[Gpdd] [MISC] Re: Problems with Pet Stores

[DebJonSara at aol.com]

Hi Katy

Someone else who worked at Petsmart emailed me privately along the lines of 
your posting. I feel I must copy my reply to her here - and to all the other 
caring petstore employees I know are out there. Here it is:

I really would not wish to cause offence to any petlovers who work for 
Petsmart, nor indeed any other pet store. In fact, I am grateful that you have 
alerted me to this possibility - I am ashamed to admit it had never really occurred 
to me that some petshop employees - indeed, the more I think about it, 
probably most - DO love animals, and would do anything they could to prevent them 
suffering. I would love to work in a petshop myself, as a way of trying to 
infiltrate the inadequate care systems and try to do something to improve the 
welfare of the animals unfortunate enough to end up in such places. I know such 
jobs are not well paid, and therefore most employees would do it from love rather 
than for mercenary reasons. 

The young man described in the story does come across as insensitive, to say 
the least, but to give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he was 
inexperienced and/or out of his depth. The fact that a sick piggie had been left 
apparently several days without having received any veterinary care is more upsetting, 
especially as it sounds from the story as though other piggies had gone on to 
develop the same illness. I lost a very dear guinea pig top pneumonia in the 
summer, so I know how quickly they can go downhill, but also how much they can 
suffer. My vet didn't know enough to save Bâfreur, but at least he passed over 
the Bridge knowing that he was very much wanted and loved, and he had had a 
very comfortable and stimulating life. the poor dead piggie in the petshop had 
missed out on all this. 

I have read, on the gpdd and rabbit forums, that Petsmart do sometimes allow 
animal shelters to have stalls in their stores at which people can adopted 
rescued  animals, and this sounds to me an excellent idea. I am horrified by 
reports that people sometimes dump unwanted animals on petshop doorsteps - I do 
think people who allow their animals to reproduce without first ensuring they 
will all be provided with loving, permanent homes must share the culpability 
here - it is just not good enough to enjoy all the fun of watching a delightful 
new litter then cheerfully dispose of them at the local petstore when the 
novelty wears off. 

So, all you petstore employees out there, please do not take personally any 
of the comments I have made - I am so glad there are people out there like you 
and your colleagues who are doing your best to ensure that unwanted animals 
don't suffer. Can you think of any way that we gpdd-ers could act in order to 
prevent this sort of tragedy happening again? Is there anyone in Petsmart 
management who might be persuaded to cease the practice of selling live animals and 
introduce a policy where every store had a permanent space offered on a rota 
basis to local animal shelters, which could be manned by shelter volunteers and 
offer rescued animals up for adoption? Your stores would still get the 
revenue from sales of accessories like cages, food and treats, and I feel the good 
publicity which would be generated by such a positive campaign would more than 
make up for what little revenue might be lost through not selling live animals 
any more.

Sorry to go on. I live in rural France, and believe me, animal welfare is 
much, much worse here - shelters for small animals other than cats and dogs don't 
even exist, neither do exotics vets! There are loads of baby rabbits and 
guinea pigs for sale really cheaply at street markets from cardboard boxes with no 
food or water - and I am sure they are just bought as disposable cuddly toys 
for children, to be discarded and replaced when they become ill or present any 
natural behaviours which are perceived as aggressive. It's a cruel, sad 
world.

Love to all your little charges - may they all find loving homes

Debbie