[Gpdd] [MISC] Yet another pet store story

[Diana]

I had an awful experience this afternoon.  My husband and I stopped into this small pet store (some of my friends know this store from when I rescued my mouse Lily from a snake cage there) just to see what was going on...
   
  I was appalled to see one lone guinea pig in an open bin with at least a dozen rabbits...they were very small rabbits, luckily, not much bigger than the poor little piggie (a very pretty little white piggie with a rosette on its head) but STILL...when I protested, they tried to tell me that "we've been doing this for thirty years and it's been perfectly fine to keep guinea pigs with rabbits" then, when I insisted that rabbit food is slow poison for guineas and that an aggressive rabbit can harm a guinea pig easily, I was told in a very nasty tone that "You've probably never owned a rabbit or a guinea pig, I don't appreciate you scrutinizing my store, and if that is what you're going to do, I don't want you in my store and I would like you to leave" and, since it was private property and I could have been arrested if I didn't leave, we left.
   
  I immediately called the Humane Society, only ours is closed this weekend for the installation of a new floor, I called the Animal Rescue League and left a long message for their investigator, and I called the township police, who told me they could do nothing unless there was something really awful going on...in other words, this being Saturday, there was nothing I could do.  I would have bought the piggie and taken him/her home if I weren't up to the limit of critters permitted by my apartment complex...and that would not solve the problem, obviously, if these people have been doing this sort of thing for thirty years.
   
  So, GPDD, I am totally counting on you to help, especially any of you in the general vicinity of Pittsburgh.  The pet store is called the West Hills Pet Center; their address is 475 Home Drive, Pittsburgh, PA  15275, their phone number is (412) 424-0221, and their website is westhillspet.com.  What really kills me is that they compare themselves to PetSmart on their homepage (it was "Randy" who is pictured on the homepage who invited me to leave the store) and I have never seen guinea pigs thrown in with rabbits at any PetSmart!  
   
  I will also appreciate suggestions as to how else to make sure that these people STOP this practice immediately...thanks guys! I am reminded of someone who found a pregnant piggie housed with a rabbit in a pet store a few months ago but don't remember if that was resolved favorably.
   
  Diana, Slave to Lucy Sophie Cavy-Piggie and Lily Penelope Mousington