Sometimes people just tick me off...

[Runestonez]

My Dad took me out today to go to a couple aquarium stores...we wandered into one in Mississauga I think...it was on Dundas anyway...I get lost when he drives.

Anyway aquarium store...sells primarily tropical and marine fish...except for the rabbits and other fuzzies they had stacked like cord wood on the floor. They don't even have a small pet area...usually they onlysell fish. But they had five rabbits...each about 3 months oldor so in two starter cages 24 inches long and a little over 12 inches wide...the two larger ones were in a cage divided in two...neither had enough room to even lay down. The remaining three were all in together...an orange lop, a black and white dutch and a darker one that was hiding so I couldn't see what he was...sitting side by side they had no room to move...no food, no hay and their water bottle was the kind for hamsters...far too small for them to get sufficient water...which wouldn't have mattered since it was empty anyway(it only holds about 8oz of water maximum). My Dad is very non-confrontational and beat a hasty exit when he saw my face...I was so MAD.:X I grabbed the one kid and told him to fill all the water bottles...and when he looked like he was going to wander off I had to stand there and glare at him till they were properly watered...the poor little buggers hit the water bottle like they had been in the desert...all three trying desperately to push each other out of the way. I told him to get a bigger one...but they don't have any since they don't sell pet supplies or pets. The one cage was on the floor with a little syrian hamster stacked on top of it and a guinnea pig without water or food as well to the right of him...then the other two rabbits stacked on an aquarium of teddy bear hamsters to the left side...disgusting...the cages were filthy...the poor buggers were crowded and dying of thirst. :grumpy:

I called the OSPCA when I got home (I didn't have their number on me) and I desperately hope they get off their butts tomorrow and go take a look...the bunns seem to be fine for now...I don't think they have been there too long yet, but a couple more days and I fear for the worst...I work for OREO here and sometimes I wonder if anyone is actually listening to us. And if people are...when will I start to feel like we're making a difference?:tears2:

Danielle

 

[hartleybun]

im in england so i guess things are different - if i had seen that in the two pet shops local to me i would have walked out and gone home. composed myself then would begin phoning. first the RSPCA then the my vet to find out who licences pet shops. tha particular local government department would have then gotten a piece of my very composed mind. finally the head office of the company concerned would be getting a phone call and email.



the two petshops near me have a very high standard of care. i go in once a week - for timothy hay and always have a wander round. the accommodations are spotless with appropriate food and water. the staff are very knowledgable too.

good luck

 

[Runestonez]

The OSPCA called back this morning...
they are sending in an inspector today to investigate.

They aren't allowed to comment or let me know how it turned out...
It's going to drive me nuts not knowing..I may have to take a wee drive tomorrow... :grumpy:

 

[Jessyka]

People loathe going to pet stores with me. If I see something out of place, you know I won't hesitate to say something.

Good on you for calling in. Sometimes I consider getting a job in animal welfare, but I fear I'd be busting knee caps all day and using my checks to bail myself out of jail. :grumpy:

 

[Runestonez]

lol

I know I can't save every animal out there...but it drives me bonkers...
Especially if I have enough money on me to buy them all and just walk out...
Hubby would make me sleep in the garage if I brought anymore home...:grumpy:

I just have my fingers crossed they were removed to saftey and are well fed now...
and I'm still going for a drive tomorrow...ahhh crap...it is a 2 hour drive back there too...and then home again...serves me right I guess...I try to stay out of stores with rabbits for a reason...guess I'll pack snackies...

 

[hartleybun]

i dont think there's anybun on RO who wouldnt happen to take a drive.....and happen to end up at a certain petshop..:hug:

 

[Rabbit Hero]

I live in Toronto and I planned on running errands tomorrow. If you remember the place, I'll defiantly go take a look around.

 

[Rabbit Hero]

(If I can lol)

 

[paul2641]

There is a pet shop like this were I live they are part of a chain and they are terrible the cages always reek of diarrhoea, And you can see it all over the pens, They also feed them terrible quality food and don't give them hay, While they have another branch of this pet store in my area aswell less then an hours walk from the other one and it is a hundreds times better, Cages always spotless, Staff actaully know what there doing, And they actually help!

