One day for humankind - big one for pups
Just received this email and very happy to pass it on, hope there's a good turnout:
An event is planned for 12.00-3.00pm on Saturday 31st July outside Petsville International petshop, 68, Richmond Road, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey where a local petition, calling on Kingston Council to adopt stringent licencing requirements for shops selling dogs, will be available for signing.
The local petition is supplemented by an on-line version for those who can't attend the event but would like to offer support. Click here.
An event is planned for 12.00-3.00pm on Saturday 31st July outside Petsville International petshop, 68, Richmond Road, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey where a local petition, calling on Kingston Council to adopt stringent licencing requirements for shops selling dogs, will be available for signing.
The local petition is supplemented by an on-line version for those who can't attend the event but would like to offer support. Click here.
Comments
That said, are the staff actually doing a bad job with the care of their animals? Does the shop have a bad reputation? Is it a member of the Pet Care Trust or similar?The reason we ask is that a protest can be so damaging to the reputation and morale of a shop and in these harsh economic times, where margins are very small in pet retail, you could be talking about contributing to the destruction of someone's livelihood (and loss of jobs for the staff who work there).
If it is the council at fault - and that could certainly be the case as in our experience very few councils have the level of knowledge required to make decisions on petshop licensing - then surely the protest should be outside the council offices (on a weekday between 9-5 as they don't work the long hours of retail at the weekends!)
It is tough to make a living today and we struggle even having won awards for promoting responsible pet ownership and for customer service.
So please think before you readily reTweet or pass on this message.
Thankyou
Until that link is broken the sale of dogs through pet shops will remain part of a supply chain that fuels further suffering and abuse.
I cannot agree that the economic climate provides justification for the continuance of poor welfare practice.
I expect you feel that if they sell puppies they cannot possibly have a conscience with regard to animal welfare and therefore they shouldn't exist as a pet shop, and they may well be the case. I would just hope that all other reasonable avenues of approach have been taken with regard to trying to stop this shop from selling puppies and kittens, before resorting to protests outside the store.
In my experience in the pet trade the sale of livestock is not a lucrative one, although we have never sold puppies or kittens and only keep to the basics from reputable parentage and where we know the provenance and approve. It does not make sense to me for a shop to sell puppies in any country - offering advice on the care of animals, providing good quality food and accessories is much more rewarding and ultimately more profitable (although even that is limited these days).
Signed.
Added to D for Dog forum