Worried & Frustrated

[Sealy]

I remember now why I stopped doing dog rescue I constantly struggled with wanting to save them all I made myself physically sick and deeply depressed.
Saturday, I noticed a new pet store opened up near me. I stopped in to have a look around ( I'm always on the lookout for great bun stuff locally). I ended up crying right there in the middle of the store.
When you first walk in the door, your first sight are many many snakes, frogs, geckos, crickets, mice & turtles for sale. Right adjacent to that are bunnies. Lots of bunnies. Too many bunnies. All crammed into small cages with pine shavings , spilled or no food, no hay and right next to snakes and huge mawcaws!
The flies in the cages and the whole store was so bad I almost gagged.
Back to the buns... I would estimate about 30 buns.. small babies, lots of lops, a couple of mini rexes, N. Dwarfs... most seemd outwardly ok. No runny noses ( yet) mostly just yukky dirty from sitting in urine and poop. But there was this one...
a long haired something or the other, not sure the breed, looked very similar to the one I got from the shelter on the same day... it was so scrawny, so sickly looking. I picked her/him up and their was so much poop stuck to it's bottom, i just had tears rolling down my cheeks. I wanted so badly to get him/her out of there, but I was so torn with contributing to the pet store ( the whole 'I'm rescuing this one but the owner just sees another sell and encourages them to keep selling) debate.
I did happen to see the owner that day, told him the bun was sick, told him about wood stove pellets ( which he sells in the store) would make much better & safer litter for them, mentioned how much they loved hay etc etc. Needless to say I made him mad. I didn't care if he was mad or not honestly. I told him all of this stuff in a very nice * kiss butt* way, but I guess he thought I was a know -it-all trying to tell him how to run his store.
Anyway, I have worried about this little bun so much since Saturday. I just feel he is going to die if he stays there.
I could call our local SPCA that does the investigations, I have friends that are there, but i mentioned it to one of my friends that has been there for about 15 yrs and she just blew it off. -They're just rabbits.-
Sigh. Should I go back and get him or just try and be tougher and love my buns even more?
thanks for letting me vent.. I just love Bunny people

~Sealy

 

[bat42072]

I am n ot sure what you should do... I would probably go get him... though i don't need anymore bunnies... I am just too soft harted... call and report the pet store would probably be the best thing for you to do....

 

[binkies]

I would try to get him to give the rabbit to you. As much as I hate to support stores like that, I don't think I could live with leaving a helpless animal in that situation. Tell him it is sick and nobody will buy a sick animal. Also mention that if people see a sick animal they will wonder about the health of the others and wont buy from mom. It will hurt him in the wallet, considering it seems that is the only place he feels anything. Even if you can't keep the poor thing, you can always just foster and find a great home after it feels better.

 

[SDShorty]

I know its the first instinct to want to buy it and take it home with you, but please think of this way. If you 'buy' any of those bunnies, as much as anyone would want to take them away from there, that man is just going to turn around and purchase more bunnies to replace them, and the cycle will never end

I would definitely report HIM! If your friend blew you off, i"m sorry but she should NOT be working at a humane society!:X "just rabbits"? What kind of SPCA worker is she?? SPCA is supposed to be for the welfare of ALL animals, even if its just a little mouse! Sorry that makes me very angry :grumpy: I would talk to someone other than your friend at the SPCA until someone actually goes there to investigate what this man is doing. And I would not purchase anything from there, but keep going back there to see and make sure the conditions don't get any worse for those poor helpless animals

 

[polly]

I agree with sd shorty why does your friend do that job if they are "just rabbits" is she the same if it is just dogs. Call get someone else and report him if you don't report them they will keep getting a way with it. and that is not on!

 

[browneyedgal]

It certainly is a tough decision for you. i would feel for the rabbit and want to rescue it like you said. However, I think the shop owner should be reported for cruelty to animals, putting them in conditions that is unliveable. I am sure that there must be such laws out there to stop inhumane treatment of animals.

Were those bunnies meant to be sold as food for the snakes?? I have read a site that sells frozen rabbits for snakes - yucks :X !!

I despise those who claim that they are animal lovers and work for the SPCA but in reality they fall short of the basic expectation of an animal lover. Shame.

I emphatize with you Sealy. Just last week, I saved a bun from being abandoned and I know exactly how you feel.

Browneyedgal

 

[missyscove]

You have no reason not to report it. The worst that can happen is nothing. It would never be good for their business to have a report filed against them.

 

[jedichef222]

That's horrible. When I was looking around for pet stuff, one store I went to had about half a dozen bunnies (I didn't *notice* any problems other than overcrowding) and I still decided I'd rather not shop there for anything, let alone buns.

