NEED HELP LETTER WRITING=STOP BUN SALES PRE EASTER & 4EVA!

[christinelea1]

Your help is needed right away!

PLEASE)

As EASTER comes around again we see little buns pulled from Momma too soon/early-in some cases over 4 weeks too soon/ early.



ONE place that continues tosell the babies and has for many years:

*****TRACTOR SUPPLY COMPANY*****

ANOTHER IS ***CHOW HOUND*** still(

This is a Michigan petstore with 5(plus) locations.



Will you do me and all the bunnies we love a favor???

Even if I am a person that you don't know or if you have differing feelings from my very strong opinion of rescue and love for fur-babies......wont you take the time to help these very little special pets?



FOR TSC EMAIL HERE:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/ServiceDeskView?langId=-1&storeId=10551&catalogId=10001&content=contactUS



FOR ChowHoundPetStores email here;

[email protected] <[email protected]>



Drop an email to TractorSupplyCompany and ChowHOUND to tell them that this is not a "venue" you would like to see little baby buns for sale at.

Tell them that now in 2010 with bunnies being our worlds' 3rd most frequent domestic pet needing a forever home that sales of them unfixed after being taken from Mommamuch too soon do not bring us farther ahead in areas to helpthis wonderful petand that the idea of offering such a thing to an not knowledgeable public is preposterous at best.



Please stop sellinglittle tiny babies(again) pulled from Momma too soon.



The babies are NOT VET CHECKED OR FIXED and arefor sale to any one walking through the door-today we cannot be cautious enough(!!) and to me this is completely irresponsible and senseless, also just greedy....like a pet-store that still sells puppy mill dogs.....IT IS UNACCEPTABLE and while it is not illegal -we certainly would hope for a moral compass in anything that is "SOLD" TO THE PUBLIC!

CritterCafe has volunteers keeping an eye out for sickly or too small babies at all locations and our first baby will come tomorrow from TractorSupplyCompany on ChicagoDrive in Huddsonville(or Hudsonville)Michigan...he is a runt#1 and MUCH too small and so much smaller than his siblings too-and he simply is not ; I MEAN NOT thriving.

The person documenting from this store say the baby's head is now changing shape(in the last 7 days)into a longer and narrower form meaning that some neurological things maybe(and are most likely)happening already and certainly a loss in weight as well....he may have been dropped which is most likely the case....it just breaks my heart.

Wont you drop an email to these places for me and the babies there?

Wont you tell them you will not shop there as long as these live sales continue?

Taking the lead in such a thing FOR ANY STORE OR COMPANY RIGHT NOW would certainly tell so much about a "GOOD PLACE OF BUSINESS".....and I am sure they would thrive because of it...

I told TSC in Muskegon(MI) CCR would be willing to again come and buy wood stove pellets again by the ton as we did for years till I saw the baby bunnies...

I'd go back to get our WSP by THE TON AND OUR PELLETS TOO(about 50 pounds in 3 days)if they'd stop selling baby bunnies...no problem.

I will NOT though buy from a place exploiting what I have such a deep love for ...in mylife.



I hope we can make the sales of bunnies stop and working together collectively to complain will surely make a difference.



For the $20.00 they ask for a bunny on sale there just guessing maybe half goes to BREEDER and that piddly little bit of money can be made up so easily and cant be much of a great intake anyway really for them.



PLEASE HELP ME TO STOP ALL LIVE BUNNY SALES,



PLEASE TRACTOR SUPPLY COMPANY AND CHOW HOUND STORES-

AGAIN,PLEASE.



WE CARE ABOUT THESE LITTLE ONES and they simply dont have a chance coming from your cold back room in "storage" with children having access to them(most we have SEEN are not "caged" or protected at TSC)!!




I VOW I will not SHOP AT TSC or CH until ALL livebunny sales have STOPPED at TSC and CHforever.



Thank YOU and GOD BLESS YOU!

Christine

( :bunnydance:HELP ME PLEASE)

 

[TinysMom]

TSC buys bunnies from local breeders and our local TSC will not be carrying any this year because she could not find any. I know this because she approached me and we talked a couple of months ago about this - plus I talked to her the other day about putting up a sign showing what sizes the rabbits would get to be and she informed me she didn't find any and sound relieved she didn't have to sell them.

