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Complaint - Acorn Pet Stores

C

CDW

Warren Scout
Can anyone advise - after visiting my local Acorn Pet Store on Saturday, I decided to write to complain to the head office. There were four bunnies in there that day, each of them in TINY TINY plastic cages in which they have very little room to move about. Each rabbit was on a bed of wood shavings but there was no hay in sight.

I sent the complaint below to them, and received their reply. Can anyone advise how I should respond to this? Please tell me that i haven't got it wrong that hay is a vital part of a rabbits diet and should be available in unlimited quantities? I do realise that some kinds of hay (alfafa etc that are high in calcium should be limited) but I am correct in that timothy hay should be available at all times aren't I? I would appreciate any help with how to respond to this. Thanks!

My email:

I live in East Lothian and sometimes purchase items from the Acorn Store in Musselburgh. Whilst the staff in the store seem very pleasant and helpful, I am absolutely appalled at the TINY plastic cages used to hold rabbits. I am assuming that some of these rabbits are in these cages for days on end with little or no exercise. It seems to me that Acorn Pet Centres are putting profit before animal welfare. I intend contacting the SSPCA to ask what the legal requirement is for cages sizes in pet stores but I'm really disappointed in this and will not be returning to this store. Also, I was in this morning to buy some hay for my own rabbits (so I do have experience of caring for them and I know how much exercise they require). The cages, as far as I could see, did not have any hay for the rabbits to eat - they only had a bedding of wood shavings (or some similar bedding). Please correct me if I'm wrong, but should rabbits not be provided with an unlimited supply of hay - for digestion, wearing down their teeth and to relieve them from the boredom of being in these tiny hutches with no stimulation. This is extremely cruel. I hope that you will take steps to rectify this and at the very least, the rabbit cages should be made much bigger than they currently are. I hope you can do better!

I look forward to your response.


Their response:

I am sorry that you feel this way but I can assure you that the standard of cage that the rabbits are held in exceeds the recommendation. We are subject to an annual inspection to gain a licence to sell animals where these guidelines are all put through a thorough examination. We have never had any issue with complying with the regulations in any of our branches.

With regard to the hay situation our rabbits are given hay and straw on a daily basis. As you state you have experience in caring for rabbits then you should know that rabbits require a feeding programme and that if you leave them with an "unlimited supply" of hay they are highly likely to suffer from Bloat. As we do not wish to have illness in any of our animals we tend to stick to the correct feeding routine.

I find your claims that we are "cruel" to the animals unacceptable and unproven. If you have evidence to the contrary please forward this to me and we will investigate the situation.

Regards
Acorn
 
CDW said:
Can anyone advise - after visiting my local Acorn Pet Store on Saturday, I decided to write to complain to the head office. There were four bunnies in there that day, each of them in TINY TINY plastic cages in which they have very little room to move about. Each rabbit was on a bed of wood shavings but there was no hay in sight.

I sent the complaint below to them, and received their reply. Can anyone advise how I should respond to this? Please tell me that i haven't got it wrong that hay is a vital part of a rabbits diet and should be available in unlimited quantities? I do realise that some kinds of hay (alfafa etc that are high in calcium should be limited) but I am correct in that timothy hay should be available at all times aren't I? I would appreciate any help with how to respond to this. Thanks!

My email:

I live in East Lothian and sometimes purchase items from the Acorn Store in Musselburgh. Whilst the staff in the store seem very pleasant and helpful, I am absolutely appalled at the TINY plastic cages used to hold rabbits. I am assuming that some of these rabbits are in these cages for days on end with little or no exercise. It seems to me that Acorn Pet Centres are putting profit before animal welfare. I intend contacting the SSPCA to ask what the legal requirement is for cages sizes in pet stores but I'm really disappointed in this and will not be returning to this store. Also, I was in this morning to buy some hay for my own rabbits (so I do have experience of caring for them and I know how much exercise they require). The cages, as far as I could see, did not have any hay for the rabbits to eat - they only had a bedding of wood shavings (or some similar bedding). Please correct me if I'm wrong, but should rabbits not be provided with an unlimited supply of hay - for digestion, wearing down their teeth and to relieve them from the boredom of being in these tiny hutches with no stimulation. This is extremely cruel. I hope that you will take steps to rectify this and at the very least, the rabbit cages should be made much bigger than they currently are. I hope you can do better!