Here's my suggestions, if you want to do something (keep in mind I haven't actually done anything like this myself yet, then again the pet stores I've seen around here aren't nearly that bad - the larger stores that have a couple bunnies at least have them in a fairly large habbitat that seems clean).

1. Print out some info from here and other bunny sites directed at the problems you see and give them to the owner. Then tell them you'll be back in a few days if they have any questions. (If you want, offer to foster the sick bun for free - but don't pay until the store improves.)

2. Go back, and if they haven't improved, start snapping a ton of pictures. Tell them you'll be back every few days until they improve.

3. Report them to the SPCA and send pictures.

4. Write letters to the editor to local papers, and send pictures. Don't forget about college newspapers. You could try calling TV and radio stations too. If the SPCA doesn't respond properly to the complaint, mention that as well.

If you want me to look over your letters or anything before you send them, I'd be more than happy to help (I was editor-in-chief of my college newspaper).

It could take a lot of work to get this situation to change, and honestly if it was just a few buns they had, I'd be upset but would just try to put it out of my mind and not shop there. But for 30 buns to be mistreated, that's ridiculous. :grumpy:

At the very least, if you don't have time or energy to do everything I suggest (and that would be understandable) don't hesitate to report the store and to send what you wrote here to a couple newspapers.

 

[gentle giants]

I think what I would do is, first go in there and tell him if he doesn't GIVE you that rabbit, as in asap, that not only will you call the ASPCA on him, but you will write letters to the paper, etc about how he is treating his animals, and that they are unhealthy.
Then, if he gives you the rabbit or not, call the ASPCA anyway, for the sake of the other rabbits.

OUr local pet store sells rabbits, and I hate to see it, but at least they have clean cages, hay, and are in good health.

 

[luvthempigs]

As much as I understand the whole don't buy one because it's a sale for the store I just can't see leaving an animal in that condition especiallyif you are able to help.

I have done it myself with some of my guinea pigs. In fact, I have one female who was practically bald from mites and a fungal infection that she was having fits rolling around the cage (not normal behaviour for a healthy pig) her entire bottom was bald. She was very young, small and miserable and I could not leave without her. I talked to the store manager and told her the pig need to see a vet. She told me that they bathed her yesterday and that she just got like that (which I know was a bunch of crap, that doesn't happen over night) anyway I told her that I had a cavy knowledgeable vet and that I would be willing to take her and treat her. They were not willing to give her to me but they did cut the cost from $30.00 to $10.00 (which is what they pay for them) I was happy enough with that and left with another pig to add to the herd. She is fully grown and a happy healthy girl now I dont' regret buying her for one minute.

I know you can't help them all but there are those special ones who tug at your heart strings.

I vote to go back for the little guy

 

[jcottonl02]

God I'm so glad we don't have that problem in England- I mean- its not perfect- far from it- but nothing like that.

Personally I would call someone- i don't know- RSPCA or something and report this dude. He shouldn't have any sort of licence to stock or sell animals- I would go as far to say he was a cruel, heartless human being.

If you want the bun, then definately get it. The little guy needs a loving home- and I'm sure you can be the one to provide it. Of course- if you don't want him, and it's guilt your feeling, then don't worry- contact someone and give him to a rescue centre- he will be completely looked after and loved there.

Don't worry about the contributing to the store by buying him- put that out of your mind for now. You've got two things to worry about- buy the bunny or make him safe, and definately report this guy. I don't know where- I'm not too knowledgable about this sort of thing- but you've got to do something- even if it's just raising awareness about this shop. Just give a rescue place a ring, give them the name of the shop and let them deal with it- don't warn the dude or anything- it could give him the chance to clean up the buns, make everything look acceptable, and then when he's not charged or wahtever by the RSCPA or wahtever, just revert back to his old ways. Just ring.

Don't give him another chance- he had a chance (and blew it!) when he opened the damn shop. He's had it and blew it. You've tried to speak to him- clearly all that matters in his dull little life is money (god im finding it hard not to swear). Someone like that can never change. You just need to try and get him shut down.

Do what was suggested earlier- send letters to newspapers etc. etc. and definately contact someone like RSPCA.

'Just bunnies'. *grits teeth* .......'just....bunnies'.

It's like a child being kidnapped and someone saying 'oh its just a child'

Good luck with everything and let us know how it goes.

 

[War_Tepes]

Go back for the bun.

If he's a prick about it, report him and do what everyone else has suggested lol.





