SAY NO TO ANIMALS IN PET SHOPS
June Bird interviewed by Claudette Vaughan

Abolitionist: In a nutshell, tell us all that is wrong with pet shops?

SAY NO: Okay, when well over 200,000 animals are killed every single year in Australia in shelters and pounds because they have been dumped by callous, uncaring owners – we say: DON’T BREED OR BUY WHILE HOMELESS ANIMALS DIE.

Abolitionist: Labradoodles and spoodles are the latest craze but where is the ethics in bringing into the world a life fraught with problems and hereditary problems due to indiscriminate breeding?

SAY NO: Us humans are greedy and stupid. We want items that others don't have. We to show off our belongings. We want exotic breeds of animals that make our neighbours and friends look at us with undisguised jealousy. Designer breeding of animals is a natural progression for our ultra materialistic society.

SAY NO is about educating the public to the totally cruel and unnecessary deaths of thousands of animals every year in pounds and shelters. But unfortunately there will always be those that want the bling and the Groodle.

Abolitionist: In the article "A Question of Breeding" you have been quoted as saying, "If the general public could only see how the bitches used to breed designer dogs live in terrible, dirty, confined cages, just so they can be presented with that cute puppy in the pet shop, they'd have a change of heart". Tell us more June.

JB: Many of us have seen the TV footage of these shocking puppy farms and the constant breeding that goes on for the mighty dollar. I have been a member of Animal Liberation for 20 years and it is AL that has raided these concentration camps and let us see the horror that they never wanted to be shown. Backyard breeding is also an enormous problem. It's a way to make a quick buck for everybody including the elderly, the druggies and the kiddies.

Abolitionist: Thousands of animals - pound animals - are killed every year because nobody comes to claim them. How does SAY NO address this issue? The cost to get animals out of pounds can go up to $150.00 or more for their release. Is this one of the problems and why are councils so utterly useless in this area?

JB: I think it's right that people should have to pay up big to shelters and pounds to adopt a companion animal. The FREE/CHEAP TO GOOD HOME notion is very very bad. People have to save up their hard earned dollars and know that they are taking home a valuable commodity, and not something that can be dumped when the whim strikes them.

Abolitionist: Does SAY NO have a position on Dog and Cat Shows?

SAY NO: Cat and dog shows ..... they're just another way to show off ones possessions. And if it keeps dull people occupied, off the streets and focusing on animals that can't be too bad.

Abolitionist: SAY NO… has a mind boggling array of celebrity supporters backing your campaign. Who are they?

June Bird: Bryan Adams, Daniel Johns from Silverchair, Wil Anderson, Krista Vendy, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, ex Democrats Leader Andrew Bartlett, actress Denise Roberts, Judith Durham, Rikki Rocket, Susie Edelman, Bessie Bardot, Peter Alexander, Bianca Dye, Frenzal Rhomb, Suzie Wilks, Uri Geller and many others all say no to buying animals from pet shops.

Abolitionist: What can people do to help SAY NO…?

Please tell your friends/workmates/relatives about our campaign. Please sign the petition, please buy our stickers, please donate to SAY NO and please ask us to send you a stack of our leaflets to hand out. We need to educate the public. Most people say "But that's where you buy animals from - a pet shop!". They just don't know what's going on. They'd be horrified if they knew that over 200,000 lovable and homeless animals have to be euthanised every single year in Australia. Please also tell everyone you know not to think they are 'rescuing' an animal from a pet shop when they purchase it - this only makes way for others to suffer. Backyard breeders and puppy farms are making millions from the breeding of animals - with your help we are already making a big difference.

When looking for an animal companion we say: Please scout all pounds and shelters first, and if you still (unbelievably) can't find a suitable companion in these places then go to a registered breeder that has great word-of-mouth referrals".

Abolitionist: What advise do you give people who still think giving an animal as a Christmas gift is a okay thing to do?

SAY NO: Never give an animal as a gift unless that person is very close to you and really wants the animal and is ready for the responsibility. In the case of a dog then you need to know how large their garden is, their income and their taste in what they prefer i.e., what breed of animal they like. Then and only then would I suggest you go along to a pound or shelter and adopt a very needy and lovable companion animal.

Abolitionist: Christmas is also the traditional time for dumping unwanted animals too.

SAY NO: Yes, Christmas IS the traditional time for dumping animals. This is because they are too easy to purchase (mostly in Pet Shops in shopping malls) by just flashing the old credit card on a whim. Then of course chances are high that they will be dumped once the buyer realizes that they have no time for a whining pooping puppy that chews their shoes and/or doesn’t fit into their busy lifestyle. Animals are for life NOT for Christmas.

Abolitionist: What is some of SAY NO’s latest campaigns?

SAYS NO: Well, our campaigns are on going but we always make a point of continually seeking media coverage. There is not big results in holding suburban stalls, handing out leaflets when in a few short years that we’ve been going by attracting media attention we have made hundreds of thousands of people aware of the campaign. But of course we still do hand out our leaflets and we always say buy our fabulous blue and white car stickers and of course our t-shirts! Hopefully our next big campaign (paying for high profile advertising in a major women’s magazine) will happen if we are successful in attracting another grant in 2007 – we are revving up for it!

For more information visit:

www.saynotoanimalsinpetshops.com

A GREAT WIN FOR SAY NO TO ANIMALS IN PET SHOPS

The work of the Catholic priest, Father Chris Riley, is well known in Australia. In his work he is constantly surrounded by kids who’ve been bashed, brutalized and neglected by their parents or other adult ‘carers’. He has set up orphanages post-tsunami in Banda Aceh and he’s helping those in East Timor and the Philippines. June Bird from Say No To Animals In Pet Shops contacted Father Riley to ask him to please reconsider his idea to open up a pet shop so to raise money for disadvantaged youth. He saw the truth of that statement and didn’t go ahead with this business venture.

Thank you and God bless you Father Riley!

Letter From Father Chris Riley

Dear June

"Thank you for raising your concerns with me in relation to our shop in Moss Vale, NSW. I have given your concerns serious consideration and have decided not to proceed with this venture.

It was not a hard decision for me to make as I have always surrounded myself with animals from an early age and have always taken great care of them.

I have even bought animals from disreputable Pet Shops because I have felt so sorry for them being in such disgusting accommodation. I regularly report farm animals that are being neglected to the RSPCA; so it would seem wrong of me to continue with a pet shop.

As someone who works with abandoned and abused children; I wish people would equally take notice of their tragedy. If you group does not see children as more important than animals; then, we should at least see them as important as animals. Unfortunately, when I advocate for children's rights - I am often a lone voice.

Thanks for voicing your concerns and I look forward to your continued support for Australia's disadvantaged youth.

Father Chris Riley
Youth Off The Streets Limited
TELE: 8332 5008
FAX: 8332 5050
PO BOX 6025
ALEXANDRIA NSW 2015

website: www.youthoffthestreets.com.au