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Hi, I'm Pip And I'm Gizmo.
We're both dwarf
rabbits that came from Petco about a year ago. We weren't born at Petco though--we were born on Marshall Farms.
What is Marshall Farms? It's a place hoppin' and poppin' with bunnies--as well as other animals. Sounds nice, doesn't
it?
IT'S NOT.
Marshall's is an
animal mill that supplies animals to pet stores. Mommy animals are bred until they can't breed anymore--treated like nothing
more than baby making machines and then disregarded once they can no longer reproduce.
Also, Marshall
not only breeds animal for pets--but also for research. If you'd lke to learn more about the two faces of Marshall, start
here:
You'll see that
both pages have a photo in common...
Now, why are we telling you all of this? PetSmart is currently test marketing the sale of dwarf rabbits in 40 of their
stores across the country.
First off, these rabbits will come from animal mills--not shelters. We're concerned about this.
Did you know that "Rabbits are the third most-frequently relinquished species at shelters across the country" according
to the Humane Society of the United States?
Yes, the rabbits offered for sale at PetSmart will be spayed and neutered--while that helps future population control,
that does nothing to help the current problems. ADOPTION IS THE ONLY ANSWER. To breed rabbits for the sake of meeting consumer demands
is unacceptable and irresponsible.
Secondly, PetSmart
is trying to sell us little dwarfs off as being "gentle and social." One word - HA! Just ask anyone that has experience with
rabbits--small breeds like ourselves are skiddish, sassy and prefer not to associate with anyone that's not a bunny. Some
of us (like me, Pip) don't even like the company of another bun.
Our skiddishness
brings up a problem--since we're cute and furry, what do most people want to do with us? Right--SNUGGLE AND HOLD US. Do we
like that? NOOOOOOOOO. What do we do? WE KICK FOR OUR LIFE. What could be the result of that? A BROKEN BACK. Did you know
that our hind legs are SO powerful, that we can snap our back in trying to escape from the arms of a human?? Now, the target
audience we're aimed for is small children--are we the only ones that see a problem here???
Also, did you know not all rabbits get along with one another? We actually are housed in two separate areas because
we HATE each other and would fight each other to the death. We can't explain why--that's just the way we are. So please, if
you already have a rabbit--we caution you to pick carefully. Actually, we encourage you to LET YOUR RABBIT PICK! Did you know
many shelters will let you bring your companion buns in to pick out a friend?
Oh, and we'd like to mention that we're not cheap to care for, unlike most pet stores want you to believe. If you plan
to give us the proper medical attention we deserve, you should know we could get really expensive. We're considered exotic
animals. Most "regular" vets won't see us. Exotics vets cost a bit more (but are totally worth it when you find the right
one!). Keep that in mind...
Information about
the dwarf rabbit test can be found here: www.petsmartfacts.com/ (this it the link they give you if you email them)
We're asking that
you write and request that PetSmart continue to support shelter adoptions as they have had a history of doing in the past--and
ask them to STOP the sale of rabbits bred to meet "consumer demand".
Letters can be
sent by snail mail to:
Robert F. Moran
President and Chief
Operating Officer
PetSmart, Inc.
19601 North 27th
Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85027
Email:
Phone: (800) 738-1385
Fax: (623) 580-6502
Also, we'd like
to mention, we love the House Rabbit Society. There's more information about the PetSmart Test on the home page:
Thanks for your
time everybunny! :)
xo,
The Gizmo and Pip
P.S. Our mom has
vowed never to buy a pet store rabbit ever again--She's thrilled to have us in her life and loves us to death, but she often
says "If I only would've known then what I know now" when she thinks about the evil she supported. She's all about spreading
the word and encouraging shelter/rescue adoptions and hoping to educate people so they don't make tthe same mistake in supporting
the evils of animal mills...
To Whom It May Concern,
I implore you not to sell
rabbits at PetSmart stores. Rescue organizations, such as the two for which I volunteer, are already overwhelmed with homelesss
rabbits. Flooding the market with rabbits for sale at a popular pet supply chain store will almost certainly mean increased
death and suffering for companion rabbits.