I say this to point out that TSC at least doesn't ship bunnies to their stores from big bunny mill places.

 

[christinelea1]

The 4 within the vicinity of this location right now have over 80 and exspect more within the week at one place too...I dont know what your point is though I am thankful that one TSC is not partaking in the usual bloodbath-TILL she at this location finds a breeder and from what NorthMuskegonMi TSC tells me they will go ahead and ship them so all TSC's are with the usual HappyEaster bunnies for sale....
Holland, NthMuskegon, Fremont and Hudsonville are the ones within my reach...I am hoping to go CORPERATE for a reason here, to tell and ask for sales to stop and educate on our 3rd most frequent pet now needing a home and being dropped off at places that are not equipped to deal with anything ezept dogs and cats... Can we collectively do this or because we have one TSC that states at this immediate point there are no babies available for sale there, do we neglect the point and just not email them at all?
I hope and pray we all think outside the box here

 

[TinysMom]

The point I am making here is this.

Unlike many places (pet shops, etc) where "specialty" rabbits are taken away from their moms too young, sometimes neutered (too young) and then sold for high prices from bunny mills....

TSC at least buys from LOCAL breeders. It helps if you know their process before you go writing to them.

Am I saying they should sell rabbits at all?

No.

Am I saying we shouldn't contact TSC? Of course not. But why wait until weeks before Easter? Why not months ago?

By now the TSC folks have already made their purchases and put rabbits in the stores.

Also - one thing I want to point out (that was pointed out to me a few years ago) - is that many times people who are going to feed stores - already have animals and know how to care for animals.

Frequently - our local feed store gets calls ASKING about rabbits for sale - because here in our town - that is about the only place you can go to get a rabbit.

Where I live (Del Rio, TX) - there are no rescues around for 5-7 hour drive. There are no pet stores around for 150+ miles. So if someone wants to get a rabbit (even if they've studied about them and done their research) - they either have to wait for a time like Easter - or try to find a breeder. I know of very few breeders (at least that are listed with the state organization) between here and San Antonio (150 miles away).

So there are times when I can understand selling these animals in the stores.

I do think the employees should be educated to ask questions and point out to people how long a rabbit can live and what time of housing and food they need.

So my goal now - instead of trying to get them to stop selling rabbits - is to educate them on rabbits. Every time I go into TSC - I talk with them about rabbits - what they need - how long they live - etc. etc. The employees are recognizing me now and asking me questions about rabbits because maybe they had a customer asking about where to get them.

As far as TSC shipping rabbits here - when I asked her about it - my local manager said no they would not and she did not want them to. (She had no way to refuse the chicks or she would).

Thinking outside the box can mean more than writing letters telling TSC we're boycotting them (especially since its too late to affect this year).

It can also mean going in as a customer and educating them so that they can educate others they come in contact with.

That was my point.

Plus I figured if you were going to write to TSC - you'd want to know the facts of HOW they get their rabbits.

 

[TinysMom]

I neglected to state that my very first rabbit was an "Easter" rabbit. It was also an impulse purchase.

That lead to our family having rabbits for years - and my love for rabbits now.

So perhaps that is part of why I'd prefer to see customers educated about the consequences of getting an Easter rabbit...what their needs are, their lifespan, etc.

I just ordered a bunch of brochures and stuff from ARBA - one of which is about caring for your rabbit. I'm going to ask the local TSC (and the tractor supply store) if I can put some up for people to take.

Good luck in contacting TSC - I'm definitely not stating you shouldn't do it. Simply wanted to give you all the facts I knew since I've talked with our local manager about this quite a bit lately.

 

[Pipp]

This should be reposted in the rescue section.

Christine, what about Marshall Farms? Aren't they one of the worst?

I will never condone the sale of live pets in any retail setting like that.

Education efforts are absolutely necessary, but at this point, ineffectual. Impulse buying may have worked well for some, but this is most often not the case.

We ask that rescue people stay out of the Rabbitry and breeder threads, as we ask that breeders don't get involved in rescue threads.

Thank you for understanding.


sas

 

[TinysMom]

One more quick post (yes - as a breeder) - because this was what I was trying to point out Pipp - for when people contact TSC.