I look forward to your response.


Their response:

I am sorry that you feel this way but I can assure you that the standard of cage that the rabbits are held in exceeds the recommendation. We are subject to an annual inspection to gain a licence to sell animals where these guidelines are all put through a thorough examination. We have never had any issue with complying with the regulations in any of our branches.

With regard to the hay situation our rabbits are given hay and straw on a daily basis. As you state you have experience in caring for rabbits then you should know that rabbits require a feeding programme and that if you leave them with an "unlimited supply" of hay they are highly likely to suffer from Bloat. As we do not wish to have illness in any of our animals we tend to stick to the correct feeding routine.

I find your claims that we are "cruel" to the animals unacceptable and unproven. If you have evidence to the contrary please forward this to me and we will investigate the situation.

Regards
Acorn
Click to expand...


:shock::shock:

I think i'd add a few quotes from an exotic vet textbook to answer that one and put in a few leaflets from the RWAF about correct diet for bunnies - highlighting the essential passages and drawing attention to this in your response. I would also follow with a quoted description of bloat and it's causes (none of which is due to unlimited hay...OMG! :shock:) from an exotic reference - it will give your argument some authorative backing as they clearly believe what they are saying. Some links/quotes from the RSPCA page on rabbit diet and hay would also be helpful - make your points clear and back them up with references from experts - they can't argue with that!
That line is just outrageous!!!
 
what a load of rubbish:shock::shock::shock:
buns get bloat from eating too much hay:shock::lol::lol::lol:
never heard of this....doesnt sound like they give a damn what you think:shock:
i would forward their letter to the rspca and get them to investigate asap.
another email /letter to acorn is going to acheive nothing me thinks....
let us know what happens:)
 
Try PMing Snouter :wave: who is excellent with this kind of thing

Also agree you should quote from an exotic vet text book, and you could quote from your council's pet shop licence as well
 
This is a good article to explain how the GI tract works - it relates to fur and GI stasis but the theory on GI motility is the same:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=484&S=1&EVetID=0
It might give you some ideas of phrasing your descriptions.

I would personally go into detail about GI motility and caecal flora balance and how the two are interrelated... it is this disturbance that leads to bloat. Causes for this disturbance are varied. Hay is essential for maintaining this motility and balance to prevent this. They have their facts all upside down.
I would also make a point of drawing attention to the fact that they are obligate herbivores and therefore a feeding regime is totally pointless... buns should be grazing throughout the day - but if you use the article above you can word this better. I'd happily help you with this as their response has really riled me but I'm rushing out the door and will be gone overnight, am so sorry!
But do quote authoratitve texts and charities/Animals Welfare Act - it will boost your argument. Don't give them any chance to correct you by asking questions in your letter... keep it polite and informative and I would also forward this response you got to the RWAF as I think they should know some pet chains have been given the incorrect information.

If this pet chain has a website - find what it says about their animals on there and use this to your advantage. I did this with Haskins who claimed 'all rabbits well cared for etc etc' and quoted this and informed them they were not necessarily living up to this claim! They hate it when people question their slogans/claims... it gives a bit of a legal edge (misrepresentation) which they are terrified of. Good luck :wave:
 
CDW said:
Can anyone advise - after visiting my local Acorn Pet Store on Saturday, I decided to write to complain to the head office. There were four bunnies in there that day, each of them in TINY TINY plastic cages in which they have very little room to move about. Each rabbit was on a bed of wood shavings but there was no hay in sight.

I sent the complaint below to them, and received their reply. Can anyone advise how I should respond to this? Please tell me that i haven't got it wrong that hay is a vital part of a rabbits diet and should be available in unlimited quantities? I do realise that some kinds of hay (alfafa etc that are high in calcium should be limited) but I am correct in that timothy hay should be available at all times aren't I? I would appreciate any help with how to respond to this. Thanks!

