THE REASONS FOR AND THE PURPOSE OF THE BEAUTY WITHOUT CRUELTY PROTEST AGAINST CITY PETS SOUTH AFRICA:
(with permission from Beauty without Cruelty) http://www.facebook.com/events/448746245172636/permalink/451602854886975/)
1. The protest against the sale by City Pets South Africa of live animals, has brought together the interests of both Animal Welfare and Animal Rights organizations. It is important to understand why these organizations do not support animal trading pet shops, and why they chose to protest against City Pets South Africa in particular, and against all animal selling pet shops in general.
2. City Pets South Africa caught the attention of the above-mentioned organizations, because it claimed that it had the support of the SPCA. This is a misrepresentation, as it is the NSPCA’s policy to outright oppose the sale of animals from pet shops.
3. Like the majority of pet shops in South Africa, City Pets South Africa has made it clear that it will sell any animal to any purchaser, and that once the animal has been sold, City Pets South Africa no longer has any responsibility relating to the welfare of that animal.
4. Animal Rights and Animal Welfare groups do not believe that pet shops should be trading animals. Pet shops do not promote responsible pet ownership for the following reasons:
4.1 animals do not receive permanent identification (e.g. Microchip);
4.2 pet shops do not provide appropriate veterinary attention to the animals in their care;
4.3 pet shops promote and encourage impulse buying;
4.4 pet shops promote the indiscriminate breeding of animals, as these animals are not sterilized, and
4.5 it is without a doubt that pet shops contribute hugely to the domestic animal overpopulation crisis in South Africa.
5. City Pets South Africa is somewhat different from the majority of pet shops in this country that sell live animals. Unlike pet shops that sell animals to members of the public, City Pets South Africa has extended its commercial purpose to attract customers from small, suburban pet shops and to deal in live animals on a large scale. City Pets South Africa is an animal supermarket. It also intends to roll out its business model in other locations in South Africa.
6. The protest against City Pets South Africa has been organized because:
6.1 municipal bylaws are not adequate and do not address sufficiently the overbreeding of animals;
6.2 there is no legislation that forces owners of pets to have them sterilized. The result is an explosion in the number of unwanted animals;
6.3 animal shelters and animal rescue groups in the Witwatersrand area, from where City Pets South Africa intends to attract its customers, cannot cope with the current numbers of abandoned and abused animals. There are simply too many animals who are sold in this area to persons who are not competent to care for them. These animals mostly end up in shelters (if they are lucky), and many of them have to be destroyed because there are not enough good homes. By selling animals, City Pets South Africa is contributing to a growing problem that animal welfare and animal rights organizations have to deal with.
6.4 It is irresponsible of City Pets SA to excite a market for animals to be bought when there are already thousands of abandoned animals in need of homes.
6.5 All shelters and animal rescue groups have well-administered adoption programs. These include requirements that all animals who are put up for adoption, must be sterilized; prior to any person being allowed to adopt a pet, the shelters and rescue groups conduct a home check to ensure that the applicant is fit and proper to adopt the animal and that the physical conditions where the animal will be kept, are adequate to ensure his/her welfare. City Pets SA, and other pet shops, do not perform any of these functions.
6.6 City Pets SA has declared that it will not subscribe to a code of conduct whereby it will ensure that the animals who are sold, are sterilized and that home checks are done before selling.
6.7 There is no guarantee that City Pets SA is acquiring the animals they are selling from responsible breeders. City Pets SA does not do any background checks on the people they buy from, and may be promoting the continuation and development of puppy mills.
7. The protest against City Pets SA is not aimed at supporting or advancing the competitors of City Pets SA.
8. The principle that underlies the protest against City Pets SA applies with equal force to all pet shops that sell live animals. The protest is aimed at City Pets SA, however, because it intends to deal in pets in a supermarket style (pets as commodities).
9. The protesters aim to raise public awareness of the issues mentioned above.
10. The protesters would like to see a move towards the worldwide trend of animal free, socially responsible and ethical pet stores that supply responsible pet owners with all they need to properly care for their animal companions.
11. The protesters would like to offer their support to all the animal shelters and animal rescue groups that give unwanted animals a second chance.
