Bunnies as Money Makers (again!)

[MooBunnay]

I just received the following email from the leader of the Bunny Bunch informing us that Petsmart plans on selling baby bunnies in their stores so discouraging if anyone wants to help with the protest actions (letters, emails, calls etc.) please feel free to email me and I will update you with what we are doing!

 

 

 

I received a confirmation call today directly from Petsmart telling me that they will be selling rabbits in their stores.  I am waiting for a call back with more details.

 

All I know so far is that the rabbits will be fixed……

 

As you all know this is terrible news.  After recently going through this with Petco we are now faced with it again.  Petsmart is a much bigger corporation, has many more stores than Petco and is less likely to listen to what we have to say.

 

I would like to work with all the rabbit rescue groups, plus cat and dog groups so together we can try to stop this from happening. 

 

Once I have all the details about the sale of rabbits in Petsmart stores I will pass it on to all of you.

 

In the mean time I would like to come up with statistics for how many rabbits are in the So Cal shelters currently, and how many rabbits are in foster homes in the So Cal rabbit rescue groups.

 

Along with these statistics, I will put together an informative letter to Petsmart informing them how they will be directly responsible for thousands of rabbits being killed in shelters, and how rescues will  be effected.

 

If they are not interested I intend to take it to the media.

 

With all of your help, once we have all the details I would like to put together an email alert to be sent everywhere we can to get as many people on board with us as possible. We can post it on all our website’s, email to data bases etc.

 

We will also get people to email Petsmart direct once I have the proper contact info.

[Lucy]

I got this email from Toni @ Red Door shelter… just thought I would chime in with MooBunnay with all of this. I think is aweful…I now have no where to shop- the petco near me sells rabbits and now this.. it’s just crazy.

Many PetsMarts across the U.S. will soon begin to sell domestic rabbits.  Below is their claim to be responsible partners with  Animal Welfare Agencies with regards to cat and dog adoptions.  As rabbits are the third most popular pet, and thus the third most likely to be abandoned and euthanized at animal shelters, shouldn’t they be afforded the same consideration?

(Lives saved: 3,000,000 as of June 23, 2007) Each year between 6 and 8 million pets enter shelters in the United  States. Of those homeless pets, 3 to 4 million lose their lives simply because they do not have homes. Because of the in-store adoption program our PetSmart stores have assisted our Animal
Welfare Agencies in placing 3 million pets into loving homes. Click here to read more about our 3 Millionth Adoption.

Since its inception in 1987, PetSmart has chosen not to sell cats or  dogs in stores, but rather to encourage pet adoptions. What’s more, to help address pet overpopulation, PetSmart teams up with more than 3,400 local animal  welfare organizations throughout North America and donates space in store
for the PetSmart Charities’ Adoption Centers, helping to place homeless pets in loving homes.)

By selling rabbits, PetsMart is attempting to boost the sales of rabbit related merchandise, and is not considering the welfare of the rabbits it soon will be exploiting.

Please voice your opinion to PetsMart in a letter, email, telephone call or in person at your local store!  Tell them that you will not shop at PetsMart until they stop selling rabbits.  Tell them how irresponsible PetsMart is, by including the following concerns:

-they are adding to the problem of over-population, while unwanted shelter rabbits are already dying.

-they are adding to the problem of over-population by not providing  spay and neuter services.  

-they are increasing the likelihood that rabbits will be abandoned outdoors where they cannot fend for themselves.

-they are increasing the likelihood that rabbits will be turned in to "kill" shelters.

-they are not educating those who purchase rabbits on the benefits  of spay/neuter; which can help with population control, better  behavior, and better health.

-they are not education those who purchase rabbits on good rabbit  care, rabbit health and rabbit behavior

-for every rabbit sold, one in a shelter might die, and one in a  rescue will not get adopted, thus leaving rescues unable to pull  adoptable rabbits from "kill" shelters.

To contact PetsMart by:
Postal Service:
PetsMart, Inc.
19601 North 27th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85027

Telephone:
1-800-738-1385

Email:
Go to http://www.petsmart.com .  At the bottom of the Homepage is a blue menu.  Click on "Contact Us."  Once on the "Contact Us" page, click  on "Email PetsMart Stores."

To contact your local PetsMart store:
Go to http://www.petsmart.com and click on "Store Locator" in the left margin, blue menu, or in the blue menu at the bottom of the page.

Please post on rabbit lists, and forward to rabbit
rescues and
rabbit people!!!

Kerry Stewart
(Rabbit Rescuer)

[Hedi]

I got a msg on myspace a few days ago about it and emailed the two closest stores to me. Here was a reply I just received:

Dear Mrs. Whitaker,

Thank you for taking the time to contact PetSmart concerning our decision to carry Dwarf Rabbits.

Although the majority of our adoption services focus on dogs and cats, we also facilitate adoptions of small pets. PetSmart partners with 40 rabbit-only shelters and many other rabbit-friendly shelters in the U.S. and Canada. Almost every state and province in North America has a shelter that supports rabbit adoption. Pet Parents who are looking for a more mature pet may be interested in information available about an adoption center in the area.