War

 

[Sealy]

Sorry for taking so long to reply, but I've been building a new NIC Bunny condo ( actually more like a huge castle) and have been trying to get it finished.
I have an update.
I spoke to another friend of mine at the Rescue League and stressed how worried I was about this one Bun, and re described the horrid conditions in this pet store. She siad it sounded like one they put out of business last year in a town over from us. She said they would get right on it and investigate. One of the problems is even though this agency is our state's animal cruelty regulator, they do not have any type of police backing. ( Only with Pit Bulls) So they must go through the town's local animal control. Sometimes that can slow things down. Anyway, as soon as I find out what happened, I will update again. If they do confinscate animals, there will be at least 30 baby buns, dozens of snakes, birds ( parrots, macaws, etc), lizards, puppies, frogs and turtles at the shelter. :/
I did go back and check on the sickly bun, he is still alive but still sickly. The owner is out of town so no giving away of buns will be happening. But, since I went ahead and reported him, I imagine things will start moving swiftly. There's no way I could buy him. As bad as I wanted to get him out of there, ( tis the reason I have struggled with so many tears) I just can't support his cruelty with money. Those type of people don't care WHY you are buying, in fact, they are hoping people feel sorry for the animals and will buy, they just see a buck. Sigh.
Anyways, thanks for the support and great advice ( love the letters idea!) I will update when I find out what happened.

~ Sealy

 

[jcottonl02]

Wow- well done you!! It's thanks to you that something can be done to save all those animals- well done- you should feel really good
I'm so glad they are going to do something serious about it- sounds like he's going to be shut down, like the last place you mentioned. Thank God.

If you don't think you have enough room for the bun or you just can't get him etc. then don't woz- but if you do want to get him, and your stopping youself becuase you think you'll be helping him- i think your wrong- you wouldn't be funding his cruelty. The buns will all go to a shelter anyway, when he gets shut down. An extra 10, 15 quid in his pocket isn't going to make one jot of difference to whether he loses his license to sell animals etc. and it would just give this bun a home straight away rather than moving to a shelter first- if he is still....okay....when they manage to shut down this dude.

Well done and good luck!

 

[TK Bunnies]

That's horrible!!!!!!:tantrum:If I were you I would call the local SPCA. You should ell them about the sick bun, and how the living conditions are terible. They may do what your freind did and blow-it-off but you could politlyremind them it's there job to rescue sick and uncared for animals. :stikpoke If they refuse, or can't do anything you should get the rabbit. (maybe write a check that you know will bounce just kidding):biggrin2:You could allso start a pettion aginst this pet store. Or applie for a job there and fix it up. But that rabbit needs help!:nurse: i think the best and fastest thing you should do is get the rabbit then complain to the SPCA.

Well any way good luck, and I hope the store shapes up and the bun is okay!ray:

-TK

Wow great job!! You did the right thing!! Sorry I hadn't read your update!!

-TK

 

[bluebird]

Good job,every animal deserves humane treatment.bluebird

 

[Sealy]

Yet another update:
My mother went by the petstore yesterday. She said all but 4 buns were gone ( sold or died? ) I didn't realize thier was a big run on buying Buns this time of year? Especially at 30-40 dollars ( US) a bun. Anyways, the sickly one was gone as well.
I wonder if somone who felt sorry for them just bought them all.
The conditions of the store were a tad better, the cages clean, but I imagine they had just done a touch of cleaning .
My mother asked them if they had ever been 'harrassed' by the shelters or been checked ( she was trying not to sound suspicious) . the owner said they did have the animal control officer come by and said that even though he wasn't happy about the uncleanliness, since they were doing what was required ( keeping the animals fed, watered and somewhat clean, added that he knew they couldn't be kept clean all the time. They ( the petstore) were not in any violation.
I think morally and ethically it's all wrong but as far as the laws go ( at least for our state) they are just on the borderline.
I am going down there sometime this week a couple of times, and take inconspicious pictures and send them to the rescue league and my rescue league friend suggested, to the Attorney General.
I'm not going to give up though!

~Sealy

 

[jcottonl02]

Some animal control officer! Gee!
Well what you are doing is wonderful- well done! :biggrin2:
Thank God there are people like you around.

 

[Pet_Bunny]

I hope they don't restock any time soon.

I noticed there is a big sale going on at our place too. Most rabbits are going at half price, or for $9.00 with a purchase of a new cage.

Rainbows!

 

[iluvmybuns]

I KNOW EXACTLY how you felt with that little guy.

It's so hard to walk away, but people like us would end up with a million if we took them all that needed us....

Petstores suck. Ew.