Guinea Pig Home

SarahxBear · 03-10-2007, 08:45 AM

At the pet store that I work at there are these Two Guinea pigs that are sweet and ADORABLE!! They are keeping BOTH of them in a small TANK. They only feed them hay three times a week and they only get pig pellets and no vegies or anything! They seem healthy, but they are never out of that tank, only when I clean it and have to put them into another one!

I want to sort of "Rescue" This piggies from the store! But I don't have the room or money

I don't know what I should do!

Any Ideas?

VoodooJoint · 03-10-2007, 10:01 AM

Do not buy them. If you buy them you will be rewarding the petshop for their cruelty and they will use your money to not only make a profit but to get more GPs in to treat the exact same way. After all their practices were rewarding last time. They may as well do exactly the same thing again.

If you want to try to help do your best to educate them about how GPs should be housed, fed and treated. Do not buy ANYTHING from that store, or any store that sells animals. Get as many others to boycott these types of stores as well. If you take away their profit and everyone writes letters to the store/company telling them why they are boycotting you may be able to get them to stop selling animals altogether.

To learn more about rescuing/adopting vs. buying please read this link What is Rescuing and Adopting?

Wheek Minded · 03-17-2007, 11:57 AM

Yes, the longer you can keep them from being sold, the more likely they will stop trying to sell pigs in your store. It would also help if you reported to the owners that people are complaining that it's wrong and they are boycotting. Which I am doing..and thousands of others do as well. We do not shop in pet stores that sell animals.

It is NOT smart business practice to do so. It's better to be a "rescue friendly" pet store. This means not selling animals and sending people to animal rescues who want animals. This gives the business great respect and return customers of people who are animal lovers and spend TONS more money on supplies than people who buy a pig in a whim in a petstore.

Once he realizes that it's not worthwile venture and is hurting business more than helping it, you can simply offer to take them home..

SarahxBear · 03-17-2007, 12:31 PM

Thanks, that makes sense!

AllNeonLike · 04-13-2007, 09:36 PM

I would agree on the point that you should try to talk to your manager about it and you could always bring some fresh veggies from home to feed to them and when it's slow and you haven't got much to do you could just hold them to try to get them better acquainted with humans.
But I don't necessarily agree with the idea of boycotting the store by not buying their animals. I mean, they don't have a choice where they end up, whether it's a pet store or a rescue. I just felt I had to say that.

Foggycreek · 04-14-2007, 09:21 AM

AllNeonLike, you should read this page about pet stores.

AllNeonLike · 04-14-2007, 01:20 PM

That's very sad to hear of all the mistreated animals. But when it comes down to choosing between leaving a piggy there in bad conditions in order for it not to happen again and giving that poor pig a home, I'd go with the latter, regardless of the seller. Personally, I've never witnessed anything like that. I've purchsed all 4 of the guinea pigs I've had from pet stores and the only negative I have to say in regards to the treatment of guinea pigs in pet stores is that they're not very well socialized when it comes to humans. Maybe things just aren't as bad in Canada. But regardless, it seems to me like not buying a guinea pig because you don't agree with the seller is like parents fighting with each other through their kid. The guinea pig needs a home and, for me, that's what it comes down to.

VoodooJoint · 04-14-2007, 06:31 PM

AllNeon, while your intentions are good you are completely missing the big picture. It doesn't matter if the seller is good or bad. In the end there is a supplier. Probably someplace like this http://cavyspirit.com/hollister.htm.

For every pig you buy more are bred to fill the demand.

While the breeders breed, the sellers sell and the buyers buy (creating more demand to continue the cycle) thousands of GPs and thousands more of other animals, are euthanized for want of a home.

Until the shelter's and rescues intake/adoption rates even out (at present for every 5-10 animals dumped in a shelter/rescue only 1 gets adopted out) there is a strong reason not to breed more or support those that do breed. Stop the killing, stop the suffering and stop the abuse. Please don't feed it and please respect this forum as a rescue oriented forum and don't encourage petstore buying.

I posted this link before but I'll post it again in case you didn't read it What is Rescuing and Adopting?

minnie-and-beaus-mom · 04-15-2007, 09:32 AM

I just found out yesterday that our large chain petstore "adopts" out GP's and other small furry animals. I was looking at the GP's for sale and one of the guys who works there came out and told me that they had some for adoption in the back. When I asked what that meant he then told me that often people will leave an animal or box of animals in front of the store. He told me that the store takes them in, cleans them up and gives them vet care if needed. Then they house them until they find homes. Everyone that I talked to in the store said that they take personal interest in these rescues and work to find them homes. I for one will not boycott this large chain knowing that they help rescues. I wont get my GP's there but I will continue to get my food there and adopt from them. I think that we have a long way to go in the fight against breeders but we are moving in the right direction.

AllNeonLike · 04-15-2007, 04:58 PM

I do understand the idea of supply and demand and that by purchasing pet store animals it demonstrates that there IS a market for it. But honestly, I'm just not seeing the cruelty this forums talks about when I walk into any given pet store. And I can't imagine a place like the SPCA stepping in and removing the animals because their cages aren't huge. I usually see animals housed in cages with enough space and food and hiding places for the size they are and for the time they're expected to remain.
I sincerely do respect this forum and the efforts of those in it and I'm not encouraging buying gp's from a pet store.
Personally, I searched for and found no guinea pigs available at shelters and where are these guinea pigs sold at pet stores supposed to end up if no one buys them?