PetSmart also realizes the concern for the pet population and is only selling spayed and neutered dwarf rabbits. Our rabbits have been bred by reputable breeders under the guidance of our PetSmart veterinarians and come with our Vet Assured guarantee. All of our animals also have a 14 day guarantee.

We understand that a rabbit may not be the right pet for everyone and discourage impulse buying of any pet. We spend time educating potential customers on the proper care and attention needed for each pet. We only sell pets that we believe make good companions. Our customers trust us to provide them with healthy, well-cared for pets and we take that responsibility seriously.

Once again we appreciate you contacting us with your concerns.

Sincerely,
Christy Lee
Customer Care Specialist

[Hedi]

I just found this on the Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary. If you have never seen their website it is a site! Their myspace webpage is: http://www.myspace.com/greatlakesrabbitsanctuary. I love watching their videos! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One of our volunteers sent us some insight on how best to get your message across to the corporate office of PetSmart:

Hi, everybody!

This struck me as extremely odd, given that the House Rabbit Society is one of the Petsmart Charities. I used to work for Petsmart, and my former boss is now the store manager at the new Petsmart location near my current job (too weird!). So, when I cruised in yesterday morning to buy some bun litter, I asked him about this bunny initiative.

He tells me that they’re test-marketing this idea in just a few stores, and that it will "only" be dwarf rabbits. <*giggle*> Not that that makes it the least bit better, but I gotta give him points for at least attempting to set my mind at ease. I know what he meant.

My Dad is borrowing my car, so I’ll be stranded at work (or "The Plantation", as we like to call it) all day today. Tomorrow, however, I’ll go back over and ask him if there’s a specific person or persons we should address letters to.

In the meantime, I have a suggestion. I currently work in a department that handles both written and phoned-in complaints. I know from my own personal experience that multi-page rants do NOT get you what you want. They DO bring out people’s spiteful side, though: not only does your request get denied, you usually get made fun of for a few hours, too. Threats to refuse to patronize a place will just elicit eye-rolls: for every one person that doesn’t buying stuff there, there’s eight that will. There are no words to describe your individual insignificance in the grand scheme of things. I’m just telling you what really happens here! 

Given that, and what I know about the way Petsmart corporate thinks, I would advise a different approach. If you live with a bun — and especially if your bun was a rescue — write and tell them your furry friend’s story. If there was abuse, if there was neglect, or if there was just a lonely little lagomorph languishing at a shelter, tell them all about it. Tell them how your bunny came to live with you, and how he/she has become a part of your life. And send pictures. Good pictures. Show them that your bunny is very much a member of your family — just like a dog, a cat, or even your kids! Let them see the condos, the piles of toys, the play places just for your bun (and if your bunny has his/her own room, they’ve really gotta see that!). Show them your bun at play: binkying across the living room; skating across a hardwood floor; investigating the grocery bags; tormenting the cat; trying to fly a plastic bag (my guy’s personal favorite pastime); climbing the bookcase; watching t.v.; inspecting your cleaning job; begging for treats; modeling that birthday hat you bought him….whatever your bun is into. And if you have a Senior Bun (8 or older), definitely tell them how your relationship with your wise old friend has grown and changed over the years.

Our goal is to alter their perception of rabbits-as-pets. Pictures and stories give things a depth and meaning that cold hard stats and nasty words never will, in large part because people can relate to them. People forget numbers, but images remain. Think about it.

So, my bunny biographers get those pens, keyboards and cameras going! Hard copies are better than e-mails (give them something they can touch; make it real!), but one more thing: if you can help it, try not to use white paper or envelopes. Something with a little color to it will stand out in heaps of mail that cross this person’s desk, and likely pique their curiosity. If you’re able to send your letter via USPS Priority Mail, that’s even better: when you’ve got twenty envelopes on your desk and one of those, something about those big Priority envelopes always makes you wanna open them first!

peace, love, and nose wiggles,

Jackie Thorne

 

[Lucy]

hedi- that info was amazing! I’m going to relay the message to toni so she can get it out to more people. I think we should all be a part of this!

[osprey]

Great info Hedi!  We have adoption shows at PetsMart twice a month, and probably adopt out over 100 bunnies a year at PetsMart.  Two of my three were adopted there.  I hope that we can do something to convince them that rabbits are more like dogs and cats, have a long life span, are prone to impulse purchases, and suffer when they get dumped.

 

[Hedi]

I sent them two emails already. I havent gotten a second response back yet. I just wish the people who were making these decisions could see what an upset they have started! I did suggest they visit myspace, binkybunny and other websites to see how this has impacted our rabbit community.

There are two petsmarts here that our HS uses but unfortunately the HS mgr who was so interested in getting the rabbit stuff going didnt have his contract renewed. So, the director is stuck doing two jobs until they hire. Doesnt have time for much else. Kinda scared what will replace the old mgr. Hopefully they will still be ok with our bunny stuff.

 

Either way, its odd they chose dwarfs. Did they do a study on what type of rabbit people most want? Small and compact I assume?

