What's really wrong with Pet Shops?

Pet Shops are usually the first place pet owners think of when they:
want to get a pet
need advice of pet care
require grooming
buy food and pet supplies
ask for veterinary help

This web page page outlines some of the main issues we need to resolve. Presently the animals are often not getting the care they need and pet owners are not getting the service and advice they should have. Let’s work together in a positive way to help the animals of the kingdom and improve our public health and safety. There are Solutions!

Trade in animals that should not be pets

Animals that should be free

All animals, creatures in Allah, deserve our respect. It is our responsibility to learn the best way to care for them; often this means leaving them wild. Yet too often, in pet shops, such animals are bought and sold, with little regard for their needs.

Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praises are celebrated by all beings in the heavens and on earth, and by the birds with extended wings? … Koran 22:18.

PAWS is against the collection and keeping of animals that are not a domesticated species. Many of these creatures simply suffer in captivity because we can not provide a habitat that is correct for them.

Indeed 'It is a great sin for man to imprison those animals which are in his power'.
(The Prophet Mohammad, narrated by Muslim).

Animals that are not safe as pets

Animal smuggling and the trade of exotic species is a big industry in Saudi Arabia. Almost all pet shops we visited had at least some illegal creatures for sale. It may seem innocuous to see parrots without legal foot bands – but did you know for every smuggled bird, it is estimated that 80% of other captured birds can die? If you really love these creatures DO NOT support this – any purchase supports the trade.

Help the authorities help people and pets.

Public Health Issues
There are regulations to keep us safe from disease in the kingdom. Over seen by the General Dept of Enviromental Health. But perhaps the authorities aren't aware about the risks of some of these species?

CITES
Saudi Arabia is a member of CITES the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). We should support this initiative. By regulating the trade of exotic species we are protecting public health as well as native animals and legal animal industries in the kingdom. As well as working to protect our planet’s wild life.

The representitive office for CITES in saudi Arabia is:
National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development
P.O Box 61681, Riyadh 11575
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Tel : 00966-1-4418700
Fax: 00966-1-4410797
web: www.ncwcd.gov.sa

Poor animal Care and Advice

We want better housing for animals in store

As mentioned above, there are many kind of animals who simply suffer in captivity because we can not provide a habitat that is correct for them. Read more about that here. But some domesticated species, do tend to be easier easy to keep are care for - the Prophet himself kept a cat he called Muezza. Keeping an animal makes it reliant on us and there are many hadeeth which show Allah watches how we care for them. Read more -Sadly in pet shops the animals are often not given proper care: housing, bedding, toys, exercise and time for companionship and training.

Because, pet shops are the main source for information for pet owners. It sets a very poor example when animals are poorly housed in such – for however short a time.

Dogs and cats kept in boxes have no ability to learn / express normal behaviour and regularly have problems after purchase with socialization and training. The animals pictured here are "clean" - but there is not nearly enough room to be comfortable, nowhere to hide from the public, which can be very stressful for them, no bedding, no toys or anything for mental stimulation except the kids who bang on the glass. The doberman has had it's tail cut off and ears cropped - for looks - and some of the cats have had their toescut off to prevent them growing claws.

Birds are often kept in overcrowded or improperly small cages. Small flock birds live in fear without space to distance themselves, the larger parrots are damaged with self mutilation through boredom and frustration and lack of room.

Rabbits and rodents are kept and sold with little regard they are even living creatures, we have see rabbits sold in bird cages and the new owner told “no care is required” – haram! Rabbits are social animals and do need understanding, care and attention like any other. Hamsters – mostly solitary animals are often seen in overcrowded boxes fighting each other with the stress of overcrowding,

Perhaps you think a hamster is too small to care for . Islam teaches us to respect all living things.
For it is written that a man asked the Prophet, 'Is there a reward for the charity that we give to animals? He answered, 'For every being possessing a moist liver, there is charitable reward'.
(narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)

We want better care and attention for instore pets

Too often we have seen sick and unhappy animals directly under the vet’s nose. The veterinarian has (or should have) a duty of care for the animals and a responsibility that other staff are trained to correctly handle and look after the animals – could you trust a doctor if his own children are left ill? Not only do the animals suffer, but customers are getting sick animals which could be a problem for their other pets, or even children.

