dont have a problem with P@H but..

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I personally rarely post on such controversial subjects as i wouldn't want to cause offence or make anyone feel bad - however i do have to say that the one aspect of this forum that made it so unique has been lost in recent weeks/months.

As a rescue friendly forum - it's saddening to see so many beautiful rescue piggies profiles getting 'lost' in amongst the pictures of new arrivals from pet shops and breeders alike. I realise it's all down to personal preference, however i don't see the P@H adoption centre as anything more than a luxury penthouse appartment for those pigs either too old for the 'for sale' section or those that were given up because the children got bored. Our P@H adoption centre have pigs in all the time - and as quickly as they arrive they are gone again and replaced by others. :{

Let's be honest - everyone who see's a pig sitting in a pet shop, breeders cage or rescue centre see's a very sad pig staring back at them! The reason for this is because we all care and all want to believe we are the best home for that pig!
 
If P@H make no money from the adoption section, and the rescues get the money, then I can't possibly see anything bad about adopting them.


I know that you can say that they are safe in the pet shop and all, but they aren't getting very good care compared to what they would in a good rescue, and might be lonely, neglected or pregnant, etc.

Most pet shops don't have adoption sections, and if a pet doesn't get sold for months and months, what happens to them? I don't even want to think about it . . .
 
CiaraPatricia said:
If P@H make no money from the adoption section, and the rescues get the money, then I can't possibly see anything bad about adopting them.


I know that you can say that they are safe in the pet shop and all, but they aren't getting very good care compared to what they would in a good rescue, and might be lonely, neglected or pregnant, etc.

Most pet shops don't have adoption sections, and if a pet doesn't get sold for months and months, what happens to them? I don't even want to think about it . . .
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But they are getting much better care than the 10+ we have on our waiting list that we can't take because alot of our pigs have been sitting here for months as no-one wants them. :(

I would also love to see what actually happens to the money from the animals in the adoption centre?
 
x-vic-x said:
But they are getting much better care than the 10+ we have on our waiting list that we can't take because alot of our pigs have been sitting here for months as no-one wants them. :(

I would also love to see what actually happens to the money from the animals in the adoption centre?
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True, but they do still need a new home. It reminds me of someone saying, who needs money more, poor people here or poor people in the developing world . . . if that makes sense. People are helping pigs that need homes either way, so I don't see a problem with it.
 
My local p @ h told me they keep the money to care for the pigs in their own adoption centre! No rescue involved there, and I would imagine this is the case in many. Would be interested to see, if they have a different bag of hay, food, treats etc., that is for sole use of the adoption section paid for by the £10 each fee. I don't think so.
 
CiaraPatricia said:
True, but they do still need a new home. It reminds me of someone saying, who needs money more, poor people here or poor people in the developing world . . . if that makes sense. People are helping pigs that need homes either way, so I don't see a problem with it.
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Because they are supporting business not rescue.
 
nutmeg said:
My local p @ h told me they keep the money to care for the pigs in their own adoption centre! No rescue involved there, and I would imagine this is the case in many. Would be interested to see, if they have a different bag of hay, food, treats etc., that is for sole use of the adoption section paid for by the £10 each fee. I don't think so.
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Hmm, I thought it was too good to be true that they give all the money to rescues. rolleyes I don't think they'd make a huge amount of money if they are only £10 (of course it depends how long they are there for and all) but they probably make a lot of money from people buying their cages, food and all when they adopt a pig.
 
CiaraPatricia said:
If P@H make no money from the adoption section, and the rescues get the money, then I can't possibly see anything bad about adopting them.


I know that you can say that they are safe in the pet shop and all, but they aren't getting very good care compared to what they would in a good rescue, and might be lonely, neglected or pregnant, etc.

Most pet shops don't have adoption sections, and if a pet doesn't get sold for months and months, what happens to them? I don't even want to think about it . . .
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As above. Some of the money for adoptables in our local one goes to charity, the rest is tied up in "administration costs" i.e. it goes right back into the company, not to charity.

It's a phenomenon called "Social Cause Marketing" - they are doing it to dupe people into thinking they're doing good when really all that they are doing is tugging heartstrings and making people spend more money in their shop.
 