[osprey]

I think the whole "dwarf" thing is because they want people to think of rabbits as easy, small, "starter" pets.  Buy a rabbit, a small cage and put it in a kid’s bedroom.  Come back to PetsMart to buy the food and hay that they sell.  I’ll bet these rabbits will be priced cheaply too, and it will be hard for us to compete with our adoption fee and all of the questions we ask adopters.

 

[MooBunnay]

Also….won’t these bunnies be very young? I’m sure that spay/neuter can’t be good for those young bunnies! I remember hearng Petco was going to do this and I heard that something like 30% of bunnies can die in that surgery if its done when they are too young (don’t quote me though – I don’t know where it came from!)

[Lucy]

I know at the petco here that bunnies are sold for $100 (which is what red door shelter charges for their bunnies). Also, at the Petco there was a sign that said these rabbits were bred specifically for their temperment.. but they are dwarf bunnies. We all know the smaller they are they more aggressive the bunny can be- and I can say that with two dwarf bunnies.

So the information was misleading…I’m assuming that Petsmart will do the same. Say that they are small and well behaved.

MooBunnay- The bunnies at Petco aren’t young when they are sold (at least not at the store near me). They aren’t bunny size, just a little bit younger adult. So they are a bit older.

[jacki fullerton]

Hedi/Jackie,

Thank you for your inside information on how to get our message across in a calm way.  I like the idea of photos, not too long of a letter, and sending the letter USPS Priority mail.  I will work on this today.

Jacki

[Hedi]

My letter is written, along with images of my own rabbits and the ones from the shelter. I will send it out tomorrow.

[(dig)x(me)x(now)]

Wow, $100 for a rabbit? Frankie was like $25 and then another $25 to neuter (neuter scooter is fantastic)!

[Hedi]

At our HS it is only $50 for neuter and $55 for spay. We eat part of that cost and sell rabbits that are fixed for $40.

Will be interesting how the price will change depending on where their store is.

At $100 per rabbit maybe we wont even need to worry about all this? lol

[Lucy]

well.. I guess it just depends on the area. Here in Chicago adopting a fixed bunny is $100- I THINK it’s $75 out at the HS, but that’s out in the western suburbs. Petco has $100 bunnies.. so why buy when you can adopt, right? But they constantly have new rabbits in there.

Also.. I got Fujoe for $20 on craigslist. his neuter was $350. So $100 is mighty cheap for me.

The point isn’t the money, but that there are rabbits which are being bred to be sold as “easy” pets. I doubt that any of the employees will know much about rabbit care, or will be trained. If so, they wouldn’t even be selling pine bedding- it’s all for a profit while shelters are trying to save lives. That’s the point.

[Hedi]

The email they sent me says they educate but we all know they dont. Many of the people working in petstores arent educated enough themselves so how can they correct educate others? And, people who still think rabbits are like hamsters and belong in cages may not care enough to educate themselves to help others.

Im sure cost will change all over. I know Superpetz here charges $25 for most rabbits and at Petland they cant even figure out what breeds they have and also charge the same. I was in there when ours first opened and they have no idea what rabbits they have.

Hopefully our rabbit community will really come together on this. I emailed them twice and then sent a certified letter so maybe if we bug them enough even if they dont get huge amounts of mail it will be enough to reconsider?

[BinkyBunny]

I think it’s worth a try to continue to contact them. I just can’t believe it! They have to be completely aware of the flipside of selling bunnies as one of their charities is HRS. They just don’t seem to care.

[BinkyBunny]

HI Everyone,

I am pasting a letter that the House Rabbit Society sent out regarding Petsmart selling bunnies.  There are many good rebuttal points that I think could be included in our own letters too.

July 14, 2007

Robert F. Moran
President and Chief Operating Officer
PetSmart, Inc.
19601 North 27th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85027

Dear Mr. Moran,

I am writing this letter in response to PetSmart’s recently announced
decision to sell purpose-bred, baby dwarf rabbits in PetSmart stores. For
some time now, House Rabbit Society and other rabbit rescue organizations
have enjoyed mutually beneficial relationships with their local PetSmart
stores, placing rescued and adoptable rabbits through adoption programs at
those stores. To say that House Rabbit Society is disappointed by PetSmart’s
violation of its own commitment to save rescued animals would be a gross
understatement. I’m sure you can understand why PetSmart’s decision to sell
rabbits feels like such a betrayal, after all the work done by your
partnering organizations to place homeless rabbits through your stores.

PetSmart’s proposed sale of rabbits goes against everything that PetSmart
itself claims to stand for. According to the Humane Society of the United
States, rabbits are the third most-frequently relinquished species at
shelters across the country  a huge, and largely hidden, problem, because
many members of the general public are simply not aware of it. PetSmart
claims that its sale of baby rabbits will not exacerbate this problem
because 1) all PetSmart dwarf rabbits will be spayed/neutered prior to sale,
and PetSmart employees will be trained to instruct the public regarding
their care; 2) PetSmart will perform customer-satisfaction surveys after
the purchase of a rabbit and will have a 14-day return policy, in case the
rabbit doesn’t work out. Let me address each of these points.

