Need a rant! ( I apoligise if I upset someone)

[Ratzy]

I realise there is another thread on this.
OK... I went to the pet shop today and there was the sick clearwing, still in the same cage @&#*%(O^! I carefully and politely pointed that out. BLAH BLAH BLAH. She went on and on about how they hadn't had it for long, and how the others were picking on him even though one was preening him as we spoke! Then I said about how 1/2 the budgies in the PIED section weren't actually pied.Her exact words.
'They came from breeders and-'
'I'm a breeder!'
'And how old are you? 12?' Yes, it's true, I'm 12.
' Yeah-'
'Well, I think they know a lot more about budgies than you do, darl.'

I DON'T CARE ABOUT MY AGE! IF THOSE BIRDS ARE SOLD TO THEM BY BREEDERS THEN THOSE BREEDERS OBVIOUSLY BREED FOR MONEY OR DON'T KNOW A THING! I THINK I KNOW WHEN I SEE A SPANGLE, A DF SPANGLE, AND A CLEARWING! I apoligise for this rant. What can I do when they don't listen to me? I hate to leave that poor clearwing and the other birds but I'm not going to buy from there.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I DON'T CARE ABOUT MY AGE! IF THOSE BIRDS ARE SOLD TO THEM BY BREEDERS THEN THOSE BREEDERS OBVIOUSLY BREED FOR MONEY OR DON'T KNOW A THING!

Sadly this is the case for a majority of breeders or nearly anything related to pets.

I worked at a pet store for a bit while I was finishing up my degree. Many customers valued my input, but occasionally I'd get a smart-%$$ who thought they new everything - I remember one who had a bunch of dogs kept out back in a kennel. One got impregnated by a neighbors dog that got loose. The family didn't care for the dog, never cleaned her tiny kennel or let her out of it, she was covered in her own filth, and she was fed sawdust based 'dog-food' once a day when someone threw a handful of the food on her soiled floor ... she didn't even get a bowl.

The family was coming through the store and the daughter (~10 yrs old) came up to me begging me to convince her father to take care of the sick and pregnant dog. The girl had been saving up her allowance to buy a decent dog food but her dad wouldn't pitch in anything. After a trying to talk to this jerk I had to walk away before I hurt him ... I remember wanting to hit him - many times.

Such people won't take advice. While working there when I tried to offer good advice I'd occasionally get the sarcastic question "Are you a veterinarian? If not I don't care what you say." Sad thing is they didn't listen to their vet either - I knew all the vets in the area, and when it came to nutrition or behavior the vets came to me for advice.

The world has no shortage of stupid people. We may be able to educate some, but sadly the others must be ignored for the sake of our own sanity.

 

[HRH Di]

'And how old are you? 12?' Yes, it's true, I'm 12.
' Yeah-'
'Well, I think they know a lot more about budgies than you do, darl.'

I DON'T CARE ABOUT MY AGE!

Unfortunately, most people aren't taken seriously until they're 30. Most people don't like to be "instructed" by anyone younger that they are - talk to a young (under 35) manager in almost any corporation in the world. Regardless of how politely you gave this infomation, she will not listen to you. Age discrimination goes both ways.

Considering the fact that they had a sick bird in with the others, the health of the birds doesn't seem to be a high priority for them. And if she doesn't know the difference between preening and picking, they probably shouldn't be selling birds to begin with.

 

[parrotqueen]

HRH is absolutely right-- people often underestimate younger people, or people in lower authority in general. Sadly, this has been going on for many years and probably will be for many more years to come.

I'm sorry that it has been this way, I wish they would listen to you. I would be so angry at them too. Heck, I'd end up buying the bird and taking it to the vet myself. I'd hate to see them let the bird get worse--or even die. I hope you can find a solution to all this, you'll be in my thoughts.

 

[Ratzy]

Thank you guys. I keep trying to post but I always managed to delete it. Would spreading rumours be best way to go?