My hamster, Nelly, came from a pets at thome adoption section last year. She was born with 3 legs and therefore 'not fit for sale'. She had obviously been handled well though and was in good health. I asked where the adoption fee went and was told it supports the administration of the adoption scheme. I gave a small amount because I felt that pets at home should be supporting the scheme themselves seeing that it was full of animals they couldn't sell. The assistant told me that they were not allowed to give a suggestion of an amount but I have heard differently on the forum, especially for rabbits and guinea pigs.
My original guinea pigs were bought from a pet store but I will only ever have rescues now. I no longer shop in pet shops or stores where animals are sold. My own ethics and principles have moved on since I became a member of the forum and have been involved in rescue.
I have never criticised anyone individually for where they get their guinea pigs or any other animal. We each have to find our own way. However, my own opinion, for what it's worth (and again, this has only been learned through experience) is that if you want to bring a new life into your family, you should be prepared to make an effort to do so, rather than choose one off a pet shop shelf.

:)
 
daftscotslass said:
As above. Some of the money for adoptables in our local one goes to charity, the rest is tied up in "administration costs" i.e. it goes right back into the company, not to charity.

It's a phenomenon called "Social Cause Marketing" - they are doing it to dupe people into thinking they're doing good when really all that they are doing is tugging heartstrings and making people spend more money in their shop.
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Oh I don't doubt they are only doing it for their own good.
 
Sodapops said:
I personally rarely post on such controversial subjects as i wouldn't want to cause offence or make anyone feel bad - however i do have to say that the one aspect of this forum that made it so unique has been lost in recent weeks/months.

As a rescue friendly forum - it's saddening to see so many beautiful rescue piggies profiles getting 'lost' in amongst the pictures of new arrivals from pet shops and breeders alike. I realise it's all down to personal preference, however i don't see the P@H adoption centre as anything more than a luxury penthouse appartment for those pigs either too old for the 'for sale' section or those that were given up because the children got bored. Our P@H adoption centre have pigs in all the time - and as quickly as they arrive they are gone again and replaced by others. :{

Let's be honest - everyone who see's a pig sitting in a pet shop, breeders cage or rescue centre see's a very sad pig staring back at them! The reason for this is because we all care and all want to believe we are the best home for that pig!
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Add to this I have seen them blatently lie about where the guinea pigs came from. One a while back had on its cage:

"Harry - I was too big to be in the sales pen."

2 weeks later I went in for a nose again and he was still there.

"Harry - my owner was unable to look after me any more."

mallethead
 
flips said:
My original guinea pigs were bought from a pet store but I will only ever have rescues now. I no longer shop in pet shops or stores where animals are sold. My own ethics and principles have moved on since I became a member of the forum and have been involved in rescue.
I have never criticised anyone individually for where they get their guinea pigs or any other animal. We each have to find our own way. However, my own opinion, for what it's worth (and again, this has only been learned through experience) is that if you want to bring a new life into your family, you should be prepared to make an effort to do so, rather than choose one off a pet shop shelf.

:)
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I think you worded this perfectly! You have your beliefs (which I agree with too) but you don't criticise others :)
 
CiaraPatricia said:
I think you worded this perfectly! You have your beliefs (which I agree with too) but you don't criticise others :)
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Point me to a post where anybody has personally criticised anyone but Pets at Home. If people are feeling guilty about choices they have made then perhaps they should make different choices in future.
 
daftscotslass said:
Point me to a post where anybody has personally criticised anyone but Pets at Home. If people are feeling guilty about choices they have made then perhaps they should make different choices in future.
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I didn't say they did, I was replying to how she said she has never criticised anyone, and I was just saying that's a good thing. :)
 
Deadgirl said:
I think the rescue pigs in P@H deserve a good home just as much as ones in a rescue center.
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I agree, poor little things can't help where they are from! 8... Maybe it would be best for them to go to a bad home and then end up in a rescue, then at least they would be guarenteed a good home this way.... :0

All the good people are turned away from P@H adoption which means the poor piggies get bad homes. 8... It's just a continuous cycle I'm afraid and it is so sad. 8... If good people adopted from there, then there'd be less pigs in rescues. :(|)

Saying that, I would only rescue piggies now :) xx
 
I have to say, when I joined the forum I read the rules and saw it was rescue friendly, which is fine.

However more and more it seems to be rescue ONLY on here, which I think is going a wee bit far and in some cases giving a bad impression.

Some people just won't go to rescues, they just won't. There are three people at my yard currently breeding from their dogs, yes all are pure pedigree examples of the breed being bred with male pure bred pedigrees BUT as cute as the puppies will be, do we really need more puppies when Battersea is overflowing?! No, not really. But at the end of the day, it is their choice, and seeing as I don't really want our horse kicked off the yard I am keeping quiet this time around.

While I appreciate how incredibly frustrating it can be for rescues to see all these 'I got this piggy from P@H' threads, effectively telling the poster off for doing it won't help - the piggie has been bought, often because it's 'easier' then rescuing in some cases, and that's the end of it. I on the other hand look at all Suzy (for examples) pics and such, and wonder if when Noodles goes to Rainbow Bridge, my OH will drive me and Whiskey to Wales...

