I have a question...

[Greenbean]

I didn't post this to start a fight.
I know it's good to adopt a pig from a shelter. But the pigs in a pet store need a home just as much as the piggies in the shelters. Right?
The pigs that aren't bought in pet stores are put to sleep.
The pigs that aren't adopted in shelters are put to sleep.
It's kind of a lose/lose situation.

Even though people are trying to stop pet stores from selling pigs, doing this is not going to stop the breeders from working their sows to death.
I know it's horrible to say, but I bought my guinea pig from a pet store.
The nearest shelter is about 9 hours away, and I am NOT about to spend 200 dollars on gas to adopt a guinea pig.I have did all my research, and that is the only shelter closest to me.

Bean was the last guinea pig there, and this is their exact words: "This little girl is about to be put to sleep, maybe next Monday, at the most." I was not going to let her be put to sleep.

I know, I chose the lazy way out, but shouldn't every pig be given a chance? Not just shelter pigs, but pet store pigs too. Every pig needs a home, not every pig can be rescued. It's horrible, but pigs are going to be put to sleep. It makes me cry thinking about it. But remember, every pig needs a chance.

I'm sorry if this hurts your feelings, but it's the truth.
Shouldn't every pig be given a chance? Shelter or not?
​

 

[arionat799]

The pigs that aren't adopted in shelters are put to sleep. It's kind of a lose/lose situation.

Where is this coming from? Pigs that aren't adopted in shelters aren't always put to sleep. Rarely.

Even though people are trying to stop pet stores from selling pigs, doing this is not going to stop the breeders from working their sows to death.

Wrong. It may not be immediate, but if we would stop buying pigs from the pet store, then they wouldn't sell them anymore. Then breeders wouldn't have anyone to supply them to, and they would stop breeding. No more sows working to death.

Bean was the last guinea pig there, and this is their exact words: "This little girl is about to be put to sleep, maybe next Monday, at the most."

This is a completely different story. Buying from a pet store when the pig is going to be put to sleep is the exception, not the rule. Pigs at the pet store don't get put down often. In fact, yours is the only story that I've heard of this.

The nearest shelter is about 9 hours away, and I am NOT about to spend 200 dollars on gas to adopt a guinea pig.

Pet Search Results: Adoptable guinea pig Small Pets in Durham, NC: Petfinder

Really? Also, Craigslist and Kijiji have tons of pigs needing homes as well. Besides, that is some real hyperbole. It would not cost $200 to drive so short a distance.

I know, I chose the lazy way out, but shouldn't every pig be given a chance? Not just shelter pigs, but pet store pigs too. Every pig needs a home, not every pig can be rescued. It's horrible, but pigs are going to be put to sleep. It makes me cry thinking about it. But remember, every pig needs a chance.

We do think that every pig deserves a chance. But what about the sows being bred to death? They need a chance too! And by giving pet stores pigs a chance, you are taking away hers.

I'm sorry if this hurts your feelings, but it's the truth.

It hurts our feelings that so many sows are being bred to death. We know this.

 

[jowasaurus]

There are a bunch of guinea pigs within 2 hours from your location:
Pet Search Results: Adoptable guinea pig Small Pets in Knoxville, TN: Petfinder

And honestly, it seems like a newer member has to start a similar thread about once a month or every other here.
I think the main point is that buying from a store is producing supply and demand. The more guinea pigs a pet store SELLS, the more will be "ordered". That means more young guinea pigs will be bred in something along the lines of this:

The dangers in breeding alone are terrible and the conditions that the companies producing these guinea pigs for pet stores have make it even worse of a situation. They then get shipped to stores in cardboard boxes with a little hay and a piece of cabbage thrown in[I used to work at Petco].
Sick guinea pigs or those inadequate to sell, are sent back to their mills and then, most likely, killed and disposed of because those companies do not "have the time" [aka: no hearts] to care for a sick/ injured animal.
Not many pet stores, at least large chain stores, put animals to sleep they can't sell. They just lower their prices.

