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P@H rant!!!

bunnylover1995

Alpha Buck
Went to P@H today to pick up some emergency cleaning supplies as a group of flies have moved in since wednesday! :shock:

And as always I went to look at the little bunnies for sale, because they're stupidly cute :oops: but to my surprise I saw baby rabbits! A litter of black and white dutchies, and they could have each fit in the palm of my hand. I asked multiple members of staff to confirm their age and everyone said they were 8 weeks, there was NO WAY they were 8 weeks old, they were all huddled up, stick-thin so you could see their ribs and just so tiny.

One girl let it slip that they'd been there for 1 week, which means, even if they are 8 weeks, they left mum before they were 7 weeks old :evil: all the bunnies, even the ones in the adoption centers had empty food bowls, and their water was almost all gone or had a slightly green tinge. I stood there ranting until someone changed their water. ;)

I then came back to see them giving these baby rabbits, who couldn't be more than 6.5 weeks, VEGETABLES. OMG I went mental... :evil: how stupid are these people!

I found the person who was in charge of the pets, and she said she's never owned rabbits, but she went on a 6 hour training course so she knows what she's talking about. I nearly decked her.

There were 12 rabbits there, 7 baby dutchies and 5 lionheads who could have only JUST been 8 weeks old, it really maddens me. I would have bought them all if I could have. What start do they have in life. Why can't people realise that they're living creatures. I asked to speak to the vet to confirm their age, they said that it wouldn't be appropriate, as companion care is a separate business from P@H like WTF?! They're in the same room... They obviously don't give a **** about the welfare of these animals...

I absolutely want to shut down these rabbit farms who are letting animals go before they're fully grown, weaning them young, so that they're off to a pet shop, never feeling love, before being sold as a pet to a little kid for Easter, just so there's space for exactly the same thing to happen to the next generation. :cry:

Okay Rant over :oops:
 
Better than ranting - why not contact your local Council? They grant the pet shop licences, and can revoke the licence if the conditions are broken. Send an email, and on Monday they will send an inspector out. That way at least you are doing something constructive :)
 
I had a similar thing happen today when I popped in to get worming treatment for my cats :( I had to leave because it was making me sad and angry, the buns were too small they didn't look 8 weeks at all. And the bunnies in the adoption centre looked cramped and too hot... my p@h is usually ok for bunny conditions, but today it was terrible.

I'm going to buy the wormer from the vets/online now.
 
I'd do what Blackberry suggests above and contact the council on Monday morning. I did that a few times for a dreadful pet shop near me (which made P@H look like the Ritz for rabbits) and eventually it was improved. You could also write to the head office.

I have to say that the P@H near me is ok, the rabbits and piggies all look well kept and happy enough, compared to the smaller pet shops anyway.
 
They are correct in that Companion care is a separate business, but that doesn't mean that they can't use Companion Care to check the baby buns ages. What they are basically saying is that they can't be bothered to pay a vet to confirm their ages as it is likely that a) it will cost them and b) it will only confirm what they actually know...i.e. the buns were well under age when put in the shop for sale. As far as they are concerned, one person complaining isn't going to make any difference..baby buns sell, and the younger they are the more saleable they are.

I agree that you need to contact the council, but don't hold your breath...Pets at Home get away with it across the country and will continue to do so until the general population become educated and boycott Pets at Home and other shops that sell live animals and hutches that are way to small.
 
i do think they put buns under 8 weeks in the tanks. i got my two at 6 weeks (not p@h) and they were small, and there are often buns the same size if not slightly small in p@h.
 
I was going to go to P@H to get some nail clippers and some cleaning bits but then when I was browsing their website I got so furious at the ridiculous things they sell like 'delicious rabbit chocolate drops' etc that I am just going to leave the buns's nails unclipped for a few more days and get stuff somewhere else!
 
In the pets at home here, the staff are well in with the companion vets and have even offered free neutering when you adopt a rabbit from their adoption part
 
Better than ranting - why not contact your local Council? They grant the pet shop licences, and can revoke the licence if the conditions are broken. Send an email, and on Monday they will send an inspector out. That way at least you are doing something constructive :)

I have written to the council several times before, I've even been in to try and talk to someone, but because the site is so big and they make so much revenue from P@H they don't want to do anything about it >.< just can't win with these people! MP next methinks ;)

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i do think they put buns under 8 weeks in the tanks. i got my two at 6 weeks (not p@h) and they were small, and there are often buns the same size if not slightly small in p@h.

I got two Dutchies from there last year, (long story) and they were young, but were still larger than these guys. They were definitely too small and waaay too young to leave their mother, let alone be put in the stressful situation of a tank on a shop floor :(

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I was going to go to P@H to get some nail clippers and some cleaning bits but then when I was browsing their website I got so furious at the ridiculous things they sell like 'delicious rabbit chocolate drops' etc that I am just going to leave the buns's nails unclipped for a few more days and get stuff somewhere else!

I only usually get my food from P@H because they won't eat excel, it was just closer than my usual pet shop, and I was feeling lazy :oops:... P@H sell such insane things, I let my lil' bro buy them a treat today: he picked wild berry drops, it's over 50% sugar, is 24% fat and has additives and flavourings, I'll be checking the packaging in future before I purchase! They do smell nice, but I don't think I'll let them have more than one a week if that, it's soooo unhealthy it's apparently the equivalent of me eating 2 whole toblerones :shock:

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In the pets at home here, the staff are well in with the companion vets and have even offered free neutering when you adopt a rabbit from their adoption part

I'm glad to hear that, however the company that actually run the adoption scheme (not P@H) are the people who pay for the neutering at all their locations. I just wish that people would stop looking at the figures and concentrate on the animals. You wouldn't keep a human like that, and frankly I think rabbits show more compassion than some humans :lol:
 
The babies should be a certain weight, but I can't remember what the weight is, but even their guidelines state they should be 8 weeks, though the Pettrust only says they must be of weaning age so legally they can sell 6 week old rabbits as they're weaned. Sadly the staff can only go off of what the delivery guy says and at this time of year they're selling loads more rabbits so take them as soon as they're "weaned." as that's all they have rather than having to take the older ones due to slow selling. :(

Would it be possible to take a photo and email head office or show the vets?
 
The babies should be a certain weight, but I can't remember what the weight is, but even their guidelines state they should be 8 weeks, though the Pettrust only says they must be of weaning age so legally they can sell 6 week old rabbits as they're weaned. Sadly the staff can only go off of what the delivery guy says and at this time of year they're selling loads more rabbits so take them as soon as they're "weaned." as that's all they have rather than having to take the older ones due to slow selling. :(

Would it be possible to take a photo and email head office or show the vets?

It's really terrible and I wish I could take them all home with me, I got my phone out to try and sneak a picture, but they caught me, apparently I'm "not allowed to take photo's of their products"... PRODUCTS!!!! I might send my friend up tomorrow to try and take one, I don't think I'm welcome there at the moment :lol::lol: I know that that staff can on go on what they're told, but it's OBVIOUS even to someone that doesn't know which way up a rabbit goes that these are tiny babies...
 
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