The fact that injured pets are euthanized is more or less a direct result of people buying pets. People want cute, healthy, young pets. All others end up dead one way or another.
Petland claimed to have a policy against euthanasia. Everyone in the pet industry knows that’s BS. If a pet store doesn’t get rid of defective stock, they will eventually have no room for salable animals. Someone has to do it. Everyone who works for or frequents a pet shop contributes to the problem.
Obviously, Elizabeth Carlisle posing with dead animals is warped. And her posting on Facebook is warped and stupid. But had she not posed, or had she not drowned them, these two rabbits were going to die.
I’m not entirely convinced that she did the deed by the way. I can’t tell if the rabbits in the picture are dead. I certainly can’t see in the picture that she drowned them. The punishment she got in the plea deal – a $250 fine and 120 hours of community service – might have been minimal enough that she chose it over a possible conviction and prison time. I sure would.
And the manager – there’s a piece of work – if she actually took the picture, she had to know she was at least putting her job on the line.
What’s my point? If you don’t want animals put down because they don’t meet standards, don’t buy them even if they do.