1) Although spaying/neutering does indeed prevent further reproduction, it
does not prevent  or even acknowledge  the myriad other reasons why so
many rabbits end up in shelters. These problems can be prevented only by
skilled, up-front screening of all potential adopters by rabbit caregivers
with long-term, first-hand knowledge of companion rabbits. This skill is
not something that can be acquired overnight. While your sales staff may go
through a limited training before being tasked with caring for and adopting
out these complicated animals, our own volunteers go through a minimum of a
year of training before they are qualified to educate the public about
rabbits. Our HRS veterinarians have received substantial additional training
and experience with rabbits (since companion rabbit medicine, with rare
exceptions, is not part of the curriculum in veterinary medical schools),
and as a group, have treated and cared for tens of thousands of rabbits over
the last couple of decades alone. It is regrettable that you have chosen to
ignore all of this education and experience when considering the sale of
rabbits in your stores.

2) To do its survey,will PetSmart contact its customers after several
weeks? Months? Years? Throughout the lifetime of the rabbit (up to ten
years or more)? In our experience, rabbits can be abandoned due to a change
in the owners circumstances many months or even years after the initial
purchase. PetSmart’s 14-day return policy will simply not provide the
window that is needed for all of the PetSmart rabbits that will be abandoned
months or years after purchase. Many will be dropped off at animal
shelters, where, if not adopted or rescued by groups like House Rabbit
Society, they will be euthanized. Others will simply be released into
neighborhoods or wilderness areas because of the tragically mistaken belief
that a companion rabbit set loose will join a wild rabbit family. Instead,
these rabbits fall victim to dogs, cats, raccoons, raptors, and automobiles.
Will the numbers of rabbits euthanized thanks to PetSmart’s new rabbit sales
program be subtracted from the number of rabbits PetSmart Charities claims
to have saved? Will PetSmart agree to take back any rabbit purchased at any
of its stores, over the rabbits 10-year lifespan? That is precisely what
we, and many other rescue organizations, agree to do when we adopt out a
rabbit, because it is the only way to assure the rabbit will not end up in a
shelter again.

The HRS members and representatives who have already contacted PetSmart have
been given various reasons for PetSmart’s decision.

We have been told that PetSmart is responding to market demand: customers
come into a store looking for rabbits, and PetSmart wants to meet this
demand. What happens if customers come in asking for puppies and kittens?
Will PetSmart let this demand go unmet? Are rabbits less worthy of "kittens?

We have been informed that PetSmart made its decision only after consulting
with a team of pet care experts. House Rabbit Society, the largest
repository of rabbit care experts in the world, was never consulted, nor, as
far as we know, was any other rabbit rescue organization. HRS not only has
more information on the demanding levels of care needed by rabbits than your
own staff, but our volunteers know more about the surplus rabbit problem
than any pet store ever could, since they deal with it on a daily basis.

We have also been told that PetSmart selected baby dwarf rabbits as the
best type of rabbit for a family.This flies in the face of what most
rabbit rescuers know from experience, and points to how sadly misinformed
PetSmart’s decision is. Baby rabbits – like baby animals of any kind are
more destructive and require much more training and supervision than more
mature animals, and dwarf rabbits are often significantly more skittish and
harder to handle than larger rabbits. Further, dwarf rabbits have a higher
incidence of dental disease due to their small, shortened head shape, and
this can mean expensive veterinary care as often as every other month. And
finally, the pediatric surgeries that are required to produce sale-ready,
baby rabbits may have potentially serious negative health effects. For
example, it is known in other small mammals that bone density is decreased
when these pediatric procedures are performed. In a rabbit, who already has
a lightweight and fragile skeleton, this additional bone loss could be a
serious problem in later years.

Contrary to popular belief, rabbits are not low-maintenance animals. In
fact, compared to dogs and cats, they are actually high-maintenance pets.
The hundreds of phone calls that we receive every week demonstrate that
people who purchase rabbits at pet stores simply do not attain enough
information on how to care for them, nor do they commit to the ten years or
more that a rabbit will live. While you maintain that your veterinarians
will teach your staff about rabbit care, we know that pet store staff, like
so many service employees throughout this country, are generally short-term
or part-time employees, often teenagers, most of whom have never lived with
even one rabbit, let alone the scores that our volunteers have lived with.
They simply do not have the knowledge, skills, or inclination to properly
educate the public about these complex animals.

As the world’s largest rabbit rescue organization with a presence in forty
states and six countries, and a website that gets over a million hits per
week, House Rabbit Society has played the leading role in rescuing and
placing abandoned rabbits. In our twenty years of rescue work, we have
rescued over 20,000 rabbits, and our members look to us to fight the
continued breeding and sale of rabbits, and to prevent as many of their
deaths as we can. We are deeply concerned about this issue, since the vast
majority of the pet rabbits we rescue and rehabilitate were originally
purchased through pet stores and breeders.

