I plan to, in the future, wear a bunny suit as my halloween costume, but rather than a cute bunny make it a bloody, sad looking sickly chopped up bunny wearing whoreish makeup and a shirt that says 'stop animal testing'

Posted by: PanDa | September 16, 2009 12:29 PM

Don't you mean "Jellyseakitten" lamp!

Posted by: Steve | September 16, 2009 12:52 PM

What a great idea!

Posted by: Kelsy Hoffman | September 16, 2009 12:58 PM

I have done this many times, I always carry info on why not to wear fur, I think everyone should be aware of what they are wearing, I know I have changed a few minds, but also I know that some people do not care, which goes to show that we must be the voices for those who cannot speak

Posted by: Crissy | September 16, 2009 12:58 PM

i did a anti-fur protest outside of neiman marcus. of course we had 2 older women come by in their fur coats and scared them pretty bad because we had a skinned fox there to show them what they were doing by wearing fur. just creating awareness if it can get one more person to stop doing it makes it worth it.

Posted by: Jacinda Virgin | September 16, 2009 12:58 PM

How cruel to submit animal to a certain death! I applaud you on your efforts to eradicate Animal Cruelty!

Delores A,Hardin

Posted by: Delores Hardin | September 16, 2009 12:59 PM

Thanks Karin for your great story!

I work with a Peer Education group on my campus, and I create Bulletin Board lay outs for RA's to post on bulletin boards on their floors.

Recently I just created a Vegetarianism/Veganism bulletin board lay out. It includes information on how to safely and healthily become a vegetarian or vegan, fun recipes, and tons of information on animal's rights. The last page of the lay out is a list of companies that abuse, use and/or test on animals. Along with it, I have a list (which is gratefully longer) of companies that do NOT abuse, use and/or test on animals.

I hope to inform my fellow peers about the dangers of animal testing and the horrors of animal cruelty. Sometimes as a college student, life is so overwhelming we look over things that we would normally stand up against. I hope to by letting students know that they can make a difference, whether it be abstaining from meat and dairy, adopting a pet, or switching to a cruelty-free cosmetic line.

Thanks again!
Anna

Posted by: Anna DeVeau-Jalbert | September 16, 2009 01:06 PM

It's a garden of kindness so you can DIG IT! LOVE it! Pick me :)

Posted by: abby williams | September 16, 2009 01:07 PM

In science last year we had a talk on animals that are dissected, it was the entire year 10 and 11 and they were going to do a practical on a stage with cameras infront of us, I decieded to not watch this but to instead I used my art coursework which was about being a vegan and with my art teachers help I put it up all over the hall, and then the best part, I mangaged to switch some the the leads to their microphones and got it transferred to the rest of the school while we heard the annoucements from the rest of the school. I did get suspended and I almost was expelled but I do think it was time well spent in my lunches and the talk didn't really go well, as there are quite a few veggies and vegans in the school :D

Posted by: Lucie Owen | September 16, 2009 01:08 PM

Are these real jellyfish? Since PETA is promoting it, I would think not. If so, this is cruel and should be rejected by anyone who supports animal rights.

Posted by: Alfred | September 16, 2009 01:11 PM

Get the word out, it's amazing how effective someone can be once they plant a seed of knowledge because it just grows and grows. I do it all the time in the name of animals :)

Posted by: DeAnna | September 16, 2009 01:14 PM

I had written a letter to PetNO (aka Petco) in regards to my very very very last shopping experience with them in how they keep their mice/and small animals in over crowded cages in ways that they are literally right on top of each other. I have boycotted their store since.
I wrote the letter and sent it the the president and CEO of the company, never heard back from them of course.

I also work for a certain large clothing company and they have taken many steps in limiting their fur products. In our Company meeting they ask employees for feedback on everything and anything, myself and a fellow friend employee stepped up and said we would love to see all fur products eliminated from our inventory. The "higher ups" had even said they were taking more and more steps in making that so. Now more products have faux fur on them. which we still get emails of customers complaining about not having enough fur.... ick.
Now hearing that we may be passing a coyote hunting law in Maine, I plan on making a petition against hunting them.

Posted by: Corey Robben | September 16, 2009 01:15 PM

I have made call after call and have written letter after inflammatory letter about the Frog-O-Spheres - now I'd love to take it a step further by selling my own "Corporate Hog-O-Spheres". Like with their Frog cousins, each "Corporate Hog-O-Sphere" contains your very own little Corporate Hog to nurture and love. The kit also contains everything you will need to keep your Corporate Hog happy - shredded $100 bills for him to feed on and a bottle containing the blood of innocently slaughtered animals for him to drink. Buy now! Only $19.99!

