New Raid at Sun Pet in Atlanta

Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum

Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
L

Linda

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2009
Messages
220
Location
So Cal
I'm getting word of a new raid going on at a Petco, Petsmart, Petland, etc. distributor at Sun Pet in Atlanta today. It's apparently very similar to the one at Arlington, and the info comes from another Peta worker's experiences working at the facility.

I haven't heard if there are chins involved, but there are certainly the smaller rodents. I suspect chins are there too since the chain stores like to get all furry animals from a single distributor. Here is a small blurb out there.

"PETA turned over the investigator's findings to law-enforcement authorities. This morning, officials descended on Sun Pet's massive warehouse."

I wonder if they ever got all of the animals from the Arlington raid placed... Last I heard, there were still 1000 dwarf hamsters, but hamster clubs and hamster experts weren't considered suitable adopters for them without 501(c)3 status.

Linda
 
id like to follow this story. do you have a link about it? or still developing?

edit: NEVERMIND!:thumbsup:
 
Great. They need to really keep their noses out of businesses. If they were "abusing and killing animals before shipping them out" do you think they'd be getting any money?
 
Definitely chins in there and it's still an ongoing investigation per the link and just quoting a blurb in the article that LauraLynne posted -

After an initial investigation of Sun Pet, the state agriculture department said some of the enclosures that were housing chinchillas were rusting and needed to be replaced.
Click to expand...

Um, I've seen rust in lots of cages.
 
Since PETA is involved in this one (as well as arlington), I don't buy much of whats being said. Can't believe a thing when peta has their hands in the pots.

Wonder how many animals will killed and left for dead on purpose, just to shut down the business... Peta is known for "planting" and doing their own dirty deeds to bring something they don't like down...but THAT never gets out.
 
Ash said:
Great. They need to really keep their noses out of businesses. If they were "abusing and killing animals before shipping them out" do you think they'd be getting any money?
Click to expand...

The reality is: Yes!

The story may be different for chins, but for the smaller rodents like hamsters, a 50% death rate in their first month or two of life is not uncommon. The chains have to carry the hamsters to get the impulse buyers who spend $100+ on the cage and accessories. The animals are a loss anyway, so who cares if some of them die along the way. They are a means to an end: Profit!

If you look at the video on the site, you'll see a dead guinea pig sent back from a Petco without food or water because it was sick and they decided the distributor should treat it themselves. Chins do get better treatment because of their high cost. The smaller rodents *don't* get special treatment.

I'm definitely not pro-PETA and am not convinced many of the animals from the Arlington raid had their life significantly bettered because of the raid. I've just seen too much of what arrives at the stores in very poor condition to believe the animals are treated well anywhere along the distribution chain including at the pet store. It's a cruel world for the animals.

The system needs to change, but PETA is not the right driver of change. We need to be the drivers and quit shopping at stores that sell live animals.

Linda
 
Linda said:
The reality is: Yes!

The story may be different for chins, but for the smaller rodents like hamsters, a 50% death rate in their first month or two of life is not uncommon. The chains have to carry the hamsters to get the impulse buyers who spend $100+ on the cage and accessories. The animals are a loss anyway, so who cares if some of them die along the way. They are a means to an end: Profit!

If you look at the video on the site, you'll see a dead guinea pig sent back from a Petco without food or water because it was sick and they decided the distributor should treat it themselves. Chins do get better treatment because of their high cost. The smaller rodents *don't* get special treatment.

I'm definitely not pro-PETA and am not convinced many of the animals from the Arlington raid had their life significantly bettered because of the raid. I've just seen too much of what arrives at the stores in very poor condition to believe the animals are treated well anywhere along the distribution chain including at the pet store. It's a cruel world for the animals.

The system needs to change, but PETA is not the right driver of change. We need to be the drivers and quit shopping at stores that sell live animals.

Linda
Click to expand...

:clap1: GREAT post! It's too true for the smaller rodents. I worked at a PetSmart for 3 months when I was 17. I had to quit because according to the management I started a "witch hunt" against my department manager. It was her responsibility to get vet care for the animals in our care. She let two rats die from ear infections that went to their brains, caused damage and made the rats self mutilate themselves and have to be put to sleep.

In all honesty though...the distributors wouldn't benefit from abusing the animals in their care. They may be guilty of neglect but I don't think they'd go out of their way to torture and kill their stock before selling them off...which is what PETA is making it sound like. I think the worst things happen to the animals when they are in transit or at the pet stores.

The only way to stop the chain is to buy from private distributors(for supplies), feed stores and reputable breeders. There are more than enough of us out there...I won't even buy a water bottle from a pet store.
 
We can all stop buying from petstores but the fact of the matter is no matter what there is always gonna be that parents who goes in there because they need dog food or something and there kid just needs a hampster. And there will always be the kid who wants to show everyone how he isnt afraid of anything so he pays $300 for the full grown boa. Theres always going to be the new cupple who go in and see a puppy or a chinchilla or something and decide aww its so cute and cuddly we need it.
The best bet would be to just try and put stricter laws into place for petstores. I know its dumb to say that and it will never happen but thats how I feel
 
The worst thing they could say is that there was some rust on some enclosures? Come on now... There's a few clips on a some of my cages that rusted up a bit...that has nothing to do with care, that's just because a few of my cages are old. LOL I've seen ranchers that have a bit of surface rust on their cages or their pans have a bit of rust - the chins are fine and clean...not a big deal. (Pans eventually have to be replaced, we all know that!)

I never go to petstores anymore either. I feel like they've really let the animals down. I'll go to a feed store - they may sell chicks on occasion, but that's about it.

I hope that nothing significant comes of this. If the Sun Pet people maybe will be reminded to take care of things a little better, than maybe this will be a good thing. I'm so glad they didn't go in and find animals dying.
 
Well, if they change their mind about the non profit status, I am only 5 hrs away. I can house some chins here and help with transporting if needed. If it's only some rusty cages though, I doubt this is even going to go anywhere.
 
From what I have heard a PETA person was employed there and had a key to let everyone in before the other people even came in to work. Sounds like everything was in order and nothing further will be happening there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top