I have pulled staff many a time in the bad one telling them the rabbits need hay, One day I nearly dropped to the ground laughing when one of the CHILDREN working there said Oh we don't feed hay as it makes rabbits BLOW UP! I was like WTF! And gave him a serious talk, A week later going in the rabbits were being fed hay!

 

[nicolevins]

A local petshop has rabbits in these metal cages, feeding that food with all different mixed in it (you know what hamster food looks like?). I cant think of the name of it.
Anyway, the rabbits had SORES on their noses and everything!! I said it to the owner (which is my dads COUSIN!!), and my Dad also said he would contact the SPCA if it wasnt checked out! The cages were all metal and were small! Poor things (Oh, btw the rabbits were checked out by a vet!)

Sometimes you just have to speak up.. my cousin on the other hand is still dependent on her mam and hates asking for things(like in shops) - if she saw a pet that was in a bad state she probably wouldnt say anything! :grumpy:

 

[Runestonez]

Rabbit Herolives closer than me so she is going to brave the cold for me and check to see if the OSPCAhas removed or made them clean up the fuzzies!:bunnydance:

Fingers crossed for good news!

 

[Rabbit Hero]

I just got in and unfortunately I never made it to the store.

I took two bus rides, and then while waiting for my third... the bus didn't show. It wasn't to cold out so I stuck around, read a book, listened to some Tunes. I waited almost two hours but I had to get going by that time. The bus driver from my connecting street recognized me and was nice enough to pick me back up without charge.

I'm so sorry!

 

[Runestonez]

It's OK...thanks anyway...:hug:

Soooska is coming to visit tomorrow mid-day so maybe later in the afternoon I can scoot down/over...

 

[Rabbit Hero]

keep us updated!

 

[Runestonez]

So I finally went back today...
They were still stacked like cord wood in the middle of the aisleway...
The one cage of bunns now has 3 4oz water bottles instead of one...but they only use the one bottle by the looks of it...the cages were still gross and they were still all crammed in together...:grumpy:

I remembered this time that I have a camera phone though so I took a couple of quick pics...
This is their "pet section"...

You can see the two rabbits trying to beat each other to the water bottle...there are three mature rabbits in the bottom cage...and two full sized bunns in the cage to the yupper left...all of these water bottles are tiny...although the blue one looks a farir size in the pic...it really isn't.

they divided it with a syrofoam shipping carton to keep them apart and they have been eating it...one is a gorgeous male Lionhead and the other is...I can't recall the name of the breed...they have fur like a bullrush but all soft and velvety...they shed like a bullrush too...he doesn't look so good...filthy soaking wet shavings and noroom to lay down...

The edge of he cage is just to his left...he has no where to go...:grumpy:

They are cleaner than last time...although the little Syrian Hamster is abslutely disgusting...the smell is enough to knock you off your feet...still no food and under sized water bottles though...

So where do you go once you call the OSPCA and they don't do anything?:grumpy:

Danielle

 

[pOker]

i am without comment..that is despicable.

good job for you though to go and do something about it..

 

[Rabbit Hero]

Oh dear...

 

[Runestonez]

I have been sitting here tossing around ideas...

I am going to turn over my photos to the OSPCA and see if that will help...
I'll call them in the morning.

The store is for tropical fish so it is hot hot hot and humid too...:grumpy:
I didn't manage to get a pic of the hamsters they had stacked in aquariums off to the right hand side of these...they had all cardboard boxes stacked on top of them you almost couldn't tell there was anything alive in there.

Danielle

 

[rindindin]

I would definitely call the OSPCA again, and send the pictures. The fact that they had visited and nothing was done means, I should think, that you can start complaining to the higher ups.

 

[*Pepper*]

OMG!

:soapbox

AGAIN?!?! I know EXACTLY what store you're talking about. I thought they learned their lesson after me causing a STINK every time I go in there?!?! I see they haven't!

