PetSmart Would Be Wise To Stop Selling ALL Animals
posted by: Heather Moore 15 days ago
PetSmart Would Be Wise To Stop Selling ALL Animals
Hello, I saw this article on Care2 and thought you'd like it as well. Care2 is the largest and most trusted information and action site for people who care to make a difference in their lives and the world.
Although PetSmart does not sell dogs or cats because so many of them are euthanized in shelters every year—and the company stopped selling large exotic birds three years ago for ethical reasons—the pet store chain still sells smaller birds, reptiles, hamsters, rats, chinchillas, and other animals. Most of these animals come from deplorable breeding mills, similar to puppy mills, and are treated with no more kindness and care than the tug toys and chew bones sold at PetSmart. (See www.PetSmartCruelty.com to read about PETA’s undercover investigation at Rainbow World Exotics, a breeding mill that supplies tens of thousands of animals to PetSmart.)
Just recently, former madam Heidi Fleiss attended PetSmart’s annual meeting in New York City and asked company executives to stop selling all exotic birds. Fleiss, who cares for about 20 parrots, macaws, and other tropical birds who she inherited or took in, pointed out that birds are complex, intelligent animals who require a great deal of care and commitment. "Birds are meant to fly, not be caged," said Fleiss, who spent 21-months in prison for running a prostitution business. (The birds Fleiss cares for live uncaged on a 10-acre compound.)
In the wild, birds preen each other, fly together, play, and share egg-incubation duties. In pet stores, they’re confined to tiny cages, their wings are clipped, and many are denied the companionship of their own kind. They become aggressive and neurotic—pulling out their feathers, incessantly screeching and bobbing their heads, pecking frantically at the bars of their cages, and shaking from anxiety.
Pet stores shouldn’t put a price tag on birds and other animals—they’re living beings, not merchandise. While PetSmart has taken some commendable steps to help stop the suffering of large exotic birds, and to combat dog and cat overpopulation, the company would be wise to stop selling all animals and focus only on adopting out homeless animals from shelters and rescue groups. Since animal sales make up a small percentage of PetSmart’s annual sales, it’s not “unreasonable” for the company to stop selling them. PetSmart could better meet the needs of people with animal companions if it sold only food, toys, and other supplies.
Until then, it’s really just stupid to shop at PetSmart. If you have an animal companion, please only support pet stores and online companies that do not sell any animals. To send a message to PetSmart and find you what else you can do to help animals bred for PetSmart stores, see http://www.petsmartcruelty.com/what_you_can_do.asp. And, to sign the Care2 petition, go to http://www.thepetitionsite.com/18/help-stop-animal-cruelty-in-big-chain-pet-stores.Read more: animal welfare
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