The Society for the Protection of Animals released its 2020 report. And it is mixed: some animals are particularly abandoned. The opportunity to remind people that we must move away from the commodification of animal life, especially online.
The Society for the Protection of Animals takes in all types of companions in its shelters. We think of dogs and cats most often, but the association also cares for rabbits, rats, guinea pigs and other rodents. The SPA has also observed a 16% increase in the abandonment of these small animals in shelters in 2020, particularly during deconfinements and summer vacations. What can be the reasons and how to stop the problem?
Stop buying rodent favorites
These little animals are bought from pet stores, and unfortunately often compulsively. Compact, mimis like everything … But once the excitement has passed, it is common to find them for resale on sites like leboncoin, or abandoned as common items of consumption a few months later.
See also: Coronavirus: SPA shelters close to the public, a wave of abandonments expected
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What the SPA is asking for is an outright ban on the trade in animals on online sales sites. This is in order to avoid trafficking and to leave the sale only to breeding professionals. Jacques-Charles Fombonne, president of the SPA, denounces an inconsistency between the government announcements:
"Leboncoin had contacted us to ask us for a protocol on the sale of animals, I had given them an objection, saying that in any case, the commodification of the animal is not possible. leboncoin managed to sign this charter with Minister Julien Denormandie, without the SPA knowing. I don't understand. In terms of animal protection, it's really a bad message ".
In addition to asking for an end to the commodification of animals, the president of the SPA recalls the common sense questions to ask before adopting an animal in a manner, and possibly passing the course responsibly. It is imperative to project very concretely into its lifespan: two years for a rodent, up to 18 years for a cat. "Am I going to keep it in 5 years? Do I have enough money? Is the whole family okay? What do we do next vacation?", advises to ask Charles Fombonne. We must also obviously question its ability to make the animal happy, a fundamental point before welcoming any animal.