Suffering, Death at Atlanta-Based National Pet Supplier Revealed in PETA Sting

Authorities Descend on Massive Georgia Animal Warehouse That Supplies Stores Nationwide

For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2010

Contact:
Daphna Nachminovitch 757-622-7382

Atlanta -- This morning, law-enforcement officials entered Sun Pet Ltd., an Atlanta-based supplier of small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and other animals to stores nationwide including PETCO, PetSmart, Pet Supplies "Plus," and Petland. Today's action was prompted by evidence gathered during a three-month PETA investigation, which documented that animals at Sun Pet were cruelly killed, abusively handled, and forced to live in severely crowded, filthy conditions. The following incidents were among the findings of PETA's investigation:

* A worker put hamsters in a plastic bag and bashed the animals against a table.
* PETCO and PetSmart stores returned sick and injured guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, and rats, some of whom were dead upon arrival at Sun Pet.
* Sun Pet bought thousands of animals from unlicensed vendors despite previous warnings from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to desist.
* Sun Pet sold hamsters who were purchased from U.S. Global Exotics (USGE), a company from which more than 26,000 cruelly treated animals were recently seized by authorities following a PETA investigation.

"PETA's investigation uncovered disturbing conditions in which animals were allowed to suffer at Sun Pet," says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "This case confirms that untreated illnesses and injuries are the norm at companies that supply PETCO and PetSmart. At these facilities, animals are treated like disposable objects, and no thought is given to the fact that they are living beings."

PETA has turned evidence over to local, state, and federal law-enforcement agencies for investigation, and the group is calling on PETCO to end the sale of animals in its stores.

For more information and to view the video footage, please visit PETA.org.