My email:

I live in East Lothian and sometimes purchase items from the Acorn Store in Musselburgh. Whilst the staff in the store seem very pleasant and helpful, I am absolutely appalled at the TINY plastic cages used to hold rabbits. I am assuming that some of these rabbits are in these cages for days on end with little or no exercise. It seems to me that Acorn Pet Centres are putting profit before animal welfare. I intend contacting the SSPCA to ask what the legal requirement is for cages sizes in pet stores but I'm really disappointed in this and will not be returning to this store. Also, I was in this morning to buy some hay for my own rabbits (so I do have experience of caring for them and I know how much exercise they require). The cages, as far as I could see, did not have any hay for the rabbits to eat - they only had a bedding of wood shavings (or some similar bedding). Please correct me if I'm wrong, but should rabbits not be provided with an unlimited supply of hay - for digestion, wearing down their teeth and to relieve them from the boredom of being in these tiny hutches with no stimulation. This is extremely cruel. I hope that you will take steps to rectify this and at the very least, the rabbit cages should be made much bigger than they currently are. I hope you can do better!

I look forward to your response.


Their response:

I am sorry that you feel this way but I can assure you that the standard of cage that the rabbits are held in exceeds the recommendation. We are subject to an annual inspection to gain a licence to sell animals where these guidelines are all put through a thorough examination. We have never had any issue with complying with the regulations in any of our branches.

With regard to the hay situation our rabbits are given hay and straw on a daily basis. As you state you have experience in caring for rabbits then you should know that rabbits require a feeding programme and that if you leave them with an "unlimited supply" of hay they are highly likely to suffer from Bloat. As we do not wish to have illness in any of our animals we tend to stick to the correct feeding routine.

I find your claims that we are "cruel" to the animals unacceptable and unproven. If you have evidence to the contrary please forward this to me and we will investigate the situation.

Regards
Acorn
Click to expand...

I would respectfully suggest that you contact East Lothian Council by email (ehts@eastlothian.gov.uk) and ask for a PDF copy of their Pet Shop Licence Conditions. Then you will be suitably informed regarding what Acorn should be doing.

Then take a look at this "sticky":

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=94160


Perhaps Acorn should also be doing all of the things that their website claims.

http://www.acornpetcentres.co.uk/?care+8961128_16855

"Our staff are all trained to advise you on how to provide for your pet's welfare".


http://www.acornpetcentres.co.uk/?about+8961128_16855

"As well as boasting 23 years of excellence in the pet care industry and numerous awards, we are supporters of the SSPCA and Second Chance, and are members of the Pet Care Trust".

Perhaps they should be doing all of the things in the PCT guides.


I note Acorn's statement that:

I find your claims that we are "cruel" to the animals unacceptable and unproven. If you have evidence to the contrary please forward this to me and we will investigate the situation.
Click to expand...

So, presumably, if there is any evidence of any non-compliances with their Pet Shop Licence Conditions, they will be eager to get on the case?

If the licence conditions are like many others, then:
  • Tiny cages
  • Lack of hay
  • Lack of staff knowledge
Would all be non-compliances.
 
Thank you everybody for responding, that's really helpful!!! Will contact East Lothian Council now, thanks Snouter
 
I can't believe that was their excuse :shock: I really can't stand the way Acorn treat the animals in their stores and refuse to even step into one now. They just don't seem to care. I once heard that they don't put hay in the cages because it looks messy :censored:

The pet care trust clearly state in their care leaflet "The most important part of a rabbit's diet is good quality hay or freeze dried grass. This should be fed liberally and be available at all times" http://www.petcare.org.uk/images/stories/leaflets/2010 colour leaflets/Caring for your Rabbit.pdf

The SSPCA don't have care info on their website but the RSPCA do:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/rabbits/diet
Again they state that hay "should be available at all times".


And of course the RWF feeding guide:
http://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/Feeding130807.pdf

Maybe you could forward the links to them and see what excuses they come up with next.
 
I HATE that shop! (I used to live in Wallyford) I got banned from there for kicking up a stink about them selling 3ft rabbit hutches.
 
Mr Cookie Bun said:
I HATE that shop! (I used to live in Wallyford) I got banned from there for kicking up a stink about them selling 3ft rabbit hutches.
Click to expand...

That would be the shop chain that claims on its website:

Acorn Pet Care Guides

Acorn Pet Centres have 23 years of experience selling pets and satisfying the pet care needs of our customers. Our staff are all trained to advise you on how to provide for your pet's welfare.