There simply is no excuse in this day and age for a company with a
reputation for compassion to continue to sell animals, but especially
animals that are abandoned and euthanized at the rate that dogs, cats, and
rabbits are. For PetSmart to feign ignorance or imply that the deaths of
rabbits do not matter is repugnant to the men and women around the country
who have dedicated their lives to saving these animals.

House Rabbit Society will be informing our members of PetSmart’s decision to
place dollars over lives, and will encourage our members and allies to shop
elsewhere for their pet supplies. As a national licensing organization, HRS
does not prohibit its individual chapters from deciding for themselves whom
they will partner with in their adoption activities. We recognize that some
of our chapters have built strong and mutually productive relationships with
some PetSmart stores, and we will not interfere with these. But as a
national rescue organization, we can tell you that many of our chapters do
not want to work with any organization that sells or breeds rabbits, and are
extremely distressed by PetSmart’s decision. We also will be speaking with
the many dog and cat rescue groups that PetSmart works with to let them know
of your decision.

In closing, on behalf of the Board of Directors of House Rabbit Society, I
ask that PetSmart immediately reconsider its proposal regarding the sale of
rabbits in PetSmart stores. PetSmart has honored its policy not to sell
puppies and kittens in any of its stores; we ask that you extend the same
protection to rabbits, and remember that compassion should not be limited to
one or two animal species.

I eagerly await your response to our request. Please do not hesitate to
contact me if you need further information or clarification on anything
covered in this letter. Finally, if PetSmart executives would like a
face-to-face meeting with members of our board, we will go out of our way to
arrange this.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Wilsbach, Ph.D.
President
House Rabbit Society

cc:
Anita Garcia, Manager of Adoptions, PetSmart Services and Store Operations
Philip L. Francis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
David K. Lenhardt, Senior Vice President, Services and Store Operations
Mary Miller, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer
Sophie Engelhard Craighead, President of the Board, PetSmart Charities
****
ALSO FROM HRS to EVERYONE:

What You Can Do Regarding PetSmart’s Sale of Rabbits

Please let PetSmart know that you are unhappy with their decision to sell
rabbits in their stores, rather than reach out to more rabbit rescue groups
to expand their rabbit adoption programs. Please send PetSmart a polite
letter or email, or give them a call to let them know of your concerns, via
the contact information below:

Email: http://www.petsmart.com/global/customerservice/contactUsForm.jsp
Phone: (800) 738-1385
Fax: (623) 580-6502
Snail mail:
PetSmart, Inc.
19601 North 27th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85027

[jellyrose]

Hi guys… I just caught up with this news today. What a shame! I thought I would post my letter to PetSmart here for you all to read. I culd have gone on for pages and pages about why this is a bad idea but managed to get it dowm to just one . I hope that as a collective voice and with the ig guns at HRS we can put a stop to this. The last thing we need is a bundle more unwanted babies to find homes for! Fingers crossed that PetSmart wont undo all the good work that many of you do at the shelters!!!!!!! Such a shame about this… we were so impressed with the pet stores supporting adoption when we first moved here….. I’ve never seen this in the UK!

*****Dear Sir/Madam

I have today learnt of PetSmart’s decision to commence selling baby rabbits and as a house rabbit owner and pet lover I am disappointed and feel compelled to voice my concerns. One of my rabbits was found (by me) on New Years Eve, abandoned in freezing temperatures, filthy and with much of his fur missing. He was at that time judged but my vet to be around 3 months old. He is now 3 years old. Our second rabbit was adopted through one of our local PetSmart’s adoption initiatives. We do not know her history, just that she has suffered neglect and abandonment, her toes are misshapen from previous fractures. She is about 2 years old and we have had her for 6 months.

I have read the information provided by PetSmart to the HRS and assure you that it does nothing to alleviate my concerns regarding the sale of rabbits in pet stores. The stories of my two rabbits are not, as I’m sure you are aware, uncommon and abandonment has rarely occurred within the first two weeks of any shelter rabbits life, rendering PetSmart’s “Fourteen day, money back guarantee” fairly worthless. While there are so many shelters in the USA who are packed full with unwanted, abused and neglected animals for PetSmart to compound this problem by selling baby rabbits and I assume the adoption programs will glean less emphasis as a result, is highly irresponsible.

I hope that PetSmart will again assume their previous and responsible position of connecting people with reputable adoption agencies who can adequately screen, educate and support new rabbit parents so that these sensitive, complex and loving creatures can be provided with permanent, caring and responsible homes. Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely

Ms Eleanor Rose.

[BinkyBunny]

That’s an awesome letter, Eleanor!

[Lucy]

Here’s a site to sign a petition:

http://network.bestfriends.org/Petitions/Detail.aspx?pn=5

the numbers are impressive already. Sign it, and then pass it along to all of your bunny friends!

[Hedi]

It is impressive! I just got it from an HRS manager and sent it to a few of you.

[Lucy]

i highly suggest everyone on this site to sign it- it takes no time at all

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By Hedi on 07/26/2007 8:57 AM

It is impressive! I just got it from an HRS manager and sent it to a few of you.

