I discovered where West is from, and confirmed she's spayed!

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 17sd replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 3 months ago by bunnnnnnie!.

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- 02/07/2012 at 5:57 AM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  So, my vet suggested West was a Petco rabbit. She even called the local Petco’s manager and confirmed that the tattoo in her ear was consistent with the tattoos the rabbits they sold had. Then she pointed me in the direction of Marshall Farms, who was the supplier of rabbits for Petco.
  
  I emailed Marshall farms, described her tattoo, and they said it sounds like she was one of their rabbits! They had a system of tattooing their rabbits with blue dots in a specific ear. One dot meant spayed female, two dots meant neutered male. They desexed all of their rabbits.
  
  So now I know a bit more about West’s past! I will say Marshall Farms was surprisingly good to contact and work with. I was thinking they’d not want to talk with me, since they have a pretty bad reputation about breeding rabbits, and got a lot of bad publicity when people protested Petco selling their rabbits (rightfully so, I’m glad Petco adopts out rabbits now, not sells). But they were very helpful and open to talking with me about West.
  
  Now I know a bit more about my West girl!
- 02/07/2012 at 6:09 AM
  RabbitPam
  Moderator
  11002 posts
  That’s so cool!
- 02/07/2012 at 6:11 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  That’s great! I’m familiar with Marshall Farms too and I thought at one time Petco stopped selling rabbits. But I’m glad you found out about West :~)
- 02/07/2012 at 7:01 AM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Posted By Sarita on 02/07/2012 06:11 AM
  That’s great! I’m familiar with Marshall Farms too and I thought at one time Petco stopped selling rabbits. But I’m glad you found out about West :~)
  
  Yeah I think they stopped selling rabbits just a year or two ago, now they only work with local humane societies and rescues to adopt out rabbits. .
  
  I’m glad I learned a bit more about her too! It was nice to find a company that actually has a consistent tattoo system, that’s relatively easily tracked back to them. I really wish all rabbits were required to get tattooed, to show at least their sex and if they’ve been fixed.
- 02/07/2012 at 7:24 AM
  Michelle&Lolli
  Participant
  2347 posts
  I got Eddie from petco. I know, I know. But he was adorable and I couldn’t resist. lol Anyways, he had a tattoo in one of his ears too. And he was neutered. But the signs at my petco said they only sold neutered males. Hmm…oh well. Glad you were able to track down where she came from.
- 02/07/2012 at 7:37 AM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Posted By Michelle&Lolli on 02/07/2012 07:24 AM
  I got Eddie from petco. I know, I know. But he was adorable and I couldn’t resist. lol Anyways, he had a tattoo in one of his ears too. And he was neutered. But the signs at my petco said they only sold neutered males. Hmm…oh well. Glad you were able to track down where she came from.
  
  Was his tattoo 2 blue dots? That’d mean he was probably from Marshall farms.
- 02/07/2012 at 7:46 AM
  kamdynandsunshinesmom
  Participant
  910 posts
  I just read something the other day where it says that petco will no longer sell rabbits instead they are going to promote rabbit rescuing. A friend of mine about a year ago got a rabbit from a petshop and the pet shop told her that you have a female because all the males we tatoo in the ear. Took it to the vet a few months later the vet confirmed they had a male rabbit. I am glad you found out where west came from. I know when I rescued my bunny sunshine she was microchipped about a year later when i took her to the vet they checked the number on her microchipp to find out she was microchipped to a humane society not the rescue group I rescued her from. It was odd to find something different out!
- 02/07/2012 at 10:37 AM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  I didn’t know that they sold neutered rabbits. As much as I dislike petstores that sell pets, it’s really good of them to sell them already fixed (though obviously they don’t sell them at all anymore, which is even better).
  
  Very cool that you were able to find out information about her!
- 02/07/2012 at 10:40 AM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Posted By Elrohwen on 02/07/2012 10:37 AM
  I didn’t know that they sold neutered rabbits. As much as I dislike petstores that sell pets, it’s really good of them to sell them already fixed (though obviously they don’t sell them at all anymore, which is even better).
  
  Very cool that you were able to find out information about her!
  
  Yeah I was a bit surprised they sold fixed rabbits. Maybe they figured if someone bought a bunny, brought it home, and it was aggressive and sprayed everything, they’d end up returning it and it’d be bad for business? I don’t know.
- 02/07/2012 at 11:23 AM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  I can see why it’s the right thing, but I would imagine it would be expensive to spay/neuter from a business point of view. Maybe they made the decision on moral reasons rather than business? I’d be shocked, but it would be nice to hear of something like that. I imagine they don’t allow you to return pets after a month or so, but I don’t know what their policy was.
- 02/07/2012 at 11:29 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  Marshall Farms is very controversial. I don’t even want to go there. It’s obviously a business though that is in it for the profit and really nothing else.
- 02/07/2012 at 11:40 AM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Posted By Sarita on 02/07/2012 11:29 AM
  Marshall Farms is very controversial. I don’t even want to go there. It’s obviously a business though that is in it for the profit and really nothing else.
  
  Can you tell me more? I know you don’t want to go into it, but I’d really like to learn more if possible. You can private message me about it if you’d like.
- 02/07/2012 at 11:46 AM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  The Wiki page about them has some relevant information. They are definitely a very large scale breeding business.
- 02/07/2012 at 12:00 PM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Thanks for all the info, guys!
- 02/07/2012 at 6:05 PM
  MimzMum
  Participant
  8029 posts
  Both Pip and Fiver came from Petco and as such had the dot tatts in their ears.
  I am so glad they stopped selling bunnies since most of their stock was shipped in from out of state…which, when I realized that, became an unconscionable thought. >_<
  I do have to stay out of there during adoption weekends…my hubby would have to straitjacket me to keep me from ogling adoptable bunnies and begging to take them home.
  
  How is the bonding going?
- 02/07/2012 at 7:16 PM
  Michelle&Lolli
  Participant
  2347 posts
  I don’t remember what Eddie’s tattoo was. I got a pamplet with him and he cost $100. lol
- 02/08/2012 at 4:53 AM
  LittlePuffyTail
  Moderator
  18092 posts
  That’s great you got some info on little West.
  
  As far as breeding operations go, as long as there are rabbits dying in shelters, any breeding is bad.
- 02/08/2012 at 7:09 AM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Posted By MimzMum on 02/07/2012 06:05 PM
  Both Pip and Fiver came from Petco and as such had the dot tatts in their ears.
  I am so glad they stopped selling bunnies since most of their stock was shipped in from out of state…which, when I realized that, became an unconscionable thought. >_<
  I do have to stay out of there during adoption weekends…my hubby would have to straitjacket me to keep me from ogling adoptable bunnies and begging to take them home.
  
  How is the bonding going?
  
  I haven’t put them in together since the last time, when they fought. I’m just letting them visit through the bars more, until I get the courage up to try again.
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