[concretegurl]

I wanted to add my next though on this thread-I definitely could say no to a pup...but I'd really question my ability to walking away from an older dog-I'd know it had worse odds of finding a loving home either through purchase, pound or rescue...

I've broken wing syndrome-if something is broken and mangled and emotionally scarred (ugly beyond belief tends to be a real deal maker for me too) I'll want to take it home and love it.

I've had two "rescue" chinchillas, one brought to a pet store I shop at that doesn't sell (now they get them from a responsible breeder and sell to homes via an adoption process) them but the owner (of the store) couldn't say no to taking it-the ppl bought it at a pet store in the city and their child was cruel to it and they made the semi responsible decision to re-home it-of course they just walked into a pet store and said here you deal with him he's half bald now from stress and under fed...instead of taking him to a vet immediately. I was the second person to come in the store that day...
A bit north from me a chin farm was shut down by animal control (I think the health department too maybe) and I took in one of the chins that had been used for breeding; they breed them for babies to sell and then used them for fur...so I kind of by default stepped into the chin farm scene and became aware...chinchillas have very specific needs and are the most docile and wonderful pets...but can be very sensitive to their needs not being met-they are semi-high maintenance pets but especially for being rodents, and once you understand their needs and why when you see one without their needs met-it's so sickening.

Originally Posted by MyLovelyNiko

I am sure plenty of us here can agree that it would be difficult to turn our back on the pup...so don't feel bad about it and thank you so much for your honesty.

You definitely made some great points as well as the poster before you. Spreading the word is like fire in the wind...it is bound to spread and continue to grow. I applaude you for doing as much as you can and boycotting these places. (Petco, PetSmart, etc.) I must admit that I did not know very much about the chin farms. Maybe it is because I am in Tallahasse, but they don't sell animals like that here...just your parakeets, bunnies, and mice. But that information does reinforce what I feel about them anyway, they completely take the caring owners wallets for granted by hiking up their price more than 50%...I have bought from them many times before until I began to bargain shop. Many things I have bought for Niko was more than doubled there. (I can go on and on about them, but I have decided to take my business to jefferspet.com, and places like this!) Thank you so much for the insight and as the saying goes, I learned something new today!)

Keep up your great work and thank you for being so firm with your stand against the idiots of the world.