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Hi All  
  We would like a review of pet shops.
We are asking for help from you to visit your local pet shops as a potential new rabbit owner and ask them about the needs of rabbits.  Please post your responses here so that we can compile them.  Without this evidence we cannot prove that the pet shops are selling rabbits without information or with incorrect information regarding their care.  Please leave your experience of rabbit information from pet shops on this forum, or email to us at enquiries@rabbitrun.com.au

Quote from the code of practice for the operation of pet shops.
"Purchasers of pet animals  must be given literature  about feeding, desexing, parasite control, health - including procedures for emergency treatment during the guarantee period, housing, responsible pet ownership and current legislation covering the registration of pet animals. The information should be prepared in consultation with the relevant professions. New owners should be encouraged to seek advice about problems with the pets from veterinarians and other people with experience in animal care and management"
or   =

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Hi all
I thought I would transfer the emails received so we can tell which pet shops have been investigated-
Together we can make a difference - Bryce

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From K. L
Hi all at Rabbit-Runaway.

I just thought I should share the following with you (being so local) ..... even though it happened around 6 months ago.

MAD ABOUT PETS - MOUNTAIN GATE SHOPPING CENTRE, FTG.
Yes this store does have clean cages and appropriate literature, however I don't think this is much help when the sales staff give terrible advice..........I guess it's all about making  money!!!!!!

I was in the store when a couple with their young children came to pick up the two female rabbits they had on hold.  The sales girl went to get the rabbits and told them the rabbits were in fact a boy and a girl.  The couple were concerned for obvious reasons and didn't want to take them anymore.  The sales girl talked them around by saying the following..........It's really good to let them breed, because by the time the kids get bored with the other rabbits, they will have lots of cute little ones to play with, and it's also great to teach them about where babies come from.  And don't worry about not being able to get rid of the babies, because we will always take them off you!!!  GRRRRRR.   Desexing was never mentioned, not to mention young children and rabbits are a bad combo!

I have never been so shitty with myself for being so damn quiet and shy.  I really wish I had the balls to speak up at the time.  All I could do was walk out and sit in my car and cry because I was so upset and angry.

Ok, now I've had my vent, I would just like to thank you all for doing such a great job!  

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From A.O.

Fantastic Pets, Narre Warren, Vic

The store had a pair of bunnies together in one cage and a very young looking fluffy bunny with guinea pigs in another.  They were housed in puppy cages with shredded paper lining.  Neighboring cages held puppies.

I asked about the bunnies they had saying I was thinking of buying a rabbit and was directed to a staff member who I was told would be the one to be able to help me.  When I asked he told me he wasn't sure on breeds or how much bigger they would get and he couldn't tell me genders on any of them because the person who knew how to sex them wasn't there that day.  I expressed concern if they turned out to be girl/boy especially brother/sister and told I could wait if I wanted but they usually sold quickly and might get bought in the meantime.  I asked what their birthday was and he thought they were young but didn't know a specific age.  I asked if they didn't have it written down when they got the bunnies in or maybe had the breeders phone number they could call and told no not really.  (Not sure if that's true or he just couldn't be bothered.)  He pointed me to pellet mixes and said the food is over here and sort of waved me in the direction of the other rabbit supplies saying the salt licks, treats and such are there.  All of the pellet mixes were junk types.  No mention was made of hay or fresh foods nor did they have any in the cages.  He made no enquirey as to what I was thinking with regard to housing or if I had anything already, maybe assuming I could see the hutches there.  No veterinary requirements (vaxes, spay/neuter) was mentioned, nothing about requiring specialized medical care/bunny vets nor anything about myxo requiring netting if I was going to house them outside.  No grooming advice was mentioned nor that the fluffy one would require more frequent grooming and/or clippering.  They did have a book I saw but it's one of the very generic ones where the book company writes one about every breed/species and doesn't do much research.  The thing that surprised me was that they missed out on asking about a number of things that could've led to them selling more products - eg hay, hay rack, hutch, hidey huts, toys, brushes, nail clippers, harness, tunnels etc.  When I hedged and said I  had no way of getting it home they offered to box it up, even ignoring they could have suggested a carrier it couldn't chew out of.

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From H. L.

