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An Open Letter To Tractor Supply Company NOTE: The following letter was written by Laurie Montgomery, President of Bunny Rescue of Tennessee, and sent to Tractor Supply Company, a farm and ranch retail store located in forty states, to attempt to end their sales of rabbits as Easter souvenirs. Read Bunny Rescue VP Marlene Richardson's letter here. We are asking our members in those areas where Tractor Supply Company stores are located to contact the company and request that they stop selling rabbits--at Easter or any other time. Email them at customerservice@tractorsupply.comMr. Jim Wright Chief Executive Officer Tractor Supply Company 200 Powell Place Brentwood, TN 37027 Dear Mr. Wright: I am writing you today to ask you to stop selling rabbits in your stores. You may not recall, but I have spoken with you on the phone about this, via conference call, two years ago. I also met with Blake Fohl about this matter four years ago. I requested a meeting with you, but was shuffled off to lunch with Blake, instead, and was told that you were too busy to talk or to meet with me. Our requests to you have been basically ignored, so I am writing to ask you, again, to please put an end to the cruel and inhumane practice of selling live rabbits in your 930 stores as seasonal Easter souvenirs. You don't sell puppies and kittens at Christmas, so why are you selling rabbits at Easter? I would like for you, and all the officers on the board of Tractor Supply Company, to know that we we intend to voice our opinion until it is heard, and intend to boycott your stores locally, and nationally, through our network of the House Rabbit Society until this policy changes. We will broadcast it from the rooftops if necessary. We average 10-15 calls a day throughout the year. Hundreds of these calls are concerning sick and dying rabbits, purchased in your stores at age 4 weeks. Many more calls are about TSC rabbits being dumped in the woods and at pounds. Right now, you are the problem. Why not be an animal friendly retailer who takes a stand to be part of the solution, instead? Promote rabbit adoptions instead of rabbit sales. By doing this, you will be saving the lives of thousands of animals God created and put under our dominion with the burden of RESPONSIBILITY. Proverbs 12:10 says "the godly are concerned for the welfare of the animals." I am asking you to be concerned for the welfare of these rabbits - these thousands and thousands of rabbits you seem to have no regard for. Animals have the same "breath of life" as do humans. (Genesis 7: 15, 22) Instead of destroying life every year, why not save and promote it? The lives of animals do matter to God and should matter to you. We would be happy to work with Tractor Supply Company to educate the public on these wonderful animals if you will stop the irresponsible and cruel practice of selling rabbits. We would be thrilled to introduce information tables in your stores at Easter. I ask you to practice what you preach. "Listen effectively, learn from each other, let ideas live." I challenge you to put into practice your own TSC values and "champion this idea" that we are submitting to you today. "Do the RIGHT, HONEST, ETHICAL thing" as you say. Why not become a HUMANE corporation and follow in the footsteps of other great companies who have changed their policies like PetCo and PetsMart? Educate the public on rabbits instead of selling them. Stop lining the pockets of horrible rabbit breeders who are no different than puppy millers. Why would TSC help to save 84 horses in Bradyville, TN in 2009 and not save rabbits? They have the same breath of live that God breathed into them as well as horses. We are asking you to MAKE THIS CHANGE. In your own words, to "accept it, embrace it, and initiate it." I ask you to initiate this change today. I eaglerly await your response. Sincerely, Laurie Montgomery Founder and President Bunny Rescue |
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 House Rabbit Society is a non-profit rescue and education group. We welcome your feedback and appreciate your donations. Please join today! |