Posted by: Nicole | September 16, 2009 01:20 PM

Activism for animals is a regular part of life in our family tradition. There are so many experiences to share, but I remember especially the first time I took my daughter with me to a protest. She was 6 months old. We met with a group of activists at the Ringling Brothers site in downtown Los Angeles, it was 2002. As people lined up to watch the spectacle of tortured elephants and emotionally tormented big cats, we spoke to them about the truth in these training "techniques". It was an initiation for my child who now has a profound understanding of how animals feel and love. Watching the light come on in people's eyes as they realized the cost to these animals for "entertainment" and they took their children home instead of buying tickets, made the day so worth while. As we left we saw the elephants in their pens outside the arena pacing back and forth and rocking in their disturbed states. We can't stop until cruelty to animals for "entertainment" is ended. My daughter is now a dedicated animal rights fighter at the age of 7. She would love the jellyfish light!

Posted by: amanda C | September 16, 2009 01:20 PM

As I am afraid of the dark this would be wonderful! and could also be a good conversation starter as to why I have it - i can then pass the mesage of PETA!!!

Posted by: Gianna Giovanello | September 16, 2009 01:24 PM

I love this its so cool. I want one.

Posted by: laura manos | September 16, 2009 01:24 PM

When I used to work at a store in the mall, I would have to find discreet ways to educate people about animal cruelty without risking my job. On one occassion, some friends and I went into the leather store and slipped Peta anti-leather pamphlets into as many coat pockets as we could, so when people would try them on, they would discover them. Another time, we stayed after closing and put Peta's hermit crab stickers all over the kiosk that sold the little creatures. I'm sure they suspected me, though, because my store was right across from the kiosk, and I had also put the stickers on the front of my register so that customers would be thinking about that cruelty as they walked past their stand. They didn't stay in business long.

Posted by: Jeanette Eckert | September 16, 2009 01:34 PM

I was walking from an adoptathon that I was participitaing in to go and get lunch when I came across two long hair medium size dogs in a car panting heavily now we live in Fl and it was HOT that day. I went in the rest. to see if anyone would claim them and of course nobody said a thing. I called animal control and gave them the lic# and waited by the car until the couple came strolling out of the rest about 15 minutes later. I was so mad and asked if they were trying to kill their dogs and informed them that animal control had been called and it is illiegal to leave a dog in the car period, doesn't matter how long. How dare these people go on to a rest. to eat in the AC while their dogs were suffering and trying to breath.

Posted by: Sherri Brett RObbins | September 16, 2009 01:48 PM

I will not be visiting your stores until you clear your shelves of Frog-O-Spheres. They are tiny torture chambers and they are terrible!!!!

Posted by: Danielle Cooper | September 16, 2009 01:48 PM

To whom it may concern,

I have always loved shopping at Brookstone. It's always been a pleasure wandering through the store to discover the new and interesting gadgets and travel accoutrements. However, my last visit was tainted by a large display facing the mall that held tiny clear boxes filled with live snails and tiny frogs. As a firm believer in animal rights, i was deeply saddened to realize this store was trying to make quick money off the suffering of animals.

I find it hard to believe that people hired for their skill in selling the latest massage chair will be able to properly care for these sensitive, living creatures while they are still in the store. Even more, they cannot possibly explain how to care for the animals in the case where someone gives in to the temptation and purchases one of the over-priced Frog-o-spheres.

Brookstone is peddling these "novelty" items as an easy to care for pet...but no pet is meant to be left on a shelf and forgotten except for feeding once or twice a week. All animals require regular care and attention. All i can see in the future of Frog-o-spheres is a lot of disgruntled buyers and, sadly, a lot of dead frogs and snails.

So please, show your care and concern for animals and remove the Frog-o-spheres from your stores and stick with what you know best, novelty massage chairs and funky alarm clocks...once you do, I will happily give your my patronage once again.

Sincerely,

Christina Moschella

Posted by: Christina Moschella | September 16, 2009 01:57 PM

Please stop selling Frog-O-Spheres immediatly! Frogs and snails are wonderful, amazing little critters that deserve care and attention.

I was horrified to learn not that Brookstone is selling live animals in tiny boxes and that store employees are apparently putting the sick and dying animals out of sight of customers, instead of seeking veterinary attention for languishing frogs and snails.

