what they suggest. Seems more like an education problem to me. Easily fixed.

How do you propose this education be done? Because the information is most certainly available to them.

Originally Posted by Vanilla eXe

Selling the animals is not the root cause of the problem.

Yes, it actually is. Because while they're selling those animals others are dying or facing euthanasia in shelters. Many are in shelters because they've bought animals from that same store and then wound up dumped when they were no longer fun or when their purchaser realized they are more expensive or harder to care for than they realized.

You can't honestly say you don't think it would go a long way to solving the problem if people actually had to go through some sort of process before being allowed to acquire a living creature, can you? Do you really think it wouldn't help if instead of being able to go buy a pig or hamster or whatever like you'd go buy a bag of potato chips, people actually had to meet the most basic of qualifications before doing so?