Cruelty in Store at PetSmart

[miss_perfect]

Source: Helping Animals

After PETA campaigned against PetSmart’s main competitor, PETCO, the company agreed to stop selling most large species of birds, to work with rescue groups to adopt out homeless birds, and to recommend flight cages, which are roomy enough for birds to fly in, but PetSmart has yet to take any such significant steps.

Despite numerous letters and meetings with PETA representatives, PetSmart continues to sell tens of thousands of birds and other animals every year to people who may know little to nothing about proper care. In the wild, birds preen each other, fly together, play, “talk” incessantly, and share parenting tasks. If they are separated from their flock even for a moment, they call wildly to their flockmates. But birds kept as “pets” are often confined to tiny cages, denied the companionship of other birds, and deprived of the opportunity to fly. Driven mad by loneliness and boredom, they can become neurotic and self-destructive, pulling out their feathers, incessantly screeching and bobbing their heads, pecking frantically at cage bars, and shaking or even collapsing from anxiety.

Many parrots and other birds are bred in crowded, cage-filled warehouses, where they frequently live in squalor, unable even to stretch out their wings. Babies may be taken away from their mothers before they can even feed themselves. Birds are also still illegally captured in forests and smuggled out inside socks, shoes, small boxes, or even toilet paper rolls. Many die before reaching their destinations.

This is very sad, as I'm a regular PetSmart customer. I've never wanted to have a bird just because I think it's rotten to take them out of their habitats. I have known people who have given their birds really great lives and it makes me feel a little better. But still, you'd think there would be a better way to do all of this .

[UndercoverGator]

And I have to completely disagree with that as someone who's owned and bred large birds and parrots for many years. Most of the breeders I know will not even sell their birds to big merchandisers like Pet Smart because Pet Smart employees don't give a rats ass about the birds, it's all about the sale. They don't screen the buyers to find out if it's the right pet of them, if the buyer even has a clue how must time a parrot takes. It does take a special comittment to own an exotic bird but it's not animal abuse to cage them. With a person who is aware of the time engendered by owning an exotic it's a good match, they require daily person to bird interaction, play and talk. Most breeders I know breed the birds because they love the breed and get so much enjoyment raising a flock of hatchlings, hand feeding them. It's almost impossible to turn out exotic birds in a 'mill' like they are describing because the baby birds must be hand fed all day long. Just doesn't happen. I'm no fan of Pet Smart but every time I've been in there the birds I've handled have been pretty tame so someone has had a hand in raising them.

[luvspink]

All the birds in this world can die for all I care!

[Penny Lane]

Originally Posted by luvspink

All the birds in this world can die for all I care!

Ohhkay...?

[Delphinium]

This is just plain wrong! (Can you tell I'm a PETA supporter?)

I do dog rescue and I also own birds and let me tell you, birds require ALOT of care. I have expensive birds and they are a commitment.

The type I have live at least 20 years with proper care and it isn't cheap! You have to keep them clean, provide a wide variety of food, rotate their toys, vet care, socialization etc.

People who cannot understand the commitment to animals should not have pets period.

I spend alot of time and money on animal care and it burns me up when I see a dog chained outside forever or kept in inadequate manner.

[Grimmlok]

Parrots have the emotional development of a 3 year old child.

A stupid parakeet stole my sunglasses once and then ran behind its owner, peeked out and *laughed* at me. Literally.

[AliceInWonderland]

^ Grim got beat up by a Parrot!!!!
and he wears glasses!

[UndercoverGator]

Any time I hear about parrots and them abusing people I think about a news story I read about in the 70s where an American tried to smuggle a rare parrot out of South America by feeding it tequila soaked seed, putting a sock around the parrots body so just the head stuck out and stuffed the sock down his pants. Customs caught the guy because as he was going through Customs the bird sobered up enough to start biting him in the unmentionable areas.

[Lobelia]

Was it a Norwegian Blue? B'yeeu'iful plummage.

[Sojiita]

Originally Posted by AliceInWonderland

^ Grim got beat up by a Parrot!!!!
and he wears glasses!

this pic is just so wrong..and it will haunt me!