12. The protesters intend taking these issues to the legislature
http://www.facebook.com/events/448746245172636/permalink/451602854886975/
(with permission from Beauty without Cruelty) http://www.facebook.com/events/448746245172636/permalink/451602854886975/)
1. The protest against the sale by City Pets South Africa of live animals, has brought together the interests of both Animal Welfare and Animal Rights organizations. It is important to understand why these organizations do not support animal trading pet shops, and why they chose to protest against City Pets South Africa in particular, and against all animal selling pet shops in general.
2. City Pets South Africa caught the attention of the above-mentioned organizations, because it claimed that it had the support of the SPCA. This is a misrepresentation, as it is the NSPCA’s policy to outright oppose the sale of animals from pet shops.
3. Like the majority of pet shops in South Africa, City Pets South Africa has made it clear that it will sell any animal to any purchaser, and that once the animal has been sold, City Pets South Africa no longer has any responsibility relating to the welfare of that animal.
4. Animal Rights and Animal Welfare groups do not believe that pet shops should be trading animals. Pet shops do not promote responsible pet ownership for the following reasons:
4.1 animals do not receive permanent identification (e.g. Microchip);
4.2 pet shops do not provide appropriate veterinary attention to the animals in their care;
4.3 pet shops promote and encourage impulse buying;
4.4 pet shops promote the indiscriminate breeding of animals, as these animals are not sterilized, and
4.5 it is without a doubt that pet shops contribute hugely to the domestic animal overpopulation crisis in South Africa.
5. City Pets South Africa is somewhat different from the majority of pet shops in this country that sell live animals. Unlike pet shops that sell animals to members of the public, City Pets South Africa has extended its commercial purpose to attract customers from small, suburban pet shops and to deal in live animals on a large scale. City Pets South Africa is an animal supermarket. It also intends to roll out its business model in other locations in South Africa.
6. The protest against City Pets South Africa has been organized because:
6.1 municipal bylaws are not adequate and do not address sufficiently the overbreeding of animals;
6.2 there is no legislation that forces owners of pets to have them sterilized. The result is an explosion in the number of unwanted animals;
6.3 animal shelters and animal rescue groups in the Witwatersrand area, from where City Pets South Africa intends to attract its customers, cannot cope with the current numbers of abandoned and abused animals. There are simply too many animals who are sold in this area to persons who are not competent to care for them. These animals mostly end up in shelters (if they are lucky), and many of them have to be destroyed because there are not enough good homes. By selling animals, City Pets South Africa is contributing to a growing problem that animal welfare and animal rights organizations have to deal with.
6.4 It is irresponsible of City Pets SA to excite a market for animals to be bought when there are already thousands of abandoned animals in need of homes.
6.5 All shelters and animal rescue groups have well-administered adoption programs. These include requirements that all animals who are put up for adoption, must be sterilized; prior to any person being allowed to adopt a pet, the shelters and rescue groups conduct a home check to ensure that the applicant is fit and proper to adopt the animal and that the physical conditions where the animal will be kept, are adequate to ensure his/her welfare. City Pets SA, and other pet shops, do not perform any of these functions.
6.6 City Pets SA has declared that it will not subscribe to a code of conduct whereby it will ensure that the animals who are sold, are sterilized and that home checks are done before selling.
6.7 There is no guarantee that City Pets SA is acquiring the animals they are selling from responsible breeders. City Pets SA does not do any background checks on the people they buy from, and may be promoting the continuation and development of puppy mills.
7. The protest against City Pets SA is not aimed at supporting or advancing the competitors of City Pets SA.
8. The principle that underlies the protest against City Pets SA applies with equal force to all pet shops that sell live animals. The protest is aimed at City Pets SA, however, because it intends to deal in pets in a supermarket style (pets as commodities).
9. The protesters aim to raise public awareness of the issues mentioned above.
10. The protesters would like to see a move towards the worldwide trend of animal free, socially responsible and ethical pet stores that supply responsible pet owners with all they need to properly care for their animal companions.
11. The protesters would like to offer their support to all the animal shelters and animal rescue groups that give unwanted animals a second chance.
12. The protesters intend taking these issues to the legislature
http://www.facebook.com/events/448746245172636/permalink/451602854886975/