Birds Are Born to Fly, But “Caged Birds” Waste Away Behind Bars
Approximately 20 million non-native birds are currently kept in cages in American homes. Most of these birds come from animal traffickers or “caged bird” trade shows and expos. Multiple investigations, including PETA’s breaking investigation into Creekside Birds, a breeder tied to PetSmart, Petco, and others, have shown that breeders confine birds to crowded, dirty cages where they cannot move freely or even stretch their wings. Breeders then snatch chicks from their mothers to sell for a profit.
Conditions rarely improve once birds are taken into homes: about 85 percent of parrots are resold, given away, or abandoned within two years of being purchased – treated as disposable objects rather than the individuals they are. Others suffer unbearable isolation, neglect, become more depressed and despondent, and can even become aggressive. Many bird species live for decades, often outliving their human companions. These are some of the reasons many cities around the country have banned the sale of birds altogether!
In their natural habitats, these social and intelligent animals are never alone. Birds spend their days preening each other, playing, flying together, and sharing knowledge with future generations. They call out wildly if separated from their flockmates, and many form lifelong pair bonds.
Birds have a right to their freedom – forcing birds to languish behind bars is never okay, but YOU can help stop this cruelty by taking the actions below:
1. Please take action on PETA’s investigation into a parakeet breeder in animal traffickers’ supply chains! Urge PetSmart, Petco, and Petland to stop selling birds—and let them know you won’t shop at their stores until they do so.
2. Spread awareness by sharing PETA’s investigation on Facebook. Click the “share” arrow at the bottom of the image, set the draft to public, and tag @Petco and @PetSmart in your post!
Note: clicking to share will open a new window to Facebook.
3. Visit PetSmart’s, Petco’s, and Petland’s social media pages to demand an end to the sale of birds and all animals. Let them know you won’t shop at their stores until they stop trafficking animals. Feel free to reference our talking points for inspo!
Talking points
- PETA has alerted you repeatedly for years to the suffering in your supply chain, but you continue to sell animals and bankroll this misery. Until your company stops selling animals, I refuse to be your customer.
- Thousands of parakeets were found stacked from floor to ceiling in tiny wire cages, coated with filth and littered with the decomposing bodies of other birds at Creekside Birds. Please immediately stop trafficking animals!
- Instead of flight and freedom, the birds trafficked in the pet trade know only filth and fear! Until your company stops selling them, I will not step foot in your stores or shop on your website—not even for supplies—and I will urge my family and friends to do the same.
Do you know of a caged bird in trouble? Please report it to the local authorities immediately. If they are unresponsive, then contact PETA at 757-622-PETA.
Thank you for your compassion for animals.
