The Irony Makes My Head Hurt

[mufasa]

I stopped in at the Petco where we adopted Quinn today. I go over there now whenever we're at that shopping center to see if they have any small animals for adoption. Last time there were hamsters and gerbils, and today there was a rat in a tank by the cashier.

I started chatting with the clerk and told her we'd adopted a guinea pig recently. She said piggies are the animals they get most frequently and told me about the awful condition that many are in when they arrive.

As we talked, I couldn't help but marvel at the irony. Petco and other stores that sell live animals are the ones who create the very situation that causes piggies and other small animals to be dumped like that. I'm glad they do adoptions, but it's only one tiny drop in the overpopulation bucket, and then they sell off piggies to clueless impulse buyers who perpetuate the cycle.

I wonder if the people who work there are totally naive or if they just close their eyes to the irony because otherwise they couldn't stand it. When we adopted Quinn, the girl who brought her out seemed to genuinely care about her and to be really happy she was going to a good home. Someone there knew enough and cared enough to give her a pigloo in her barren tank (it was brand new, with the tag still on it). So how can they stand to sell piggies when so many end up unwanted, just like she did, and often in much worse circumstances?

That's enough ranting from me. It just made me really sad because I walked over to the piggy sales tank and, as usual, it was fully stocked. I wonder how many of those precious little piggies will end up on the adoption end of things (if they're lucky) and how the store can reconcile doing adoptions with doing the very thing (sales) that creates the need for adoption.

[Wildcavy]

"Piggy sales tank." Shudder.

[CavyMama]

Where does the money go for these pet store "adoptions". If it goes back to the store, it's a purchase, not an adoption.

[skittyginny]

Where does the money go for these pet store "adoptions". If it goes back to the store, it's a purchase, not an adoption.

When I adopted my piggie from Petco I made an optional $35 donation to an animal charity. That's where the money went.

[mufasa]

When I adopted my piggie from Petco I made an optional $35 donation to an animal charity. That's where the money went.

Ditto. When we adopted Quinn, Petco asked that we make a donation to their spay/neuter drive.

[skittyginny]

Ditto. When we adopted Quinn, Petco asked that we make a donation to their spay/neuter drive.

Yeah, The Petco Foundation does some good things.. Even if Petco and PetSmart do crappy things, they do redeem themselves a little with their charities, adoption drives and spay/neuter campaigns.