I know that Petsmart uses actual vets so I did some searching after
reading Gordon's post.
Petsmart says the problems happened not at Petsmart, but at Rainbow
World Exotics in TX from which Petsmart has purchased. PETA which did
the filming says that the film was made at Rainbow World Exotics NOT
at Petsmart.
I know that Petsmart has changed vendors before based on being
displeased with how they treated animals so we'll have to see if that
happens again.
Rainbow World Exotics not only breeds and distributes but it buys from
third party vendors and resells (having seen its ads for rodents when
it was doing that). It is listed as having APHIS licenses as of last
year, but it may have been cleaning up for governmental inspections and
retailers' inspections, so APHIS needs to be made aware of this video.
Here is the news story info for you as well as the video:
http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7765272&nav=menu192_2_7
>PETA claims the abuse happened at Rainbow World Exotics in Hamilton,
>100 miles southwest of Dallas.
>
>A company spokesperson said PETA has tainted the facts, and PetSmart
>stands behind its vendor. PetSmart plans to launch its own
>investigation into the breeder, but store officials said Rainbow
>World has passed all previous inspections...
>
>The video has caught the eye of city officials.
>
>City animal control's Kelli Copeland said the PETA video clearly
>shows animals treated inhumanely
>
>"I saw things that disturbed me," Copeland said, "the rabbit being
>neutered and obviously not completely anesthetized."...
>
>The pet vendor may not be so lucky. PETA has already filed a formal=
>complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The organization
>is also working with the Hamilton county attorney, trying to press
>criminal charges.
Here is the PETA official complaint against Rainbow World Exotics (also
audio report and the video which works better for me from this link w
the ferret footage near the end during a flood which happened there due
to malfunctioning equipment, and during a crowding situation):
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/01/24/01242008wacpeta.html
>PETA files complaint against Central Texas pet supplier over 'pain,
>suffering' of animals
>Thursday, January 24, 2008
>By David Doerr
>
>Tribune-Herald staff writer
>
>People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals plans to file criminal
>and federal complaints against a PetSmart animal supplier based in
>Hamilton, where an undercover investigator documented several
>allegations of "unwarranted or unjustified pain or suffering"
>involving animals, according to the organization.
>
>A PetSmart spokesman describes the Hamilton firm, Rainbow World
>Exotics, as a "significant supplier" and says PetSmart will fully
>investigate the allegations.
>
>Between mid-September and mid-November last year, a PETA undercover
>investigator photographed and video recorded what the group describes
>in a statement as "routine neglect and flagrant abuse of rabbits,
>hamsters, birds, and animals" at Rainbow World Exotics in Hamilton,
>about 70 miles west of Waco.
>
>PETA's undercover investigation garnered national press coverage on
>NBC's "Today Show," which first broadcast the organization's alleged
>evidence of animal abuse.
>
>A video released Wednesday by PETA shows a rabbit being neutered by an
>employee using a dull razor and Clorox wipes on the animal's fresh
>incisions...
There is a LOT more in the articles, but that covers basics.
There also is always a problem with PETA videos and photos about
knowing what is true or false, for example, years ago they had photos
claimed to be from Marshall Farms but there were several photos known
to not have been from that location (due to what was in them) and known
to not have been taken on the dates claimed (It was a dry winter at
that time and FML members living in the region knew they were all free
of any snow but some of the photos showed a lot of snow. (PETA also
in the past had made claims that Marshall Farms was opening a branch
in France but when French officials were contacted -- right down to
contacting ones for the French town named no one had any idea what
PETA was talking about.)
On the other hand, there certainly have been enough true nightmares
at a range of farms that the video seems believable and the footage
certainly seems real to me on first viewing, and I don't think I want
to see that twice.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html=
[Posted in FML 5862]
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