I run an ad on kijiji offering animals for a species appropriate diet (basically offering raw food to dogs) I run it through an email I rarely use because of the "interesting" folks out there.
This is the ad:
This is the email I received
This is my response
This is the ad:
For those who feed their animals a species appropriate diet, I breed rabbits and guinea pigs and at times have stock I cannot sell as pets or breeders and are not needed in my herd. These rabbits I offer them as culls for feeders. Firmly believing that all animals have a right and a need to eat a species appropriate diet I will sell these culls to you the raw feeder.
Non-medicated herd. Only healthy animals sold.
Sizes range from newborn to adults at 8 lbs.
I feed a diet based on pellets, but also give additional such as garden waste, grasses, hay, apple branches and various greens.
ALL animal are sold dead and frozen.
most animals sell for $2/lb/live weight as whole, entire animals. If you require any additional work to be done, the price increases. I can sell animals whole or semi processed (for animal consumption only).
For those who have issues with rabbits and guinea pigs being used as feeder animals, that's what happens with these animals in the wild, it's part of what is called the circle of life. They are a multi-purpose animal.
This is the email I received
I opened the ad assuming you were selling or giving away leftover feed that would be going to waste - not slaughtering animals to feed to others! If you haven't heard, that's how diseases like mad cow disease occurs. How absolutely disgusting of you.
Your ad refers to it as the "circle of life".. sure - it's what happens in the WILD. You're breeding them, raising them, caring for them, providing them a home, then chopping them up into pieces and selling them.
What is wrong with the human population.. seriously.
This is my response
Thank you so much for caring enough to email me with your concerns.
I hope that your caring extends to the courtesy of listening to another viewpoint.
Species appropriate diet. Cats, snakes and many other animals depend upon MEAT in order to survive. Dogs do best when fed MEAT. That's what they do, that's what they are.
What make a rabbit or cow any different? Both are animals. Both are can be used as a meat product. Or is that you are used to your meat coming well sanitized from the meat market? In todays world a great many people aren't aware that their steak was indeed once part of a cattle beast, or that the veal they eat comes from a calf, and goat meat does indeed come from a goat. I'm not sure how aware and educated you are in these matters.
What makes that cat or dog or snake less valuable than the rabbit? OR makes the rabbit any more valuable than the cat or snake or cow?
Wild or domesticated it doesn't change what the animal needs biologically. I just encourage people to feed a biologically appropriate food. And that is a raw food diet. That is how much I care about animals under my care or under the care of others. I want them cared for in the best possible way, and for many animals...it's not being fed kibble which contains a great many products they don't need. You know those ads on TV with the dog saying don't feed me like a rabbit? That's because a dog needs MEAT... not corn or grain fillers, actual real meat.
And just like people (who should eat a less processed, more natural diet) so should the animals under our care. They should eat a more natural, less processed diet.
Do you eat meat at all?
Do you wear leather at all?
Do you use medications at all?
What about your clothing...is it totally synthetic?
Wear any perfume, use makeup at all?
Do you brush your teeth?
A whole host of products are made using animal products....what makes one use of an animal any better than the other?
Please do additional research and make sure you know all your facts before reaching out to attack another person. And make sure you stay consistent.
If it's awful to me to safely and considerately make an animal useful to other animals, then it's also awful for you to make use of an animal in any way shape or form other than strictly as a companion animal.
Cheers.
have a lovely day.