Knox Pets Paradise

Hey guys,
I was in Knox yesterday and when i saw Pets Paradise I thought id pop in and ask a few questions on behalf of the facebook mission!

So yesterday, Sat 22nd Jan i went into Knox Pets Paradise and saw they had two little white bunnies, they looks rather small so i asked how old they were, and the girl replied they get them in at 6weeks so they must be about 6-7weeks old. I then asked if she has anything i could read about getting a rabbit and she fumbled around umming and arghing and handed me a double sided flier, and didn't have anything else to say.

As you can see the flier provides hardly anything useful about the care of pet rabbits it is actually more about ferrets. The list of things that apparently keep your 'small animal' in top condition seems to be more about what else they can sell to you while you’re there and not that they actually need. Where is the list of fresh food they can eat? Where is the mention of vaccinations and vet checks? Hopeless!

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From Julie
Hi,
The    Koo Wee Rup pet shop sells bunnies (sourced from a lady who breeds them in Bayles) and the lady seems knowledgeable; she knew the sexes of each of the bunnies, mentioned about the threat of myxo in the area and the need for specialised housing, and said each bunny comes with a 3 page information booklet with information on how to care for them.

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From E.L.

Hi Judi and Bryce,

Just wanted to give you an update on the bunnies being sold at  Caribbean Market.
As you know mum saw 7 bunnies in a carry cage being sold for meat last Wednesday. She tried her best to buy them but they wouldn’t sell them to her – she had a go at them and they told her it was none of her business and that she didn’t know what she was missing out on (either talking about slaughtering or the taste of the meat) Mum then said she was going to make it her business. She called the RSPCA and they gave her the Department of Primary Industries phone number – they said they would go and take a look, they were alot more interested than the RSPCA, local council and Caribbean Market management.

Mum received a phone call from them on Friday saying that they have not seen any rabbits only all of the birds  – mum told them that they need to attend first thing Wednesday mornings because that’s when they have them – They are now attending Caribbean markets every couple of weeks to have them under surveillance. The lady mum spoke to at the DPI was horrified of these conditions and the fact that they were selling them for meat.

I’m really stoked by this outcome – its a lot more positive than I ever expected. Mum will still be attending Caribbean Markets with a camera from now on to make sure this will be followed through.

Just thought you would like to know J

Pets Paradise at Eastland
Oh and attended Pets Paradise at Eastland on Saturday and they didn’t offer any information when i asked about living conditions and food. I asked if they needed hay and they just said the commercial rabbit food would suffice – i then asked about how big the “Dwarf lops” would get and they said about 2kgs – They were not even dwarf lops – they were already almost the same size as Charlie and will probably grow to 4kgs!!!
They also said that i wouldn’t need a big hutch for them and tried to sell me a single story cage!!
I also asked about exercise and they said they would have plenty of room in the cage L
This time the rabbits were housed separately but previously at east land, i have seen the Rabbits and pigs together.

Hope this helps and I hope you’re getting heaps of feedback from the public.
We are behind you 100%

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From C. P.

Pets Paradise in Eastland,
Project -
Went to my local Pets Paradise this morning. It was a bit busy so she couldn't spend too much time with me, but the findings were :

Feed them the packet food they sell in the shop.
Can keep indoors but they can get smelly
Keep on hutch over night but can run around back garden during the day

That was all they offered.  As I say they were busy so I may try again when all kids are back at school.

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From S.M
Hello

I visited the Pets Paradise store at Victoria Gardens, Richmond this morning at opening time of 9am.

There were several baby bunnies and one mature boy bunny for sale.
The babies were being sold at $60.
The mature bunny was $30.

I explained I was a new bunny owner and asked if they had any information on what I would need to do.

I was given a 'Small Animals - How to keep your pets healthy' tri-fold brochure. Would you like me to send this to you?

I asked was the mature bunny de-sexed yet. She explained that they don't recommend that any animals are de-sexed until six months old as it is a very invasive surgery - especially for the female animals.

The service person (female) was helpful but didn't offer any advice as to what to do to look after the rabbit as a pet.

Once I stopped asking my questions, I didn't get any further information and she went about opening up the store.