In terms of rabbit welfare, you could not have made a worse decision than
to sell baby dwarf rabbits. The "cuteness factor" of baby rabbits increases the chances that people will by the rabbits because
they are taken by the rabbits' looks, and dwarf breeds - according to any veterinarian with clinical experience at treating
companion rabbits - have more dental problems than most rabbits because, basically speaking, their mouths are too small for
their teeth. The combination of the baby rabbits' allure, dwarf rabbits' required extra care, and the rabbits' wide availability
in stores is a death sentence.
I've read PetSmart's supposed safeguards regarding the sale of rabbits. They are
so insufficient, they would be laughable were the likely outcomes for the rabbits not so dire. A 14-day return period?
Do you know anything about the manner in which people neglect, mistreat, abandon, and give up rabbits that they bought? The
yearly post-Easter dump-off doesn't start in April; it starts in July. During the first 14 days, the excitement and novelty
haven't worn off. Respectable rescue groups specify in their contracts that if adopters can no longer care for their rabbits
or grow tired of having a rabbit- at any time - they are to return the rabbit to the rescue group. That policy helps
ensure that rabbits do not end up forgotten in someone's garage, or thrown outside, where they succumb usually with three
days.
Of course, rescue groups do their level best to make sure that adopters are committed, prepared, and financially
able to take care of a rabbit for ten years or more. They perform careful screening and - in most cases - home visits to maximize
the retention rate and minimize the retuen rate, and, more importantly, to help the adopters set up a safe, accommodating
environment for the rabbit. When I perform home visits, I provide advice and hints to the new adopter about setup, arbitrating
between boistrous kids and the rabbits' needs, local qualified veterinarians, and so forth; as a representative of the rescue
group, I help establish a relationship and rapport, and let the adopters know that we are always available for consultation.
There is simply no way PetSmart is going to go to all this trouble, and rabbits will suffer as a result.
I urge you
to reconsider this ill-conceived decision. The messages I'm getting from PetSmart so far are "Revenue over welfare" and a
disturbing feeling that token safeguards are being put in place to placate (or perhaps silence) those rightfully concerned
about rabbit welfare. Selling rabbits - baby dwarf rabbits, no less - flies in the face of PetSmart's official pro-animal
stance. It is a betrayal not only of the many rescue groups across the country that have partnered with PetSmart to try and
find homes for rabbits, but of the animals themselves. Please: It's not too late to turn around. Do the right thing: Cancel
this plan; it is wrong and will inflict unnecessary harm and death on rabbits. That will be PetSmart's legacy if you go forward
with this proposal. On behalf of the rabbits that I try to help and who will be affected by PetSmart's decision, I am compelled
to vigorously protest and speak out against your new policy of selling rabbits, and thus against PetSmart itself. If
PetSmart comes to their senses and works with rather than against rescue groups, and extends its adoptions-only policies to
rabbits as it has done with dogs and cats, I'm sure relations will be repaired within a few months and the partnership can
once again be productive and work to promote truly responsible companion animal guardianship.
Sincerely,
Gary
Loewenthal
Volunteer, RabbitWise, Inc.
Volunteer, Friends of Rabbits
Volunteer, Washington Animal Rescue League
AdvoCAT
Mr. Robert F. Moran
August 6, 2007
President and Chief Operating Officer
PetSmart, Inc.
19601 North 27th Avenue
Phoenix,
AZ 85027
Dear Mr. Moran:
Please understand why your PetPerks Card
is being returned to you.
.
advoCATs, Inc. is a cat and kitten
rescue and adoption service located in the Washington, D.C.
metro area. We rescue cats and kittens and we care for and shelter them until
permanent loving homes are found. Thus, you can easily see and value our need for many supplies – food, litter, litter
boxes, cat condos, toys, pet carriers, and cages to show our felines at adoption sites.
Owing to your decision
to sell rabbits please know that none of these products or other products will ever be purchased from any PetSmart.
Just as we encourage our Pet Parents to
buy quality cat and kitten food, we shall encourage our Pet Parents to purchase their kitty supplies at reputable stores,
and we do not consider PetSmart to be one.
