Animal

RSPCA says interactive ‘pet villages’ could traumatise animals



The RSPCA has criticised Pets at Home for plans to roll out interactive ‘pet play’ areas at its 450 stores, as the animal rights organisation say it could frighten pets.

The “pet villages” have been launched at two stores in Stockport and Chesterfield so far and feature tunnels that children can crawl through in order to get up close to the rabbits and guinea pigs inside pens above them.

Like puppies and kittens, young rabbits and guinea pigs need positive experiences around people so that they can learn that human contact is rewarding and to give the best chance of a strong friendship with their new owner,” an RSPCA spokesperson told The Times.

“The pet village has the potential to encourage very close contact between people and rabbits which, if not closely monitored, risks fear and distress.”

The spokesperson added that rabbits and guinea pigs are prey species and therefore need to have plenty of space to escape to in instances when they feel frightened.

“We have raised this issue with Pets at Home and will continue to liaise with them,” they said.

Meanwhile, Isobel Hutchinson, director of Animal Aid, described the initiative as a “cynical marketing ploy”.

“It is bad enough that the pet trade sells living creatures for profit, leading to more animals being bred than homes can be found for,” she told the publication, “and encouraging people to think of them as commodities rather than living, feeling beings with complex needs”.

There is currently a Change.org petition calling for Pets at Home not to introduce the pet villages to stores nationwide, with the author calling the prospect a “major step back” for animal welfare.

The petition has thus far garnered more than 2,500 signatures.

A Pets at Home spokesman told The Times that the company cared “deeply” about animals in its care. 

“We do not allow children to bang on the glass or make excessive noise around our pets and should this ever happen, our colleagues will always react swiftly in the best interests of pet welfare,” they added.

The Independent has contacted Pets at Home for further comment.



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