OUTRAGEOUS!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture discovered a disturbing scene at a Pennsylvania small-animal dealer that supplied animals to Petco and PetSmart.
According to AP, federal inspectors visited the Holmes Chinchilla Ranch in January, though their findings are just now being released to the public.
They apparently found several dead animals on the premises — which shelters thousands of small animals like hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas, and more.
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Officials spent several days at the ranch, and found dozens of animals in desperate need of treatment for hair loss and eye abnormalities.
The inspectors also found unsanitary conditions throughout the facility, as well as untrained employees performing procedures.
The organization learned of the inhumane conditions after receiving a video from PETA — which included footage of dead animals, live rats stuffed in plastic bags and stored in a freezer, and dozens of small animals being dumped in a “waste filled cooler” and gassed to death. WTF!?
The dealer — who has supplied animals to both PetSmart and Petco — claims to be working with the USDA to resolve any issues. However, the ranch could still receive a fine or lose its license if the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service sees fit.
While Petco cut ties with Holmes as a supplier after the initial inspection, PetSmart refused to announce if it was still buying pets from the shelter.
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Michelle Friedman, PetSmart’s VP of corporate communications, said in a statement:
“As a standard practice, we do not comment on the status of relationships with our vendors. Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of pets, and we take any allegation of mistreatment very seriously. We immediately review and thoroughly investigate, taking appropriate steps and corrective actions as needed to ensure our high standards of pet care continue to be met.”
According to a Holmes employee, PetSmart is still receiving animals from the ranch. We hope this investigation causes the ranch to get rid of all their gruesome practices.
Watch the disturbing video of PETA’s finding’s (below) to see the horrors for yourself.
[Image via Facebook.]
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