Aug24
Brookstone In Trouble for Running Illegal Pet Shops
Posted at 03:02 PM | Permalink
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Brookstone store employees—many of whom are straight out of high school, not vet school—are the sole caretakers of these animals while the Frog-O-Spheres are in the stores. According to Brookstone's head honchos, the only time these frogs receive any "care" is when employees briefly peer into the Frog-O-Sphere to check on the animals' condition. After performing these spot checks, employees are instructed merely to write down whether the frogs are "expired," sick/injured, or healthy. Despite any store's claim that it has a veterinarian on file (per the Frog-O-Sphere SOPs), sick or injured frogs never receive medical attention. Instead, these animals—who are sensitive to sound and even minimal changes in temperature—are merely stashed in the back of the store until they either die or recover on their own.
Turns out this is illegal—in the Garden State, at least.
We did some digging and discovered that pet shops in New Jersey are required to provide veterinary care for sick or injured animals and must be licensed with the township in which they're located—both are details that Brookstone seems to have missed.
After we brought this to the attention of NJ authorities, PETA received word from across the state that inspectors were on the case (PETA quickly confirmed that a Princeton-area Brookstone has no license on file, and alerted local health authorities, who immediately issued a cease and desist order to the store.). The state's Office of Animal Welfare has also taken an interest in this matter because Brookstone was informed about the various permits that were needed before its stores even began selling these tiny torture chambers, but the company failed to obtain them.
Click here to tell Brookstone that it's time to stop selling living beings at all its stores.
Posted by Jeff Mackey
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Comments
I have lived in NJ my entire life. It is good to know we are doing something right!
Posted by: Rex's Mom | August 24, 2009 03:54 PM
Yes, New Jersey is famous for the mafia and recently the black market for kidneys. At least they care for animals.
Posted by: Edward | August 24, 2009 04:47 PM
I still think the frogs and turtles sold by the street vendors in Los Angeles Chinatown have it worse. They are sold in plastic boxes with no water at all and not even a snail for company. As for food, the customer buys that separately and it's their choice to buy it or not.
Posted by: Rev. Meg Schramm | August 24, 2009 07:22 PM
Thank you, PETA. I hope they get the crap fined out of them.
Posted by: Chris | August 24, 2009 07:59 PM
America neads a powerful politician, Reverend or social justice leader that exclusively accentuates the moral imperative for people to cease and desist from exploiting, killing and mistreating God's creatures.
Posted by: Brien Comerford | August 24, 2009 08:15 PM
I saw these things at a Brookstone near where I live in Jersey long before this investigation. They are disturbing as all hell. The frogs don't even move (as if there would be much anywhere to go.) They just float hopelessly in the water. When I first saw it, I thought it had to be a joke item. I figured the frogs had to be made of rubber. Nope.
Posted by: Gregory Fein | August 24, 2009 08:23 PM
Yay Peta! Great job!
Posted by: lynda downie | August 25, 2009 12:40 AM
When my sister and I were kids, before I knew better, we used to catch tiny frogs and make our own frog-o-spheres (which I now refer to as torture chambers) out of glass jars, water and rocks. Knowing that we could not care for them correctly though, after a few hours we always returned our captives to where we found them. We did this about once or twice during summer vacations. Knowing what I do now, though, if I had kids, I would not let them do this.
Posted by: Rev. Meg Schramm | August 25, 2009 03:00 PM
Aww poor frogs and snails. Locked in little prisons all of there lives. If you go on the webpage for these Frog-o-Spheres on the Brookstone website most people who have bought this say the frog died in a week!
Posted by: Emily G. | August 25, 2009 04:57 PM
Aww poor frogs and snails. Locked in little prisons all of there lives. If you go on the webpage for these Frog-o-Spheres on the Brookstone website most people who have bought this say the frog died in a week!
Posted by: Emily G. | August 25, 2009 04:57 PM
they are also selling these frog o sphere in Hallmark store Stoneridge mall in Gahanna ohio. I would think they maybe are selling them in other Hallmark stores but not sure.
Posted by: fred Brown | August 28, 2009 10:38 AM
they are also I n Hallmark in Ellicott City, Md. What can I do to help. My 11 year old was up all night thinking about how awful these frogs have it. She wants to go buy them all and set them free. I told her that would only make them want to sell more.
Posted by: Laura | September 26, 2009 07:53 AM