They do NOT use Marshall's....make sure when you contact them you have the facts straight - otherwise they may just toss the letter.

And with that - I'll back out of this thread.

 

[christinelea1]

"But why wait until weeks before Easter? Why not months ago?"

If you look back at posts of mine in several places you will see that this has been an ongoing effort over about 3 years and whilst it seems to get "frosted" around this time(because this is the time of "occurance" and the "Make mine Chocolate" efforts at this time is hand and hand with many other rescue places but this is an ongoing effort.

"So there are times when I can understand selling these animals in the stores."

We do USA transports everywhere in the USA and so does about 7 other rescues that I work with and I know of other rescues around the USA and TEXAS that do the same and have done the same for ever... and add in some of the largest rescues USA wide including Best Friends doing national transport of rescue bunnies and there will never be a time to any of us working this hard that it is ok to buy a bun from a breeder or TSC. With this hard work and cash given to save these littles ones comes patience and knowledge on both the rescuer and the adopters part... we bring buns to 4-5-6-and more states away from here...5-7 hours is NOTHING to adopt a bunny when us dedicated people are out here doing this work to help each and every bunny get a home....the research, taking the time to not make an impulse buy is all worth a good home-just going to a "feedstore" does not qualify you as a good home or bun knowlegeable either....I do not believe for one second that people going into a feed stores are likely to know more on how to care for an animal-breeders are the worst offenders of NOT vetting just behind 4 H people using bunnies as 'projects'.....buying from a breeder or a TSC is absolutley unequivically wrong when this is the 3rd most frequent pet needing a GOOD home and rescue.......with all that goes on in my life to save these little ones....including transport to different states...I think you are wrong...And educating....INCLUDES rescue and rehgabb and knowing that this is the 3rd most frequent pet needing a home right now...WE could ALL have 7 bunnies RIGHT now man, woman, child and we still would not have enough homes for those suffering! That would be until the pregnant ones gave birth....then we would again be struggling.
Education first and foremost comes in the respect of oversight that each and every one is taken care of and fed and fixed and vetted properly....Thats where good care and education begins-the beginning...it starts with that-not an impulse buy at TSC that offers cute little babies taken from their Momma 4 weeks too early(10 from 10 times in every survey we did-all were taken at 4 weeks)...So they begin with a weakend immune systom and problems from non developmetal hierarchy(ie being with siblings and Momma) the amount of time needed and the antibodies from lack of Momma's milk and a full array of so many other problems that happen in "store sales" or breeder sales....The research is there...WWW.RABBIT.ORG... ask any rescue....any rescue that deals particularly with bunnies...and CCR is all species...I just happen to do many many bunnies and am also head over heals about them and would like to see things turn out better for them than it has for cats...Through about 17 vets and 700 memebers on other groups talking daily time and time and time again for the betterment of bunnies....there wont be a day in my life I ever agree that it is ok to sell them at TRACTOR SUPPLY COMPANY-not ever!And know the pprocess before writing them...I would not have made a post here if I was not informed from A-Z including the Dept of Agricultures findings....
You said you did not thik they ship-they do....you have said many things that you think will work for you-good luck....when you see them stuck and frozen to boxes after being dumped in a dumpster in the middle of winter after TSC cant sell them after the big "spree" is over...I am sure you then would understand my plea...Education works but it has to start from the right place...in your heart as well a from the beginning of the cycle.
C-

 

[christinelea1]

Marshall Farms specializes in different (exotics) animals though the last I knew-that was not bunnies....now the little LionHeads and dwarfs I am sure they are fiully back into the swing of things sadly. They were BADLY reprimended for fixing ferrets too young and were "demoted" severely when the ferrets all died at 4-5 years of age of renal failure I a sure bunnies maybe a thing they are getting into though now....we are trying to get an "IN" w/them to find out how extensively now...
I KNEW SHE HAD TO BE A BREEDER TO TALK LIKE SHE DID and then bow out...How awful to not be able to come to some understanding that this is the 3rd most frequent animal needing a home and our USA shelters are not equipped for this *species(rescues are over full) * and putting to sleep 22,000 or more a day....and still think it is ok to make more...I am sorry-not acceptable to me but I am here trying as well to "eduacte" in a HUMANE WAY from a rescue stand point.

