Pets and Supermarkets

I've just had to email Sainsbury's for the 3rd time this year as my local branch has adverts for pets for sale on it's customer noticeboard again. It's usually kittens or puppies but this time there was baby pythons as well! On the other 2 occasions they assured me it wouldn't happen again and even gave me a load of free nectar points. I've suggested that they put a sign up next to the boards in their stores explaining why they don't accept pet adverts. They are currently asking customers to vote for them in the RSPCA awards as the supermarket with the best animal welfare values so it would support that aim.

Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons and the Co-op have all committed to a ban on this type of advert.

Animal Aid believes that advertising animals for sale in such locations exacerbates the problems of overbreeding and also encourages inappropriate impulse buys. After the novelty of a new animal wears off, people often realise that they do not have the time, money or commitment to provide for their new pet’s most basic needs. As a result, such animals suffer appalling neglect, while thousands more are abandoned to rescue shelters where they await a second chance of a happy life. Some are never found a home and many thousands are killed simply because there are too many to look after. Whilst these animals die, breeders profit from creating more, and irresponsible owners, who do not spay or neuter, allow their animals to produce offspring.

Breeders with young animals for sale regularly use noticeboards such as those found in supermarkets. The housing and welfare conditions offered by prospective owners cannot be properly monitored as breeders, unlike sanctuaries, rarely conduct home checks. Nor is a license or home check required for small-time breeders and many of their animals are kept in appalling conditions and treated as little more than breeding machines.