Thanks Hedi!  I got it and signed it right away!   I noticed there were over 15, 000 signatures.  I sure hope it makes a difference and Petco decides against selling rabbits.

[ToMbStOne]

Yes this is very unfortunate for all the little bunnys in shelters and feed stores that need love..However I was in petsmart last week, and before i even read this blog, I went off on the petsmart people for being so ignorant, but more importantly dont worry no one will be purchasing rabbits from there, no one in thier right mind would pay $100 for a bunny from a petstore!

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[luvmybuns]

I realize this post was started a while ago, but I just read it and here was my letter to PetsMart:  It is sort of long, but hope it helps.

16 August 2007

 

 

PetsMart, Inc.
19601 North 27th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85027

Re: Sale of Dwarf Rabbits

Dear Sir/Madam:

I must write in response to hearing of your "testing" the sale of dwarf rabbits. I just can’t imagine wanting to breed rabbits to sell in a store when there are so many rabbits in shelters/rescues/humane societies just waiting for a "forever" home. I realize you think the price tag will keep uninterested people from purchasing them, but I would have to disagree with you. Many people toss money around to buy "objects" for their kids. My fear is that people are going to purchase these bunnies without realizing the time and effort that they take. They will then either let them go, to die a horrible and untimely death, or take them to a local rescue/shelter/humane society which are already over crowded with bunnies.

I would like to tell you the story of how I obtained my first bunny. It was around May of 2006 and new people moved in behind us. I saw that they were building an outdoor cage and was wondering what it was for (see enclosed picture). After a couple days I saw that they had a bunny in the cage. They had purchased this bunny for their 3 year old daughter at Easter. They had kept her in the house in a cage (unknown type) until the moved to our area from out of state. I started to go over to see the bunny on a regular basis. She very seldom had food, water or hay. She had a wire bottom to her cage (bunnies have no pads on their feet and this will make their feet/hocks sore) and only 3 sides to her shelter. It was just wide open on the one side so she was not totally protected from the weather. The area where her hutch was, also flooded when it rained, so it was stinky and very buggy. I would take her over lettuce and water every morning. I never saw them pay any attention to this "Easter" Bunny, that they just had to buy for their 3 year old.

After a few months, they were both going on trips in separate directions and the wife asked if I could care for the rabbit. I asked if I could keep her indoors and she said yes. I brought her to my house and put her in a large dog crate. They were to be gone for 3 weeks. When 4 weeks had come and gone, I finally went over to the house and found that the wife was not coming back. I could not have been more elated. I asked if I could keep "Floppy" and he said yes. I was thrilled (and so was Floppy). While I was "bunny sitting" I had researched about how to house a bunny properly and my husband and I built her a bunny condo (see enclosed photo). I did some more research and found that bunnies should be spayed/neutered. I immediately made an appointment and had her spayed. I also found that bunnies are more happy with a companion. I went to PetFinder, not a local store, and searched for adoptable bunnies somewhat close to me. I came across a few at different rescues/humane societies. We went and visited the bunnies and found Cinnamon at the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania. My husband just fell in love with him. He has a cute white nose, but otherwise is brownish in color. (See photo) He was two years old and his owner didn’t want him anymore. We went home and talked about it and later Cinnamon joined our home. We took the time to bond Cinnamon and Floppy (as you cannot just put two bunnies together). I also researched and the rescue helped with the bonding process. I was lucky and it only took about 2-3 weeks for them to be in the same bunny condo.

This past winter my husband had told me that his co-worker was trying to find a home for his bunny. They had purchased the bunny for their daughter, but she was now going to college and finishing high school and couldn’t take care of him and they didn’t want to take care of him. He is a dwarf (2.5 lbs) and only 2 years old. He was in an outdoor cage, again with a wire bottom. It was not very well constructed. I didn’t think much about it until I saw him at her graduation party. My husband said they were mean in handling him. He was going to have them get him out so I could see him, but he didn’t want me to see how he was being handled. A few weeks later "Digger" (see photo) joined our home. We started out fostering Digger, but the rescue just keeps getting more and more bunnies in, that people are no longer wanting. I would rather the bunnies that are not in a home get a "forever" home first. We have been fostering Digger since the end of June. He also has his own bunny condo (see picture). We are now going to start the process of "bonding" him with our already bonded pair.

I must say that I just love being a "bunny slave". These animals are a part of our family. We change litter boxes daily, feed them fresh greens and fruits every day, along with a high quality feed, hay and papaya tablets (helps their digestive system). Their water gets changed daily and they get exercise every morning and evening. I get up early just to let them out for about 1-1 ½ hours before I go to work. They are also out as soon as we get home in the evening. Bunnies also need their nails clipped on a regular basis. We take our bunnies to the vet every 3-4 months for their "pedicure".

If I would have purchased bunnies at your store, there would have been three bunnies that would have died, either due to neglect or by being euthanized. These bunnies are so sweet and lovable. They don’t really care to be picked up, as most bunnies do not like to be held. But, they do love to be petted and spoiled.