 

[christinelea1]

PIpp I had no idea that I was not in a rescue thread or I should be??? I had no idea breeders were a part of rabbits online...I am stumbling here and would NEVER be here to cause a problem...I did not know this would not be a thread misplaced or mistook either...I apologize for that!

 

[christinelea1]

This is a WONDERFUL letter and representation from Marilyn my gopod friend and bunny lover and rescuer...WHAT GOOD JOB-she says we are welcome to use it!!! AWESOME EFFORT FROM MARILYN!





Here is the link to the homepage of Tractor Supply. Check out their "Values" statement about "Ethics." Certainly, we can remind them of how they are violating their own "ethics" by selling the bunnies. Corporate people will only pay attention to letters written to them that deal with their corporate image (as it affects revenue) and their profit margins. They do not want negative publicity. Check out the draft of the letter I wrote. I posted it in TNR, but here is a copy privately for each of you. Feel free to use it--

To The Manager and Owner of Tractor Supply Store,

In 2010, bunnies are our world's third most frequently sought-after
domestic pet. These animals need permanent homes. However, the sales of these animals prior to neutering/ spaying, and after being taken from their mothers too soon, is harmful to the bunnies and do not help the resuce organizations to help this wonderful pet. The idea of offering such an animal to an uneducated and uniformed public is reprehensible, at best.

The public needs to understand that owning a rabbit, like owning other animals, is a major commitment of time, energy and money. Bunnies require attention, since they are social animals. They do best when they live in bonded pairs. The females need to be spayed because if they are left unspayed, not only will they reproduce unchecked, but they are likely to experience the needless suffering caused by cancer that often develops in unspayed female rabbits. In addition, if not neutered, male rabbits will spray and mate often with the females, thereby producing more rabbits that need to be cared for by owners who will likely already be overwhelmed with the situation. Selling rabbits that have been taken from their mothers prematurely and before spaying/ neutering and selling them to the public is preposterous, at nest, and is tantamount to animal abuse and cruelty.

Please stop selling these baby rabbits. They will not bring more customers into your store, nor will they increase your store's revenue flow. What will happen, is that your store will receive negative publicity and it is likely that your sales will decrease due to poor public image. People who purchase supplies for their animals at your store can go elsewhere.

The baby rabbits you sell are not checked by veterinarians nor are they spayed/ neutered. Also, they are for sale to anyone walking into your store, which may include hoarders, hunters and uninformed people purchasing them for Easter gifts who will later abandon them or give them to a kill-shelter. In addition, since these animals have not been checked by a vet, you do not know if they are carrying illnesses that other animals and/ or people can get from them. Do you want to be responsible for selling animals that possibly cause the pets your customers have already, and possibly your customers themselves, to become ill? Do you want to leave yourself open to the possibility of litigation relative to such a situation?


Wouldn't you rather have your store known for supporting animal rescue organizations that have their animals checked for good health by a licensed professional veterinarian? Wouldn't you rather give space in your store to an animal rescue to work with your customers to responsibly adopt an animal in good health with the information the customer needs to assure that the animal will remain safe and healthy going forward in its life? You can position your store as a leader and role model in good animal stewardship and education to your local community. In these tough economic times, a business such as yours needs every "edge" it can get.

Rather than just displaying and selling "cute Easter bunnies," why not sponsor an event in conjunction with a local reputable animal shelter where you educate the public about rabbits and build a good relationship with local rescue organizations. Doing this is likely to get referrals of customers to your store whereas just selling "cute Easter bunnies" is likely to get a lot of negative press and drops in sales. Additionally, animal rights organizations may put pressure on your company as well, which can be unpleasant, at best, and even costly.


Please think twice about what you are doing and instead of the $20 you are asking for the sale of a bunny, work with a local rescue to plan an event for the spring Easter season that focuses on good animal stewardship and education and which will position you in the marketplace as a company that is caring and humane. That kind of good public image goes a long way toward bringing in new business, retaining ongoing customers and leading to new business ventures. Many large corporations and small business have taken this stance of "enlightened self-interest" and it has proven very successful.

