Pet Stores Please tell me this is not happening

[animalmadlover]

I wish that I could rescue all the animals from that supplier and get them shut down But the next best thing I can do is write about this in my book and tell the world!

 

[ClemmyOddieIndy]

While the video is of the supplier and is not indicative of in-store care, Petsmart has the option to sever ties with Rainbow at any time. Can't keep up the demand? Then stop selling guinea pigs altogether. Just as, "But he looked miserable and I wanted to save one" is no excuse for anyone here to buy a pig from a store, "We have to buy from that awful place to have enough to sell" is no excuse for pet stores to keep supporting the breeding mill misery.

The people at my local Petco and Petsmart all seem to care about animals, and I know the front line employees have no say. I do have one burr in my britches over Petsmart vs. Petco though. Our local Petco takes in dumped piggies, hamsters, etc. and adopts them out (minimal fee goes to charity fund, not to store, and you get all the equipment the animal was dumped with...it's how I got Quinn). None of the Petsmarts here do the same. I know they give the old "we can't mix adoption animals with sale animals" line, yet somehow Petco manages to do it. They just maintain a separate area for the adoption pets. While I can't be totally in favor of any pet store that sells any live animals at all, that makes them slightly better in my eyes.

PetSmart could sever ties with Rainbow, but they won't until people quit buying small animals from them. Just as Nike, Apple, Chevron, Monsanto, Nestle, etc. won't quit doing the horrible things they do until people quit buying their products. The real world is such a depressing place. People don't take the time to educate themselves, or in general just don't care, and contribute to a lot of nasty things. We all contribute to a lot of nasty things by purchasing the things we do.

ETA: PetSmart policy does not allow taking in other animals because of risk of transmission of disease. The one I worked at worked with the local no-kill shelter and we would send people looking to get rid of their animals there. When the occasional person would set their animal free in the parking lot the managers would catch it and take it to the no-kill shelter.

 

[animalmadlover]

Its a pity that this site won't allow moving avatars or signatures. https://www.petsmartcruelty.com/online_toolkit.asp
I'm using this banner in my email signature now, and I bet I can add that avatar to other forums that I'm on. You guys should do the same too! The message gets spread!

 

[guineahorse]

Hello. I just watched the whole video and almost lost it. I own two sweet guinea pigs, one if which is from a petsmart. I know, shame on me. I got him because he was all alone and had some bad skin problems. But he has turned out to be such a sweetheart, and knows his name, Blaze. One thing is strange, I will use a glove to spot clean their cage, and he runs and hides from the glove. I wonder if he was handled badly as a baby with gloves. I hate rainbow, and this video has enlightened me greatly. I will take action against those **** bags. (Excuse my French) Reading all of the posts now, I see that people blame people like me that buy pet store pigs. It's your opinion, but I think I did the right thing in helping Blaze. But when I get another pig, I will certainly adopt.

 

[animalmadlover]

I think that all or most of us are guilty of buying a pet store animal at one stage or another. However the important thing is that we LEARN from our mistakes and don't do it again. Even if there are no rescue piggies around our area it is really worth it to keep on looking. I advertised for mine and was offered an "unwanted" one for free! If enough of us stop buying animals from pet stores then eventually they have to stop selling them! Then breeders will stop breeding and all the unwanted guinea pigs will find homes. This is but a dream, but hopefully the message will get out there...

 

[ClemmyOddieIndy]

I will take action against those **** bags. (Excuse my French)

Just curious what action you plan to take? Large and well funded animal rights organizations have been leading the charge against Rainbow for years and not much has changed. This story and video is many years old now.

 

[aqh88]

It doesn't matter how many people stop buying from pet stores if most make the mistake of buying from pet stores before doing further research. How many show up here because they already have pigs and wanted more info versus the number who are looking for info before getting them? Even people that adopt all their cats and dogs often don't realize guinea pigs are in shelters or don't see the need to wait and check the shelters.

 

[PeanutnCookie]

Adding to @aqh88 Or are too lazy to drive more than 30 minutes to rescue a guinea pig. A lot of people seem to think that anything over 1 hr is much too far to drive for a animal, especially one as small as a guinea pig. It is really sad the situation these pigs (and other animals) are in.

 

[animalmadlover]

Unless of course you don't drive and don't have car

 

[mufasa]

ETA: PetSmart policy does not allow taking in other animals because of risk of transmission of disease. The one I worked at worked with the local no-kill shelter and we would send people looking to get rid of their animals there. When the occasional person would set their animal free in the parking lot the managers would catch it and take it to the no-kill shelter.

I don't buy this part because Petco takes in animals and has never had a disease problem because they don't allow the adoption animals and sale animals to "mix." They're kept far away from each other. The Petsmarts are just as large as Petco so I really don't see why they couldn't have the same sort of separation. I think they're just using the disease risk as an excuse, since avoiding it wouldn't be all that hard.

 

[lonleyLilac]

This is horrible and horrifying. I am no longer buying my piggys from petsmart.

 

[ClemmyOddieIndy]

I don't buy this part because Petco takes in animals and has never had a disease problem because they don't allow the adoption animals and sale animals to "mix." They're kept far away from each other. The Petsmarts are just as large as Petco so I really don't see why they couldn't have the same sort of separation. I think they're just using the disease risk as an excuse, since avoiding it wouldn't be all that hard.

How do you know they've never had a problem with disease? Do you have evidence to back up this claim? From what I've heard from former PetCo employees about the treatment of sick animals I doubt we'd ever know how many really are sick.

I can tell you the store I worked at would not have had the space to keep small animals separate. You can believe whatever you want, but I do think that the policy makes sense. It's a pet store, not a shelter. Even the adoptable cats are not theirs, they are shelter cats that are given space in the store.

I just don't shop at either store, so I don't have to compare which is "better" or "worse".

 

[mufasa]

How do you know they've never had a problem with disease? Do you have evidence to back up this claim? From what I've heard from former PetCo employees about the treatment of sick animals I doubt we'd ever know how many really are sick.

I have anecdotal evidence from the employees at that store and no reason to believe that they'd lie. I've asked them a couple of times; I was curious because one of the local Petsmarts had an "ask us about our small animal adoptions" sign, and when I did, they told me it was for unsalable animals that come from the supplier sick or deformed and can't be sold. I asked why they don't take in animals, and they gave me the "disease" excuse, which prompted me to ask a couple of different workers at Petco (one I know has been there a long time; the other I really can't say). Both said they have no contact between the animals and it's never been an issue.

Overall, though, I don't favor one over the other. I do look down more on Petsmart because I found a dead guinea pig at one (in a tank with two or three others), and the manager just said, "Oh no, we just got him," but I wouldn't doubt that Petco has had dead ones, too, and I just didn't happen to be around to see it. I know Petco takes their small animals to the vet because they use the same one that I take my piggies too. I presume the local Petsmarts get vet care for the animals, too, but can't say for sure...I just happened to be at my vet when a Petco person brought in a little critter.