I would really encourage you to think twice before breeding more bunnies to sell in your store. If you research PetFinder or any rescues/humane societies/shelters, you will see bunnies of all ages, sizes, breeds just waiting for a "forever" home. How can you neglect these animals, that just want to be loved in a home of their own. It is also known that adult rabbits are more easily litter trained than a baby bunny. Could you possibly work with local rescues/shelters/humane societies and house bunnies in your store to have adopted out. That way, you still get the reoccurring business from a new bunny owner, the rescues/shelters/humane societies can work with the prospective owners so that they know the responsibility that comes with owning (or being owned by) a bunny and a bunny can get a "forever" home.

 

Other items that would possibly make your store money (since that is the reason for the sale of baby bunnies) are the "NIC Cubes" or similar items, that you could sell in your store. That is what my bunny condos are made out of. There are no pet stores that sell these or have instructions on how to make them. I looked at all local pet stores, prior to buying my items online. I know many bunny owners purchase these for their bunnies homes. If you research online you will see many varieties of homes are made with these items.

Thank you for taking the time to read this request.

 

(Sorry to the BinkyBunny Forum, but I don’t know how to add pictures to this.)

[BobbiesZoo]

Hello,

I’m new to this site and had to stop in here when I saw the Petsmart thing.  I have 5 dogs, 12 frogs, 18 birds, 1 snake and one bunny…I spend (or spent) a LOT of money at Petsmart.  Apon hearing this horrible news, I wrote them a note, got back the standard form letter.  Then I mailed them back my Pet Perks card and will never shop there again.  I have procurred local sources (primarly "mom and pop" stores) for ALL of my pet supplies, even if I have to run all over town.

These bunnies are "milled" by the Marshall Farms people, weaned, altered and shipped too young.  If you have ever seen a shipment of 4 week old altered baby ferrets enter a pet store, you can imagine how horrible it will be when it is a shipment of bunnies.  I can only imagine that many will not survive the trip.

Also, these bunnies are $100!  Now, don’t get me wrong, our bunnies are priceless, but who is going to pay $100 for a rabbit?  No one will care that the cost of the spay/neuter is included, because they probably don’t plan to do it anyway, so they’ll just go get a $15 (or free) rabbit from the paper.  My biggest concern about this is that these bunnies are going to languish in those "wonderful" plexiglass tanks w/very little human contact…who will want them when they’ve "gone wild"?

Make your voices heard w/your wallet.  Do not shop at ANY Petsmart.  Find other sources, ask little pet and feed stores if they can order what you need if they don’t carry it…mail order if you have to.

[BinkyBunny]

WELCOME Bobbieszoo!   Kudos to you for sticking to your guns even though it may be less convenient.  The ONLY thing good about a it costing $100 is that there sure won’t be any impulse buys and they won’t be selling two weeks before Easter.  But all and all, in my opinion, they shouldn’t be selling rabbits at all.

So tell us about your bunny somewhere – like in the lounge.

[BobbiesZoo]

Another thought on the price…though $100 is EXPENSIVE for a rabbit in general, I don’t think the price alone will stop many impulse buys when over indulgent parents have a whinning brat child saying "I want".  As we all know, many a purebred dog, originally costing hundreds to thousands of dollars, wind up in shelters and rescue.  But again, it’s a rabbit and I can’t imagine someone paying that, when you can get them free or next to it.

But, as I said before, to those of us who KNOW, rabbits are PRICELESS anyhow!!

[luvmybuns]

I received a reply to the letter and pictures that I sent.  Here is what PetsMart says:

Thank you for sharing your concerns with us regarding our test of dwarf rabbit sales in our store.  Your feedback is important to us and we’re taking it seriously.

This particular test only involves about 25 of our more than 900 stores and is likely to hold at this level until we have more information.  We conduct in-store tests to get a real-world view of all the issues related to the sale of a particular pet before we do anything more.  During this test we’re collecting additional data and information related ot breeding, health and care, associate training, retention, customer satisfaction, adoption vs. sales, population and all other aspects related to sale of these pets.  We carefully test concepts to make sure the best interests of the pet, the Pet Parent and our business are served.

We have received letters and phone calls from various animal welfare organizations including the House Rabbit Society as a result of this test.  Because the HRS’s letter addresses a number of concerns that also have been voiced by other groups and individuals, has been widely circulated, and serves as the basis for many of the letters we have received, we have posted both it and our response online at http://www.petsmartfacts.com .  We encourage you to visit this site to read our response and for more details about this test.

If we choose to expand the test or to eventually implement rabbit sales throughout our system, it will be only after we are convinced that we have a full understanding of all the issues and that we can provide this pet to homes in a responsible and ethical manner.

Importantly, during this test we will continue as we have always done to partner with qualified local rescue organizations that adopt out rabbits and other pets in our stores.  We expect nothing to change in this regard no matter what the test’s outcome.

We share your passion for pets and want to assure you we’ll do what’s right for our Pet Parents and their pets.  Thanks again for sharing yoru concerns with us, along with a pictures into the very fortunate lives of Floppy, Cinnamon, and Digger.