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Hi Judi and Bryce,

Pets and Family.Northland Shopping Centre  

I went shopping today, at Northland Shopping Centre in Murray Rd, Preston.  It’s changed a lot since the last time I went there and I stumbled across a pet shop called Pets and Family.  I went in with every intention to enquire about buying a rabbit. In the front window there were 6 very lethargic, depressed looking puppies. My heart sunk.
I continued on into the shop and found several young bunnies in small glass enclosures, they were not the smallest enclosures I had ever seen but still, not ideal.  These poor little buns were sitting munching away on shredded paper, as there was nothing else for them to eat, not a strand of hay, no greens, just a water bowl and shredded paper.
I approached a sales assistant and let my mouth run away from me.  I asked her “Why is there nothing for the rabbits to eat? Why is there no hay?“ The woman (of Asian appearance) stared at me smiling and said nothing. I then said, ” Hello, where is their hay?” She looked at me with a very confused look on her face and all she said back to me was “Hay?” I said, “Yes… hay. What do you feed them? Where is their food?“
She then started smiling and nodding her head and said, ”Aahhhh.. eat. It not time yet. Later, later.” I was really frustrated at this point. She either had very little English skills, or was conveniently pretending to not understand. I then started lecturing her about the health and care of rabbits and left before I got myself in trouble.
The shop was quite busy at the time, and there were a lot of sales assistants working. I am guessing the shop is run by a family, as they were all of Asian appearance.
What really annoyed me besides the obvious, was the amount of people in the shop “ooing” and “ahhing” over the cute little fluffy animals. They only see the cute animal, but don’t look at the surroundings or think about their circumstances or where they may have come from. They were all your usual, run of the mill shoppers.
People need to be more informed to make them think and realize, that animals are not just here for our entertainment.

Not all the info you’d probably like, but a pet shop more than worthy of the **** list.

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From S.M.

Hello Judi,

I visited another pet store today at   Upmarket Pets at  Queen Victoria Markets, Melbourne.

Here is an account of my experience;

I asked the main check out for some assistance. she referred me to a store employee.

After giving my 'story' she said:

I should buy a cage (also referred to it as a 'cellar' and a 'kennel' throughout the conversation), water bottle and food bowl.

I should change the water bowl (if I chose to buy this) three times a day.

Some people buy hay for bedding and sometimes the rabbit eats it.

2 - 3 times a week I should give the rabbit small amounts of apple, carrot or lettuce.

I questioned if they should be given lettuce. Yes, she said they should.

She said that I should mix up the varieties of grain (the brands featured had a 'standard' and a 'premium' range) so that the rabbit didn't get bored.

She explained how the rabbit is able to be toilet-trained and eats its own poo/****.

(She used the word '****' a lot which was very off-putting. However, as I don't think English was her first language, I tried not to interpret it with the same way if I was speaking with a native English speaker.)

The rabbits are sold for $45 each (male or female) un-desexed.

I asked when it would be possible to have them desexed and she said at 4-5 months because the rabbit is able to breed at 6 months of age.

She also explained the importance of keeping it in its cage when you leave the house to keep it safe.



I hope this helps...there is definitely a lot of misinformation out there.

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From J & W

Hi Judy and Bryce

I visited the Pet Stock store at Moonee Ponds today and they are very keen to give the right advice to customers about rabbit care.

I was just wondering if you already had them on your list of pet stores who have said they would sell your book?

If not I have some contact details and the names of the ladies there.
They also have adoption days and a community noticeboard inside the shop upon which they would be happy to put a rabbit runaway orphanage or myxo educational poster.

Hope you are having a good weekend.

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From SM

The Pines Pet Shop
The Pines Shopping Centre Doncaster East
2/2/2011 11:30am
They didn't have any rabbits in store on this day though they are there on and off. I asked for information on looking after a rabbit and if there was any special requirements and I was told that they don't have any information and I'm best to Google for info by the young girl sales assistant

They rabbits are normally housed in a glass box with hay and unlimited pellets. They also have water bottles the sucker kind and have a wood tunel to hide in. They are also housed with guinea pigs (I don't know if this is good or bad?). All animals rabbits, dogs, guinea pigs (they don't have cats) are taken home each day by the breeder/owners so they are not left unattended in the shop.

