Nov19
PETCO Ends Rabbit Sales
Posted at 10:10 AM | Permalink
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Comments (16)
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OK, so a bit of good news for bunnies. For years, PETA has been pushing PETCO to end the sale of animals in its stores. This week, the company finally announced that it will no longer sell rabbits in it stores. The phase-out begins immediately. By early 2009, the only rabbits at PETCO will come from animal shelters or rescue organizations. Mad props to the House Rabbit Society, whose efforts helped make this happen!
This is an important step in the right direction, because dogs and cats aren't the only animals left homeless in mass numbers by breeder- and "pet" industry–driven overpopulation. Rabbits are often bought on the spur of the moment—especially at Easter—by people who are unprepared for the huge responsibility of caring for them. By working with shelters and rescue societies to adopt rabbits instead of selling them, PETCO has joined a number of other companies that have already made the responsible decision not to add to the bunny overpopulation crisis.
But still …
PETCO, like PetSmart, continues to sell countless other animals who are bred, born, and warehoused in cruel animal mills such as Rainbow World Exotics (RWE). We met with PETCO last January before breaking our RWE investigation to show its representatives footage of the horrific conditions we found during our investigation at RWE. Though PETCO pledged to make some improvements, it continues to buy small animals from RWE.
RWE and other suppliers are so awful, and animal shelters and rescues are bursting at the seams with animals of all shapes and sizes. We hope that PETCO will continue to move in the right direction and soon stop selling all animals in its stores—and that PetSmart, Petland, and others will follow in PETCO's footsteps.
Posted by Jeff Mackey
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Comments
it's a start.....I am already boycotting them and will continue to do so until they care.
Posted by: mlo | November 19, 2008 07:18 PM
Well it's a start. I just wished they'd done that in the first place. It's ridiculous what humans do and have done. We can only ask ourselves, why?
Posted by: Paws | November 20, 2008 02:03 AM
I know they still suck, but we should send them a thank you for taking this step. If they recognize rabbits, it's a step in the right path. We've given them alot of negative press, but we can encourage them to continue going the right way by telling them that we appreciate their efforts. I hope one day there are only rescues in Petco and Petsmart.
Posted by: Anita50882 | November 20, 2008 07:58 AM
This IS a great start and it about time. It's crazy to sell rabbits like this and get them as a pet on a whim! They are very smart, loving, sometimes extremely silly animals that do require a lot of gentle care. These are long term pets that have a high standard to keep them healthy. Not to mention the spade and neutering costs involved with getting a young rabbit. The care info that PETCO gives out on these fragile animals is almost all wrong! These are not a pet for children at anytime. I do encourage PETCO's effort. Thank you PETCO.
Posted by: Wendy | November 20, 2008 10:34 AM
It's a small step, but definitely in the right direction. Now, if they will stop selling all the other cute little critters, and provide adoption placing in the stores for the guinea pigs, mice, hamsters, fish, reptiles, spiders, etc... THAT would be FABULOUS!!
Posted by: Shadow608 | November 20, 2008 11:22 AM
Ours up here is Petland... a death sentence for animals!!! Pet Valu... they only adopt out recues, their food options include vegan meals for cats and dogs, wonderful! And the people who work there are always warm and friendly, just beautiful people!!! Now if Petco and places like Petland can do the same... Hallelujah!!!
Posted by: Carla | November 20, 2008 12:36 PM
It's a start...but its a good start. At least they are fianlly listening and taking action for the good. Now if only they could take these sort of measures with the other animals that suffer.
Posted by: Kirsten | November 20, 2008 12:46 PM
It's a start. I live with 3 house bunnies and to me they're like children. You need to be a qualified parent before you should take on the responsibility of raising them. I've had house bunnies all my life and I can tell you from 40+ years of experience, they are the most loving and devoted friends you could ever have. It pains me to see them in these shops and on the menu in restaurants, not to mention what's in labs and some gruesome YouTube videos of snakes eating baby bunnies. I don't know what, how, why... I don't understand. I know these people are just not the same as you and me. Something's missing there. They aren't going to choose to stop treating animals this way on their own. They can't have a change of heart when there isn't a heart in there to begin with. It's up to us to apply never-ending pressure to protect these precious and sweet little ones.
