Why go in ?

[Captain Helen]

I try to buy online, but due to my job I never know if or where I'll be working, so I never know where to get the stuff delivered!

I would never buy an animal from a pet shop though, so if I have to use one for supplies there's zero chance I'll be tempted by any of the cute buns on display.

 

[XMissySJx]

I go in Pets At Home quite a lot, but I'm not someone who would post for approval or to be talked out of something. I doubt I would ever bring home an animal from there because I don't really look at them, but if it did it would be a very needy and sick one that I knew I needed to help.

I go because the litter there is the cheapest place I can find to buy what I need, also, if I have an 'emergency' and need to get a variety of hays to tempt a bunny, or to get Panacur, or to get a variety of herbs to tempt a bunny then its the easiest and smartest place for me to go to (the other option is far more horrific than Pets At Home and I avoid that unless I ahve no choice for my own bunnies sake).

I talk to a lot of people in Pets At home though, I'm that annoying busybody. Also, the staff seem pretty decent and its pretty common for one member in particular to ask me rabbit care questions, so if I can educate people and help people whilst I'm there, what better way to reach people.

I agree with you, i expect my original post looked a bit rude, i meant to say what you said :lol: If i felt i needed to take a rabbit home from a pet shop I would do so, and i wouldnt ask for approval.

I met someone in PAH who didnt know what food to buy, muesli or pellets, and they seemed really nice. so i said "I dont want to butt in, but ive got rabbits, so if you want any advice i can help" they were the nicest people ever who took my email and asked me to send them all the info i had, their bunny was a pampered house bun with a girlfriend within six months also ended up coming to me for boarding. I made a difference to a bunny there.

 

[Hugo's There]

I never shop in pet shops, I either buy in bulk online or at large farmshop type places.

Saying that Elwood was a P@H bunny but it wasn't me who found him in the shop and we would never turn away a bunny because of where it came from if it fits our criteria.

I always think if people are posting for approval about getting a pet shop bunny then they must not feel 100% comfortable with it themselves :?

 

[GrahamL]

I agree with you, i expect my original post looked a bit rude, i meant to say what you said :lol: If i felt i needed to take a rabbit home from a pet shop I would do so, and i wouldnt ask for approval.

I met someone in PAH who didnt know what food to buy, muesli or pellets, and they seemed really nice. so i said "I dont want to butt in, but ive got rabbits, so if you want any advice i can help" they were the nicest people ever who took my email and asked me to send them all the info i had, their bunny was a pampered house bun with a girlfriend within six months also ended up coming to me for boarding. I made a difference to a bunny there.

I've done that before

 

[Zahirre]

Sorry Jane, but I won't buy elsewhere as I love my local P@H. Have said a few times how incredible they are and I do believe they are in the minority of pets shops who try for the animals they get in. Every one in there is a true animal lover and does try their best for all the animals who come in. I do know this as I've been allowed in the back to the quarentine area, the manager has written letters for me to H/O about products which I'm not happy with and find unsuitable (most recently, the gerbilarium)
I also get staff discount (20%) despite not being staff and with all our animals, uni and a baby, the 20% is amazing for me.
I know it's not ideal and yes, sometimes I do fall in love with some of the animals but I don't buy them (except Pumpkin )
I agree on the whole with you but as I love my P@H, I like going in there. I've even been grabbed by staff to help people coming in with queries on their buns so am happy to go in.
I don't go in any other pet shop which sells live stock as my heart breaks and refuse to go into the Foss Island P@H in the middle of York as I hate it and the info they give is mostly wrong.
On the whole, agreed Jane But sometimes, it's the only option for some people!

Let's just put up oodles of rescue threads to help encourage everyone to stick to that route

 

[Rachel89]

The you would find a way isnt always possible, the nearest farmshop that doesn't sell animals would bea 45minute walk on a non bus route down country lanes with a 3year old and no footpaths most of it.
This is the reason I have to go to places that sell animals.

