Help with a complaint

Hello I'm sorry for posting so much recently

There is a pet shop nearby which i have got the 2 foster rats from which are getting worse and worse in the care for animals. I have written a letter highlighting all the bad things the pet shop is doing but i would like some people on here to read through it I know people on here are alot more wiser and experienced at writing letters. I'd also like some advice on what more i could put in the part i wrote about rabbits and guinea pigs being put together

It's really long so i apologise profusly but i don't want to get anything wrong.

Thanx for whoever can have the time to read it.




To whom it may concern,

I visited Jasper Pets last week and was appalled at the condition the animals were kept in. The animals on display had vitually no stimulation and the tanks were far too small. The rats only had a tiny tube in which they could not fit into and were laid on dirty wood shavings. The hamsters were frantically chewing the water bottle and ventilation grid and fighting among each other out of bordom. There wasn't even a wheel in for them. The gerbils were digging at the glass out of frustration and the rabbits had been placed with the guinea pigs which is known to be bad for both species.
Rabbits and guinea-pigs should not be put together because of several reasons, one is that guinea-pigs and rabbits have very different diets, guinea pigs need a higher level of vitamin C than rabbits and need more veg than rabbits. Too much veg can make a rabbit very ill so therefore the rabbits and guinea pigs need to be fed seperately, which cannot be done in these circumstances. A second reason is that rabbits can also pass a deadly bacteria to gunea pigs called Pasturella. Another reason is that rabbits are far larger than guinea pigs and so can seriously injure or kill a guinea pig by mistake. Rabbits and guinea pigs, being totally different species, should never be kept together, they have different behavioural patterns and can get into fights over food or just because they are not the same species. It would be like putting hamsters and rats together.
I was shown the "breeding room" after enquiring about the parents of the rats and was astonished at the lack of care given to the animals in there.There was no natural ventilation or light for any of the animals kept in this dull room. The rats (which were in the worst conditions) were in cages so small that they couldn't climb and had no stimulation other than each other. One pair were forced to sleep on dirty sawdust because they had nothing else to sleep on. The pair which were in the shelved cage were also dirty and the cage was far too small. The shelved cage is advertised for hamsters, not rats, hence the size of the tubes connecting the shelves. A rat cage needs to be at least 3-4 times the length of a rat (including the tail) square, they also need to have constant food and water and stimulation such as tubes, hammocks, boxes, igloo's and a varied diet. One male rat had porphyrn (red substance) thickly around the eyes, which indicates that he is in poor health and very stressed. He also had very scruffy, patchy fur and was clearly suffering from mites or lice as well as being severely underweight. I was told by a member of staff that one pair of the rats were about 6 years old and on another occasion the manager, who actually breeds these rats told me she thought they were about 4 years old. Rats do not live past 3, it is extremely rare to get a rat past 3 years old and the lack of knowledge the manager displayed about these animals concerns me greatly. These animals are being bred with zero knowledge about the species and so must not be cared for correctly. This was proved by the fact that all the animals in that room were constantly pregnant because the males were never removed while the female was raising the litter. Also in the breeding room there were mice which had multiple litters which is extremely unhealthy for the female. There was also no stimulation in these cages either and they were filthy.
These are all extremely intelligent animals, they need to have toys, ropes, room to climb and things to hide in and feel safe. Keeping animals in this way is proven to be detrimental to their health.

Your Sincerely,

....

:wave: Who are you planning on sending it to, that may affect how some of the wording is presented?

um well i suppose i'd just send it to the pet shop's manager?

The manager owns the shop as well i think so i'd send to her. I don't know her name so should i just put the address on the envelope and not put a specific person?

Then whoever opens it will pass it on to their "boss."

I don't suppose the pet shop is breaking any laws is it?

vegan_household said:

I don't suppose the pet shop is breaking any laws is it?

Click to expand...

They could be as they are not fulfilling the animals needs - might be worth reading the new animal welfare act in detail (got to confess i havent) good luck though

Hmm i might do Then i can threaten to call the RSPCA and give them bad publicity to make them change their conditions.

try your local council who issue pet shop licenses.

I'd suggest sending a slightly amended version to the local council who licences pet shops, and not to the owner at this stage. Although a lot of what they are doing might not be breaching the licence conditions (for example, they often don't have to keep them in recommended size living accommodation - as it's meant to be temporary), on other things they might be. So if you make it a bit shorter and say things like "while I recognise that housing requirements for licence conditions may be lower, it still appears as if the basic needs of these animals are not being met. In particular:

*insert some bullet points here* Try and keep it brief and say what you have actually seen.

Ask them if they will arrange for an unannounced inspection of the pet shop. If you're really concerned, copy the RSPCA in as well and make it clear in each letter that you have copied the other in - so they may be able to make a joint inspection. I wouldn't copy the manager at the moment, wouldn't want them to do a bit of a half-hearted tidy up if they think the licencing authority might be coming.

