Animals left to die in pet store
Detail:
I read an incredibly disturbing story the other day. A number of small mammals, fish and inverts have apparently starved to death after being abandoned in a Californian pet shop after the owners ceased trading.
The owners could now be charged with close to 150 counts of animal neglect for leaving dozens of small animals, fish and inverts to die, charges that are punishable by jail and fines.
Having run the 5,000 sq ft pet store for five years, the couple had apparently fallen behind on their rent and literally abandoned their store one day. Just locked it up and left.
The dead animals were discovered in cages, fish tanks and a skip behind the building when maintenance workers went to drain water from fish tanks and clear out the premises. Some fish had survived and were placed in the care of animal services officers.
Authorities are still investigating and will decide whether to prosecute later this month.
How absolutely awful. Whether the couple are victims of the recession remains to be seen, and who knows what other factors were at play to force them to abandon a store from one day to the next. I suspect all will be revealed if the authorities decide to prosecute and there is a court case.
However, there is no disputing the fact that animals were left to starve to death in most inhumane conditions. And this can only serve to illustrate the responsibilities a retailer who sells livestock has. One cannot just walk out of a store and leave caged animals to their fate. This is just plain wrong.
Could such a situation occur here in the UK? I’d like to think not. No-one wants to face the prospect of losing their business, in much the same way as families do not want to think about the death of a bread-winner. However, if this recession has taught us all something, it’s that we must be prepared. And just as one can buy life insurance for bread-winners to protect against their untimely death, pet retailers do have to have a back-up plan for their livestock.
In the case of having to close a business, will your breeder or stockist take any livestock back? If not, have you any other contingency plan? Should your premises be hit by flooding, or partial fire damage, have you plans for your livestock? Emergency plans will hopefully always remain just that, a plan. But if an emergency does happen, you’ll be glad steps are already in place.
The owners could now be charged with close to 150 counts of animal neglect for leaving dozens of small animals, fish and inverts to die, charges that are punishable by jail and fines.
Having run the 5,000 sq ft pet store for five years, the couple had apparently fallen behind on their rent and literally abandoned their store one day. Just locked it up and left.
The dead animals were discovered in cages, fish tanks and a skip behind the building when maintenance workers went to drain water from fish tanks and clear out the premises. Some fish had survived and were placed in the care of animal services officers.
Authorities are still investigating and will decide whether to prosecute later this month.
How absolutely awful. Whether the couple are victims of the recession remains to be seen, and who knows what other factors were at play to force them to abandon a store from one day to the next. I suspect all will be revealed if the authorities decide to prosecute and there is a court case.
However, there is no disputing the fact that animals were left to starve to death in most inhumane conditions. And this can only serve to illustrate the responsibilities a retailer who sells livestock has. One cannot just walk out of a store and leave caged animals to their fate. This is just plain wrong.
Could such a situation occur here in the UK? I’d like to think not. No-one wants to face the prospect of losing their business, in much the same way as families do not want to think about the death of a bread-winner. However, if this recession has taught us all something, it’s that we must be prepared. And just as one can buy life insurance for bread-winners to protect against their untimely death, pet retailers do have to have a back-up plan for their livestock.
In the case of having to close a business, will your breeder or stockist take any livestock back? If not, have you any other contingency plan? Should your premises be hit by flooding, or partial fire damage, have you plans for your livestock? Emergency plans will hopefully always remain just that, a plan. But if an emergency does happen, you’ll be glad steps are already in place.
By:
Sandra
Date/time :
02/06/2010
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