And yeah, shelter animals do get put to sleep if no one is able to adopt them in time. But that's a big reason for this site and why it's on the top listed on Google after searching "guinea pig" anything! To spread the word about adoption, anti-breeding, better living conditions.

The end game is to lower the demand for guinea pigs in pet stores and raise awareness to the number of actual guinea pigs in shelters/ rescues all over the country [and world] and that is what the members of this site try their best to do.


I know while I was working at Petco, my store decreased it's umber of guinea pig sales by 200% in my first 3 months because I CONSTANTLY wrote down guineapigcages.com and petfinder.com and talked to people about how Petco was/ is a crap shoot for small animal supplies.

 

[southernfury]

I have to agree with @Greenbean....EVERY pig needs a home, no matter where they are from. Now I"M NOT SAYING I AGREE with what pet stores or their breeders are doing. It is VERY WRONG to over breed ANY animal. My Daughter's Piggie Mocha was bought at a Petco..and HONESTLY she has been the most health pig we have had. Maybe we where just LUCKY with her...But out of the 2 years that we have had her...I have only had to take her to the Vet once, just for a yearly check up and to get some eye drops. She has never been sick or have had any issues. She is a very healthy lil girl..!! Like i said, maybe we just got lucky, but not all Pigs from a Pet store are unhealthy.
Mocha was our first ever pet store piggy...and at that time i didn't really know about the issues with the pet stores and their over breeding. And i Am sorry, But we will never be able to STOP the stores from selling ANY animals....Cause there will ALWAYS be someone in there buying. It's just a Fact !! YES...i do agree we need to educate people about adoptions piggies....but if you have NO other option but to buy from a store, SO BE IT !! Those pigs need a home too !!

NOW...My son's lil girl Reese...OMG...We got her from some uneducated little girls...and their parents where just as DUMB about piggies..!! She was in a Store bought cage that was way too small...7 other babies and her mom & dad in that one cage...which looked like it hasn't been cleaned in weeks...the poor piggies had NO WATER, NO HAY, NO VEGGIES, and pellets that had poop in it..!! These girls where just letting the mom and dad breed like crazy...NEVER separating them..!! The girls couldn't remember how many times the mom has had babies, but they said A LOT !! I tryed to get the MOM from them, but they refused...And i just found out that they just had another Litter of piggies.. !! I turned these people in to the ASPCA...Anyways, Reese had Mites, URI, underweight, and UTI. Just because theses people are cruel and uncaring..!

My Coconut i got from a LOCAL Pet store....I found out from someone that he was goin to put her and a few other pigs down, because he didn't want to sell them any more and no one was buying them. So me and some others went and got the pigs he had..We where not about to let him put them Down because he is a heartless butt...What ticked me off the most was that a local P.A.W.S was just right down the road, he could have took them there. Anyways, Coconut was in really bad health too...She was Underweight, Mites, URI, & UTI !!

Honestly...I really don't think it matters where u get your piggy...u just never know the true health until they start showing signs or you go get them a check up..!!

I have seen so many listing on Craig list about people giving away little piggies, because they don't want them no more. So people have been so cruel into saying that if someone don't come and get the piggie, that it will become snake food..OMG how cruel is that !!

Anyways, Enough yapping..!! Why are we putting people down for buying their pig from a pet store....instead of fighting or arguing with the person/people....just educate them. There is no senses in hurtful words. I will always question and watch where i get our next piggy, but that IS MY CHOICE....!! People buying from Anywhere is their Choice....EVERY PIGGY NEEDS A HOME, NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE FROM.

 

[arionat799]

Why are we putting people down for buying their pig from a pet store....instead of fighting or arguing with the person/people....just educate them. There is no senses in hurtful words. I will always question and watch where i get our next piggy, but that IS MY CHOICE....!! People buying from Anywhere is their Choice....EVERY PIGGY NEEDS A HOME, NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE FROM.