AlisonA said:

I'd suggest sending a slightly amended version to the local council who licences pet shops, and not to the owner at this stage. Although a lot of what they are doing might not be breaching the licence conditions (for example, they often don't have to keep them in recommended size living accommodation - as it's meant to be temporary), on other things they might be. So if you make it a bit shorter and say things like "while I recognise that housing requirements for licence conditions may be lower, it still appears as if the basic needs of these animals are not being met. In particular:

*insert some bullet points here* Try and keep it brief and say what you have actually seen.

Ask them if they will arrange for an unannounced inspection of the pet shop. If you're really concerned, copy the RSPCA in as well and make it clear in each letter that you have copied the other in - so they may be able to make a joint inspection. I wouldn't copy the manager at the moment, wouldn't want them to do a bit of a half-hearted tidy up if they think the licencing authority might be coming.

Click to expand...

Ah thats a good point. I didn't think about that. I think i will do that, thankyou so much

Some of the rats are there for life as they use them for breeding

We have 2 ex breeders from that pet shop so i can use these 2 as examples as the male was in a terrible state. I will change the letter and post it on this thread to make sure i've included the correct things. I really want to do this right thing beause my heart aches thinking of all the poor animals being used for money in that horrible dank, dark place

Worded very well but have to agree with Alison, I'd try to shorten it, when i was at college we were told that if we write a really long letter they don't tend to read it and skip bits out and i hate to admit it i do this now when i receive a letter, where as if its short but to the point they tend to take more notice and read it all hope this makes sense

Hope you don't mind, I edited a few bits as I thought necessary but don't feel you have to agree!

I would suggest not sending it to the pet store owner, more than likely things won't change that way, at least not long term. I really feel for the interest of the animals, the RSPCA and your local council who issue the pet stores licence on behalf of the Pet Care Trust should be contacted and then they will respond accordingly. May be worth sending a copy to the Pet Care Trust too, so they have it on record and can check your council have approached them. I'm really concerned for all of the animals but the breeding room sounds terrible, most animals life expectancy is also reduced by reproducing so they obviously don't have a clue! Also rats should not be kept on woodshavings, as it can cause respiratory problems, which they are prone to, I'd imagine the rat with the red discharge around his nose has a serious upper respiratory infection! Poor thing!

I'd also consider removing some of the details about what they should have and keep it to mostly bare facts of the situation in store, so that the Pet Care Trust etc have a detailed picture of what they have to deal with.


To whom it may concern,

I visited Jasper Pets last week and was appalled at the condition the animals were kept in. The animals on display had virtually no stimulation and the tanks were far too small for the stock densities. The rats only had a tiny tube in which they could not fit into and were laid on dirty wood shavings. A number of the animals were exhibiting behavioural problems from boredom and lack of space, including hamsters and gerbils. The rabbits had been placed with the guinea pigs, which is known to be bad for both species.
Rabbits and guinea-pigs should not be put together because of several reasons, one is that guinea-pigs and rabbits have very different diets, guinea pigs need a higher level of vitamin C than rabbits, without this serious health problems can result. A second reason is that rabbits can also pass a deadly bacteria to guinea pigs called Pasturella. Further more rabbits are far larger than guinea pigs and can seriously injure or kill a guinea pig by mistake. Rabbits and guinea pigs, being totally different species, should never be kept together.
I was shown the "breeding room" after enquiring about the parents of the rats and was astonished at the lack of care given to the animals in there.There was no natural ventilation or light for any of the animals kept in this dull room. The rats (which were in the worst conditions) were in cages so small that they couldn't climb and had no stimulation other than each other. One pair were forced to sleep on dirty sawdust because they had nothing else to sleep on. The pair which were in the shelved cage were also dirty and the cage was far too small. The shelved cage is advertised for hamsters, not rats, hence the size of the tubes connecting the shelves. One male rat had porphyrn (red substance) thickly around the eyes, which indicates that he is in poor health and very stressed. He also had very scruffy, patchy fur and was clearly suffering from mites or lice as well as being severely underweight. I was told by a member of staff that one pair of the rats were about 6 years old and on another occasion the manager, who actually breeds these rats told me she thought they were about 4 years old. Rats do not live past 3, it is extremely rare to get a rat past 3 years old and the lack of knowledge the manager displayed about these animals concerns me greatly. These animals are being bred with zero knowledge about the species and so must not be cared for correctly. This was proved by the fact that all the animals in that room were constantly pregnant because the males were never removed while the female was raising the litter. Also in the breeding room there were mice which had multiple litters which is extremely unhealthy for the female. There was also no stimulation in these cages either and they were filthy.

There are a huge number of issues that need seriously addressing in this Pet Shop, I feel that immediate action is required for the welfare of all of the animals concerned.

Thank you for your time.


Your Sincerely,

Oh thankyou so much Lu_x That helps me so much

I think that sounds better than my letter lol I tend to waffle alot hehe

Right i'll get the address of who i need to send it to and hope so much that something is done about these poor animals

Fortunately the male which was in the worst condition is with us He seems ok but stillhas alot of porphyrin round his eyes and still itchy even though he's been treated for mites. At least there is a happy fture for the pair we rescued

Glad to help! Let us know how it goes! You may also want to point out that you would like to be informed when something has been done about it!

