Wednesday, August 29, 2007

PetSmart: $$$ First, Rabbits last; Boycott PetSmart

PetSmart: $$$ First, Rabbits Last; the rest of us are just the paycheck.

Corporate entity PetSmart, Inc., for quite a while now, has been putting profits before consideration of pet rabbit life. Today, it seems that PetSmart's policies have gone public in a big way. I ask that you please boycott PetSmart.

PetSmart has turned their back on a short-lived policy of adopting out otherwise homeless pet rabbits, preferring instead to purchase rabbits from breeders and offer those rabbits for sale to prospective pet owners. What's wrong with that? Well, if you were to visit your local animal shelter, you would find dozens of unwanted rabbits awaiting homes or "euthanasia". Pet rabbits are oftentimes bought as holiday (Easter) gifts and for other spur-of-the-moment reasons. The gifts of these impulsive purchases do not always survive their best intentions. The result: domestic rabbits turned loose to fend for themselves, or increased rabbit populations at shelters.

In a July 200 interview, PetSmart CEO said, "Six weeks before the Easter holiday bunnies become popular pet purchases, but 10 days later the majority of them wind up in shelters." Well...so what?

Bongo, Snowball, Bronwyn, Dharma, Lola, Nigel, and Marla and Ernie are just some of the over 200 rabbits in the Detroit area up for adoption (PetFinder.com). I'm sure there are more, I just stopped counting pages after eight. The bunnies: baby and senior and everything in between; Dutch, Lop-Eared, Rex, Mini Rex, Harlequin and other breeds.

Did you ever see the 1978 Warren Beatty movie - Heaven Can Wait? There's a line in it where Beatty's character Joe Pendleton is addressing his Board about the company's concern over loss of profits of their canned tuna.; the expense of taking precautions so that dolphins are not caught/killed during tuna nettings. In addressing a change in corporate policy - for the better - Joe says: "But we don't care how much it costs,e just care how much it makes.... We can't have our tuna and eat it too without paying for the privilege." Joe says, "Would you pay a penny extra to save a fish that thinks?" I would. "Let's be the team that makes the rules, plays fair.... It'll cost us, but we don't care...beause we'll come out ahead in the end." He goes on to say (something to the effect of) "...when we get there (the Superbowl), let's already have won."

It's Joe Pendleton's attitude that I wish corporate America would adopt. Would I pay extra supplies if I knew the business cared about pets - and not just making a buck on getting them out the door. You bet.
I'd pay extra for quality of life. It would be the best of both worlds: re-homed pets and trustworthy suppliers. What a concept.

To listen to the story on NPR, click on this link. To learn more about rabbits, or about this topic and how you can help, visit the House Rabbit Society at www.rabbit.org



1 comment:

  1. You can get all the up to date information on the PetSmart campagin on the Hot topics page at www.rabbitwise.org or go directly to http://mysite.verizon.net/vze27h5b/id90.html

    There are links to the blogesphere on this topic including this one, photos from the Aug 30 PETA protest at PetSmart headquarters, links to petitions you can sign, and other ways to help fight this corporatwe greed at the expense of the lives of rabbits.

    ReplyDelete

Conversation appreciated. Ours is a big world, with big opinions; please be respectful.