Please adopt a company policy against selling any live animals! These aquariums have the potential for catastrophic effects on local ecosystems! Well-intentioned consumers may release aquarium inhabitants into local woods, fields, and backyards.

THANK YOU

Posted by: Amanda Westrheim | September 16, 2009 02:01 PM

I’m writing to encourage you to please follow the lead of major retailers Target and Walgreens, and immediately stop selling Frog-O-Spheres. Despite numerous customer complaints, your company continues to sell African dwarf frogs and snails in small, inadequate tanks called "Frog-O-Spheres," relegating these animals to die a slow, miserable death.

Additionally, the directions included with the Frog-O-Spheres mislead shoppers about these animals appropriate level of care and what they need to survive—not only does this type of policy harm the animals, it sets your company up to have some very disgruntled customers, who perhaps are buying the animal in good faith that the information you’re providing is a truthful representation of their care needs. I strongly urge you to consider the environmental, ethical and practical impact of continuing your current practice, and exclude selling any type of animal in your stores.

As Mahatma Gandhi once reflected, "The measure of a society can be how well its people treat its animals."

Thank you for your consideration.

Posted by: Savona Holmes | September 16, 2009 02:16 PM

please take those little froggies off the shelf! they love you!

Posted by: tara | September 16, 2009 02:18 PM

Im sorry this isn't some really cool long worded comment but I seriously wont be going to a store that sells
Frog-o-spheres,ha ha more like "Frog-death-sphere by two so u can watch both die slowly!" I all most break into tears when I see those pore little froggie's in those boxes, AND DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE SNAILS! Snails and fros dont belong in tiny boxes just so some little kid can come and take them home and forget to feed it so it dies a slow painful death, they need to be free where they belong with all the other little froggies an snails are! FREE THE FROGGIES\SNAILS

Sincerely,
Iva G.

Posted by: Iva Gorman | September 16, 2009 02:57 PM

I was horrified to learn not only that Brookstone is selling live animals in tiny boxes but also that store employees have apparently been instructed to put sick and dying animals out of sight of customers, instead of seeking desperately needed veterinary attention for languishing frogs and snails.

In addition to supporting cruelty to animals, these aquariums have the potential for catastrophic effects on local ecosystems around the U.S., as well-intentioned consumers may release aquarium inhabitants into local woods, fields, and backyards.

Frogs and snails are not trinkets to be bought and sold. Please stop selling Frog-O-Spheres right away and adopt a company policy against selling any live animals.

Posted by: Elizabeth Macias | September 16, 2009 03:11 PM

Change the wording to include that these are mechanical, fake, not real jellyfish. Otherwise, it's a bit misleading (see comment above) -- I even had to go to the site to make sure...

Posted by: Mirek2 | September 16, 2009 03:16 PM

Dear Decision Makers for Brookstone:

Upon hearing that you are selling Frog-O-Spheres, with live frogs and snails, I was puzzled. I was unaware that you thought Brookstone would make a good pet store.

Well, I hate to tell you this, but the only pet stores that are good sell only supplies, not pets, and no animals are allowed to sicken and then die in the back of the store where customers cannot see.

I sincerely doubt that your employees have any training in animal care other than telling customers to feed the poor frogs imprisoned in those kits one pellet a week and assuming the poor snail can deal with cleaning the tank with no assistance.

I sincerely doubt that any of your employees know enough about the local ecosystem to be able to inform potential buyers of the consequences of releasing their prisoners into the wild as soon as their keepers are tired of them. If you would like an example of a state that is suffering from parental impulse buys, go on the internet and reasearch the problem Florida is having with released pet snakes. It is a nightmare!

Lastly, frogs and snails are not ornamental items for kids bedrooms. They are living creatures capable of great suffering. Please stop selling frogs, snails, or any other animals.

Sincerely,
Rev. Meg Schramm

Posted by: Rev. Meg Schramm | September 16, 2009 03:23 PM

It is disgusting and cruel how Brookstone boxes up any living/ breathing being and let them suffer just to make a dollar... It is truly disturbing that there are people out there with zero remorse or sympathy for these defenseless frogs, snails or any other animals that you continue to torture. The problem is that you don't see them as anything of importance... and you don't think about how these animals feel. What you do see are dollar signs. However, any store that sells animals that are kept in these horrible torture chambers and mistreated are losing a lot of customers because there are a lot of people out there that do care about animals and their welfare and we want no part of your sick marketing. Maybe you should think about that!