The owner wasn't in today though she was helpful when I first enquired about harnesses for rabbits, however she did say that a new zealand giant would fit in a dog harness which is much too heavy for a rabbit but she offered to fit my rabbit if I brought her in.

I think that this particular pet shop are good but need to be educated on making sure they go to homes that know how to care for them. Also I think compulsory desexing is a great idea but the pet shops need to take responsibility.

Hope this helps,

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From K. G
Dear Judi and Bryce,

I hope things are stabilized for you and for your bunnies,,, we can only immagine the hardship the neighbours put you through lately.
As we talked on the phone I went and checked out  PETBARN in CHADSTONE SHOPPING CENTRE.
THey sell bunnies continually. Previously It was Pets at HOME and so it has been now more than a year or 2 that they have on display at least 6 or 10 bunnies for sale.
I asked if they provide first time buyers with information sheet about bunnies,so that people can understand the care they have to provide for the new addition to the family.

They said,"NO". They just say a couple of things  to the new owner, that's it . And if somebody sells the bunny who has no clue about them,,then probably the owners get no advice,,and what ?? advice at all!!!

I would say they fail to protect the little bunny's chance of getting proper care and educating the bunny parents and pointing them to the right literature, doctor and important steps that they have to follow in order to provide and secure the bunny a  well deserved happy life.
I would even go a step ahead and say..they should make the parents read the couple of pages long info sheet about the bunny BEFOREHAND!!!!,,and then see if they are still interested to buy the little angel.

First question would be.. do they want to have the bunny for a month or 2??? since bunnies live for appr.10 years!! and that needs dedication!!!!
If people are not ready then they can run the other way,,through the door,,and leave the bunny for somebody who is caring, loving and serious about raising up a HAPPY BUNNNY!!! and be there for her for the journey of a lifetime.

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There was  another pet shop here in Carnegie and they are closed now ,,but I know that they did not give any info to customers either. They sold bunnies and they sold hay which had mould on it too.
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Pet Paradise,,makes nothing but "illegal " things the way they keep bunnies. The ventillation is not adequate for the animals ..they keep them under a lamp.. as if they want to keep the HOT DOG HOT.. heating up the poor souls.  They are always short of breath.. almost panting... . Crowded in a little place,,no hiding place or semidark place for them to relax in.
Once I came across a sign"WATCH OUT , I AM A BITER!!!!"... I went to ask,, the shop assistant to explain the sign,,, which was rediculous. He said that the bunny was pregnant!!. The bunny got no exercise place ..only to sit in a place and pee right next to it!!! Kept it at the back of the shop... no air no place to stretch out and being pregnant and vindicated to be a biter!!!!  I would have the whole Pet Paradise licence for selling animals illegal... they fail to show proper care for he animals in the shop,,and I am not even sure the way they get their animals is from a good source  since one animal sold,,,and the next one is already filling its place!!! Puppy factory?/ Bunny factory????

I went and confornted them,,,, about puppy farming,,, and they denied it..  saying only for privacy purpose they are not displaying the breeder on the window.

I do not believe what they say!!,, YES ,, it would be nice just like when you buy organic products or furniture,,they show,,THe FARMER,,, or which source the timber is coming from... THEY SHOULD DISPLAY THE SUPERB BREADER... saying someting about the way she keeps the animals and cares for them,,so that the public would be informed about the good source their animal was acquired from!! That would be wonderful... plus desexing..etc.

I hope I was some help for you..
I want to write to the council as well... Please let me know,,what points you want me to argue for your bunnies'future benefits...? Desexing? For you to get the bunnies back??
Or shall I just write what a fantastic job you have been doing so far??? and how giving, dedicated , altruistic and hard working both of you are!!!,

Warm Regards

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I don't have too much to add at this point as the above mentioned pet shops are on top of the bad pet shop list. Some of these stores have had protests re Oscar's Law.

Pet Stock Monee Ponds would be one of the good ones.

I am not popular with many pet stores in our area. I too have been to the one in Northland,Preston.They have trouble understanding the basic concepts of animal care when asked about it...how can they sell live animals little own products,shudder.

About 18 months ago I questioned the pet shop in Watsonia, I have never seen hay in the rabbit enclosures. I asked where's the rabbits hay, my reply was " pellets are enough"  um no I said, what about their daily greens and good quality hay?

Jenny