BreezyCooking
Washing Up
Popped into Hallmark in Warrenton, VA, to pick up a "Fathers Day" card from the furred & feathered "gang" to Mr. B., who does so much to ensure their health & welfare (card will accompany the new Neil Young "Archives Volume 1" huge DVD set that just came out - if anyone deserves it, it's Mr. B.
).
So as I'm standing in line, what do I see but a big display of tiny little plastic cubes with "things" moving in them. I leave my place in line to investigate - I mean, this is a CARD store I'm in - & find that they're selling enclosed plastic cubes containing some gravel, a stupid little cutting of "Lucky Bamboo" (which is actually a non-aquatic Dracaena plant), a snail or two, & TWO poor little baby African Clawed Frogs. Big sign over the display entices buyers with the claim that this is an "enclosed" instructional biological system!!! I was mere seconds from turning into the nightly news by going ballistic, but restrained myself.
Instead, I promptly e-mailed Hallmark corporate & asked them, as politely as possible, wtf are they thinking???? In a world where, finally, we're getting more & more folks to THINK about animal abuse (even little guys like frogs), they're incarcerating tiny frogs in plastic cubes in CARD SHOPS as impulse gifts?? I asked them if they were aware that these frogs required aquariums, filters, & FOOD!! That even with proper food they could NOT live in an enclosed uncontrolled 6" x 8" plastic environment on snail excrement. I ended by saying that come Monday I'd be contacting our local Humane Society & local newspapers (not that they give a **** - but figured anyone might cringe from possible bad publicity).
Okay, granted, this isn't child abuse, or horse abuse, or dog/cat abuse - but really. I thought the life of a jarred Betta fish was bad & that many stores were starting to steer away from that. This is such a big step backwards & it really pissed me off.
If your local Hallmark store is participating in this recent promotion, please think about making a comment when you check out, or think about e-mailing corporate as I did. This is truly wrong in so many ways beyond the initial purchase.
So as I'm standing in line, what do I see but a big display of tiny little plastic cubes with "things" moving in them. I leave my place in line to investigate - I mean, this is a CARD store I'm in - & find that they're selling enclosed plastic cubes containing some gravel, a stupid little cutting of "Lucky Bamboo" (which is actually a non-aquatic Dracaena plant), a snail or two, & TWO poor little baby African Clawed Frogs. Big sign over the display entices buyers with the claim that this is an "enclosed" instructional biological system!!! I was mere seconds from turning into the nightly news by going ballistic, but restrained myself.
Instead, I promptly e-mailed Hallmark corporate & asked them, as politely as possible, wtf are they thinking???? In a world where, finally, we're getting more & more folks to THINK about animal abuse (even little guys like frogs), they're incarcerating tiny frogs in plastic cubes in CARD SHOPS as impulse gifts?? I asked them if they were aware that these frogs required aquariums, filters, & FOOD!! That even with proper food they could NOT live in an enclosed uncontrolled 6" x 8" plastic environment on snail excrement. I ended by saying that come Monday I'd be contacting our local Humane Society & local newspapers (not that they give a **** - but figured anyone might cringe from possible bad publicity).
Okay, granted, this isn't child abuse, or horse abuse, or dog/cat abuse - but really. I thought the life of a jarred Betta fish was bad & that many stores were starting to steer away from that. This is such a big step backwards & it really pissed me off.
If your local Hallmark store is participating in this recent promotion, please think about making a comment when you check out, or think about e-mailing corporate as I did. This is truly wrong in so many ways beyond the initial purchase.