Posted by: Robyn | September 16, 2009 03:28 PM

I had no idea this was happening. I have never visited a Brookstone store, not sure if we have one in my area but I am going to check. The person that thought this Frog-O-Sphere up should be put in a little box and locked away. What type of person thinks these things up? The people that buy these things are just as much to blame as the ones that make them and sell them!
I love the quote someone posted in their response.

As Mahatma Gandhi once reflected, "The measure of a society can be how well its people treat its animals."

That is so very true. The same can be said for how the elderly are treated.

Posted by: Susan Dill | September 16, 2009 03:29 PM

Did everyone see this? Posted on Brookestone's site.

Dear Brookstone Customers:

Recently there have been public comments concerning the Brookstone Frog-O-Sphere.

Frog-O-Sphere has generated an overwhelmingly positive response from our customers. Thousands of people have adopted these amazing mini-ecosystems and welcomed their pet frogs into their homes and classrooms.

While we respect the right of all groups to express their views, we at Brookstone are happy that Frog-O-Sphere is bringing the joy of pet ownership to families and students across the country, and will continue to offer Frog-O-Sphere.

Brookstone provides all our staff and customers with detailed care instructions for our frogs, and have designated at least one Frog-O-Sphere specialist in each store to ensure that frogs receive proper care.

We thank everyone for their interest, enthusiasm and purchases of Frog-O-Spheres, and hope that you both enjoy owning your new pets and use Frog-O-Sphere as a starting point for learning about life in ecosystems.

Sincerely,

Philip Roizin
President and CEO
Brookstone

Posted by: Ang Reynolds | September 16, 2009 03:54 PM

I have just become an eighth grader, and last year, we had to dissect frogs, and a baby fetus pig! It was nasty! So me and a bunch of my friends decided to protest the dissection, and not do it. We wanted to show our teacher that we wouldn't support the killing of innocent frogs, and baby pigs.

Posted by: Me! | September 16, 2009 04:20 PM

To whom it may concern,
To those that own brookerstone, I find it offensive that you are sales the torture chambers for frogs and snails. I think that all creatures no matter how big or small have the right to leave and they shouldn't be stuck in a cage. I think that this things you call Frog-O-Spheres should be removed from your store and from any other store that carries them. Sent the frogs and snails free. Maybe they should make a sphere for the people of brookerstone just to see how they like it.
I really think that you would change your mind about selling them.

Sincerely,
melissa

Posted by: melissa | September 16, 2009 04:37 PM

Frogs and snails need to roam. They need to play with their friends, eat fresh food and hang out on live plants in the open air, not in a stagnant moldy box. They certainly have feelings of enjoyment when the breeze is blowing on their little faces while they're perched on a shinny green leaf bouncing in the wind. Enjoyment leads to healthiness. When any creature is not healthy they don't feel well. They are sick. Sickness is painful. Anything with a nervous system feels pain. Lets keep our frog and snail friends outside where they can be healthy and happy. Get rid of that stinky box. Imagine putting a human in a small bathroom to live for the rest of their life. They would probably go insane and eventually die a premature death all the while being utterly miserable. Please don't encourage people to put frogs and snails in small, dank boxes. I don't think I will be shopping at your store while you remain insensitive to frogs and snails.

Posted by: Brenna Robell | September 16, 2009 05:04 PM

please take those little froggies off the shelf! they love you!

Posted by: tara | September 16, 2009 05:23 PM

dear brookstone,
i was a loyal customer that shopped at your store often, until i saw you are selling live fogs & snails, it is not right and it is cruel, i am and 1000's of others are asking you to stop selling frogs and snails in your stores ! thank you tammy dovo

Posted by: tammy dovo | September 16, 2009 06:01 PM

"In a time, when majority of the world is setting trends and fighting to keep this world 'green', Brookstone stores are displaying and carrying out inhumane/cruel acts towards one of the many creatures that entice us to be green and stay green (in more than one way).

Management of Brookstone should feel ashamed in their indignified trading. It isn't too late to get pride and dignity back....STEP UP to THE PLATE, BROOKSTONE - Stop this sickness and join the humane society."

Posted by: Renee | September 16, 2009 07:44 PM

Thinkgeek.com is selling their own version of the frog-o-sphere :(

http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/c0d2/

Posted by: Rachel P | September 16, 2009 08:31 PM

To who ever came up with the frog torture devices,
Thank you for showing me how horrible people can be to such innocent creatures. Does money mean more to you than the souls of living breathing beings? How would you like to be locked up in a human-O-sphere, starving and dying? I wouldnt wish that fate on anyone and it hard to imagine that a human being would do that to another creature.
Im asking. No im begging you to see reason and stop selling frog-o-spheres its cruel. I believe all creatures on the earth have the right to a full happy life, you should too.