No one is putting anyone down for buying their pig from a pet store. No one is fighting or arguing, we are just educating them. There are no hurtful words being used. Where are you seeing otherwise? Yes, it is your choice to buy your pig from anywhere, but that doesn't make it a good one. Every pig does need a home, so why kill the sows being bred by buying from the pet store? They need homes too. Rescue pigs aren't getting homes because pet store pigs are being bought. Pigs are being out down at shelters because we are buying from pet stores.

Seriously guys, this is an anti-pet store, pro-rescue forum. Search up all of the other threads about buying from the pet store. You just can't win!

 

[Wildcavy]

The nearest shelter is about 9 hours away, and I am NOT about to spend 200 dollars on gas to adopt a guinea pig.I have did all my research, and that is the only shelter closest to me.​

I used to live in NC and I can say that it isn't possible, geographically, for the nearest shelter in NC to be 9 hours away from you. Don't care if you are on the TN border or the Outer Banks. All of the major cities have shelters, and most of the counties do. 100 counties in NC. That's just the shelters/pounds. Doesn't include the rescues.

Even if you had to go all the way out to Raleigh (Wake County), that's only 8 hours ROUND TRIP. Winston-Salem and G'boro are even closer, and of course Asheville is just a trip down the mountain.

You admit that you took the "lazy" way out. And that is what is often behind the over-breeding and ultimate slaughter of "unwanted" animals -- people support pet stores (mills), people get tired of their animals and are too lazy to try to re-home them responsibly, etc.

Every pig, every creature, should be a wanted creature. You do not show disapproval of someone's practices by giving them money and freeing up a new space for the next victim.

Even if on some level you believe that there are "responsible" breeders out there, pet stores are not supporting "responsible" breeders. They cannot sell bulk pigs without buying them in bulk.

 

[jowasaurus]

And i Am sorry, But we will never be able to STOP the stores from selling ANY animals....Cause there will ALWAYS be someone in there buying. It's just a Fact !!

You're right. And yes, people need to be educated more. Like I said, THAT a huge point of this forum. Education. The real facts.
Just because someone else is going to buy a pig from a petstore, that means we should do it to? NAY! Not when we're the educated persons. I personally take that alone as my responsibility to adopt a pig when I can. Because I'm educated on the facts. All it takes is just a few minutes of browsing or searching in the search bar to find a lot of what you're asking. This has been talked about time and time again. And will continue to be discussed as new people join.

I get sad every time I see a guinea pig in a small aquarium at a petstore, sure. But I know there are hundreds/ thousands more all over the country in rescues that no one knows about or bothers to even look. You don't know how many times I told people to look on petfinder for a guinea pig rescue or even at the local Rescue League or something and they say, "Oh my word! I never even thought of that!" My response: "Yeah, that's why I'm here, ma'am. You're welcome." [ha, not really the last part. but that sort of attitude is what got me fired. LOL]

So far, I haven't seen anyone really put down for buying a guinea pig. A lot of the members here have gotten at least one of their own from a petstore, myself included. But that was before we knew!

Every guinea pig needs a home, yes. No matter where they come from, yes. A local rescue friend has 50+ guinea pigs at a given time. She's only trying to find homes for 20+ of them because she has personally taken responsibility for the rest because of their age and/ or health problems and knows not many people will want to take them in. She gets drop offs weekly from people who buy from pet stores and didn't know how much care they were going to be or how much they were going to poop! She pays so much out-of-pocket and I feel for her daily and wish I could do more to assist her and her pigs. That's why I have adopted some of her boys. And give her extra $ when I can. It's people like her and the creator of this site that deserve more from us educated persons than "Every piggy needs a home so I'll just take this cute baby at the store!". That's a big reason why I think some members get so upset or offended when people come here and completely go against the beliefs of the forum.

And I apologize if some of the things members say get misconstrued or people get offended, but that's the way it is. Like I said, it's the end game that I'm fighting for.