Through PetSmart Charities and PetSmart Adoption Centers you purport to have a company policy of caring for homeless pets and to promote
animal welfare. Obviously, you lie.
Selling rabbits is an insult. It is an open-hand slap-in-the-face to all of us who promote animal welfare
and pet rescue. How dare you!
Sincerely,
Virginia Ballengee, President
advoCATs, Inc.
Post Office Box 673
Madison,
Virginia 22727
Enclosure-PetPerks Card
cc: Rabbit Wise, Inc.
House Rabbit Society
Caring for Creatures
PETA
Best Friends
Cat’s Cradle
Mr. Philip L. Francis
President and Chief Executive Officer
PetSmart, Inc.
19601 North 27th Avenue
Phoenix,
AZ 85027
Dear Mr. Francis,
This letter is written in response to your recent determination to “test”
the sales of rabbits in your stores nationwide. As a PetSmart Adoption partner for the past 13 years we are deeply distressed
by your decision. Brambley Hedge Rabbit Rescue linked itself exclusively with PetSmart during this time frame and we took
extreme pride in the fact that we were the first rabbit rescue organization to adopt out of a PetSmart store, opening the
door for all of the PetSmart partnerships with rabbit rescues across the country to follow.
We have always admired
the PetSmart Charities mission to improve the quality of life for all companion animals by creating and supporting programs
that save the lives of homeless pets and promote healthy relationships between people and pets. We have applauded their ability
to create innovative animal welfare solutions and raise the awareness of companion animal welfare issues.
Brambley
Hedge Rabbit Rescue, Inc. has been caring for abused, abandoned and unwanted domestic rabbits since 1986. We are an all-volunteer
run organization and no-kill shelter, housing more than 100 rabbits at any time. Over the past twenty-one years we have placed
over 2000 rabbits with caring, adoptive parents; 1700 of those having been adopted through PetSmart. Our volunteers have educated
your customers, we have answered questions and we have counseled pet parents. We walk the aisles of your stores and help our
new pet parents purchase appropriate toys, food, cages, litter and other supplies for their new family members, under our
watchful eyes, following each and every adoption.
This may be a test in your eyes but is an absolute betrayal in ours.
Your quote in 2000 stating “Our brand name stands for ethics, quality, health and good care for animals and we're always
willing to forego the short run marginal sale because our standards are higher and our ethics are little bit better" is meaningless
in 2007. How unfortunate that PetSmart is now becoming part of the problem of pet overpopulation and overcrowded shelters
and NOT part of the solution. Rabbits are the 3rd most surrendered pet to shelters after dogs and cats. Your “pet experts”
surely know the statistics. You will now tax our resources to care for those rabbits not wanted after the PetSmart 14-day
trial period just as we currently are caring for those numerous rabbits that were purchased from PETCO for $99.99, then surrendered
to the Arizona Humane Society and subsequently us.
We were involved in a seizure with the Arizona Humane Society today
that included 83 rabbits, all purebred and most of small stature. Maybe you would be interested in those rabbits to stock
your next 20 stores. They all need homes.
Brambley Hedge Rabbit Rescue offers the suggestion that you arm your associates
with information about the rabbit rescue organizations across the country that would be happy to speak with your customers
regarding adopting a rabbit and then refer those customers back to you for their supplies. Currently when you call your stores
in Phoenix regarding rabbits they refer your customers to the nearest PETCO. Be the leaders again that you once were and please
prove to us that the welfare of animals is more important to PetSmart than the bottom line.
In light of the current
circumstances, it is with great sadness that our Board of Directors has made the only decision left to us. If this test continues
we will end our long standing partnership with PetSmart because it truly is a partnership no longer. You made no effort to
contact us, any shelters housing rabbits or other rabbit rescue organizations for input prior to your decision. We will not
adopt our rabbits from your Tatum and Shea location nor will we generate any support for PetSmart until your choice to sell
rabbits is reversed. We hope that you will listen to the input that is now being generated by hundreds of PetSmart shoppers.
We look forward to your response.
Respectfully,
Erika Smith Royal
Founder and President
Brambley Hedge
Rabbit Rescue
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