Please discontinue all sales of bunnies at your store.

Thank you very much for reconsidering your actions with regard to this matter.

Sincerely,

 

[JimD]

christinelea1 wrote:

I had no idea breeders were a part of rabbits online...

And now you do.

That's one of the things that makes RO so unique.
And we go to great lengths not to step on each others toes.


We get some of our most valuable information about care and treatments from our RO breeders...and Peg is at the top of the list in my book.

I KNEW SHE HAD TO BE A BREEDER TO TALK LIKE SHE DID and then bow out...

Just in case you weren't aware....using all caps is construed as yelling.

Now, please play nice.

 

[Pipp]

Buying rabbits from breeders invariably means the purchaser has done enough research on rabbits to be able to find a breeder.

We also trust/hope that the breeders are responsible enough to educate and be there for the rabbits after the sale. We also trust/hope the breeders do not want a reputation linked with sick rabbits and will keep them with thier mothers long enough to build up a good immune system and not breed rabbits with genetic health issues.

Unfortunately this isn't always the case, but at least it does eliminate one major component of neglected and abandoned rabbits -- the impulse buy.

At this point anything that can be done to educate suppliers, retailers and the public in general the hazards (to the rabbits and the buyers) of the common issue of putting too young rabbits on the market will be supported to our best ability.

Writing letters may not seem like much, but they are surprisingly effective. All suppliers, all retailers and all media should be the focus of as big of a campaign as we can muster.

We need people to write different letters and as many is possible to send them as far as possible.

Key points include too young rabbits not having the proper immune system development and lack of education given to the 'buyers', including not enough care given to the delicate nature of their GI tracts and diet, the system stress related to sudden environment and diet changes and the ridiculously bad housing mindset via pet store cages woefully inadequate for their needs.

Other points include the lack of warnings re: the potentially destructive nature of rabbits, the need to spay and neuter them and the high cost of their Vet care.


sas ray:

 

[christinelea1]

I was maybe yelling or somebody furry was on the keys...and only for a minute...I am HOOMAN....sometimes I do that well and so do the cats, GRRR...I do not mean to offend at all but work very hard at rescue BUT I sure will play nice....THANKS

 

[Pipp]

Christine, it was my understanding Marshall Farms began the same 'rabbit mill' practices a few years ago, and part of their way of combating the 'rescue' flack was to provide spayed and neutered pets. Unfortunately, that meant spaying and neutering at a ridiculously young age.

I'm sure the mortality rate was through the roof. I'm not sure if they continued their attempts, but its likely.


sas

 

[Pipp]

PS: We don't care much about misspellings and caps here these days. I think all caps can be quite annoying and members are free to complain, but caps for emphasis are certainly used extensively. I personally do that a LOT.

Let's focus on the rabbits. Thanks.


sas :thanks:

 

[christinelea1]

OH my GOSH I am sickend... I swear I am gonna just go throw up...
I have had to step away from that MF with all else going on but recently did a ferret rescue from a shed-took 6 little dudes to the vet right away and all**ALL**of them were dieing of renal failure....under 3 years old/tatooed ears from MF(I hate the place from here and now to forever at this point and cant help it)....and actually all are now passed;I could do nothing to help them-it was awful, emotionally significant to me as the hurt just staggered me to a place where you know-you just dont go often....You never get use to this crap, it really hurt me beyond belief and I felt so bad for them-first their dropped off in a shed freezing and then left to die from surgery too young on their little bodies-boy their lives sucked for sure....I have a lady now who wants me to take her 2 ferrets and man-I dont know if can do that again-they also are with the MF tats in ears-( my gosh!
I dont know if people know how much this can hurt a person...I guess I see looking over emails I do write in caps(tho I mean NOT to be yelling many times but to make a precise and clear point)....I would be afraid to start yelling as I may never quit .....at this point... HA!

