question

**zippy-kat** · 04-08-2002, 01:27 PM

Has anyone else heard that PetSmart (or maybe it's PetCo) is NOT suppose to sell rabbits and (some other type of animal, I've conviently forgotten)?

Just curious...I read this somewhere...just can't find the source now...

Thanks!

**lizbud** · 04-08-2002, 02:37 PM

Zippy-cat,

Let's just start over.I deleted my post.
The PetsMart and Petco's in my area never
have sold rabbits. Fish,birds & sometime hamsters.
They DO however, devote a lot of space for the
Shelter groups to bring in Cats & Dogs for
adoption. Liz.

**zippy-kat** · 04-08-2002, 09:14 PM

Thanks Liz,

the reason for asking:
The bunny that I may be fostering, came from Petco/PetSmart. I've heard that Petco/smart is NOT suppose to sell bunnies and (sugar gliders or some other sort of animal).

When Sophie was POTD, a fellow bunny lover who lives about 45 min away, contacted me via email. To make a long story short, she recieved a call from one of her friends; the friend's daughter recieved a bunny as an (easter?) gift. However the girl lives in the dorms & the skewl found out, so now the bun needs help ASAP!

From what little we know, the bun is VERY VERY tiny...we're thinking too small to be away from Mama. My friend is going to pick her up and take her to the vet for a check-up. If she has a clean bill of health, I will be fostering her. (My friend can't foster b/c her rabbit HATES other rabbits--it will attack them! Not sure how Sophie will take to her...she hasn't been around buns since she was a wee one. However, if they don't like each other, separate play times will be no problem.)

Now, all that to say:
My friend is going to go to the manager of Petco b/c if they did sell the bun before 6wks of age, it's a violation of City/County health codes. I know I remember reading somewhere that they were not allowed to sell bunnies...just thought I might help build her case.

**aly** · 04-08-2002, 09:35 PM

I have no idea but I know that I've never seen a bunny at either store. Let me try to do some research and I'll tell ya what I find.

**Daisylover** · 04-09-2002, 11:41 AM

House Rabbit Soc. has an open letter to the head of PETCO pulling their support because they are selling rabbits after saying they would not.
I printed off a copy but you should check the HRS website.
Breeders are mainly to blame. They want the dollars cute babies bring in and bunnies grow so fast they take them way too early from mom. Breeders are also usually breeding to get a certain coloration and so they are all these "throwaway" babies that don't make the grade for rabbit shows. It is a terrible situation.

Also when babies are taken too soon from mom, they still don't know that they are bunnies and how to act like a bunny.....if the baby in turn has babies and didn't get the care she needed from her mom, she can't in turn properly take care of her babies. We've seen this happen at the sanctuary and it is so sad. So there are 2 villians in this scenario.

By buying a bunny from a pet store the breeders and stores are encouraged to continue this terrible practice.

My PETCO has had bunnies in the past but do not now. I don't know if the manager has changed his mind or they're just out of babies right now. A PETCO manager in Mtero Detroit told us he won't sell bunnies because they are just too delicate and people don't listen to the care instructions. I don't know but I think he is the exception for PETCO and not the rule.

**zippy-kat** · 04-09-2002, 05:54 PM

Thanks SO much for your help re: this matter!

It's EXACTLY what I was looking for!!

**Daisylover** · 04-10-2002, 11:03 AM

Thanks Zippy. I would like to see all of us bunny lovers unite and go after ALL the pet stores that sell bunnies. Together we might make an impact. Individually, I'm not so sure. As long as a stores is making money from the sale of a rabbit, they're going to keep selling them and the problem continues.