I am 100% pro rescue, almost all my piggies are rescues or were rehomed in some way (and I consider Pixie a kind of rescue as yes I got her from a breeder, but by coming to me I can guarantee she won't be bred from herself which helps the overall picture!) but making people feel bad because they aren't doesn't really help - if anything it could put people off rescuing more sadly, or even put people off posting a problem with their piggy here as they bought it from XYZ petshop and is worried they will get told off for not rescuing.

Just my two pennorth, don't want to upset anyone but just felt I should say how it can come across.
 
Doeylicious said:
I have to say, when I joined the forum I read the rules and saw it was rescue friendly, which is fine.

However more and more it seems to be rescue ONLY on here, which I think is going a wee bit far and in some cases giving a bad impression.
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When Ellie created this forum the idea was that it was rescue only and that if people chose to get from a breeder or a pet shop they did so but didn't come on here expecting a round of applause for it.

I don't see anything wrong with people asking why they chose to get their animal from a pet shop or breeder over a rescue - some people who join here genuinely don't know that they can get pigs from anywhere but the R/SSPCA. So people come here and learn something. As I said above if people choose to buy rather than rescue then feel guilty about it then maybe they should reassess their choices rather than blame the forum for making them feel bad.

I've been around here long enough now to see this discussion come round several times a year and know that we can't please everyone :))
 
I don't think any 'new' member that comes on here and tells us about their new guinea pigs, whatever the source, is made to feel unwelcome. Photos are sought, we share their excitement, we help with advice and all manner of stuff, and hopefully they very quickly become part of the rescue friendly community. It is the longer standing members, who are well familiar with how pet shops/adoption sections work that I find difficult to understand when they buy from them, and as previous poster says, on this forum, they really can't expect a round of applause. xx
 
Just one point on this, I don't think it's fair to assume ALL P@H piggies are stock, mine has one in now who is and it states clearly he's there because he's 18 months and no one has bought him (white with red eyes who always seem to be unwanted), yet previously they've had animals in who've been surrendered from families for various reasons, I know my neighbours had two piggies who fell out at one time and said they put one of them in there (I don't know all the ins and outs but they brought the remaining piggie round after they had a house fire for me to look after and he was in a ferplast 80 so am not bloody surprised), as many people are unaware of rescues (until recently I don't think there was a piggie rescue in Coventry) they do at least have the option of handing in unwanted pets somewhere instead of dumping them on the roadside or setting them loose in a field.
 
hellsbells82 said:
Just one point on this, I don't think it's fair to assume ALL P@H piggies are stock, mine has one in now who is and it states clearly he's there because he's 18 months and no one has bought him (white with red eyes who always seem to be unwanted), yet previously they've had animals in who've been surrendered from families for various reasons, I know my neighbours had two piggies who fell out at one time and said they put one of them in there (I don't know all the ins and outs but they brought the remaining piggie round after they had a house fire for me to look after and he was in a ferplast 80 so am not bloody surprised), as many people are unaware of rescues (until recently I don't think there was a piggie rescue in Coventry) they do at least have the option of handing in unwanted pets somewhere instead of dumping them on the roadside or setting them loose in a field.
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That's a fair point, but it seems that really most are stock.
I think you have highlighted the need to raise rescue awareness yet again, this is an ongoing problem. Maybe you could start another thread about that, so we don't go OT here. xx
 
What would the advice be to someone looking to have piggies whose nearest rescue is say over a hundred miles away and they don't have transport to get there? I am sure that is the case with some people. I am sure rescue would be their preferred option but maybe not seem like a feasible one to them.

My nearest rescue is probably Edinburgh but having seen it I probably wouldn't want to board my piggies there. My preferred one is Becklen which is quite a bit further away. If I was on my own without transport I would find either one a struggle to get to. Luckily when the time comes that I need to rescue as it stands at the moment, it won't be a problem.

I just think that for some people it's maybe not be so cut and dried.
 
hellsbells82 said:
Just one point on this, I don't think it's fair to assume ALL P@H piggies are stock, mine has one in now who is and it states clearly he's there because he's 18 months and no one has bought him (white with red eyes who always seem to be unwanted), yet previously they've had animals in who've been surrendered from families for various reasons, I know my neighbours had two piggies who fell out at one time and said they put one of them in there (I don't know all the ins and outs but they brought the remaining piggie round after they had a house fire for me to look after and he was in a ferplast 80 so am not bloody surprised), as many people are unaware of rescues (until recently I don't think there was a piggie rescue in Coventry) they do at least have the option of handing in unwanted pets somewhere instead of dumping them on the roadside or setting them loose in a field.
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I've read on here about piggies being found on the roadside, maybe they didn't have a pets at home adoption centre near them. That's what worries me, how many more pets would be dumped or worse if there was nowhere to take them.

