Oh jesus, have I done the right thing??

[Spacehopper]

I could sit here & cry my eyes out right now.  I have just reported a pet shop i have mentioned on here once before.  I feel REALLY nervous for some reason.  But after the horse rescue here last week, i really can’t ignore the gut feeling in my stomach.  But we went there on Saturday and it is obviously owned by "Pikey’s", the number of birds of all wildness & exotisism is quite saddening, some with feathers missing, and the noise, oh my god the noise.  There was a porr little snuffly chinchilla sleeping and peeping on every breath out, and LIONHEAD BUNS!!  4 of the poor little things in tiny grotty cages barely room to stretch out comfortably. 

One was JUST LIKE BRIAN BUMSTAR as a baby, and they are selling these rabbits with TOTALLY the wrong age on the price sign.  Luckily the rats had the sense to curl up and sleep hidden from the horrible children who come in and tap on the glass.   But this one poor little white lionhead with black rings around his eyes was sat in filth (far too much filth to have been cleaned out that day anyway or the day before..IN A TINY CAGE), when i went back to see him he had moved, and was chomping on some hay, but i noticed he had a snotty / gunky nose and a massive fur matt by his ear, now clearly to me that screams out the welfare of the animal is not at the forefront of the nasty dirty moneygrabbing pikeypeople’s minds.

I wont tell the boyfriend what i’ve done as he’ll just roll his eyes and want to know why i involved myself.  The council and rspca said they would keep me informed (even if it is just me being a bit over sensitive at the mo what with aforementioned horse cruelty), so ….

[Suzanne McCarter]

YOU DID THE RIGHT THING!!!! I feel like crying myself for those poor animals. I can not imagine a place even being able to stay in business. Who would buy or visit such a run down place? You must be like me. I feel I need to be able to first hand help every needy animal I run into, but unfortunately we can’t. But we don’t have to sit by while it continues… and you did the only thing you could do to help these or at least future animals that would be harmed in this way. I totally support what you have done and am glad knowing you were able to help this way. Thank you! This is inspiration to others. Keep up the good work!!!

[Beka27]

i don’t think that’s a bad thing you did.  i doubt they’ll stop selling animals, but it may improve the condition in which they’re kept. 

[Suzanne McCarter]

OH and please keep us informed. =)

[Spacehopper]

I suppose at least I’ve brought attention to the place (we only went there looking for new fish too – which i must say are not owned by the pikeys). We went to our local garden centre after going here and the difference was amazing, QUITE QUITE obviously loved and looked after judging by the contentedness of all animals there. I so sad. 🙁

[osprey]

Let us know if you get any feedback from the officials you lodged the complaint with.

[JK]

Absolutely you did the right thing!!!!!!!!!!! Will whoever you reported them to take real action?  That’s so awful.  I would have done the same thing. In fact should a rescue "rescue" them????

[Spacehopper]

Both Windsor & Maidenhead council and the rspca sounded very concerned, and they both logged the call to the inspectors whilst i was on the phone. Said i should hear within 48 hours!!

[JK]

Great!!! Good girl!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

***HUGE pats on your back**

You defo did the right thing; I always check pet stores (not only to gush over the cuties in there) for the living conditions and report as necessary. Great job!! Let us know what you hear

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Actually if it makes you feel better, I’ll share my recent saving animals story, that made me feel very similar

There was a kitten out at the barn where I ride, whos been sick for some time; She had a distended anus, runny eyes. She wasn’t getting vet care; none of the barn cats were fixed or wormed or anything. Clearly she was NOT going to get vet care. The lady who owns the horse I lease was moving the horses, so it was my last chance….

So I stole the cat (actually the lady had said, if someone wants a kitten they can have one….so not REALLY stealing) and took her to the emergency vet clinic. She’s been treated and is at the humane society now!

But of course I got a lot of gruff for it…First had to cart the cat around all day, she pooped in my car, then cried all the way to down down…my boyfriend told me I’m crazy and the staff at the vet clinic were pretty sure she was mine and I was lying about saying she was a stray….

