Over the weekend, my partner and I stepped into Petbarn to pick up a few things for our pup. He motioned me to look at the birds. What we found were two cages of Love Birds, both cages with three birds each, huddled in the corner absoloutely terrified. A cage full of budgies very overcrowded, and mind you there were quite a few empty cages they could've been spread out in. And the biggest heartbreaker of all, a Gouldian Finch.
This poor Gouldian Finch was going nuts and clearly was distressed and I would even say it had developed mental problems from being in that cage and situation.
What upsets me is that for the Gouldian to be there in that cage it meant that a few decades ago they were captured in the wild at such a rapid rate in such excessive numbers that has caused a decline in their species. There are said to be approximately 2,500 in the wild today, and only forty years ago in the 1970s, in just one morning they were catching in excess of 25,000 birds. It wasn't until the 1990's that they outlawed the capture of wild Gouldian Finches.
I have been lucky enough to see a Gouldian Finch in the wild. They are so rare and elusive that it's such a special thing to see them and people come from all over the world in the hopes of spotting one. So then seeing a Gouldian Finch in a tiny cage in a pet shop where you can pay a small fee to own it, it just feels so wrong to me.
Small animals are so seemingly easily despensible and attainable at their cheap prices in pet stores. I don't condone the sale of any pet at a pet store when there are so many animals in shelters that need good homes.
Looking at those poor birds in Pet Barn I was overwhelmed with pity and disgust. We immediately put back the goods we were planning to purchase and left the store, and will never return. I will not support or buy from a store who practises in the sale of small animals, and subjects them to such conditions.
There are a few Pet Barn stores who offer dogs for sale that have been rescued, and are working in conjunction with RSPCA and Lort Smith Animal Hospital, which is great. But until they consider all animals great and small I have notified them they will no longer receive my custom. If you don't already, I hope that you take the welfare of all animals into consideration when purchasing from any pet related store. When there are so many animals in need of a good home why would you buy from a pet store??!! Please support animal shelters.
Yes, birds in cages like that, particularly a Gouldian finch, are a sad sight indeed. It is really not so far removed from certain SE Asian countries where they keep birds in cages no bigger than a milk or juice container. These are third world countires still learning to respect the rights of animals. We are a "developed" nation and should know better. But many people don't. And many people still buy battery hen eggs. You are a small light in a long dark tunnel grohlster but hopefully the light is steadily growing and getting brighter.
Posting such a subject on a forum, I wasn't quite sure what response I'd receive.
It is truly heartbreaking the injustices towards animals that still go on in our very own country. But I wanted to create this post just so people can take small steps at least to try and do what is right and help us progress further.
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Gandhi, Mohandas
Go, grohlster. Your post was entirely pertinent as far as I'm concerned. Lost of money (now that's a Freudian slip. I meant lots) is spent on keeping birds (& other animals) in cages that could be spent on restoring habitat & protecting them in the wild. The only bird-centred reason I can see for keeping birds in cages is for captive breeding & release into the wild programmes. E.g., the orange-bellied parrot recovery programme which seems to be failing, sadly. I saw on TV the other night there are only about 20 birds left in the wild. This species was extensively trapped in the Coorong many years ago & not so long ago an SA rural council decided to build a cat & rat-attracting rubbish dump right in the bird's habitat.
Oh Woko, it breaks my heart the plight that the Orange-bellied parrots are in.
20 birds left in the wild, I can't see them coming back from that though I've got my fingers and toes crossed.
Thanks for the reply, I like the points you've put forward.
Thanks for this post.
I'd admire you greatly for putting those would-be purchases back on the shelf and leaving the store. Money talks.
I was lucky enough last year on an N.T. trip to see 2 wild Gouldian finches, on the very last stop we had on the very last day it was possible to see them, after spending 2 weeks prior to that seeing 10 other species of finch, but not Gouldians. They are so beautiful, it breaks my heart to think of their decline. OBP's are even worse. 21 left - I saw 2 of them in November (posted pics on this website). I didn't realise at the time it was 10% of the wild population I was seeing before me. Too sad for words.
My thoughts.... e.g. cage eggs. Obviously, it's too easy for uneducated people in a shop to pick the cheapest eggs, and never spare a snippet of a thought for where those eggs have come from. I've had someone say to me, " I can't afford free-range ham / eggs / whatever, they're so much more expensive than 'normal' ham / eggs / etc..".
