A PETA investigation uncovered cruelty on a level that is almost too heinous to describe. Petco has since stopped doing business with Holmes, and a federal investigation is underway by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). These are steps in the right direction, but as long as Holmes is open, and businesses like Petsmart continue to buy its animals, the suffering will continue.

There is currently no time frame for the USDA probe. Many of these animals won’t survive long enough for it to conclude. Please join me in calling on the Secretary of the USDA to shut down Holmes Chinchilla Ranch and Other Small Animals Inc. immediately.

A quick search will return videos of animals at Holmes being stored in airless plastic bins, often without water. There appears to be no veterinary care, and sick animals either waste away in crowded cages, covered in their own filth, or are stuffed into coolers by the dozens and crudely gassed. Their screams can be heard from across the warehouse.  

Imagine the physical and mental state of these animals once they’re shipped, often hundreds of miles, to pet stores. Many of them arrive so sick that the store refuses to accept them, and they are sent back to endure more torture. Many don’t survive the return trip. We cannot tolerate such cruelty. We must take action now.

Please call on the USDA to shut down Holmes Chinchilla Ranch and Other Small Animals Inc. immediately.

https://www.change.org/p/tom-vilsack-shut-down-this-cruel-animal-breeder