Stop Pet Supplies Plus from Abusing and Neglecting their animals

Many pet stores abuse and neglect their animals, yet get away with it. Why? Pet store animals are not protected under The Animal Welfare Act.
"Facilities that are not covered by the AWA include farms, pet stores and hobby breeders."
Because of this pet stores far too often get away with mistreating their animals. I've experienced abuse and neglect in my local PSP many, many times. I ask that you read this story and send a letter to the Pet Supplies "Plus" Corporate office and tell them they need to reassess and change this stores ways.

The main animals in this story are rats. If you do not like rats, or even hate rats, imagine this to be any other animal, a dog or cat. Rats feel pain and anxiety like any other animal. Cruelty is cruelty, no matter what animal. Regardless of the animal at hand, its an animal, and should be not abused and neglected.
Even if you dont live anywhere near this store and dont think this matter effects you in any way, please do it for the animals it does.


In June of 2010 i went to my local Pet Supplies "Plus" in Niles Ohio. (5555 Youngstown/Warren Rd - 44446). I went in the back to see their "feeder" (snake food) rats. In the 20 gallon tank I found 3 rats that were seriously injured. I have pictures of their injuries.
These pictures are graphic so I've provided links.

The first rat, Mystic. He had a broken tail. Where its broken the wound was left open and infected. He also had a bruised and swollen foot with a wound that was deeply infected.
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu202/itsonylove/Copyofcr026-1.jpg
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu202/itsonylove/Copyofcr013-1.jpg

The second, Magic. He had a sprained and swollen foot with a wound that was infected.
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu202/itsonylove/Copyofcr029-1.jpg
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu202/itsonylove/Copyofcr030-1.jpg

The third, Miracle. He was the worst off. His tail was broken in two places with multiple infected wounds. Both feet also had multiple infected wounds. His right foot was broken and missing a toe.
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu202/itsonylove/Copyofcr034-1.jpg
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu202/itsonylove/Copyofcr035-1.jpg

With proper care and antibiotics their infections were gone with in a few days. Along followed the healing of their feet and tails. I reported this store and story to the Animal Welfare League in my area, never heard back.


In March of this year I went to the same pet store and went to see their "feeder" (snake food) rats. I found a seriously neglected rat. After seeing him I asked to speak to the manager. I asked her if any of her rats receive vet care, she said no. I have my boyfriend and other shoppers as witnesses to this conversation. I then bought him.

This is Monocle. His teeth were so over grown they went through the top and bottom of his lip. The cornea in his left eye was also infected.
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu202/itsonylove/mfv042-1.jpg
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu202/itsonylove/mfv039-1.jpg
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu202/itsonylove/mfv038-1.jpg
The pieces of tooth that were clipped
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu202/itsonylove/mfv029-1.jpg

With proper care, a teeth clipping, and antibiotics his lip and the infection in his eye healed. Although, because of the injury to his lip from his teeth he is missing a piece of his lip, and because of the previous infection in his cornea he is now blind in that eye.
I reported this store and story to the Animal Welfare League in my area, the ASPCA, and even PETA. They all said they couldnt help me.


Besides these two times I have seen their rats, hamsters, mice and gerbils with respiratory infections, cuts, broken tails and other injuries. Their food dishes were often completely. Besides the hamsters who lived alone their other rodents were always crammed in small fish tanks, usually having 6+ in a 10 gallon tank. Their "feeder" rats were kept in 20 gallon fish tanks. Usually having 15-30 rats in a single tank.
They also had a "breeding stock". Two 20 gallon tanks crammed with rats. These tanks would have well over 10 adult rats with multiple liters (average liter size is 13 babies). There too many adults and too many babies. It is not safe to keep a mother with her babies with any other rats in the same cage. The adults were always injured with bites, probably a result of a angry mother. Because the males were kept with the females at all times the females can, and did get pregnant a day after giving birth. This means over bred rats which is never healthy, nor humane.

Not only were there these problems, but they kept all their animals in tanks. Rodents should not be kept in tanks as the pneumonia in their urine builds up due to poor ventilation, creating multiple issues for their respiratory tract easily leading to an infection. They kept all their animals on cedar bedding which has been proven to create respiratory infections in rats. They also fed all their animals guniea pig food, hardly meeting a nutritional standard for the other rodents. The manager knew of all this.
Although those may be small issues, they add to the mistreatment of these animals.
This store has been, and continues to get away with cruelly treating their animals.

Please send Pet Supplies Plus's corporate office a letter stating that they need to reevaluate, reassess, and change this stores way of cruelty. No animal should suffer because a store is ignorant and unwilling to pay for proper care.