Selling of animals at chains

I’m a St. Charles resident and reptile owner, and I started a petition asking Petco and PetSmart to stop selling animals in their stores. Over 200 people have signed. I’m writing because this cruelty hides in plain sight every time we walk into a pet store.

Puppies and kittens sold in stores may originate from commercial breeding mills. Hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits are bred in bulk and shipped like inventory. Reptiles — bearded dragons, geckos, anoles — are often wild-caught or factory-farmed, then sold to buyers who have no idea how to keep them alive.

Pet stores sell the fantasy of an easy pet. Shelters do the cleanup. Right here in Kane County, Anderson Humane takes in the animals this industry discards. Every impulse-bought animal at a chain store represents an animal that could have been adopted instead.

Petco and PetSmart claim responsible sourcing, but undercover investigations have documented sick and suffering animals behind their glass.

Sign the petition at https://c.org/qPXPphWyhR and tell these companies you won’t shop where animals are sold like merchandise. Two hundred of us have spoken. Let’s make it thousands.

Jennifer Ashton, St. Charles