Very Disappointed....Is this normal?

[Marissa@MKmorphs]

Here's what you should give a shot. My local pet store was doing this and it put a knot in my stomach. I bought a critter keeper dry ice a Rubbermaid and printed up the instructional from this site and physically brought it to them and showed the owner and workers the proper way to do it and left the supplies with them. I came back a month later and they were still using the correct method! 12 dollars out of my pockets and hundred on small animals no longer suffer. Try that, if they are given all the tools needed for t to be done right there are no excuses. They may change....

You know what... I might have to try this. Or at least contact them and tell them how I feel about this issue. If enough people speak up they might change.


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[angllady2]

Was the person you saw an owner of the store ? Or just an employee ? It is possible the owner does not know about this going on. I would at least try, as calmly as possible given the circumstances, to speak to the owner about it. Tell him how impressed you are overall with the store, tell him how much you were looking forward to being a regular customer, then mention how shocked you were to see this person doing this, and ask if that is a normal practice.

By approaching the owner directly, and also by giving the impression you are pretty sure the owner didn't know it was going on, you give the owner an out. If he DID NOT know about it, he should immediately step up and put an end to it. If he did, and he cares at all about his reputation, he'll fake being shocked and then change the practice anyway.

And if he IS so callus that he shrugs it off, or admits it's standard practice and what is the big deal ? Then you can inform him he will no longer be receiving your business, and that you will be spreading the word about his inhumane practices.

Gale

[Marissa@MKmorphs]

Was the person you saw an owner of the store ? Or just an employee ? It is possible the owner does not know about this going on. I would at least try, as calmly as possible given the circumstances, to speak to the owner about it. Tell him how impressed you are overall with the store, tell him how much you were looking forward to being a regular customer, then mention how shocked you were to see this person doing this, and ask if that is a normal practice.

By approaching the owner directly, and also by giving the impression you are pretty sure the owner didn't know it was going on, you give the owner an out. If he DID NOT know about it, he should immediately step up and put an end to it. If he did, and he cares at all about his reputation, he'll fake being shocked and then change the practice anyway.

And if he IS so callus that he shrugs it off, or admits it's standard practice and what is the big deal ? Then you can inform him he will no longer be receiving your business, and that you will be spreading the word about his inhumane practices.

Gale

No I'm pretty sure I was one of the owners, Steve. Sometime this week when they are open I will give them a call. I will keep you posted on what happens.


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[RoseyReps]

about 50 rats (from pinks up to almost weaned rats) that were still alive and half frozen.

They just threw the rats in the freezer to freeze to death.

Yes. Wolfy is correct. It is only humane when the animal is in the pinky stage (look at the IACUC protocols)
They have a high resistance to low oxygen and hypoxia. Due to this resistance, they can survive a gas chamber. It's more inhumane to put pinks through a gas chamber and have them live through it than freezing. And according to IACUC, cervical dislocation should not be used on pinks due to their fragile undeveloped tails. You can pull a tail off before their neck breaks. (Among the reptile community, it's somewhat common practice to flick their heads in order to humanely euthanize them)

Anything above the pinky stage (or 2 weeks of age) should be humanely euthanized with CO2 or cervical dislocation.

Anyway, that store sounds horrible. I would inform them of their inhumane practice. Hopefully they can be understanding. If not, I wouldn't return and give them business. Perhaps write a review on them.

Ok, before anyone gets all in a huff about my post, I agree completely that freezing live rodents is inhumane and wrong. BUT! Before we go jumping on the wagon that this breeder is doing that, let us examine the possibility that they were doing what they thought best for these animals. Now, Marissa, you say you saw about 50 rats, from pinks up to almost weaned. This could be well in the range of 14days old (going off of the age ranges of laynelabs)

Compare Frozen Feeder Rats

Size	Weight (g)	Length (in)	Age (days)	Fur	Weaned
Pinky Feeder Rats	5-9	2+	1-5	No	No
Fuzzy Feeder Rats	14-19	2.5+	6-10	Little	No
Pup Feeder Rats	20-29	3+	11-15	Yes	No
Weaned Feeder Rats	30-40	3.5+	16-19	Yes	Yes
Small Feeder Rats	40-65	4.5+	20-26	Yes	Yes
Small/Med Feeder Rats	70-95	5+	27-30	Yes	Yes
Medium Feeder Rats	100-130	5.5+	31-35	Yes	Yes
Med/Lg Feeder Rats	135-175	6+	35-45	Yes	Yes
Large Feeder Rats	180+	6.5+	45+	Yes	Yes
X-Large Feeder Rats	250-325	7+	55+	Yes	Yes
Jumbo Feeder Rats	325-550	8+	75+	Yes	Yes

Now, taking this information, and that of which was provided of the humane ways to euthanize rats under 2 weeks of age, perhaps, JUST perhaps, we may be jumping the gun for throwing them under the bus. Now, my suggestion would be to call up, or make another trip, and ask how they euthanize small/medium rats or anything over 2 weeks (weaned and up). See what they say, if you're in the area, sometime in the future, stop by and ask to see the euthanasia process (not them doing it persay, but where they do it / how they do it) To avoid the over-the-phone "Oh yea, we do that...the uh..co2 thing..yea.."

Anywho, I hope it was just a case of shock / glancing and that the animals in the freezer were infact all under 2 weeks of age. If they do this to all ages of rats, they are scum, agreed.

[Gerardo]

Was the person you saw an owner of the store ? Or just an employee ? It is possible the owner does not know about this going on. I would at least try, as calmly as possible given the circumstances, to speak to the owner about it. Tell him how impressed you are overall with the store, tell him how much you were looking forward to being a regular customer, then mention how shocked you were to see this person doing this, and ask if that is a normal practice.

By approaching the owner directly, and also by giving the impression you are pretty sure the owner didn't know it was going on, you give the owner an out. If he DID NOT know about it, he should immediately step up and put an end to it. If he did, and he cares at all about his reputation, he'll fake being shocked and then change the practice anyway.

And if he IS so callus that he shrugs it off, or admits it's standard practice and what is the big deal ? Then you can inform him he will no longer be receiving your business, and that you will be spreading the word about his inhumane practices.

Gale

Perfectly said