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How buying a pet is funding barbaric acts

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China putting live animals in a bag for sale
Her smile makes me sick

You might have heard about irresponsible vendors in China putting live animals in air tight bags and selling them as trinkets. >If you haven’t, read about them here.<

The reason this barbaric act exists, together with illegal pet trade, poaching and irresponsible pet farming, all boils down to consumer demand.

The moment someone carries that cute little puppy home from behind the glass case of the pet shop, it’s encouraging breeders to churn out puppies, as many as they can, at the lowest cost they can manage. What if there are syndicates who are forcing women to give birth over and over just to sell their babies? Worse still, to maximize profits, the women are forced to live in inhumane conditions. Heinous? So what makes the pet industry different? Just because they are animals?

But that’s not all. Who could resist infant mammals? Even baby turtles are cute. Everyone wants to bring them home, giving rise to impulse buying. As a result, many pets are not well taken care of beyond their infant stage. Why? Because it suddenly occurred to the owners that taking care of a living thing is hard work. Because that puppy isn’t cute anymore. Because it has developed behavioral problems and has gotten out of hand. And the most frustrating reason of them all, “Because Fido is old and we don’t want to see him die.” Bollocks.

Every month, SCPA Singapore alone takes in 300 animals which are unwanted by their owners.

From this culture of irresponsible buying and breeding, created the need for another undesirable activity: Euthanasia.

Even with all the rescue efforts going on and kindhearted people doing what they can to give pets a second chance, there’s still more strays, abandoned animals and animals scheduled to be euthanized than what rescue groups can handle.

There are animals being put down everyday, healthy, unhealthy, their lives forcefully taken against their will. And I’d rather lose my job as a groomer because there isn’t enough furry dogs for me to groom, than to see breeders churn out puppies without a care in the world and irresponsible owners leaving their pets in a terrible state. The same pet who has given the perpetrators 100% of their love.

Seriously though, there’s so much advantages to adopting. First, it feels good giving animals a second chance to live. Secondly, because most of them have not experienced excessive pampering, they’re usually much calmer and well-behaved. And since most animals up for adoption is in their adulthood, what you see is what you get. Plus so much more!

If long-term commitment is not for you, why not try fostering? It’s the practice of temporarily taking care of the animals before they find a permanent home.

Of course, the government too need to understand and allow larger breed of dogs in HDB flats.

There is much work to be done so please help to share this around and encourage people to adopt. The animals need your help. Even if you can’t adopt, your help in disseminating this message may have already help an animal on death row.

Finally, let’s take one last moment to digest this picture from the video above. This puppy was being put down right after the photo shoot was done. Look them in the eye. Do they deserve this?Taiwan-Doomed-Dogs-003_540x405

Kittens and puppies in a pet shop didn’t come from a flying stork

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Puppies with mommyWhen you bought your pet from a pet shop did you assume that at the back of the shop there’s this one cozy corner with warm lights, soft cushions, a cute dog nursing its newborn puppies?

In reality, it’s more like this:

These are not photos of irresponsible pet owners.

To be brutally honest, if you have ever bought your pet dog or cat online, from a pet shop or Pasir Ris Farmway, YOU might have been the direct cause of these animals’ suffering. YOU have encouraged pet farms to continue breeding, to supply because of YOUR demand.

Why aren’t they properly taken care of?

To put it simply, pet farming is a business that involves high risks and operating costs.

Bitches are able to give birth only once to twice a year and usually give birth to no more than 4-5 puppies, usually lesser, for smaller breeds. Furthermore, it’s common to have bitches which are late, dogs that are past their fertile age and early death in puppies. Therefore, the breeder usually holds a large pool of dogs for breeding in a limited space, to increase chances of puppy births, to minimize financial risks.

As a result, who’s the one who’d suffer from irresponsible breeders whose aim is to keep costs as low as possible? Your puppy’s birth parents of course, but have you considered that you might be a victim as well?

How does it concern you?

Poor living standards, diets and breeding with close relatives causes poor genetics in offspring are reasons for improper breed standards, poor immune systems, genetic problems, causing a myriad of medical problems for your beloved pet, a ton of vet bills and heartaches for you.

“But my dog has a pedigree cert leh…”

I know some of you, even with much persuasion, would still want to get a puppy or a kitten. But a liar wouldn’t tell you he’s one would he? Firstly, the area where the pet is sold isn’t the place where the breeding stocks are kept, so even if the retail area are kept clean, it doesn’t mean that the rest of the area are kept the same.

Secondly, if the puppy has papers to show that it’s a pedigree or champion blood lines even, to be honest, it says nothing about the living conditions. A pedigree is just a term for a certified pure bred dog, that’s all.

As for champion bloodlines, breeders ain’t going to worship your puppy’s mommy and daddy high on a pedestal isn’t it? Furthermore, many champion are also bought, even if they aren’t, many show dogs’ lives are only marginally better, being confined for long hours just so that they’d look happy when they’re let out.

Finally, just because your pet is imported from Australia or any foreign countries doesn’t mean that they’re cared under the wings of an angel.

This is reality

I admit much news nowadays are sensationalized but ask if you were to ask animal rescuers, volunteers, adopters, honest vets, vet assistants, groomers, pet shop staffs,  the photos you’vee seen are really a common sight. They all looked like that when they’re freshly rescued from pet farms.

I hope you would do a little bit more than to take my word for it. How about spending a few moments just researching on this topic? Add some of the organizations helping out farm animals in Singapore on Facebook. Let all of your friends know, because they might decide to buy a pet someday.  Help your furry best friends, share this article.

Further reading: 

Article in CNN Travel on puppy mills in Singapore

What do we mean by a ‘Reputable Breeder’

 

Foods safe for us but are deadly to your pets

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A man’s poison could be another man’s meat. Most probably you’ve heard from fellow pet owners about some of the dangerous food that pets aren’t allowed to consume. But how about the rest of the stuff we eat everyday? Here’s a rather comprehensive list, organized properly that makes it easy to remember:

>>Toxic Food For Pets<<

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