Common errors:
Not examining the animals closely, on a daily basis by trained staff
Mixing batches of animals from different homes or wholesalers.
Not sterilizing equipment, cages and carriers between animals.
Not washing hands or not changing gloves between handling each animal.

Pretty easy things to change! and yet by not doing it they significantly increase disease rates and disease spread. Most cats, for example, we have received out of pet shops have had ear mites, conjunctivitis, respiratory infections and / or fungal skin disease. This just should not happen.
We want to make things better for those pets – Pet Shops, Clean up your Acts!

The Holy Prophet himself was once reprimanded by Allah for neglecting his horse, as the following Hadith tells us:
The Prophet was seen wiping the face of his horse with his gown (jullabiyah). When asked why he was doing that, he replied: 'Last night I had a reprimand from Allah regarding my horse for having neglected him.'"  Narrated by Yahya bin Said. "Malik bin Anas al-Asbhahi."
Keeping animals is a responsibility - under Islam not just a "Western idea".

Although there are actually very few diseases you can catch from cats, dogs, rabbits etc, some of those simple, overlooked health issues can affect people for example the fungal skin diseases (dermato) and Clamidial conjunctivitis. Pet Shops may not have any regulations to care well for animals - yet - but the do have a legal requirment to make sure the animals sold are safe and healthy for our children.

Breeding and Sales of cats and dogs.

Most pet shops sell cats and dogs and many breed them for profit. Most of these animals are not the pedigree they are sold as – white cats, for example, are often sold as American Shorthairs - which are usually tabby coloured. Almost anything with long hair is sold as Persian. There is an incorrect emphasis with “breed line” not health - we are yet to be offered registered breed papers in our survey yet most offered animals had some illness.
If the animals are neither pedigree nor healthy – what are we paying for?

In fact, there have been bans on the sales of cats and dogs before (1996 and 1998) but from the point of view that they could be used for immoral attention. Did the prophet Mohammad (pbuh) or his companion Abu Hurayraha consider this a problem while keeping their cats?

However it is written in the hadeeth of Abu'l - Zubayr who said: 'I asked Jaabir about the price of dogs and cats. He said, "The Prophet (pbuh) strictly forbade that".' (Narrated by Muslim, 1569).

We should't treat these animals as fashionable commodities:
buying, breeding and selling them for profit.
Pets are not immoral, but they should be respected and cared for correctly.

Pity Never Saved a Life - What you CAN do to help

So many people know the situation is bad in the pet sales industry, we get complaints all the time. But this isn't useful to create positive change. We need to change those feelings of pity - even sometimes anger - into useful actions. There are people who are animal activists in the kingdom - some are very powerful people. There are authorities with laws to protect animals trafficing and public health. We can work with the system to help the creatures.

"A good deed done for an animal is a meritous as a good deed done for a man"
Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) narrated by Imam Bukharie and Imam Muslim.

How to "Rescue" an Animal from a Pet Shop

When we see animals in terrible conditions how can we best help them?
Unfortunately buying the creature is NOT the best option.
The animal will be replaced by another. If the business can sell animals in poor condition there is NO motivation to change practice. Worse, the store owner is rewarded financially for the situation. One animal may get out – many more will follow. The suffering will only stop when the trade stops.

What should you do?
If you find an animal in a very bad condition, ask to take it animal.
Appeal to their pride, “they don’t want something so poor looking in their store, they are busy with other things, this animals isn’t worth anything…” etc
Explain that if you take the animal there will be cost to you for treating.

If they refuse, to surrender the animal calmly explain to the owner / manager what you feel should be done to help improver the situation - be constructive and specific! - getting angry doesn't win arguments.

Record the situation: place, date, time, staff member and exactly what the situation was. Photos are great if you can take them. Report it. To the owner, the health authorities, CITES and us.

Remind the store staff that Islam teaches very strong animal rights and good care.
And remember, 'Allah is watching even if the authorities aren't.

Report Concerns to the Authorities

The people then asked the Prophet: "Is there a reward for us in serving animals?"
He replied: "(Yes), there is a reward for serving any (living being)."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 38