I really would rather go into a pet shop and see no animals as I always get emotional when I see them. Especially if you see the same animals week after week.
 
Piggy Trains. Becklen have transported from Warrington to Norfolk, all over Scotland, Penrith to Hertfordshire, and well as locally all around Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire, Yorkshire. It may not happen overnight, but there is always a good chance people will help out with a piggy train. The guinea pigs are always well cared for during the journey, so no problems there. I think they even transported from Scotland to Ireland. xx
 
sandra turpin said:
I've read on here about piggies being found on the roadside, maybe they didn't have a pets at home adoption centre near them. That's what worries me, how many more pets would be dumped or worse if there was nowhere to take them.

I really would rather go into a pet shop and see no animals as I always get emotional when I see them. Especially if you see the same animals week after week.
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I'm not sure that the sort of people who dump pets on the roadside are caring enough to bother to take them to a rescue anyway. Dogs and cats for instance have plenty of well publicised rescues yet they still get dumped. I think the roadside/field dumpers would probably never consider rescue even if guinea pig rescue awareness was raised and everyone knew about them. Roadside dumpers surely have to be a different mentality to the rest of us. Even if someone is absolutely desperate, if they care enough, they could 'dump' on a vets doorstep in the absence of pet shops or rescues. xx
 
nutmeg said:
Piggy Trains. Becklen have transported from Warrington to Norfolk, all over Scotland, Penrith to Hertfordshire, and well as locally all around Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire, Yorkshire. It may not happen overnight, but there is always a good chance people will help out with a piggy train. The guinea pigs are always well cared for during the journey, so no problems there. I think they even transported from Scotland to Ireland. xx
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I understand that and I think it is a great thing. But the getting there initially to see the guinea pigs is where the problem would lie if the distance is great. Would other members be as willing to offer a ride to the rescue as they are to transport piggies? I think a thread detailing all the benefits of rescue, piggy trains etc would be a good thing to have and for it to be made a sticky as has already been suggested xx
 
nutmeg said:
I'm not sure that the sort of people who dump pets on the roadside are caring enough to bother to take them to a rescue anyway. Dogs and cats for instance have plenty of well publicised rescues yet they still get dumped. I think the roadside/field dumpers would probably never consider rescue even if guinea pig rescue awareness was raised and everyone knew about them. Roadside dumpers surely have to be a different mentality to the rest of us. Even if someone is absolutely desperate, if they care enough, they could 'dump' on a vets doorstep in the absence of pet shops or rescues. xx
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I can't disagree with that. There are some nasty people out there and it makes me so sad when I think of what some people are capable of.
 
I just want to say that i love guinea pigs and if i can i will give a needy piggy a home no matter where it comes from .

I do love this forum and it has helped me a lot and I'm sure it will in the future.
 
Whilst I would love to support rescues and will do in the future, I do have adoption centre piggies. Not all adooption centre animals are excess stock, we adopted Star from there recently as she had been left there after her friend died. She is 18 months old. We also recently adopted Honey who had been left there after her previous owners got bored of her. She is 4 years old. Gertie was also over 1 when we adopted her from there after she had supposedly fought with her sister.

We did have a local rescue where we adopted Johnny from but she had to close shortly after. I think in our local area there is a lack of anywhere to take your pet if you need to rehome them and so the main choice for people tends to be P@H unfortunately.

I think Piggy trains are wonderful and a very kind forum member is bringing Nigel up from Cornwall for me this Sunday. That same memeber also offered to help us bring a piggy back from the only rescue I could feasibly get to by train but unfortunately that rescue have said they can't rehome to me as I am too far away for a home check.

I know P@H should not have any animals full stop but when I saw both Honey and Star I could not leave them there.
 
I was in PAH today (with a friend who was buying bird seed ... I didnt buy anything .....honest rolleyes) but I did overhear one of their employees on the phone to a vet getting appointments for 2 animals... it sounded like 1 was theirs but the other was a hamster that some member of the public had dumped on them .... so theyre not all bad.....

I agree about supporting genuine rescues where possible but I do have 3 PAH adoption piggies .... they were handed in because their owner was allergic to them (or so I was told) .... and I dont regret for one minute getting them .... even though one has cost me a LOT in vet bills .....

Maybe some people are put off going to rescues because of location and home checks and may see pet shop piggies as less hassle .... which is a shame ... before I got my first pigs I hadnt heard of piggy rescues ...

Anyway just thought I'd join in the debate.....
 
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