Saturday, March 19, 2011

Speak Up for Stressed, Injured Sharks



PETA often hears of the black-tipped reef sharks confined in display tanks at Pet Extreme stores, a pet store chain in California. According to patrons, these captive sharks incessantly bump into the glass walls of their barren tanks, resulting in chronic injuries. Pet Extreme made the compassionate decision not to feature captive sharks in its new stores, but sharks at existing locations are still suffering.

Sharks are sensitive animals who, in the wild, roam freely for miles in the ocean with others of their own kind. In captivity, they often exhibit neurotic behaviors because of unhappiness and stress, including repetitively swimming into the sides of their tanks. Confinement also deprives them of the opportunity to engage in natural behaviors, such as foraging for food, choosing mates, raising their young, exploring the reefs, and cavorting freely with family members.

Please contact Pet Extreme President Matt Swanson at matt.swanson@petextreme.comand General Manager Joe Perkins at joe.perkins@petextreme.com and thank them for not placing sharks in new stores. Politely urge them to allow the sharks in existing stores to be rehabilitated and released to a sanctuary or species-appropriate facility where their needs can be better met.

No comments:

Post a Comment