Plight of pet rats in south Africa petition
Go to http://www.cavyrescue.co.uk/
• Goal: 10,000
• Deadline: Ongoing...
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Pet shops in
South Africa openly and unashamedly sell domestic rats as live food
even though it is illegal to do so by Law.
Because rats are not seen as pets by Pet Shops but as fodder they
are bred and confined under the most horrific conditions. Rats
represent small profit to pet shops but what rats do, is help to
sell the expensive snakes. If they did not ‘stock’ rats they could
not sell snakes. Going to a pet shop and buying a couple of rats is
like buying a bag of dog pellets.
Paula Spagnoletti from the South African Rat Fan Club says:
"You will often
go into a pet shop and see tank after tank of ‘snake food’ - these
rats are kept in filthy conditions. Some do not even have food and
water available to them. I once ordered a pet shop to place food
and water in the tank, and he asked me what the point would be
because if they died of starvation/dehydration it would not matter
because the snake would still eat them dead.
"In South Africa you can not even go to a pet shop and buy rat
cages and accessories - pet shops do not even stock food for pet
rats….rats are fodder not pets.
"Baby rats are kept behind counters and in storage rooms. Pet shops
keep small plastic tanks filled with hundreds of still blind,
little pinkies and fuzzies, some have already died of
starvation/disease".
The Law in South Africa
In terms of the Animal Protection Act, Domesticated rats are
offered the same protection as any other domesticated animal. An
animal rights lawyer, Leigh de Sousa, tells us exactly how in terms
of the law, the act protects domestic rats and this is what she had
to say.
“The Animal Protection Act was clearly promulgated and enacted with
the specific purpose of protecting animals. Section 1 is important
in determining what is an animal for the purposes of the
application of the act. It specifically states……or other domestic
animal or bird, or any wild animal or reptile which is in captivity
or under the control of any person.”
Leigh de Souza (LAAW)
When there are
cases brought against pet shops or members of the public for acts
of gross animal cruelty the public prosecutor has previously
refused to prosecute as they ‘are just vermin’ although in terms of
the Animal Protection Act, domesticated rats ‘qualify’ for
protection.
Please help the rats in South Africa and sign this petition
-----Original Message-----
From: Colleen astrorats@xsinet.co.za
Sent: 06 October 2006 21:54
Subject: Rats in South Africa
Dear Sue,
We have mounted a campaign to prohibit the sale of live rats and
their young as reptile food - in South Africa. Please go to
the link that is provided in this e-mail. A fact sheet is
also provided.
All we ask is for your support in this campaign. Please
could you create an internet link between our website and
yours? Please could this also be published in any newsletters
and magazines that is published by your organisation? Please
could you also inform the members of your organisation about
this campaign?
Whilst, we realise that this is a South African campaign, rat
suffering is still rat suffering whether this be in Australia,
South Africa, the USA, Ireland or the UK. We urgently
appeal for your support and assistance in this campaign.
Whilst we also realise that this may not be in your remit, we
nevertheless ask for your assistance.
We hope that you will support us and that this cruel practice will
be ended. If we manage to end it in South Africa, it will set
a precedence for the rest of the world.
With best wishes,
Colleen McDuling, MSc (Med.Sc.), Animal Behaviourist
Scientific Representative of the South African Rat Fan
Club