Last Saturday we posted about our recent meeting with Pets at Home. Like us, most of you were shocked and disappointed by what they said, and some of you did not quite believe it. If you still think Pets at Home puts pets first, please read this comment from a vet who allowed us to share it:

‘As a vet who worked in a practice inside Pets At Home I can say with complete confidence that animals do arrive dead, they travel for hours, crammed inside a lorry from miles away. I rehomed 2 rabbits from a pets at home store who otherwise would have been gladly adopted out as individual rabbits or euthanised which is not what a company run by a veterinary group should allow or advise. Fights in store are NOT rare and it happens with the hamsters and guinea pigs too! Rabbits are classified as exotic pets regardless of the drugs used, vaccines will always be available (that statement in particular made me LOL!). Sick pets are sold! I have had to stop a staff member selling guinea pigs with ringworm and rabbits with very obvious respiratory issues. Animals are put to sleep if the treatment cost is too high, hence why I rehomed my 2-both have malocclusions after a sneaky check by me as they were out for adoption separately and I was ordered to euthanise! Cats are complex animals too...what?! But apparently rabbits aren’t exotic?! A recent study by the RVC found that one of the single largest cause of rabbit illness was poor diet because they require anything but museli, bowls upon bowls of nuggets and bananas (which was shown in a recent Vet group advert who own PAH). As a vet I was good at sexing rabbits, it was MY JOB TO KNOW! And recent studies have shown that VHD2 should be the primary vaccine and should be done in high risk areas such as pet store and breeders! This is a cop out, the facts and evidence are there. The welfare are these poor animals is disregarded and made me so sad, one of the reasons I do not and will NEVER work inside a pets at home again!!!’

Nicola Donnelly

Pets at Home, STOP selling rabbits! STOP selling pets!

Animals shouldn't be sold in shops!

If you would like to share this on Facebook, here is the post:

https://www.facebook.com/BabbaCampaign/photos/a.420694821776489/752012725311362

There will be more updates in the near future. In the meantime, thank you for all your comments and ideas and for sharing your stories and experience.

Isabelle Rineau
@babbacampaign
www.babba.org
www.facebook.com/BabbaCampaign