I always look but wouldn't buy unless they were ill, then I would outright buy not come back here to ask.

I always look at the adoption centre and quite often get chatting to people about bunnies.

 

[Grin]

I try and avoid going in if I can help it, but I'm limited on transport and the local pet shop sells the nicest green hay and isn't too bad.

On Monday I had to go into the local pet shop and they had the most beautiful tri-colour Dutches and I still came away with just my pellets and my hay.

However I came away from P@H with Lucy after vowing never to buy an animal from a pet shop again because I just knew she was 'my' rabbit. There's a difference between seeing a cute bunny and seeing 'your' bunny.

I think you're so right in what you're saying Jane, that if they stop profitting from it they'll stop selling bunnies, but I always think we're in the minority of pet shop shoppers

I know it's a bit of a defeatist attitude but there are so many more people who buy from pet shops who get a hamster, the kid gets sick of the hamster they get a guinea pig, the kid gets sick of the pig they get a rabbit, there are so many more of them than there are of us so I don't see how us boycotting can make a huge difference.

It's a very defeatist attitude and i dont blame you for thinking like that - it IS like peeing in the wind. But if you boycott them YOU are making a small difference and if someone else does - another small difference is made - enough of those small differences and they might listen to potential customers.

It's like saying that theres no point in being a vegetarian because it wont make a difference to the meat eating world - or you wont buy free rangeeggs/chickens because boycotting intensively farmed ones dont make a difference. Yet stores monitor buying trends and if sales went down (in the case of pet shops) or up (in the case of free range produce), they'd certainly look into it.

What i'm trying to say (badly) is that isnt it enough to know that if you personally avoid buying there then you are personally not contributing to the problem.

 

[paulinejoe]

I don't think many people on here would buy a brand new bun from a petshop, (or if they did they probably wouldn't admit it for fear of getting lynched) so i don't see how any of us lot not going into pets at home is going to stop them selling rabbits as it's not exactly going to put a dent in their livestock profits is it?

I order from the hay experts but get bits and bobs from PAH and always look at the buns to see if they are ok and then i can let someone know, but tbh the two branches I go in (Wakey and York clifton moor) have always been fine.

I got Joejoe from the adoption bit at PAH and don't regret it as he's a much loved and happy bun and i'm glad i've got him and he's not in a prison cell hutch lonely at the bottom of someones garden.

My fiance got me Jess as a surprise from the garden centre as ater coming on here i learnt Joejoe needed a wifeybun and in his defence he didn't know about rescues and the controversy surrounding rabbit breeding etc (he does now though and so does everyone who drives behind me as i've got the stickers in my car lol) and ok he has put money in a breeders pocket and thus kept them in business to carry on breeding, and we wouldn't do it again but as with Joe I am glad she is with us and has the best care and diet she can get.

 

[Stator]

I go in to many pet shops. I always check that the livestock have access to water and hay, if they don't I point it out to the staff. If I didn't go in at all they might be left without :?

 

[Boudicca]

I occassionally go into Seapets near me to get bagged farm hay unfortunately they sell bunnies and I made the mistake of going to look at them about a year ago and I fell instantly in love with the cutest little fluffy grey rabbit on his own. I dont think I'll ever stop wondering about him and hoping he's not on his own in a tiny hutch unloved I learnt my lesson just dont look!

 

[Grin]

I don't think many people on here would buy a brand new bun from a petshop, (or if they did they probably wouldn't admit it for fear of getting lynched) so i don't see how any of us lot not going into pets at home is going to stop them selling rabbits as it's not exactly going to put a dent in their livestock profits is it?

I order from the hay experts but get bits and bobs from PAH and always look at the buns to see if they are ok and then i can let someone know, but tbh the two branches I go in (Wakey and York clifton moor) have always been fine.

I got Joejoe from the adoption bit at PAH and don't regret it as he's a much loved and happy bun and i'm glad i've got him and he's not in a prison cell hutch lonely at the bottom of someones garden.

