Oh my gosh I feel sick to my stomach now...

[Remy]

It bothers me.// but the thing with them throwing the rats in the bag... those are feeder rats for snakes and large reptiles. If they gas them, the gasses get passed to your reptile. Granted, I hate the way that the animals are treated and I'm not in their defense on bit, just pointing out that they do supply pre-killed feeders, and that's the most efficient way to do it. I had to pre-kill rats for Jake (12' burmese python) because he wouldn't kill them himself and I had to break their necks.

This actually isn't true, when I had more reptiles I started breeding my own rats after I bought a bag of mice at a show and then realized that they all had their throats slit I got so mad I decided that I would breed my own feeders that way I knew for sure that they were at least being taken care of properly and killed humanely. I killed mine using CO2 gas, With enough CO2, you can drop a rat in a bucket and it will be dead before it hits the bottom and it will not harm the animal that will be eating it, I did this for years and so do many others.

The best thing you can do to stop this is to stop supporting any pet store that sells live animals. I know it can be hard to find them and it's not as much "fun" to go to a store that doesn't have animals but it is certainly much kinder. I prefer stores that don't sell animals but that have adoptions or animals that live at the shop.

I hate to say it and sound like this, but I get a little frustrated when people get mad about videos like these and swear up and down that if they ever saw an animal being treated that way that they would do this or that to the person, but then they turn around and eat animal products. :31: I will never tell you what you should or shouldn't eat, but honestly, farmed animals are treated way worse and on a much larger scale, yet everyone seems to overlook this. I hate that people seem to pick and choose which animals have the right to be treated with kindness, did you know that pigs are actually more intelligent than dogs? That chickens have 30 different calls in their language that humans can recognize and that cows are very social creatures that cry and mourn when their babies are taken from them so that humans can steal their milk? If you really want to see what happens go to EARTHLINGS - Make the Connection. | Nation Earth and watch their free documentary.

Okay, i'm off my soapbox now

This is why I recently went vegetarian. I feel a lot better about myself now.

I really enjoyed eating it (taste, texture, etc), but the mental images of animals being so poorly treated really trumps that.

 

[mnkeastman]

Just to shocked to speak!

 

[lene1949]

When I was younger, we got our meat from a farm nearby... I never knew about the commercially processed animals... and I don't like these videos at all... I'm really wondering, if that's the way it's done, or if these are exteme cases?

These days I mostly eat chicken meat, free range..

 

[echoskybound]

This makes me proud that I do not buy animals from pet stores...

My local PetSmart recently got a GCC that is up for sale, which would normally upset me because I don't think big chain pet stores should sell parrots... but this guy had a huge cage with all sorts of toys and it was very clean. I met an employee there who saw that I was looking at bird supplies and she started tlaking to me about irds, and how she's been spending time working with the GCC that was for sale. I was happy to hear it was being socialized and in good hands.

My local Petco, however, sells a bunch of parrots in tiny cages with seed diets... even the lorikeets! I recently wrote them an e-mail and asked them to reconsider the diets of the parrots, and to keep their water bowls clean. They responded and said they will contact the manager and make sure the problem is addressed urgently. We'll see.

 

[usamimi]

Man, while the petco I shop at takes decent care of the animals, birds in particular (the lady has an eclectus and at least has a hint of what to do), I know understand why my petco sunny is so ill tempered. Poor little guy.

 

[roxynoodle]

I've seen that video before. I can't watch it again.

My local PetCo only sells budgies as far as birds go. However, when I was in right before Christmas there were a whole bunch of them. Then when I was in again a couple weeks ago, there were only like 6 very young ones. I couldn't help but wonder, what happened to all the others? I'm hoping they were sold as Christmas presents and that they didn't do something awful to them. But, I've been wondering.

My local Petsmart does not have any birds. Pet Supplies Plus always has some, but they are in very large cages with toys and seem to be eating a good diet.

The pet store were I got Rowdy was locally owned, and they had 3 stores in NW Ohio/SE Michigan. I really liked that one, and they sold horse supplies as well. But, they have gone out of business. They had the nicest selection of bird toys.

