I was in Burke,VA the other day to stop by a grocery store across Wakefield Park. We wanted to go pick up a cake for a gathering at my brothers. Near there was Super Pets, good ole Super Pets! It was a wonderful local animal store in Annandale when I was growing up. Been there for years. So many small animals and tonsss of variety of fish. I loved walking around with my dad and brother to look at all the different animals.
They moved a few years ago to its new location in Burke. I was with my wife when we visited and brought back some memories of a kid. It was a little cramped and much smaller than its previous location. But still tons of furry little animals and fish around. I thought to myself wow what a good pet store. They don’t sell puppies or kittens. At least, these little hamsters, gerbils, etc get a better life. My wife said to me “what do you mean? Its all the same…” I paused and thought, no way.
Then I began to think to myself, yes if puppies and kittens are bred in these little mills and farms, what about all the other animals? I started to do some research and sure enough it didn’t take long to show the atrocities. Its all the same..Really its all the same. Whatever you want to call it, all these animals sold to pets store are in the same inhumane, nearly genocidal and careless system. How naive of me to think it was anything else. There’s no licensed breeders for birds, guinea pigs, hamsters; they are mass produced the same as the rest. How could I exclude them from my message. I’m shouting #alllifematters without considering all the life. Is it a battle that people will understand and feel empathy for. A gerbil? Why should I care.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the images, like it was a small lab for an ant farm. They are treated and breed in the most disgusting conditions. With thousands if not millions dying. If we can’t even give the proper care to man’s best friend, what is to make me think these people would care for these little ones. They were discarded in bags by the hundreds. The way some of these animals live in these mills are not friendly to the way these animals naturally socialize. I feel dumb and saddened that the problem in my head grew even larger. But I think the battle starts with man’s best friend first and then to others. I hate to say we got to start by saving some before we save the others. Any pet store big or small typically carries the small animals to sell. I mean where did I get my first parakeets? From a breeder, no from a store just like everybody else.
How would society even begin to govern the system for all pets and put necessary rules and protective measures. The one thing sticks to me from a craigslister a year back. If we can’t even treat each other (humans) with respect, how can we expect to treat the pets. The mission continues.
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