But worth it, shes much better now and up for adoption soon!

[Spacehopper]

GO YOU!! (urgh it’s 8.45am and im eating jalapeno pepper crisps), I think I would have HAD to do the same in your situation. My ma volunteers for the cat’s protection and some of the awful stories… well….

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Aww thanks!! Sometimes you get so much guff for just doing what’s obviously right!! …terrible what people do to animals….

[Beka27]

i was watching the ASPCA rescue show on Animal Planet last night (i can never get thru an episode without crying… but i still watch) and this woman had pups that were severely malnourished.  turns out, she had surrendered another litter of pups to a vet not long before saying she "found" them somewhere.  they figured out she was lying and they were her pups.  it’s people like that who abuse the system, that make it so difficult for folks who truly want to help.

[(dig)x(me)x(now)]

Ah, Beka I hate watching those animal police shows, they always make me sad. But they also kind of make me want to become one of the officers! Ha.

[Spacehopper]

Rachel that’s exactly how i am. lol I always wanted to be a vet but i’d just be distraught at the negative side of that.

Well i had a message on my phone earlier from the RSPCA. She had just been to the shop and checked it out, in one way fortunate as no homeless animals to contend with, unfortunately the pikey bstrds are still peddling their wares! The RSPCA said they have advised the owners of relevant care and conditions, and it is now down to "ROYAL Windsor & Maidenhead Borough Council" to visit & issue the necessary licensing conditions again as they are a licensed premises. It makes me a tad cross! (I’ll have to keep going back and keeping a check on the animals, and if needs be keep on reporting!!)  If it were one of the Queen’s precious swans i’m sure it would be a whole different outcome!!!!  RAAR!!!

[Ash]

That’s good that you spoke up!!! Big Kudos!!!

I would have done the same thing!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Spacehopper, that’s exaclty what you should…just keep an eye…Maybe maybe thy will clean up their act a bit and you won’t have to report them?!? *fingers crossed*

[Lisa_43]

Defiantly no question about it, you did do the right thing and there should be more of it.

There are a lot of these places around but people just say that is disgusting but do nothing about it.

Animals will continue to suffer until people like you come to their rescue.

[Beka27]

Spacehopper… what if in a month or two, one of your friends or acquaintances checked and decided to file a complaint?  would it carry more weight if more than one person was complaining (assuming you "omit the fact" that you know each other…) 

[Scarlet_Rose]

Yowsa that is HORRIBLE! What if you got more people to complain about that store? It might help move things along…

[Spacehopper]

Good plan! I may even be that “other” person, or even several… just borrow the work’s mobile phones so rspca etc can contact me. lol I’ll be going back at the weekend as we are after a new aquarium for work and their aquatics place if pretty damn good, so I’ll nip upstairs and have a wander about (incognito-like), making sure I’m not wearing my yellow hoodie with gold rabbit on the front!! lol they might remember me and come after me with their knuckledusters, or set the bearded, toothless old woman serving in the greasy burger/flat bottled drinks/ foul tasting candy floss van on me.

Hai YAH!!!

[Mindy]

You did the right thing! I reported a store in my area a month or two ago for the same reason. The animals were being kept in very inhumane conditions. They had three bunnies in a tiny cage on cedar bedding and two guinea pigs in a tiny cage next to them also on cedar bedding. There were males and females together in both cages. One of the guinea pigs was not doing well at all, gunk in her eyes and nose and she was having trouble breathing and wouldn’t open her eyes. I tried to talk to the owner of the store, but he started yelling at me about how he knew how to take care of the animals and he kicked me out of the store. I reported it to animal control and they made a surprise visit to the store the next day. Unfortunately most states don’t have laws to protect small animals, so he technically wasn’t breaking a law and animal control couldn’t do anything about it. I really wish we could change the laws to protect all animals!

[Author]

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