My fiance got me Jess as a surprise from the garden centre as ater coming on here i learnt Joejoe needed a wifeybun and in his defence he didn't know about rescues and the controversy surrounding rabbit breeding etc (he does now though and so does everyone who drives behind me as i've got the stickers in my car lol) and ok he has put money in a breeders pocket and thus kept them in business to carry on breeding, and we wouldn't do it again but as with Joe I am glad she is with us and has the best care and diet she can get.

Many of here have bought buns from pet shops and then found out the consequenses afterwards. I think it's acceptable that you learn from mistakes but once knowing the consequences and going against your conscience then that's where it all falls down. We are the educated ones in these matters and if we cant buy/adopt ethically, what's the hope for the rest of Joe public doing so?

 

[sdf76]

PaH isn't as bad as some of the small independent pet shops

I usually buy from the vets or from local stores (that do not sell animals) but I have sometimes gone to PaH rather than see my buns go without something.

I have even bought dried flaked peas from the independant local pet shop I hate:evil: as it was the only thing my bun would nibble on at one time when she had myxi.

Also not everyone wants to shop online as you have to wait for stuff to come and be in when it arrives.

sue:wave:

 

[Rhian33]

Well said Jane. My personal view is we really need to approach the breeding farms/rabbit mills/BYB/ pet shop animal thing in much the same way as the chefs did in the "chicken out" campaign last year trying to take out the lowest standards first and making people aware of what goes on. There will always be people who are not prepared to listen or just don't care but if those of us who are aware of the facts and are concerned for animal welfare still blindly go and buy animals from these places then I really don't think there's much hope.

 

[lillian03]

I think if anyone sees anything which is detrimental to stock being sold they need to inform their local council who provide these people with licences to sell.

By FAR the worst i've seen was at a theme park in melton Mowbray, Rabbits packed in by the dozen, guinea pigs with mange, running round with other g-pigs and rabbits. And they were selling them! At MUCH cheaper prices than p@h. I enquired and was told if I paid, I could take one of my choice that day. Horrific! Even the lady I got my two from checked I had a half decent set up!
Incidently, one of my children won a goldfish at the fair, so we went to p@h to get a tank. A week later we went to get it a friend and they wouldn't sell us one as we didn't know what species our first one was. Our one in Corby is very friendly and the buns always look happy. I just refuse to pay their prices when a) people often GIVE them away and b) there's so many in rescue. I went to my rescue, but they didn't have anything that would suit us as a family, so they gave me the numbers of a few breeders in the area.

Many large agricultural stores (countrywide etc) will deliver free if buying in bulk. I can buy bedding by the huge baleful (cheaper than pet shop stuff). And many farmers will sell a bale of good quality hay at a quarter of what you'd pay for the same amount from the likes of P@H. I use p@h for food, because nowhere else sells it.
I think for the amount of custom they get the only way to get voices heard is to complain loudly to the correct people.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

I think if anyone sees anything which is detrimental to stock being sold they need to inform their local council who provide these people with licences to sell.

By FAR the worst i've seen was at a theme park in melton Mowbray, Rabbits packed in by the dozen, guinea pigs with mange, running round with other g-pigs and rabbits. And they were selling them! At MUCH cheaper prices than p@h. I enquired and was told if I paid, I could take one of my choice that day. Horrific! Even the lady I got my two from checked I had a half decent set up!
Incidently, one of my children won a goldfish at the fair, so we went to p@h to get a tank. A week later we went to get it a friend and they wouldn't sell us one as we didn't know what species our first one was. Our one in Corby is very friendly and the buns always look happy. I just refuse to pay their prices when a) people often GIVE them away and b) there's so many in rescue. I went to my rescue, but they didn't have anything that would suit us as a family, so they gave me the numbers of a few breeders in the area.

Many large agricultural stores (countrywide etc) will deliver free if buying in bulk. I can buy bedding by the huge baleful (cheaper than pet shop stuff). And many farmers will sell a bale of good quality hay at a quarter of what you'd pay for the same amount from the likes of P@H. I use p@h for food, because nowhere else sells it.
I think for the amount of custom they get the only way to get voices heard is to complain loudly to the correct people.