Posted by: Deb | November 20, 2008 06:25 PM
YES, we should all call Petco(can someone post the number to call) and tell them that we appreciate their not selling rabbits and we hope they will extend their ban to all live animals. I understand that they will have rescued animals. Who will be qualified to do/supervise those adoptions??
Posted by: BungieMungie | November 20, 2008 06:55 PM
I personaly dont like PETCO either, even though I do not support PETA on most things. The PETCOs I have been in have been dirty and they dont take good care of their animals, the cages are dirty. Rabbits on the other hand I have raised for 15 years as show and pets. Mostly show rabbits. They do not require the intinse care some may think, all they require is clean food (an 1/8 cup per pound of rabbit in the evening) and a fresh supply water at all times. I used to keep my rabbits in their cages next to each other so they could intercat and they all had toys in their cages. I was a breeder of good, healthy happy rabbits that won in the show ring, and I am proud of it.
Alicia
Posted by: Alicia | November 21, 2008 09:53 AM
i am so glad that they are not going to sell rabbits anymore as a person who owns and shows rabbits i was appalled at how the rabbits at my local petco were treated. the rabbits were in small cages sold neutered(which in rabbit competitions is considered a disqualification)and were $70 (get a good rabbit from a breeder for half the price) and they had no sign what breed the rabbit was nor did anyone workign there have any idea about rabbits and these "purebred" rabbits were obviously mixbreed.
Posted by: whitney | November 21, 2008 12:04 PM
I don't believe them, this sounds so familiar. Haven't they promised similar things then gone back on that promise? They suck & should be shut down forever. We the idiot consumers are the ones keeping them open & prosperous.
Posted by: Jazmin | November 21, 2008 04:07 PM
I purchased 2 bunnies from Petco in Sept 08. They seem to be healthy and happy. One is very friendly with people and the other is shy, but does ok. I am glad I got them rather than someone who may not care for them properly. They did tell me the bunnies had been there for months, apparently unsold.
Posted by: Debbie | November 22, 2008 08:13 PM
why is that most tend to think if they go into a store and that store is run by IDIOTS that ALL of the stores are run by IDIOTS??? I worked retail for the better part of 20 years & you can't generalize a company based on 1 or 2 locations... In most cases, it's an Manager(who happens to be an IDIOT) who hires people to work the store but may not be up to keeping the store at a good image to the customer... The Petco by where I live tries to make sure whoever they hire has "animal experience" so they are better able to help people buy an animal that may not be thinking about just HOW MUCH time/care will be involved... My wife & I used to raise hamsters as a sort of "therapy" for me after a store I was working at the time failed to follow through on a promise they had made me just prior to a medical leave due to a back injury I had suffered... I was in a deep depression & my wife knew that whenever we'd be at the local pet stores (picking up supplies for our dog & birds) that I'd usually go into the small animal sections & 'talk' with the hamsters/mice & other 'furry' critters there & how I'd be happier than when we first gone into the store(s)... I know our Petco tends to recommend to people buying an animal for the 1st time to 'read up' on the type of animal they want before buying to be sure it's a 'good fit' for animal/owner... Especially if the animal is being bought for a small child... Also, our Petco most of the time will have anywhere from 1 - 5 animals "up for adoption" in addition to the regular animals they sell... We've adopted any number of these from time to time as long as we had the space available for them to make sure they went to a good home... Unfortunately, as my health has gotten worse over the past few years, we've had to stop doing this as our animals have gotten older & passed on to the next life... Also, just because a place is calling itself a "shelter" doesn't always mean the animals are better off... I've been in some "shelters" that are as bad or worse than some of the retail stores people have been going on about... But, it all comes down to the same thing; having the RIGHT KIND of PERSON taking care of the animals...
Posted by: Mac | November 23, 2008 03:25 AM
I am thinking that this is great, but as for not selling animals at all. Only sheltered animals. I do not see that feasible or possible.
Yes, everyone wants to save the little furry animals that they think are so cute. But what about the scaly ones who need those furry ones to survive? If petco and petsmart started selling only rescues then how could a snake owner rely on them to have a mouse for their snakes' meal/s?
Posted by: John Kliewer | November 26, 2008 01:24 PM
I think that exotic animals belong in the wild where they are free to roam and lead the lives they were intended to, not like prisoners in somebody's house.
Posted by: Margo | January 3, 2009 09:38 PM