 

[Mel]

Thank you guys. I keep trying to post but I always managed to delete it. Would spreading rumours be best way to go?

I think it's great you feel so passionate at 12, I wouldn't want to get in your way when you're older. I wouldn't spread rumours - just facts. I'd tell as many ppl as you can about the conditions of the birds as long as you keep to the truth you can't get in trouble. I always warn people if I see them looking at pets at a pet shop.... I'm sure some of them are thinking I'm a little crazy

 

[Ratzy]

Just watch out! I'm very good at having an idea and then making it happen! I'm spreading facts about the apalling conditions. Oh, and about not to buy from the bird section because they have sick birds that could have infected the healthy ones.

 

[antoinette]

You go Ratzy, tell as many people as you can.
Just tell the truth......... Honesty is the best policy

 

[parrotqueen]

You go Ratzy, tell as many people as you can.
Just tell the truth......... Honesty is the best policy

Well said, Antoinette.

I'd love to hear your progress, Ratzy. I'm very happy that you're looking out for the poor birds. Good for you!!

 

[Colorguarder08]

Ratzy I know how you feel many breeders are ignorant and if theres a profit to be made there will be breeders just farming out animals. When I was 11 (I'm 20 now) my dad had bought some cockatiels who sold to a petstore and those poor birds were kept in a small little shed with like 4 cages grant it the cages were big however there like 50 birds per cage which the cages were not big enough to hold all of them. The birds were on an all seed diet AND the only time he took them out of the cage was to put them in a different one when he sold them. Yet both my dad and that guy think it's perfectly ok to keep birds like that and my dad even wants to go and get another bird from him if he still breeds the bird cause he bred all different kinds of birds.

 

[Ratzy]

Unfortunately there is another part to this.... Last week I happened to be walking out the back of the pet shop. What did I see but a little clearwing lying on the ground, half dead. I through my jumper over it and took it home. It was the SAME clearwing. I tried everything I could, but it just.... gave up on Saturday. It wasn't in any pain... and I did my best to get it to the vet but I was too late and the vets were closed. I suringe fede and watered it but it was already to far.
A friend is going to ask 'what happened to the sick blue and white budgie' and if they say something compltely wrong, such as it 'flew away' or we took it to the vets or 'it died' I'll pounce. I didn't want to bring this up because I'm really upset.

 

[Ratzy]

Guess what? This pet store I went to yesterday, there was a sick little budgie separate from the others. Poor thing just had mites and and a feather problem. I have gone back today, and the poor bird is gone. Wonder what they've done with THAT one

 

[birdiemomma]

Oh Ratzy, that is absolutely horrible! I would call the Better Business Bureau if you have on in your area. There also should be organizations that you can contact?

 

[Ratzy]

I have no proof

 

[birdiemomma]

Usually if you call with an anonymous tip they will check it out I think? It's worth a shot.

 

[Ratzy]

There isn't any sick birds there anymore . Everything is ok now, cages are on the small side, but the only thing is some mites, but the birds affected are in a separate area.

 

[wildheart]

Ratzy you have to report them even if you do not have any proof. Why wait for another bird to get sick? Report them to everyone, somewhere somebody will take notice, or even just remember it. If nobody knows then nothing will ever get done.

Your heading is: Re: Need a rant! ( I apoligise if I upset someone) - well the same goes with my post:

If you are not prepared to do something then dont complain about it. That is just the way that I live my life, sorry.

Breeders are only in it for money that is 99% correct. Here I have a baby who almost certainly have PBFD. He was among African Greys, Macaws and Cockatoos in a nursery sharing the same tube.

I've been doing a lot of research about the disease in SA and found many reports of breeders selling PBFD parrots. They are only in it for the money. You are lucky that you live in a country that has the organizations and resources to act against pet shops and breeders - use them.

And another thing, even if you were 36 years old they still wont listen, believe me I've been there done that almost got locked up. Use the people with authority, get to know them, work with them - nothing else works.