Having spent the last 5 years doing just that I fear they are not listening and they NEVER will until they see a drop in profits.

In 2011 I think it to be obscene that any animal can be sold from a shop floor like a loaf of bread or a tin of beans.

 

[Grin]

Having spent the last 5 years doing just that I fear they are not listening and they NEVER will until they see a drop in profits.

In 2011 I think it to be obscene that any animal can be sold from a shop floor like a loaf of bread or a tin of beans.

Well said Jane.

 

[lillian03]

Having spent the last 5 years doing just that I fear they are not listening and they NEVER will until they see a drop in profits.

In 2011 I think it to be obscene that any animal can be sold from a shop floor like a loaf of bread or a tin of beans.

I totally agree.

 

[Jaysmonkey]

I have other animals other than rabbits; so cannot buy everything online; sometimes it's easier because the said pet store is next to Sainsbury's, so when I get shopping I go in to get supplies for all the animals.

I do not support Pet shops; however I would be a hypocrite to discard them altogether; afterall Lola and Brian were from P@H; and Max and Jemimah were from p@H adoption. I wouldn't change or take back getting them, they mean the world to me, even the late Brian I miss him so very much. All my buns previous when growing up were small chain petshop purchases; I was unaware of Rescues for Rabbits until I found RU. All buns I get from now on will be Rescues; I include adoption at P@H in that since the money goes to charity, my pets at home is also very good and asks questions about the animal; anyone without sufficient knowledge is not allowed to buy. They stress neutering, vaccinations, the importance of hay, accommodation size and the social behaviour of a bun. They won't let a bunny go to just anyone.

I don't regret getting my bunnies; I love them with all my heart, I don't feel guilty for getting them; I've given and am giving them a wonderful life; they deserve a chance too; afterall they are living, feeling, breathing animals; that don't deserve to be stuck in a pet shop in artificial light; I just took little darling from that environment. xx

 

[Amy104]

Most of my supplies come from a local no livestock petshop.

However most my hutches are from p@h as its the only place you can get a decent size hutch for a decent price other than online. I work full time and its hard to have stuff delivered. I know they sell some truely awful hutches too but the old style lavendar lodge and the primrose 5ft double aren't that bad.

I will have a glance at the bunnies to check they are ok but I'd never take one home. Before I found RU I got Bluebell and a guinea pig from there. Both have had respitory problems all their lives.

 

[Grin]

I have other animals other than rabbits; so cannot buy everything online; sometimes it's easier because the said pet store is next to Sainsbury's, so when I get shopping I go in to get supplies for all the animals.

I do not support Pet shops; however I would be a hypocrite to discard them altogether; afterall Lola and Brian were from P@H; and Max and Jemimah were from p@H adoption. I wouldn't change or take back getting them, they mean the world to me, even the late Brian I miss him so very much. All my buns previous when growing up were small chain petshop purchases; I was unaware of Rescues for Rabbits until I found RU. All buns I get from now on will be Rescues; I include adoption at P@H in that since the money goes to charity, my pets at home is also very good and asks questions about the animal; anyone without sufficient knowledge is not allowed to buy. They stress neutering, vaccinations, the importance of hay, accommodation size and the social behaviour of a bun. They won't let a bunny go to just anyone.

I don't regret getting my bunnies; I love them with all my heart, I don't feel guilty for getting them; I've given and am giving them a wonderful life; they deserve a chance too; afterall they are living, feeling, breathing animals; that don't deserve to be stuck in a pet shop in artificial light; I just took little darling from that environment. xx

But since finding RU, if you wanted to get another bunny, would you contribute to pet shops and breeders, or would you choose to rescue? You dont need to answer - but that's the thing here. Now we are all educated and aware in these matters, i do feel it is irresponsible to shop from these places if it can be avoided??