A Visit To The Pet Shop

Yesterday I collected "The Girls" after school and drove them down to the pet shop where their Mum is working part-time. After school they belong to the Runner's Club and meet on the school oval once a week before setting off to see how many laps of the large field they can complete in about 40 minutes. This club is run by a few teachers and parents who realise the value of exercise for children and in only 2 weeks J. had improved by 4 laps and O. by 2....several parents ran or walked the laps too and it was a very sociable event.

The "Girls" pause in their running for a kodak moment with Nana , they're given a ticket each time they pass the start and these earn points for their faction.

After the running we jumped into my car and had a drink and a snack, they had fresh strawberries and a chocolate cake with them and I added a banana each.....bananas have been as dear as $17 a kilo here after the Queensland Floods at the beginning of the year so we haven't been eating them! Then we drove to the shop and were welcomed by Kristie...I took a few photos after admiring the clean cages and healthy, calm pets for sale...there are puppies, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, fish, budgies, finches and weiros, my favourite small parrot. The shop has an emphasis on horse gear so there was plenty of that too.

Even a vintage horse magazine from 1971...

A very beautiful lop-eared mother rabbit...she's not for sale. Lastly I was very impressed by this large sign next to the kitten enclosure...sterilise your cat or it would be better if you didn't buy one!

My friend, Natalie, is involved with an animal shelter in Michigan, USA, and the very sad tales she tells of beautiful animals abandoned, mistreated and then euthanised make me angry and sad....please consider the need for neutering your pet before you buy a dog or cat.

edited to add...this is the group Natalie is associated with Fur to Feathers Pet Rescue, click on the title for the link.