 

[Helitorian]

The pet store were I got Rowdy was locally owned, and they had 3 stores in NW Ohio/SE Michigan. I really liked that one, and they sold horse supplies as well. But, they have gone out of business. They had the nicest selection of bird toys.

A good/large selection of bird toys is so hard to find in stores Even my store has a meager supply. Con already owns almost all of the ones that fit her size and I've even considered buying the Macaw sized Kladders just so she can play on it.

 

[BillsBirds]

I worked as an investigator for the SPCA, and you would not believe some of the things I saw. I cannot even tell you without getting upset. I was only able to do it because I felt that I was there for the animals, and was making their lives better. This is just a tip of theiceberg!

 

[roxynoodle]

The pet store were I got Rowdy was locally owned, and they had 3 stores in NW Ohio/SE Michigan. I really liked that one, and they sold horse supplies as well. But, they have gone out of business. They had the nicest selection of bird toys.

A good/large selection of bird toys is so hard to find in stores Even my store has a meager supply. Con already owns almost all of the ones that fit her size and I've even considered buying the Macaw sized Kladders just so she can play on it.

I can go to all 3 of the big chain stores in one day and still not find anything I think my birds want. I buy a lot of toys now on ebay. Another thing I do is to just replace parts on their old toys. I buy the wood shapes at hobby stores, dye them with bird safe food coloring and then replace the parts that are overly chewed. I hate the round ball shapes on a lot of bird toys because the birds can't seem to chew on them. So I'll buy a toy and then they chew off all the other types of shapes and nothing is left but those round balls.

 

[jmgruber]

I would hate to tell you stories of what I seen pet owners do, It's not just pet stores.

I personally feel if you are willing to treat your animal in this way, you would have no problem treating your own children this way.

Other than a very few humans, I have more trust and respect for the non human people in my life.

 

[Wulfgeist]

My GCC actually came from the Petco here in town after they opened. They don't sell birds anymore aside from budgies, not even sure they have teils now...anyway..Tico melted my heart. I *really* wanted a grey but I went in to have a look and here was this little guy in one of the cages with another. He came right up to the glass and was waving lol. I wound up going home with him and he was very sweet and well-socialized. I'm not sure if it's where he came from or from employees working with him but he was very sweet and lovable, still is most days. He's never been sick at all and didn't take to the pellets very well.

 

[roxynoodle]

My GCC actually came from the Petco here in town after they opened. They don't sell birds anymore aside from budgies, not even sure they have teils now...anyway..Tico melted my heart. I *really* wanted a grey but I went in to have a look and here was this little guy in one of the cages with another. He came right up to the glass and was waving lol. I wound up going home with him and he was very sweet and well-socialized. I'm not sure if it's where he came from or from employees working with him but he was very sweet and lovable, still is most days. He's never been sick at all and didn't take to the pellets very well.

Keep working on the pellets. It takes a long time with some birds. Maybe try a few different kinds to see what colors/shapes he likes. It took me forever with my Blue Crown conure to even get her to try one, but eventually I had her on pellets. And I adopted a 28 year old amazon a few months ago whose previous owner told me no way would I ever get him to eat one. Well, he's converted now.

 

[Lycrisa]

I'm a little late to the game and not established here as a member yet, but I think
I should point something out.

The methods they used to "cull" the animals are actually some of the more humane ways to euthanize when you don't have access to a vet. only in that scenario, only done properly and with respect and only with rodents. The way they did it and the conditions of the ware hose was deplorable and just mind blowing. I breed mice, for health and for showing. I name, love and vet every single mouse I care for. How can you treat such lovely beings so cruelly?

When they showed the mice I could see several of them that I and many of my breeder friends would kill to have just because of the genes. I can't believe how barren and packed those cages are. That's exactly the reason why I don't buy from chain stores at all. It's not worth it, even if they have something I need. How do you pssable breed responsibly when you can't even care for them in the most basic ways. The food looked like the crap that causes tumors.
But then again it was PETA and I know they've been caught paying someone to skin a raccoon live for them to film at a fur farm. You'd be surprised, the lengths some of the animal rights groups go to.