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Originally Posted by Van Diemen
I know i'm going to get shot down in flames for this but i'd like to offer an alternative opinion.
I understand that these rodent mills are horrible and wrong, they aren't ethical and it is cruel. However - I also view it as a fact of life.
I don't think the way forward is to try and boycott pet stores.
That article linked here, talked about how the rats are put to sleep and frozen for reptile food.
This isn't any different to our mass production of chickens, sheep, cows etc etc for human consumption.
Reptiles need to eat and unfortunately they require things like rats and mice for food. It's just the cycle of life.
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Of course reptiles need food - does this mean that the animals bred for food should be bred in such poor conditions? No.
Rodent farms are like chicken battery farms - do you buy battery farm eggs or chickens because it's a 'fact of life'? I highly doubt it.
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What I think is needed - is more education. I cannot truthfully say I am against these mills because they do serve a purpose.
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I don't mean any offense by this, it is my personal opinion and I don't think any worse of you or anything like that but I find that view disgusting. They can be bred in an ethical way and still be used for food for other animals.
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The people who run them earn an income
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And they can't do this by breeding them ethically?
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The reptiles they supply get food
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They can't do this and breed ethically?
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The pet shops they supply - supply people with pets
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Pets aren't necessary so isn't a valid argument and again, this can be done ethically.
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When you break it down like that - you can't really be against it because people need to earn a living, reptiles need to eat, and people love having pets.
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Sorry, I just did.
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I think rather than boycotting and spreading fear and hatred for these set ups, there should be campaigns for better conditions, backed up by organisations such as the RSPCA and the Government.
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Sorry but without spreading the fear and hatred, you can't get people to sit up and take notice and therefore can't get the support to make the changes. How you do think people like the Dogs Trust had such a succesful campaign (A Dog is for Life not just for Christmas)? They told people the truth - they told them what was going on, where they were getting their dogs from.