Rodents should not live in a house where there are children. Why? This living toy could cost them their lives. Two weeks after his grandmother bought ten-year-old Aidan a rat named Alex, the boy fell ill and was diagnosed with a bacterial infection commonly referred to as “rat bite fever” and died soon after.
His parents are currently suing the national chain of pet stores, alleging they failed to provide the necessary security measures to prevent the sale of sick animals. The family says they hope to raise awareness among parents to prevent the death of another child.
PETA is calling on Petco to stop selling rodents entirely, for the good of people and animals.
Animals sold by Petco are subjected to extreme stress and suffering, many of which do not make it to the shelves. Transportation from suppliers to stores lasts several days, animals travel hundreds of miles in unsanitary conditions.
Mice and rats huddle in tiny boxes that are breeding grounds for parasites and disease, and rodents often arrive at pet stores seriously ill, dying, or even dead. Research by animal rights activists has shown that dying animals are thrown into the trash while still alive, deprived of veterinary care if they are injured or sick, and the survivors are kept in overcrowded containers. Store employees were caught on video footage placing hamsters in a bag and then slamming the bag on a table in an attempt to kill them.
These animals do not receive the veterinary care they need. A typical case has been recorded when a caring shopper discovered an obviously sick and suffering rat in a Petco store in California. The woman reported the condition of the rat to the store manager, who told her he would take care of the animal. After some time, the customer returned to the store and saw that the rat still had not received any care.
The woman purchased the animal and took it to a veterinarian, who began treating it for a chronic and progressive respiratory disease. Petco had to cover veterinary bills after an animal welfare organization contacted the company, but that certainly didn’t ease the rat’s suffering. She will suffer from chronic respiratory problems for the rest of her life and may be a danger to other rats, and not just rats.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, rodents, reptiles, birds, and other pets carry numerous diseases that can be passed on to children, such as salmonellosis, plague, and tuberculosis.
The cruel and filthy conditions in which animals are kept by pet store dealers endanger the health of the animals and the people who buy them. Please explain to your friends and relatives who want to adopt an animal why you should not buy it from a pet store. And if you are currently purchasing pet food and accessories from a store that is involved in the pet trade, you are supporting people who are hurting them, so it is best to buy everything you need from a retailer that is not involved in the pet trade.