 

[Wildcavy]

INow I"M NOT SAYING I AGREE with what pet stores or their breeders are doing. It is VERY WRONG to over breed ANY animal.

So, you are giving money to a cause / business you don't believe in? What is the message there?

But we will never be able to STOP the stores from selling ANY animals

Not true. It's worked in the malls and local stores in my area. I've learned that this is not the case in other areas of the U.S., but even the way some of the major stores use dog / cat adoptions as a selling point (rather than selling dogs/cats themselves) tells you that they are getting at least part of the message. Not because they are nice, but because money talks.

Cause there will ALWAYS be someone in there buying.

Including, apparently, people who believe that there is something wrong with what pet stores do, but buy there anyway. Do you not at least see how this kind of thinking -- that everyone else is doing it, so I may as well do it -- is a big part of the problem? Pet stores count on people being hypocritical. Makes all kinds of money. Part of the business model.

NOW...My son's lil girl Reese...OMG...We got her from some uneducated little girls...and their parents where just as DUMB about piggies..!! She was in a Store bought cage that was way too small...7 other babies and her mom & dad in that one cage...which looked like it hasn't been cleaned in weeks...the poor piggies had NO WATER, NO HAY, NO VEGGIES, and pellets that had poop in it..!!

Store-bought cage? Do you suppose that store sold C&C or similar, and this family just didn't buy it? Do you suppose the store sat down with them and instructed them on basic care of cavies? I'm going to bet not. So the store gets another set of ignorant customers who think pigs are replaceable and have to be bailed out by someone else.

Some shelters are just as bad about not educating adopters about cavies. But the shelters aren't breeding them and chalking off deaths as a good business plan. High turnover!

Anyways, Enough yapping..!! Why are we putting people down for buying their pig from a pet store....instead of fighting or arguing with the person/people....just educate them. There is no senses in hurtful words. I will always question and watch where i get our next piggy, but that IS MY CHOICE....!! People buying from Anywhere is their Choice....EVERY PIGGY NEEDS A HOME, NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE FROM.

The question was asked of the forum, and now you are upset because we are answering it?

And may I point out that you are excoriating the owners you cited for being as "dumb" as the piggies, and yet you are accusing those of us who disagree with you of using hurtful words?

Yes, you are an adult and have a choice. We can look around and see whether all choices have a good outcome, or if we are only seeing short-term, or if we are just trying to make ourselves feel better about past actions by rationalizing it. Or we can stop and think what sort of example we are setting to future generations.

 

[southernfury]

So, you are giving money to a cause / business you don't believe in? What is the message there?



Not true. It's worked in the malls and local stores in my area. I've learned that this is not the case in other areas of the U.S., but even the way some of the major stores use dog / cat adoptions as a selling point (rather than selling dogs/cats themselves) tells you that they are getting at least part of the message. Not because they are nice, but because money talks.




Including, apparently, people who believe that there is something wrong with what pet stores do, but buy there anyway. Do you not at least see how this kind of thinking -- that everyone else is doing it, so I may as well do it -- is a big part of the problem? Pet stores count on people being hypocritical. Makes all kinds of money. Part of the business model.



Store-bought cage? Do you suppose that store sold C&C or similar, and this family just didn't buy it? Do you suppose the store sat down with them and instructed them on basic care of cavies? I'm going to bet not. So the store gets another set of ignorant customers who think pigs are replaceable and have to be bailed out by someone else.

Some shelters are just as bad about not educating adopters about cavies. But the shelters aren't breeding them and chalking off deaths as a good business plan. High turnover!



The question was asked of the forum, and now you are upset because we are answering it?

And may I point out that you are excoriating the owners you cited for being as "dumb" as the piggies, and yet you are accusing those of us who disagree with you of using hurtful words?

I NEVER SAID PIGGIES Where DUMB....I SAID the OWNERS of the Pigs. SO Don't judge me at what i call them because you have NO CLUE at what i seen when i went and got a piggie from them. YES THEY WHERE UNEDUCATED about how to take care of them. U know what i did some educating..!! ANY How...It DOES NOT MATTER IF IT's FROM A STORE, BREEDER, or just a LOCAL PERSON every piggie needs a HOME !!!