:X

The grey rex is the doe and dam to some of the buns... but I see they have gotten new ones, too. I pretended to be interested in purchasing them... tried to 'rescue' them and their mom back when they were wee kits - but when I asked how much they had the odosity (sp?) to say $150 for mom and 3 kits (they were living in a small guinea pig cage)!!! I behaved and remained civil... said "sir - our city shelter down the road has small animals such as rabbits up for adoption for FREE [pending a "passed" application] and they STILL have difficulty finding homes! You think you can make money off these guys? I'd rather go there to find myself a rabbit!" I said this in hopes that he'd drop the price - but all he did was offer to throw in the cage! Ugh!!! There were crickets hopping around everywhere, mom barely had water and NO FOOD! She had the nest in the middle of the tiny cage and couldn't even take a corner to herself to rest. Apart from that, their body condition was, in fact, good - mom was alert and enjoyed having her head rubbed. After inadvertantly laughing him in the face for thinking he could charge someone $150 for trying to get a poor doe and her kits out of a stressful situation like they were in - I demanded that he feed her and replenish her water... I explained the importance of her care while nursing and suggested she also had hay. I then demanded the same for all the other furries as there were hammies also lacking water and food... they even had rat feeders out on display... 10 day olds WITHOUT a mom! They had water and food - but what on earth do you expect a 10 day old rat to do with that?!?! They had a guinea pig in a hamster cage! I scolded them for having hermit crabs with NO SUBSTRATE, too! But that was on my last visit, I'm not sure if anything was done about it... I was very close to grabbing the critter keeper they were in and running for dear life out of there! I refused to leave until they fed and watered everyone that required it. Unlucky for them - this all hits close to home with me because I have a little of EVERY critter (be it mammal, aquatic or reptile!) as part of my family - so seeing what their close cousins have to endure in the so-called 'pet trade' infuriates me! :tantrum:

I've been 'visiting' this store for years now and have been in a situation where I did purchase rabbits from them only to find them good homes. I was young and naive, but then realized that they would only get replaced by the next victims. I tried calling authorities on them with no success - which is why I have now taken it upon myself to ensure things get done. My fiance now downright REFUSES to go to that store as I cause a BIG STINK about one thing or another every time! He's an animal lover just the same - but the type that would rather "not see" the cruelty or "cause problems" for the offenders... so I take over in that department! My sister and friends, on the other hand, get a kick out of it and love going with me to see me in action! I always pop in there after shopping at Big Al's for my aquatic critters. I do, on occasion, make purchases there as they do have better deals on certain items... and although I hate to admit 'supporting' them in that department - I do believe this is the only reason I have not yet been banned from there! They KNOW me and I do sometimes see them scramble when I enter the store. I always thought if making the odd $5-$10 purchase to ensure that I can keep an eye on things would be worth its weight in gold. Apparently not. In their defense though, my last visit there was the most "pleasant" one I have had - all the critters had clean cages, water and food. Buns even had hay. The cages the buns were in weren't adequate size-wise (though NOTHING compared to the pictures!) and the kits had been freshly weaned - but I did see improvement and commended them for it. The store owner was there with some sort of inspector and snubbed me as he brisked on by me --- I grinned the biggest and fakest smile I could right back. I'm not sure who the person was that was there - but I don't believe they had anything to do with animals per se - as they were going over the inventory on the shelves - perhaps they were being audited? I have never seen them have so many rabbits and in such deplorable conditions as I see in these pictures though... hmmm... :grumpy:

:goodjob Good for you for calling on them! Unfortunately, OSPCA is pretty much of the highest authority in Ontario. It's hard for them in a situation like this to justify much if they have food, water and shelter. I have made many calls in my day - and only one of them has been answered, is active, being taken to court and the individuals charged! Unfortunately, this just doesn't seem to be one of these cases.


It's been a few weeks since I've been there as I've started going to a different Big Al's location - sounds like they need to be paid a visit by yours truly. Grrrr!!! :banghead



*rolls up sleeves, takes off earrings*

*DING DING* GAME ON!!!

:boxing