Good Luck xx

This is the final letter which i'm going to print off and send at some point this week. (i don't have a working printer so i'll go to the library or something) I think it's good and also to the point thankyou everyone for helping me, if there's anything you think i should change then let me know



To whom it may concern,

I visited Jasper Pets last week and was appalled at the condition the animals were kept in. The animals on display had virtually no stimulation and the tanks were far too small for the stock densities. The rats only had a tiny tube in which they could not fit into and were laid on dirty wood shavings. A number of the animals were exhibiting behavioural problems from boredom and lack of space, including hamsters and gerbils. The rabbits had been placed with the guinea pigs, which is known to be bad for both species.
Rabbits and guinea-pigs should not be put together because of several reasons, one is that guinea-pigs and rabbits have very different diets, guinea pigs need a higher level of vitamin C than rabbits, without this serious health problems can result. A second reason is that rabbits can also pass a deadly bacteria to guinea pigs called Pasturella. Further more rabbits are far larger than guinea pigs and can seriously injure or kill a guinea pig by mistake. Rabbits and guinea pigs, being totally different species, should never be kept together.
I was shown the "breeding room" after enquiring about the parents of the rats and was astonished at the lack of care given to the animals in there.

• There was no natural ventilation or light for any of the animals kept in this dull room.
  
• The rats (which were in the worst conditions) were in cages so small that they couldn't climb and had no stimulation other than each other.
  
• One pair were forced to sleep on dirty sawdust because they had nothing else to sleep on.
  
• The pair which were in the shelved cage were also dirty and the cage was far too small. The shelved cage is advertised for hamsters, not rats, hence the size of the tubes connecting the shelves.
  
• One male rat had porphyrn (red substance) thickly around the eyes, which indicates that he is in poor health and very stressed. He also had very scruffy, patchy fur and was clearly suffering from mites or lice as well as being severely underweight.

I was told by a member of staff that one pair of the rats were about 6 years old and on another occasion the manager, who actually breeds these rats told me she thought they were about 4 years old. Rats do not live past 3, it is extremely rare to get a rat past 3 years old and the lack of knowledge the manager displayed about these animals concerns me greatly. These animals are being bred with zero knowledge about the species and so must not be cared for correctly. This was proved by the fact that all the animals in that room were constantly pregnant because the males were never removed while the female was raising the litter. Also in the breeding room there were mice which had multiple litters which is extremely unhealthy for the female. There was also no stimulation in these cages either and they were filthy.
On top of all this the pet shopwere offering a pair of rats (male and female) which they claimed were "too old to breed". Rats breed throughout their whole lives and so i was extremely concerned about the pet shop giving away these rats to people who are ignorant about rats and so resulting in the rats mating and producing a litter. This pet shop is not only giving false information to the public but also neglecting the animals needs. There are a huge number of issues that need seriously addressing in this Pet Shop, I feel that immediate action is required for the welfare of all of the animals concerned.

Thank you for your time.


Your Sincerely,

Spot on :thumb:

Thats absolutely perfect, let us know what happens! x

ok i have a problem. i went onto my local council's website but the "complaints" page for pet shop liscencing isn't working :? i emailed the enquiries but nobody has got back to me :?

I don't think they had a number on the page either and i don't know what else to do or who to contact :?

any advice?

Either just go to the main switchboard and ask to be put through to the team that deals with animal licencing (and as well as discuss your concerns at that point you can ask for the person's direct email address which should work, so you can confirm it in writing and make sure you covered everything) or resort to old fashioned snail mail and put it in the post The council's home page will undoubtedly have its actual postal address and switchboard phone number somewhere.

Just a couple of minor things - it's bordatella not pasteurella that buns can pass to piggies, and I'd also say that the RSPCA and RWA both advocate keeping the species separate - as it backs up your argument with a professional animal welfare opinion.

Good luck

oh thankyou i'm glad you pointed that mistake out lol.

Yes i will bring the RSPCA up in my letter, that does seem to make it look more proffessional

Thanx again

Hi just an update

I got an email back from the licencing people saying....

"Thank you for your letter sent via email which was forwarded to me late last night. This section licence the above pet shop and I am very concerned to read the allegations about this premise. We will make an urgent visit to the premises today if possible and either I or one of my officers will get back to you."


i really hope they do get back to me! Hopefully they will make them improve! Or close them down I emailed back telling them that the 2 rats they were giving away came to us. I explained the conditions of the male to them so hopefully hat will be taken into consideration too. i was so angry at the state of him Keep fingers crossed that this pet shop will be forced to improve

Hi,

did you send the letter to the pet shop in the end or just the licensing people?

I would suggest, if contacting the shop, instead of telling them what they are doing wrong, try telling them what they 'may like to consider' to improve. I know it will be hard to put a positive spin on something like that but i think they may be more likely to make the changes. If they get a letter telling them what they are doing wrong they may just think 'oh how rude' and take no notice (even though they REALLY should)

Just a thought if you decide to contact them at all.

Great letter for sending to authorities though

Good Luck

No i haven't contacted the pet shop because i wanted the council to go and see it for themselves without thepetshop "tidying" up a bit and making it look better than it was. thankyou though