What I don't understand is that the Richmond SPCA has spent all this time worrying about Forgotten Felines, who as far as I am concerned a wonderful organization who is trying to HELP the animals, while animals at a Richmond pet store suffer in tiny cages.

I (and MANY others) have been complaining about the store for years. I can't pinpoint the date of all my complaints but I can tell you that I have complained about:

*Sickly looking dogs in the tiny cages, I recall specifically a pug that looked terrible, we called from my cell phone right then and there.

*A cage that appeared to have way to many budgies in it, most were losing feathers and looked terrible.

*Three golden retriever puppies were kept in a med sized cage together (they could barely move).

* A MinPin puppy that was shaking from being cold and it's paws kept falling through the floor.

*A lhasas that's eyes were filthy and almost sealed from it.

*Large breed puppies that were way to big for the cage

*A rat terrier that appeared to be going mad, biting and chewing on the kennel doors

They break the pet store by-laws, the main one being that the dogs can not be on a caged floor which they often are. The cages are often dirty, the little ones have nothing to cuddle in.

I also run a breed specific rescue, many of the Shibas that I have rescued originated at that store. Most of the shibas were bought and used as lawn ornaments, not kept as family pets. I also had a MinPin in rescue that came from there that cost the family approx $15,000 to keep healthy!!!!!

I have talked to many people who have bought dogs there and they had genetic defects and illness. This store charges way to much money for dogs that are from The Hunte Corporation, the largest dog broker in North America. You can not tell me that these dogs are created the way a reputable breeder produces pups. A Shiba that I had in rescue that was originally purchased for approx $2500.00 was the worse example of a shiba I have ever seen, she was a lovely dog but not even close to standard, she also has a heart murmur. I found out that she came from a mill in Missouri that had at the time of USDA inspection 263 shibas on the property, you can not tell me that two people can care, love, socialize, afford health testing for 263 dogs.

We now have a new pet store in Richmond that sells kittens (reptiles, birds, ferrets, you name it they sell it - no puppies though), supposedly those cats are bred locally, WHY do we need MORE cats being sold when there are HUNDREDS that need homes??? The cats are not spayed or neutered prior to leaving the store which only indicates to me that they too are a contributor to the problem in Richmond. You can not trust people to fix thier animals.

I am tired of hearing how the Richmond SPCA was going after Penny, someone who loves and cares for animals and is NOT contributing to the problem but yet they allow these stores to profit, contribute to the pet overpopulation and do a total disservice to animals and community.

You can read the pet store regulation by law for Richmond at:

http://www.city.richmond.bc.ca/council/bylaws/docs/bylaw_7538.pdf

Photo taken by Judy Stone at Richmond Pet Habitat