 

[TinysMom]

christinelea1 wrote:

Marshall Farms specializes in different (exotics) animals though the last I knew-that was not bunnies....now the little LionHeads and dwarfs I am sure they are fiully back into the swing of things sadly. They were BADLY reprimended for fixing ferrets too young and were "demoted" severely when the ferrets all died at 4-5 years of age of renal failure I a sure bunnies maybe a thing they are getting into though now....we are trying to get an "IN" w/them to find out how extensively now...
I KNEW SHE HAD TO BE A BREEDER TO TALK LIKE SHE DID and then bow out...How awful to not be able to come to some understanding that this is the 3rd most frequent animal needing a home and our USA shelters are not equipped for this *species(rescues are over full) * and putting to sleep 22,000 or more a day....and still think it is ok to make more...I am sorry-not acceptable to me but I am here trying as well to "eduacte" in a HUMANE WAY from a rescue stand point.

I bowed out of the discussion due to respect to Pipp and the post she made.

However, based upon your comments - I will add one or two more things.

First of all - I am pro-rescue and have been for years. We have no rescue within 200 miles of us (I live near the Mexican border) and I have taken in rabbits over the years for various reasons (not to breed them).

Secondly - my bedroom bunny who sleeps on/in our bed with us - is from a rescue and we traveled over 7 hours one way to adopt him - plus they traveled several hours to meet us part way. He's been with us two years now and is very much cherished - even if it means a 150 mile one way trip to see the vet he sees for checkups - because I like her better than the closer vet who is 70 miles away.

Thirdly - while I do breed - I would NEVER dump a rabbit in a rescue nor would I let them loose in the woods. I also have taken back rabbits from people who have changed their minds (I ask them to return them to me). I breed on a limited basis and for specific reasons. I am not sure I would continue to breed if people could find flemish giants without having to travel a minimum of 150-200 miles to get one.

I also have frequently recommended here on the forum that people visit a rescue (vs. a breeder) for rabbits.

So why did I post?

Because every year around Easter time I see a rash of "we must stop this....let's mail XYZ to get them to stop selling rabbits.".

The problem is (from my business training and experience) - TSC and others make their plans for the Easter rabbits months in advance. I'd like to see people start the whole "don't sell bunnies" letter campaign months before Easter and keep it up throughout the year. From my very limited experience - I only see it mentioned about the time the bunnies are already showing up in the stores.

edited for repetition and relevance

Good luck with your campaign. Believe it or not - I am not fond of seeing rabbits sold in the retail environment. I believe people should only be able to get them AFTER they receive some education on how to care for their animals.

 

[GoinBackToCali]

I am not a fan of impulse buying in a retail setting for baby rabbits either.. let me relay my experience from this past Friday night.

I had to go to TSC for feed and wood pellets, and I had already talked with another rollergirl who had been there earlier for dog food, so I was well aware of what I would see.. (keep in mind I got both the one eyed Himalayan and the broke leg Ske-doosh from TSC after Easter I believe last year.)

I walked up on 2 girls and their mother, talking to what was very clearly your stereotypical redneck trash.

The one little girl was holding an english spot mix and immediately noticed my shirt and started talking to me, so I stopped, and talked with her. The other girl was holding a baby dutch..

I then heard Mrs. Redneck say "Oh yeah I had a rabbit.. we called him swamp thang..he was one of them New Zealand Giants..rabbits are easy to take care of, they dont need no care, just give em a cage and some of that thar food and they are good."

To which I said.. "and on that note, I am off.. I hate ignorance.."

And you know how that went..

So after I got my feed and pellets and had to go back through the group, the girls stopped me to question me about my shirt again.. as we stood there I picked up the baby dutch and said "oh aren't you a cute little dutchy baby"

Mrs. Redneck then said. "and what do you think you know about rabbits lady?"

"I am married to a vet, and before that we not only showed them, we ran an informal rabbit rescue"

Then I went on to list my various breeds and their ailments..

I educated the girls on how rabbits are more than solitary cage dwellers, and things they enjoy playing with/snacking on, what size they can get to be, and how they typically behave..

As I left...I turned to Mrs. Redneck and said "And it's New Zealand White or a Flemish Giant you cretin"

So while I am strongly against selling them in a retail setting for just the reason I listed above, if they just MUST be sold..then education is key!!

 

[TinysMom]

GoinBackToCali wrote:

As I left...I turned to Mrs. Redneck and said "And it's New Zealand White or a Flemish Giant you cretin"

:highfive:


:roflmao: