http://www.savetoby.com/

[Susan9608]

Good for you - I'm so glad you thought to contact PayPal. At least he can't profit anymore from that despicable site and hopefully it will be removed.

[smileyface cavy]

My computer wouldn't go to it. Are you sure the link is right? I want to see what's so sick about it!! Thanks.

[DaCourt]

It sometimes takes a while to load. But, yes, unfortunately, the link is correct.

[mncavylover]

Awesome job, DaCourt! Thanks so much!

[DaCourt]

I don't know if the is temporary or permenant. So, maybe others should send off their emails as well.

[Sparky]

i think its kind of funny, it's probably just a pet rabbit that the guy cares for, even if its a friends, its clearly a joke, anybody idiotic enough to donate doesnt deserve to be defended from themselves.

its just a joke

[Susan9608]

I think it's pretty sick that anyone would find that website "kind of funny." The threat of torture to an innocent animal, whether intended as a joke or not, is not in any way, shape, or form humorous.

[DaCourt]

Sparky...It probably is just a joke. However, it is SICK! So you think we should not contact the companies that he is using? PayPal did not think it was funny. They cut him off. He has an online store where you can get T-shirts, mugs, coasters, posters, BABY BIBS, and more that all perpetuate the madness. This is sick. It is a sick joke. I am sure this rabbit will not be killed. Does that mean it is ok for him to do this? NO!

What happens when some young kid sees the web site and thinks, cool, a way to make money. What if they don't realize it is a joke? I'm sorry, but I can't sit on my hands and do nothing. If you think this is a funny, then I think you are a sick joke! I am not defending the people who donate. I am trying to protect the copycats who will take this to the next level.

[Love_my_piggies]

I called my mom immediately after I saw this page because she is a big ebay-er and she said it was a hoax and that if paypal found out, they would cut him off (which I see they already did) but what about the other ways he is getting money? What a sick jerk, I just can't think of any other word but SICK. I don't care if they just want attention, its wrong and there is something wrong with that person. It is like the whole bonsai kitties thing. How can ANYONE find it funny? I am just at a loss for words. Disgusting.

[DaCourt]

Paypal cut him off and then reinstated him. I guess they didn't find he was in violation of the agreement.

I contacted Cafepress and they have not gotten back to me.

[bunnyluv17]

The House Rabbit Society sells some of its merchandise through Cafe Press; I think they would be angered to know that CafePress also sells merchandise for such a disgusting website.

[Susan9608]

Sparky, a note -

The thing about websites like this is that they show a depraved indifference to non-human animals. Can you imagine the uproar it would cause if someone posted a similar "joke" about their adopted child, as opposed to their adopted animal? As long as people tolerate cruelty, even when it's disguised with humor, non-human animals AND humans will continue to suffer the consequences.

Did you realize that most serial killers start out torturing animals?

To me, this website demonstrates the very first step in the long and dangerous path of animal cruelty. If people get desensitized to mild forms of cruelty, like this joke, then next time it will take a larger, more radical act to attract attention. For now, this person simply has a website that's a joke. When the fun/attention of that wears off, if he suffers no consequences, he could start holding live demonstrations ... start walking around with a knife and a recipe book, telling people that he'll slit the animal's throat and cook it up, if he can't raise the money to care for it.

It's extortion, and this person is *profiting* from it. Perhaps the people that have given this fellow money are naive/stupid/what have you, but this individual came up with a ploy to tug on people's emotions and guilt strings. That's extortion, and it's wrong on so many levels. I can't even begin to fathom how you could find it "kind of funny."

Would you ever be able to even joke about something like that, concerning one of *your* pets?

This time it's a hoax ... what if next time it isn't? What if the next person takes it one step further and really ends up hurting an animal? Will it be "kind of funny" then?

[Love_my_piggies]

Susan, you said it all...Thank you. I don't understand how it can be even slightly funny to anyone. And I don't understand why people ignore animal cruelty, because it is "just an animal." Like you said, most criminals start off abusing animals in sick ways. I don't understand.

[Sparky]

i think its interesting that you draw a parralell to a child, nobody eats people, but they do eat animals. a rabbit is another animal, i have eaten dozens of rabbits, as most people have eaten dozens of cows. would you all be ranting and raving if there was a website about eating a cow, i think not.

i know, some of you are vegetarians, but the question remains, would you make a fuss about it?

[smileyface cavy]

My computer did go to it eventually. That is really terrible. It just MUST be a joke. I don't get why someone would eat a poor little innocent(sp) bunny. Terrible, terrible, terrible. But actually I just looked at sparky's post and realized, yes, hey, people eat guinea pigs, why not a rabbit? It is all kind of confusing.

[Susan9608]

Would I make a fuss about it, if it were a cow instead of a rabbit? You're damn right I would. For one thing, no matter what species of animal this individual (or any other individual who does something similar) chooses to use, it's still extortion. It's still wrong to threaten to do harm to any person, animal, or property unless money is paid out. That's wrong.

Yes, people eat animals. That is the unfortunate reality of our society. I don't condone the consumption of any animal - that's why I'm a vegetarian. But I think that there are some fundamental differences between the meat-producing industry and this situation. For one thing, the meat industry is out to produce a product to sell to it's customers. It's not an extortion type situation. The animals are not the pets of the factory farmers; the agri-business does not make claims that unless money is given to them, the animals will be killed. The underlying assumption of the meat industry is that the animals are going to be killed and sold to consumers - which makes it a different situation from someone who pries on the emotions of animal lovers and threatens to do harm to his pet unless money is paid. I don't understand how you don't see the difference ....

I used the example of a child being held hostage to illustrate the point of how speciestic our society is. If a child were being held hostage under the threat of being killed and eaten, people would be in an uproar. The authorities would be involved, and certainly the individual asking for the ransom would be subjected to legal ramifications, even if the story was just a joke. But when it's a non-human animal, does anyone care? This individual, even if he were to kill and eat his rabbit, would be suffer no consequences. I think it's wrong.

People do eat animals; I realize that. But does that fact make this "joke" right? Or funny? I don't think so. I think it simply proves what sick society we're living in.

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by Susan9608

which makes it a different situation from someone who pries on the emotions of animal lovers and threatens to do harm to his pet unless money is paid. I don't understand how you don't see the difference ....

perhaps animal lovers should stop being so malleable.

when you talk about the meat industry, you mention that that is ok as it is a product and cattle is being raised under the assumption, and with the purpose of slaughter. so were i to keep a farm of cavy's in which i routinely slaughtered a cavy a week for my own consumption, would it be an issue.
why care so much about guinea pigs and rabbits, and not about rats, cows, and pigs.