And i NEVER said SAID PEOPLE IN THIS FORUM OR POST was using Hurtful words....It was a GENERAL observation of all the other Sites, Blogs, and other post about THIS SUBJECT..!! I Never once said the people on this forum...So it proves right there, that no matter what, people will always take something out of text..!!



Yes, you are an adult and have a choice. We can look around and see whether all choices have a good outcome, or if we are only seeing short-term, or if we are just trying to make ourselves feel better about past actions by rationalizing it. Or we can stop and think what sort of example we are setting to future generations.

Anyways...I will not sit here and argue with anyone. Because we all have different Views. And WE NEVER truly know what someone went through to get their little piggy. Some People CAN"T drive hundred of miles to adopt....so maybe their last option was to go to the store. We have no clue how many hrs they spent up on the computer looking for adoptable animals, or how many phone calls they made, How many times they have been disappointed because a adoptable piggy fell through..!!

I'm Sorry if i OFFENDED anyone, I'm not here for that. All i wanna do is show off my LITTLE GIRLS and talk with people that know more about piggies than i do and help EDUCATE MYSELF !!

 

[mufasa]

I'll never buy a pet store piggy again because the "sick pet store pig" stories came true for me. Mufasa was dead of a URI in 15 days, and I went back out of curiosity to see if they had any of the same pigs they had when I bought him. There was only one older pig, but they had new babies already to replace the ones that undoubtedly died of the same URI, as well as to replace Mufasa.

While I'm glad Mufasa had two weeks to know what a good life was, I'm not in a position to rescue the baby pigs that replaced him, because then I'd have to rescue ones that will replace those, ad infinitum, since they're just as worthy. And that doesn't even take those poor breeding sows into account. I know I'm just one person, but if more "one persons" like me and many others here don't buy, the market will dry up for pet store pigs like it did for cats and dogs, and the misery will finally end.

In the meantime, I learned about adoption here. I got Borat at an animal shelter, creating no demand with a breeder and opening a spot for another homeless pig. I got Amy from Craigslist, preventing her from potentially taking a spot at a shelter if her owners got desperate enough. Are Amy and Borat any more worthy of being saved than Mufasa was, or than the other pigs at that store or any other? No. Did I do more long-term good getting Amy and Borat rather than pulling a couple more pigs out of the awful store (and rushing them right to a vet for a check-up)? Absolutely. It breaks my heart to see pet store pigs, but it breaks it even more to think of the disgusting industry that lies behind them.

 

[Wildcavy]

@southernfury, I can't reply with quote because it looks like some of your response is embedded in what you quoted. (And no, that is not a criticism, but rather a clarification.)

I'll respect that you no longer want to argue with anyone. But may I be bold and suggest that you not jump onto a thread that you know is going to be controversial, run through several examples of problems, use words such as "dumb" and "yapping," and close it off with ALL CAPS (i.e., yelling)? Because that is a recipe for a debate.

I'm not personally offended. Puzzled and a tad frustrated, yes. We have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more to get a partner for our piggy Picckalo. And we will continue to wait, even if it means several more months or needing to drive 200+ miles. We will not, under any circumstances, bow to our anxiety over waiting and just go out to a pet shop and get another pig.

I see people on this forum who wait, who ask for help to locate a pig, who ask for help to get to a needy pig, and people step up.

And I do have a clue how much time the average person spends thinking about how and where to get a pig. Sadly at times it is about 30 seconds when they make the mistake of walking through the small animal section of a pet store. After all, they can just put it in a shelter, throw it into the parking lot or dumpster, or chuck it in the woods after they are done with it, right?

I'm glad you want to show off your piggies. I think that is one thing that every single person on this forum agrees to -- we can't get enough pigtures or stories of pigs being particularly cute!