Stop selling rabbits and other small animals in PJ's Pets and Pets Unlimited stores!

Selling rabbits and other small animals in pet stores is inherently cruel. I say this based on the simple facts that: the animals are bought by the retailer from very questionable sources, the animals are not housed in a manner that is enriching or even comfortable, the supplies sold with the animals are less that adequate, the staff at the stores are not even near being adequately trained and the sale of rabbits and other small animals in stores encourages impulse buying and animals being purchased for nefarious reasons.

No reputable breeder of any animal would sell to a pet store. There are too many opportunities for the animals to end up in the wrong hands, for any reasonable and compassionate person to be comfortable with that situation.

How the rabbits and other small animals are housed in the stores is utterly appaling. I was recently in a PJ's Express store in Brockville, Ontario (August 30th 2014) and witnessed multiple rabbits housed in cages not large enough for a single rabbit. The rabbits did not have adequate food, water, space or even toys to enrich their lives with.

The advice given to the buyers of the rabbits and other small animals is not even what could be considered good basic information. I witnessed an employee selling a rabbit to a girl and her Mother, and providing them with a cage that was way too small, and I unfortunately did not see any hay or other supplies being recommended. This definitely speaks to the quality of training that the employees recieve when they are employed by PJ's Pets.

The sale of rabbits and other small animals puts the animals at risk of being purchased by cruel people for cruel reasons. This is especially true when the animals are put "on sale". No one can know for sure where the animals will end up as there is no screening process set in place. If anyone looks at the number of rabbits and small animals who are relinquished to shelters, humane societies and private rescues it is evident where many of these poor creatures end up. This is also evident by the number of domestic rabbits that are "set free" by people who are ignorant to the fact that domestic rabbits die outside when they are on their own.

The only way to decrease the number of rabbits and small animals who are dumped or thrown away everyday is to start at the root of the problem. We need to stop the sale of these animals in retail stores like PJ's Pets. I would encourage PJ's Pets to set a shining example for all other pet stores that sell rabbits and other small animals.

If the powers that be in the pet industry really care about animals who are kept as pets, this is an opportunity to show it.