This puts us in a unique position to advise you on how to look after your pets. Do you want to know how to litter-train your cat? Or how to keep your hamsters happy? Our pet care guides offer great advice for new and old owners alike. So trust the experts, and take a look at our great selection of guides!
Click to expand...

I wonder how 3ft hutches fit into that?:evil::censored:
 
I have referred this to the SSPCA - they say the inspectors will look into it. I've also contacted East Lothian Council. Whilst they have told me I have to put a request in writing for the licence conditions, they have referred my complaint to the officer who inspected the shop prior to issuing the licence. I'll wait to hear what they have to say.

Once I hear back from them, I'll respond to Acorn regarding their ridiculous ideas of feeding care for rabbits!

I hope that's an appropriate course of action - if there's anything else I should do, please let me know! And thank you everyone for your help with this.
 
CDW said:
I would appreciate any help with how to respond to this. Thanks!

Their response:

I am sorry that you feel this way but I can assure you that the standard of cage that the rabbits are held in exceeds the recommendation. We are subject to an annual inspection to gain a licence to sell animals where these guidelines are all put through a thorough examination. We have never had any issue with complying with the regulations in any of our branches.

With regard to the hay situation our rabbits are given hay and straw on a daily basis. As you state you have experience in caring for rabbits then you should know that rabbits require a feeding programme and that if you leave them with an "unlimited supply" of hay they are highly likely to suffer from Bloat. As we do not wish to have illness in any of our animals we tend to stick to the correct feeding routine.

I find your claims that we are "cruel" to the animals unacceptable and unproven. If you have evidence to the contrary please forward this to me and we will investigate the situation.

Regards
Acorn
Click to expand...

Might I respectfully offer the following response to Acorn Pets' email for your consideration:


Thank you for your reply dated ??/??/2010. I have now had the opportunity to consider it in detail and my response is set out in the following sections.

I have sought a copy of East Lothian Council’s Pet Shop Licence Conditions. However, these are, somewhat surprisingly, considered by the Council as a ‘Freedom of Information Act issue’. Accordingly, in the interim, any Condition references shown in this email relate to the recommended ‘Model Form’ of pet shop licence issued by the Local Government Association. For convenience of reference, this is available via the following link:

http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/publications/publication-display.do?id=39669

This is also the form of licence recommended by the Pet Care Trust (PCT), of which organisation I note (from your company website) that your business is a member.

Turning now to each of the points in your reply and in my initial email:

"I am sorry that you feel this way but I can assure you that the standard of cage that the rabbits are held in exceeds the recommendation".

Then perhaps you could confirm that the cages comply with the following:
  • The stocking densities for rabbits set out in Schedule 2.
  • Condition 2.1 regarding “accommodation and environment suitable to their species with respect to situation, size…….”
"We are subject to an annual inspection to gain a licence to sell animals where these guidelines are all put through a thorough examination. We have never had any issue with complying with the regulations in any of our branches."

On the basis of the above, I assume that you are claiming that a situation of full compliance with the Pet Shop Licence Conditions exists at all Acorn Pets branches.

(I would also point out that the Pet Shop Licence Conditions are not “guidelines”, they are “obligations” upon Acorn Pets).

Then perhaps you could reconcile this claim with my observations.

  • “bed of wood shavings”
Condition 16.1:
“No animal should be stocked or sold unless the staff (or at least one member of staff is familiar with the care and welfare of the animals stocked and has a recognised qualification or suitable experience”.


"With regard to the hay situation our rabbits are given hay and straw on a daily basis. As you state you have experience in caring for rabbits then you should know that rabbits require a feeding programme and that if you leave them with an "unlimited supply" of hay they are highly likely to suffer from Bloat".

Condition 7.1:
“Animals must be supplied with adequate amounts of food and drink, appropriate to their needs, and at suitable intervals”.

Condition 7.2:
“All food must be suitable for the species concerned”.

It is widely know among those organisations with relevant rabbit expertise that rabbits require unlimited access to hay.


“I find your claims that we are "cruel" to the animals unacceptable and unproven. If you have evidence to the contrary please forward this to me and we will investigate the situation”.

If not “cruel”, then how would Acorn Pets describe inadequate accommodation and food?

As set out above, I believe that I have provided sufficient “evidence to the contrary”. Accordingly, I look forward to Acorn Pets investigation and should be pleased to receive details of the outcome.
Click to expand...
 
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