Posted by: Kathryn | September 16, 2009 08:31 PM

I want a faux jellyfish mood lamp for my office! :)

Posted by: Jay X | September 17, 2009 01:41 PM

Poor froggies. :(

Posted by: Shannon Shoemaker | September 17, 2009 03:43 PM

Dear Brookstone,

Let me just begin by saying,WHAT THE H E DOUBLE L WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU MADE FROG O SPHERES!?For starters, both the person buying and the frog suffers.Watching a frog die isn't fun,and niether is dieing!When I went to the Dominican republic,I met some little tadpole friends.In a barrel a rainwater,I found some tadpoles.I went to see them whenever i could.I would watch them happily swim together.I even got the privelige to watch one develop into a mini frog.I carefully picked it up to show it to everyone.I quickly put it back and watched the tadpoles swim around him.They must be big frogs by now,but I still felt real lucky to have gotten to watch them grow.They like to be in their natrual environment.Did you know that the sing at night?brookstone,please stop the suffering of these,cute,slimy,innocent creatures.Have a heart.Hear us out.I bet if you sold those little rubber pet thingys that grow in water,they would sell so much better.You get to watch a little rubber pet grow alot cheaper and less crulely.As for the snails,SET EM FREE!I have great memories of sitting around outside watching snails make slimy trails on leaves.When i showed them to my little cousins, their eyes would fill with brightness and curiousity.They would start asking questions and recite the answers to anyone that would listen.I think that if you stop the cruelty and find a new cool non cruel item to sell,we all win.

Posted by: Michelle A | September 18, 2009 07:23 PM

I have been against these cruel frog-o-spheres ever since I got one dumped on me by my cousin years ago. Sure, it wasn't from that store- Toys R Us, actually- but it is still relevant.

She got it for her birthday and decided she couldn't handle the responsibility of owning them and thought 'Hey, Megan likes animals, I will give it to her!' So she did, but no animal lover would ever be happy getting a frog-o-sphere. I got the sad sick frogs and their missing snail in their small little sphere of death soon after. I knew I couldn't release them, they may not be a local species, I don't want to throw off the ecosystem in my area. So I went out of my way to buy an expensive and large tank with a filter and such, to buy little crickets for them to eat and took care of them until they died a few weeks later- probably from sickness. It was so depressing.

There are two lessons in this- frogs don't belong in spheres and pets should not be given as gifts. I will never shop at a place that does condones the torture of frogs, and I will never forget the two baby frogs I tried to save.

Posted by: Megan Pearce | September 20, 2009 04:03 PM

these looks so cool to have man i'll be staring at them 24/7 if i win

Posted by: jeff | September 22, 2009 05:27 PM

I was horrified to learn not only that Brookstone is selling live animals in tiny boxes but also that store employees have apparently been instructed to put sick and dying animals out of sight of customers, instead of seeking desperately needed veterinary attention for languishing frogs and snails.

In addition to supporting cruelty to animals, these aquariums have the potential for catastrophic effects on local ecosystems around the U.S., as well-intentioned consumers may release aquarium inhabitants into local woods, fields, and backyards.

Frogs and snails are not trinkets to be bought and sold. Please stop selling Frog-O-Spheres right away and adopt a company policy against selling any live animals.

Posted by: Jennifer Barr | September 23, 2009 07:43 AM

Forgs and snails are living creatures with feelings, fears, and life. They shouldn't be help captive, not be trapped and contained like knick-knacks. We are considered to be the most intelligent species on the planet, yet soe people seem to forget these living creatures have feelings and shouldn't be imprisoned. We are humans, we should learn to be humane.

Love the jelly fish lamp, btw.

Posted by: Rachel | September 29, 2009 04:12 PM

Can you please correct my miss spelled rome. Change it to roam please. I'm a virgo moon. Oh and once again I tell you Brookstone respect the snails and frogs!! Take them out of that moldy death chamber!

Posted by: Brenna Robell | October 5, 2009 02:41 AM

Can you please correct my miss spelled rome. Change it to roam please. I'm a virgo moon. Oh and once again I tell you Brookstone respect the snails and frogs!! Take them out of that moldy death chamber!

Posted by: Brenna Robell | October 5, 2009 02:41 AM