Opinion article on caged animals.

Avoid reading this article if not interested in the subject.

It has very little to do with my trip. It contains no updates or summaries.

The purpose of this post is to vent and, since Dacota is working, the internet is that medium. 
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If you care about animals, like them, or find them of more sentient than a piece of concrete, it is best to avoid pet stores, especially in Asia. Having only entered a Petco or other major retailers of animals, feed, and supplies a few times I am shocked that people have the indifference to support that kind of business practice. Multiplied on a greater scale, the pet stores I recently departed from hurt my soul. Designer kitties and puppies caged, starved for attention, love, and probably nourishment cried out for help when walking by. The sadness in their eyes was horrifying. Everywhere one looks, stray dogs and cats roam, yet are left untouched. Far from an argument promoting veganism (as I am not vegan), my intent is to hopefully propose that people consider not supporting buying animals from a breeder-based institution. An entire industry is born out of people's preconceptions about a specific breed of animal. If basing judgment of a person simply based upon skin color, sexual orientation, etc. is prejudice so to then is seek out breeders of a specific animal and purchasing them based on breed alone. Compounded by the simple fact that organizations are based on rescuing animals, some are even breed specific, makes supporting animal breeders unnecessary. Similar to my argument for buying local produced goods, free-range eggs, etc. the only true act of democracy we have is that of purchasing good from a select number of retailers. Money spent at one location not only keeps money out of the hands of another establishment but helps to weaken the financial stability of the unsupported business. Its something to consider at least.

"Rescue is my favorite breed," was a great bumper sticker I saw before I departed to Taiwan. 


We'll see how my argument gets thrown into my face since I elect to financially support other industries that keep animals as slaves of production with the end-game of slaughter. Examples of this include: wool, honey, dairy, eggs, pharmaceuticals, and possibly more. The world of ethics is a slippery foe.