From Tehoe: I live in East Lansing Michigan and I would like to try
drawing attention to the life of a male Siamese Fighter fish (Beta splendens)
in local superstore (but this is the case in every big chain similar to this
one).
These animals are kept in small tanks with no heating, alone. It is known
that two males would fight if together but there is no excuse not to keep
them in normal tanks (but separated) where the other fishes (not fighters)
are kept and there is a heat source. These fighters kept the way they are
slowly get sick, loose colors, and die. This torture lasts for a long time
and is exceptionally disturbing to me.
From Zelda: Pet stores are notorious for purchasing dogs/puppies from puppymills who only care about the almighty dollar. The dogs are usually not in the best of condition, more often than not sick, sold for a ridiculous amount of money, transported to the stores in less than humane conditions and then forced into a small cage with wire floors for days or weeks at a time. Welcome to the world puppy - and you wonder why animals can be mean! Hello - smacks of pure greed to me. Please get a shelter dog - or purchase from a reputable breeder - if we do this - then the disreputable puppymills will stop because they aren't getting the animals sold. This problem won't change overnight but at least some states are now issuing legislation to disallow transport into their states without REAL health certificates.
Don't even get me started on the big chains like Petco and Petsmart - the employees are usually young, not trained properly in the care of the animals and because they are often teenagers more interested in socializing than cleaning a cage out. The employee turnover rate is high and so only the animals suffer - the stores make the money and that is all they care about.