Petsmart will stop selling bunnies!

[nismosmama]

I got this email from PETA today:

We are happy to announce that after receiving thousands of e-mails from compassionate people like you, PetSmart will be phasing out the sale of bunnies in its stores!
PetSmart's Web site states that "[a]t this time, we're not expanding the test and will not continue to sell dwarf bunnies beyond those already in or planned for our stores." Given the fact that thousands of rabbits are abandoned to die in animal shelters every year, this is big news for bunnies—and for people who care about their well-being.
This doesn't mean that we are ending our campaign against PetSmart. The company continues to sell other animals like hamsters, rats, lizards, and birds, who are just as prone to suffering at the company's hands. But this is an important sign that direct pressure on company officials from consumers will make them listen.
Thank you to everyone who called or wrote to PetSmart about this issue—if you haven't already done so, please take this opportunity to let the company know that you appreciate this decision but will continue to boycott PetSmart until it ends all animal sales.
Thank you for your compassion for animals.

Sincerely,
Daphna Nachminovitch, Director
Cruelty Investigations Department
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

[Jenni_Feathers]

Yay! Hopefully this will help with overpopulation of bunnies, hopefully if people get on them enough they may "phase out" piggys too!

[Pepe~Le~Peew]

I know this may sound stupid but if they do phase out guinea pigs in pet stores then eventually the shelters wont have have any animals besides cats and dogs because poeple wont have them to abandon in the first place. I am just wondering if all pet selling stores are bad or just big corporations like petco.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

There are so many homeless pets it would never happen, and you'd still have the backyard breeders, accidental litters, etc. People are still going to be abandoning them even if Petno stopped selling them.

All pet stores that sell animals should not be supported.

I honestly think that Petstupid is just stopping it because it didn't go well and the rabbits didn't sell.

We should barrade them with emails and calls to stop selling animals period.

[babybunny]

Are they stopping to sell all bunnies or just dwarf ones? I am happy to hear of any progress on bunny over population regardless. Going to an SPCA recently, there was bunny after bunny after bunny needing a loving home.

[Macha]

...beyond those already in or planned for our stores...

Either way, the above statement gives them a while to sell them. They can claim that the bunnies have been planned til who knows how long.

[petz-r-life]

Yay!!!!!!!

[suzilovespiggie]

That is such good news! Now let it happen for all the other animals too.
The Humane Society were I am always has rabbits up for resuce. Plus an hour from here is two rabbit rescues. 4-H is big here with rabbits and GP's being big projects.

[TwoOfaKind]

None of the Petsmart's here sell bunnies, but the Petco's have started - after having stopped for a while ... The question I have is, in the stores that do sell bunnies, why are they just stopping the sale of bunnies, why not the other animals??

[MCR_Rox]

That's great! Go PETA!

[Sammy and Peanut]

Why do they ask for your e-mail address? What if you do not want to put one in? Will people e-mail me?

[wiggley_narco]

Why do they ask for your e-mail address? What if you do not want to put one in? Will people e-mail me?

I've never gotten an email from them, and I've always put my email address.

[newpiggiemommy]

Why do they ask for your e-mail address? What if you do not want to put one in? Will people e-mail me?

I put mine in and they sent one email thanking me for my concern and saying they would take it into concideration!

It is worth giving your email to get one more letter to them. Otherwise you could call them with the number provided on that site.

[Sammy and Peanut]

I hand-wrote a letter that I am going to send to them. Should I send it to my nearby PetSmart or somewhere else? Hang on a sec, I'll post it soon.

[auburnmare5]

That is awesome!!!

This could be the beginning!!

If they stop selling bunnies, they may stop selling piggies, birds, etc...

Yay!!!

[Sammy and Peanut]

I'll post the link tomorrow morning.

[Sammy and Peanut]

In my last post I said link, but I meant letter. Here it is:

Dear PetSmart,

I beleive you should stop with selling all animals. Animals are not merchandise. They have feelings. I saw a video on the internet about your stores and suppliers. What I saw was disgusting. How could you use glue traps to catch the small animals?? When you catch them, how are you supposed to get them out without ripping their fur off? No one would want to buy an animal with it's fur ripped off, so what does that prove? I saw that someone stepped on a small animal to catch it, and not even making sure it was dead, they threw it away! How would you like it if you were thrown away alive, or thrown away AT ALL? Not really, huh? I thought so! I don't think you would like to be treated like just another supply to make some money off of. What is this so called VET ASSURED thing? A bunch of lies that's what it is! If yet get a sick animal, don't just put it in a back room to die, get some veterinary care for it! Also, guinea pigs, hamsters, chinchillas, birds, etc. are not fish. They need ventilation in their cage. Not fish tanks! All of the cages you sell are way too small anyway!!! I will tell everyone I know not to purchase anything from your stores!

Sincerely,

A PetSmart ex-customer

[pgpsm]

I have written 20 letters now over time! I have been telling many people about this site. Please tell your friends, family, ect. too!!! Speak out! It's NOW or NEVER!!!!!

[Susan9608]

When I write letters to companies, I always find it's more effective to start out with the "Dear Mr./Ms. So and So, I have always utilized and respected your company/product, which is why I was so dismayed to find out [insert horror of the day here]. Unfortunately, I can't support said practice, so I will have to stop shopping at your store/buying said product and I will have to encourage all my friends and family to do the same. Insert some info on animal welfare here, the importance of it, yadda yadda yadda, and then end with something like, I certainly hope you will take this information and use it to generate the kind of change that will allow me to once again patronize your place of business. Thank you for your time and please feel free to contact me for additional questions/information."

For instance, had I written sammy+peanut's letter, I would have worded it along the lines of:

"Dear Petsmart Executive:

As an animal lover and companion animal owner, I appreciate the convenience of a local pet store, and I have been a loyal customer of Petsmart for a long time. I regret to inform you, however, that I must stop shopping at your stores from this point on and I will be forced to encourage all of my friends and family to do the same.

The fact that you sell living, sentient beings as merchandise is abhorrent to me. Much of the information on care you provide is inadequate, your employees often are unknowledgable about the animals, and the conditions in which your animals are housed are woefully inadequate. Those are abusive conditions, and as I'm sure you're an animal lover yourself, you understand why I can't support a company that perpetuates such conditions.

Instead of trying to correct those issues, I'd rather see Petsmart elimiate the sale of live animals from it's stores and instead concentrate on selling quality companion animal products and addressing the issue of animal overpopulation through Adoption vs. purchase.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to a day when I can again give Petsmart my business with a clean conscience. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or for further information.

Sincerely ..."

I think you get farther if you approach the issue as one where you'd really like to use their company or product but have a philosophical issue with it, rather than just launching into a diatribe against them. They are business people, after all; what matters to them is the $$, not the ethical practice of what they're doing.

Just a suggestion.

[Sammy and Peanut]

Thanks for the tip. I will write that in my next letter. I didn't want to put in my real name. Should I just stick to "A PetSmart ex-customer"?