Big cheer for 'pets at home' near me!

[daftscotslass]

As far as I know it's the local authorities that govern the opening of pet stores. The only national laws are that no pets should be sold to the under 12s (I think this should be raised to 18) and that pet shop managers must have a qualification in pet shop management/animal welfare.

 

[Quiet Things]

I'm just wondering what would happen to all the pets accidentally bred or purposely bred by backyard breeders if there weren't pet stores for them to give their babies to?
I mean I know in my local area it is backyard breeders who supply the pet stores. If we take away the whole sale selling of animals through such an industry what is going to happen to these animals? People are going to hand them over to welfare agencies who are already more often then not running at full capacity and that will just result in the euthanisation of more animals. I'm not condoning the sale of animals through stores but there is a bigger picture than just "it is bad, it is wrong" often it is a chance at life. There are a lot of people without a qualm when it comes to snapping a neck and thats just what some of these backyard breeders would do.
Target the breeders then target the stores.

 

[BabyGrl]

If the rescues are the only place to get the pigs then thats where people would go. If pet stores stopped selling pigs, backyard breeders would stop breeding for the purpose of supplying the store.

 

[Quiet Things]

Backyard breeders dont just breed for that purpose though. How many cases of rescues have been around where the guinea pigs were bought and bred to show the "miricale" of life? And what you would have already overfull rescues taking in more and more animals? Already they can't cope. What are they supposed to expand on? Air?! They lack the funds to get bigger and people lack the funds to start up new welfare agencies. And it's not just guinea pigs either. Cats and Dogs, birds, mice, rats, in other countries hampsters and gerbils. Would you have these animals purpose bred to be killed?! at least in a pet store they get a chance at being bought dont they? And until you stop the source you won't stand much of a chance at stopping the so called problem.
Target the breeders.

 

[BabyGrl]

The rescue would be less full if the pet stores stopped selling pigs. If more people were educated about going to a rescue than going to a pet store there would be less pigs there. Backyard breeders may not just breed for the purpose of putting pigs in pet store but by not having the pet store to give them to they may just breed less. It's supply and demand. If there is no demand then the supply is going to decrease.

I'm just wondering what would happen to all the pets accidentally bred or purposely bred by backyard breeders if there weren't pet stores for them to give their babies to?

They would be given to rescues who in turn would adopt them out to forever homes instead of any person who walks in the door with a handful of cash.

And what you would have already overfull rescues taking in more and more animals? Already they can't cope.

A big reason rescues are so full is because of those impulse buys at the pet shop.

And you are right. Rescues are short on funds. So we should be doing everything we can to help them whether it be adopting from them or spreading the word about not buying pigs at a petstore.

 

[daftscotslass]

Backyard breeders dont just breed for that purpose though. How many cases of rescues have been around where the guinea pigs were bought and bred to show the "miricale" of life? And what you would have already overfull rescues taking in more and more animals? Already they can't cope. What are they supposed to expand on? Air?! They lack the funds to get bigger and people lack the funds to start up new welfare agencies. And it's not just guinea pigs either. Cats and Dogs, birds, mice, rats, in other countries hampsters and gerbils. Would you have these animals purpose bred to be killed?! at least in a pet store they get a chance at being bought dont they? And until you stop the source you won't stand much of a chance at stopping the so called problem.
Target the breeders.

I think you're wrong about targeting the breeders. The fact is, they do not make the money by selling themselves to the general public. For every one cavy bought in a pet shop, another six are bought FROM the breeder - THAT is the problem. If you take away the profit, there will be no market and reason to breed them. For most breeders, it's far too much effort to sell the guinea pigs themselves.

I'm not saying the breeders are not at fault, but babygrl1234 is right - where there's demand in a pet shop, the breeders will supply.