Sincerely,

Amanda Maloney, Pet Safety Specialist

I think this is just a "smooth over" letter.  I guess I will have to wait and see if they continue to sell rabbits in their stores.  I think there are enough animals to be adopted, that store do not need to sell animals at all. 

[Molotov]

grr, it just deleted my whole paragraph when i went to post it…. at any rate

I worked at petsmart for about two years before i walked out in disgust. Their small animals really arent treated very well at all. When I worked there it was common place for several guinea pigs, rats and chinchillas to come in with respiratory infections or diahrea due to the cramped and nasty conditions they were raised in. Then the managers would be unwilling to take sick pets to the vet due to the cost. The vet bills are deducted from their budget for each.. term, 6 months i want to say. If they can keep their budget the get a nice bonus come the end of the term. Their “aviary” where the small animals and birds are in extremely close proximity and illness spreads like wild fire. I would get ring worm while working there about twice a year despite frequent hand sanitizer use. Its a shame so many bunnies will be subjected to that. Nice how they speak out of both sides of their mouth. “We dont sell dogs due to shelters bursting at the seams but here lets sell a bunch of bunnies that will be at a shelter in 6 months” *sigh* speaking of shelter bunnies i was seduced by one today, looking all cute and sad in the cat room at a kill shelter *shudder* . I now have three fuz balls

[Scarlet_Rose]

Molotov how cute! You were wooed by the cute bunny stare. You’ve got a big heart too! How are they all getting along?

[Molotov]

he’s doing pretty well with my boy and girl, he tried to ….hump the little girl and she outmaneuvered him and did it back a few times and now its no longer an issue. with my boy… the follow each other around chinning things. You can almost hear them saying “hey! thats mine” The new bunny really really really wants people food. He will leap up on the bed and practically into your plate trying snatch some of your sandwich. I guess his previous owners let him beg. I keep the bonded pair together and he will be kept separate until i can get him neutered.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Hey all. I’m new here and as an animal activist with a special concern for rabbits I just had to post.

I sent Petsmart an e-mail via the Helping Animals website. The next day I received an obviously pre-written generic letter similar to the one luvmybuns received. I’m in New Brunswick and there are no Petsmarts that I no of in my area but I want to be involved anyway for the sake of the buns everywhere.

However, in my City there are 2 PetsUnlimited (one regular, one express) they both sell rabbits. LOTS of Rabbits. (fyi a lot of people refuse to buy products because of the huge number of dogs they sell in their store). I refuse to buy products there and instead buy all my supplies at a retailer who sells no livestock.

What concerns me most is that the rabbits at Pets Unlimted are very cheap, usually $20.00 and up which prompts spontaneous purchases. In my experience the staff is very unknowledgeable about rabbits so how can they inform customers on their proper care?

So we are all ganging up on petsmart which is great but any ideas on attacking Pets Unlimited??? I’m concerned about if they stop selling rabbits what will happen to all the rabbits in the store??

[Tyler]

This is so Frustrating. I have four rabbits, all indoor pets. I have a Himmie, Who was purchased befor I knw about the plight of bunnies, A dwarf rescued from a guinea pig rescue, a Minilop from the SPCA, and a Flemsih from a breeder. I work at a Petsmart, which has its ups and downs.  I have been ablwe to help so many animals, simply by educating their owners! It is RIDICLOUS that they want to start selling rabbits. I recently found out that my store is a possibletest store for rabbits, and I have been talking to my petcare manager about how bad it would be to have rabbits, and she agreed to not order them. I run a ferret rescue, and petsmart is also now selling ferrets! It is sooooo outrageous. I have 30 ferrets in my rescue, and I am a SMALL shelter. When will these petstores learn!

[Deleted User]

tombstone, I paid 100.00 for my Coney at petco.

[(dig)x(me)x(now)]

The PetSmart ad in the paper on Sunday had a "neutered dwarf rabbit" thing in it along the side where they list and picture the different types of pets they sell

 

The Petcos here actually work with the local shelters and adopt out rescue bunnies instead of selling… hopefully PetSmart will get the message.

[Deleted User]

As a military family overseas stores like petsmart often become our only resource for pet products. Which is why it is so infuriating that they have chosen to turn a blind eye to the plight of rabbits. As a new bunny owner it has been quite a learning experience, and I feel that the knowledge of pet store employees is practically non existent. I previously worked for Animal Jungle in Virginia, in the small animals department. My knowledge was limited to hamsters from my own experience and research, but they hired me and expected me to sell all the animals they carried with little or no training. The rabbits were often in 55 gallon aquariums with pine bedding, pellets and no hay. Often times there would be upwards of twenty rabbits in the aquariums. It is for this reason that I am constantly frustrated by pet stores, and I believe petsmart is very similar in their practices. I too wrote a letter to petsmart informing them of my unhappiness at their disregard for the lives of small animals. I am also urging my friends here to find an alternative company to order from. Here’s hoping it does some good.

[Author]

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