I think, what can you say to that?? 40-50 years ago, when my parents were growing up, chicken (for example) was eaten at xmas time and special occasions only; it was a rare treat. Now, everybody EXPECTS to be able to eat chicken all the time, and whenever they want. People with less money don't think, "I can't afford free-range chicken meat / eggs every week, I'll just buy free-range chicken products every few weeks when I can". No. They think "I can't be bothered buying humane products, and I want chicken products when I want chicken products, so I'll just be buy the cheap one regardless of the horrendous conditions they've come from".
Despicable. Not acceptable in our 'developed' country as you say.
Sorry to rant. Could go on but will leave it at that! Needless to say, thanks again for the post and for being 2 more responsible people in the country :)
Cheers,
Scott.
You have said things that I have also thought and so saved me a rant. Equally disturbing is as I type this there is another abbattoir closed for abuse of animals prior to slaughter and a developer complaining about the OBP inconveniencing his road to riches. Some not very nice people in this world but the posts on this thread indicate to me that not all people have the same values ~ thanks to all for that too!
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
That's one of the things about this forum I find very energising. It's great to know there are other people out there that share my values about the environment. I feel that I'm not alone!
It is great Woko, that we are among like minded people who care for these animals.
Scott you make so many great points, and I too could go on a huge rant! But it's great to see that there are more people out there like yourself who care enough to spare a thought for where your produce has come from.
Keep up the good work guys.
Sorry grohlster, but I have to tell you what I did today. Sometimes people have to be hit with reality over the head, by that I mean, they need to be shocked. Every time I go to the same Shopping Centre I stop infront of the huge Petshop, and start doing my bit. ...do you have any idea where those cute puppies come from?....do you have any idea what condition the mothers are in? ...do you know that by buying a puppy here you are supporting and prolonging the suffering of the female dogs that breed those "cute puppies"? I have influenced many people to turn around and not buy a dog. I'm surprised they haven't banned me from entering the Centre yet.
But today, I shocked a young couple , he wanted to buy a puppy for his girlfriend. They simply didn't get the part when I talked about how the bitches drag their tummy on the ground from constantly being pregnant, in a cage for as long as they can be used to breed. They looked at me in disbelieve, so I said to the girl, how would you feel, if you were kept in a cage for years, and pregnant all the time? That's what puppy farms are like. They walked off, tears in their eyes, didn't buy a dog.
I felt just a tiny bit sorry for them, but as I said , sometimes people have to be hit with reality.
M-L
Araminta I applaud you! That's so wonderful what you're doing. I have wanted to do that for years and have never had the balls. I'm so happy that you're swaying peoples decisions and hopefully directing them towards the animal shelter.
It makes me so mad that people just want a cute little puppy. I ended up with a puppy, but only because we'd saved her from the streets. There are so many dogs out there that need a good home. I would never even think of supporting such a horrific industry. I really pray that they bring in 'Oscars Law' to ban puppy mills.
Keep up the excellent work and perhaps someday I will have the courage to join you.
It's encouraging that some people are responding to information. But it's disturbing that so many people lack or don't pay attention to the information that is out there.
Hey grohlster, I just got one of those big stickers to put on my car window "Oscars Law"
M-L
This is the sticker on my daughter's car, you can buy them online
M-L
Good one Araminta, I should get one for our van that we're travelling down the east coast in.
well reported grohlster, you voted with your feet.
Well done Araramita!
I got a bit short with my brother and his new wife the other night. They were talking about getting another dog (they have one that they bought from a pet shop but, knowing my view on them, didn't tell me that). She had said she keeps trying to take him to pet shops. I bit my tongue as we were out for dinner for my mum's birthday until I couldn't take it anymore and said 'yes well you shouldn't buy from a pup from a pet shop'. She tried to tell me that they would be rescuing the pup, and I snapped back that that is not rescuing, that is creating market demand and condeming the mother to breed another litter...
It's especially hard when it's people so close to home when it comes to confrontation. So many uneducated people that just want a cute little puppy. Sigh. She is frustrating me and I don't even know her! Good work in telling her that she won't be rescuing the dog. Very immature on her behalf!