Rabbit Victory!

[RainKindle]

I've been a volunteer for MCRS in the past (mostly during summertime when not in college,) and this is a huge victory for us!

Rabbits are the 3rd most abandoned animal in the US due to their popularity, and MCRS (Minnesota Companion Rabbit Society) has been working extremely hard for this.
Basically, they made a deal with Petco in two Twin Cities locations 5 years ago to have Petco feature the adoptable rabbits from MCRS instead of selling rabbits.
Since then MCRS was able to expand to 13 stores featuring adoptable rabbits and had the opportunity to educate the public through their volunteer base.
With the educational effect of MCRS, Petco has now decided to phase out the selling of rabbits!!!!
This is nation wide!
This means that with the pressure and help from one animal volunteer organization, a huge victory can occur against the selling of small animals.
Now Petco is working with other rabbit organizations nation wide to assist in this transition to adoptable rabbits.

In the case of MCRS, the rabbits are always altered and microchipped. The potential adopter families must abide by keeping the rabbit indoors, and the families always end up being better educated through the volunteer organization. (MCRS will also do bunny dates during the adoption events if you are seeking a potential friend for your current bun.)

Here is part of an email I got through MCRS news:
"PETCO has announced it is getting out of the rabbit sales business! They are phasing out rabbit sales in all their stores, and will be heavily promoting rabbit adoption instead. Yippee! The in-store adoption model piloted here in the Twin Cities is now the model for the future of this large pet supply chain."

Anyways, here is a link to the story on kstp:
kstp.com - Twin Cities rabbit adoption at PETCO goes nationwide
Here is a link to the MCRS website:
Minnesota Companion Rabbit Society
And here is a link to Petco's newspage themselves:
PETCO News

Now, I still do not support Petco purchases until all of the small animal selling is removed. However this is a huge victory for you and me alike because the people who do shop there and don't know any better will be exposed to the adoptable rabbits only.
Just imagine if our guinea pig rescues started working towards this goal.
This took the group I volunteer with about 5 years to get Petco to change for the better. I'm not saying it is perfect, but I am saying it is a victory.

[Shadows_Gold]

Yay! Hopefully all of the small animals they sell will eventually be adopted insted of sold. Keep up the good work! People like you are vary important to us.

[AnimalHouse36]

Thats one small step in a better direction but their probably only doing it as a sales gimick. "Look mommy PETCO really is good! Lets go adopt a piggie!" All the little kids are screaming and mommy is letting them go buy a pig.

[RainKindle]

Originally Posted by AnimalHouse36

Thats one small step in a better direction but their probably only doing it as a sales gimick. "Look mommy PETCO really is good! Lets go adopt a piggie!" All the little kids are screaming and mommy is letting them go buy a pig.

Thankfully MCRS screens for serious adopters.

[AnimalHouse36]

Don't get me wrong I'm glad those rabbits are getting a chance for a home but people are going to think PETCO is all nice and think it's fine to buy from them.

But I'm going to bed!

[hueyeats]

That is some great news!

Maybe, there is hope in Petco when they finally decide to phase out all selling of animals!

[guineapigluver1]

That's awesome! I hope one day they will quit selling all the small animals, birds and fish as well! I still can't believe how small a cage (tank actually, with a mesh screen top) 2 ferrets were sharing the last time I ever went there (which was a very long time ago).

[5guinea5pig5]

YAY! When I saw this I started screaming like crazy! Hopefully they'll eventually they'll stop selling all animals and there will be less at shelters! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAH!

[HeraHero]

This is awesome, yeah they still have a ways to go but, what a wonderful step in the right direction! I just adopted a rabbit from our local humane society who was originally from PETCO. (He had the most horrible sores on his feet and the kids had got tired of him after less than a year, stupid people.) So I'm especially excited. Even though I'm sure there will be lots of adoptions out to people who really don't know what they are doing, maybe a few more rabbits will get better homes and a few less mills will be getting money. Yay for PETCO. Now if only they would go this route with their other animals too...

[rabbitsncavyluv]

I hope it is true but Petco said this same thing before. They agreed to stop selling rabbits several years ago. Then they started carrying Marshall's rabbits again recently, as a "trial" due to customer demand. They said they were no longer continuing this. Maybe because they didn't sell? The market is saturated and it is harder to house them than the smaller rodents.

They decided to get out of the bunny business and make themselves look good at the same time.

[Butterscotch2]

At the Petco close to where I live they stopped selling all animals. The alone animals are in the store- and there have been none in the past couple of months- are the animals that get dropped off at their doors because no one wants them. They quit selling animals because no one was buying them anymore. I hope that no one was buying them and that people were adopting them. I still don't support Petco, but they are taking a good step in the right direction.

[Henle15]

Its all PR. They will stop selling them until the demand is there again. Also if adoption groups are going to be doing adoption days there, don't they have to keep them there and have the employees care for them? Isn't that the problem with the stores selling the animals in the first place? I could be wrong but that is what I was told by a high ranking person in the petco corporation.

They will never stop selling those little petstore cages and say they are ok. That is one of the biggest problems we as guinea pig rescuers' encounter. They assume a little petstore cage with wire flooring is fine when it is not.

It makes the store look good for now so hopefully it will last and they will stop selling others too.

Petstores house their animals so badly so people will feel sorry for them and buy them thus unknowledgeble people are dumping them later on when they find out how much care a guinea pig really is. It works I got to give them that but it's highly unethical.

[pigsmakemesmile]

OMG!!
that is fantastic. I'm owner of 5 rabbits all from a shelter. Whoooooopeeee

[DC Piggies]

Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's one small shelter for rabbits. One giant hop for rabbitkind.

[twozie]

I think it's awesome, and I would love to see that happen here In canada. Really nice to be a part of that change. I also own 2 buns myself and am really pleased to hear this news. Good Work, !!

[twozie]

Originally Posted by AnimalHouse36

Thats one small step in a better direction but their probably only doing it as a sales gimick. "Look mommy PETCO really is good! Lets go adopt a piggie!" All the little kids are screaming and mommy is letting them go buy a pig.

I don't agree with that at all, they didn't have to stop selling rabbits and not to mention, if the parents are the ones going out and "buying" vs. adopting, that is pretty obvious. In any case, I would ask if I was in that position.