[Gpdd] [MISC] <re: pet stores>

[Lauren Cordeiro]

unfortunately many petstores mistreat and neglect their animals, and buy from breeders that should be arrested for animal cruelty. Cavy Spirit is a wonderful piggy rescue, and from all of the abuse that they have witnessed at the hands of irresponsible breeders, owners and pet stores themselves, I can understand their anger. Pet stores have one motive only: profit. Some stores may take good care of their animals, but what do you know about the breeders they purchase their animals from? I work at a pet store, and people here do take good care of the animals. But if none of the employees here really cared, or did not recognize signs of illness, than neglect and abuse could easily occur.

For the most part, pet stores are self-regulated. It is up to the company to train their employees, and determine cage set-up. In some states, law enforcement officials, sometimes associated with a state SPCA, have the authority to inspect pet stores. This does not mean, however, that they do it on a regular basis, or without prior complaints from the public.

If no one bought from pet stores that sold animals, and instead patronized stores which only sell supplies, it would be likely that those stores would be pressured to stop selling animals. Such a boycott would occur over a gradual period of time, so pet stores would not in a sense wake up one day and not have enough money to care for their animals. Most pet stores DO have adequate funds to provide quality care - and if they don't, they shouldn't be in the business.

The argument Cavy Spirit people make is that when you buy an animal from an abusive pet store or breeder, you are supporting that company/person. Yes, you may be "saving" an animal that was in a cruel situation, but you are essentially allowing the store to order one more piggy from a piggy mill - you weren't decreasing the amount of piggies suffering, you were just deciding which one was to be "saved." The best thing to do in these cases is to report the abuse to your local animal cruelty law enforcement.

Go to some local pet stores, big chains as well as "mom and pop" stores. In general there are some things everyone should look for: Do the animals have enough clean water and food? Do the cages have appropriate ventilation? Is the bedding/food bowls relatively clean or covered in waste? Do the animals look healthy, or are they thin or lethargic? Do you see discharge coming from their nose or eyes? Do you see any sores or wounds? What kind of bedding are they on? Is the stench of the bedding (like cedar or raw pine) overpowering? Do the animals have enough room to move around comfortably? Are the males/females seperated? Also note how the pet store employees handle the animals. Are they grabbing the animals or lifting rats/mice from their tails (very painful)? Also, does the petstore sell their small mammals as feeders? Reptiles have to eat too, but feeding a live animal is both dangerous to the reptile and incredibly cruel to the small animal. This is not true of ALL reptile owners, but pet stores do not discriminate between "good" owners and "bad" owners - money is money.
Sorry this rant is so long!
~Lauren