CALLING ALL RAT AND SMALL ANIMAL LOVERS !!!!!!

A situation has come to my attention and I feel the absolute NEED to spread this everywhere I possibly can. The Miami Vally Career Technology Centre (MVCTC) has an FFA approved course which encourages the UNETHICAL BREEDING of small animals. This isn’t only limited to rats either ! Chinchillas, mice, birds, hamsters, a number of other small rodents you name it ! It is clear their criteria is based off of incorrect information ! They’re breeding pet store rats to rats they know little to nothing of their age, let alone genetic history !

This student I am speaking to via private messages bought the male, from a pet store !!!! but was given the female from the college. They know nothing of these genetics and this is ridiculous to even breed rats like that !! These babies, if ever born, will have so many health issues.

A female in which they do not know the age of is extremely at risk of dying, or even giving birth to severely sick and underweight babies.

This rat has reabsorbed this litter to save her body the pain and suffering. Carrying a litter at the latest ages of breeding (ten to twelve months) is hard, and should be avoided at all costs. Ethical breeders globally know this, and know that this is completely and undeniably irresponsible and disgusting. 

They do not know her age, and even continue to say “she’s around ten months we think”, so why is it they continue to breed her out, while she’s very closely nearing the end of her safe breeding window?

It is believed she was full grown August 2020, for those who don’t know, rats become full grown by sixth months of age. That makes her well over a year old. Very far out of her breeding window. This student has been forced to place them back together AGAIN ! This puts the life of this female rat at severe risk. 

Not only this, but the FFA claims to be, and I quote, “a technical student organization, based on MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL classes”. They literally have zero shame stating they’re breeding animals for a class based off of middle and high school education?!

There’s one answer here, and it’s that they’re completely unorganized, and blatantly breeding rats with no respect for the proper breeding system !!

This is completely unethical, being forced upon some HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS among others, to breed animals they know little of, for a credit ?

The even uglier part, they wouldn’t even let this student get this female rat medical attention ! If she dies giving birth to this next litter, or even from infection from not fully reabsorbing the babies, they’ll just throw this student another female they know nothing about. 

There’s no good enough reason why one breeding pair, or even two for a large class, can be examined by everyone. A breeding pair that has come from reputable breeders within the area, rats and small animals they know the age and genetic history of. 

Then, not only do they get first hand birth experience, but also the chance to adopt the rats they have raised from birth. This encourages that these rats go to good homes, not to be bred over and over again, and live such a life these animals are.

I can be sure this isn’t the only school/college and place of education doing this ! 

This is animal abuse !!

Of course we need future farmers of America, and of course we need future veterinary technicians... but isn’t there better and more ethical ways to go about this ? If this is left unresolved, we turn away yet again from the animals that need our help ! If we can come together to save these tiny and fragile lives, maybe we can show hope for a better future !