Pet stores want you to think about how cute the animals in the cages are—they don’t want you to know that for every cute animal on display, there are often thousands suffering and dying horribly behind the scenes in the pet trade.
For more than two months in late 2012, a PETA investigator worked undercover at Global Captive Breeders, a company that bred and sold reptiles and rats in Lake Elsinore, California. PETA’s investigator documented that some of the company’s workers, including its manager—and generally with the full knowledge of its owner, Mitch Behm—neglected thousands of animals, many of them to the point of death, and cruelly killed countless more.
Based on PETA’s evidence, law-enforcement officials entered GCB on December 12 and mounted the largest rescue of neglected rats in U.S. history and the largest seizure of animals ever in California. All the animals—more than 600 reptiles and 18,000 rats—were relinquished by Behm into the city’s custody, and a criminal investigation is underway.
The facility, which reeked of death, decay, and ammonia from accumulated urine and feces, typically housed up thousands of adult rats and hundreds of reptiles, including snakes, monitor lizards, skinks, tokay geckos, and sulcata tortoises, with just two full-time staffers and one part-time helper as mid-December.
Most of the thousands of rats who were kept at GCB were what the pet-trade industry refers to as “feeder” animals―bred and sold to be fed to snakes and other captive carnivorous reptiles kept as “pets.” Because of the facility’s chronic failure to provide animals with even their most basic requirements, the rats were not only doomed to die terrifying, painful deaths inside GCB’s walls but also born into and kept in filth and misery throughout their entire lives.
This rat’s bloody eye deteriorated over the course of eight days, until a worker finally slammed her into a metal rack. She had a violent seizure then was thrown into the trash.
Snakes, skinks, monitor lizards, and other reptiles at GCB were essentially left to die; they were so neglected that in many cases, even their deaths went unnoticed by management for days
The facility was full of snakes, such as this one, who struggled to breathe. PETA’s investigator never saw GCB bring a veterinarian in to see even a single animal.
NEVER shop at a store that sells animals and share this investigation with everyone you know.
PETA has turned over detailed evidence of cruelty to animals at GCB to Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerbach’s office. Please sign the petition below to urge Zellerbach to file criminal charges against all appropriate parties.
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13 days ago
0
This sickens me. Rats are such social loving animals! No animal deserves such treatment. The poor snakes involved in this, how their life would differ if they were allowed to live in nature where they belong.
19 days ago
0
These a holes don’t have a heart!!! How outrageous seeing these poor animals and reptiles like this! I just want to beat the crap of those who abuse animals!!
37 days ago
2
adopt an animal don’t buy it, and if you do, or once you have one, treat it like it is a part of yourself!!!!! not like crap!!
38 days ago
1
I think that people should have to follow rules and have a permit to breed… if they HAVE to breed and can’t go to a shelter to adopt a poor pooch… respect all animals!
47 days ago
1
am i the only one who cried during this whole video?
:(:(:(:(:(:(
51 days ago
0
these people should be left to rot in jail
62 days ago
2
this is disgusting, animals should be treat with more respect, and more laws and restrictions should be put in place on who can keep animals.
http://becyandthebees.blogspot.co.uk/
70 days ago
0
Do they believe they’re god?! Such digust they bring to this world… Their should be “breeder” laws , but wishfully “no breeders” at all
71 days ago
0
all these people who abuse animals and think it is ok need to suffer big time. i could never hurt a poor defenseless animal. who would want to do something like that!!!!!!!!!!
89 days ago
0
What kind of sickos are on this earth?! It’s heartbreaking! Throwing a poor little rat up against a cage wall, and DROWNING them?! Then starving snakes? SICK!!! I hope they all go to prison & suffer as much as these animals did.
91 days ago
1
this breaks my heart!!
94 days ago
0
Why are all these psychopaths watching over these poor animals?
107 days ago
1
Why are there so many horrid human beings in this world???? I am ashamed to be of the same species as these monsters!!
107 days ago
4
How can people just treat animals like they are nothing…it makes my stomach sick just thinking about it.
112 days ago
0
It made me so sick to watch…
121 days ago
1
how dare they???!!! i can’t believe they treat animals as if its just a piece of merchandise!! i can already imagine me punching the breeder’s face
123 days ago
1
criminals! murderers!
126 days ago
1
That is seriously horrendous. Animals aren’t just things we can dispose of them when we want. Just like every single living thing on this Earth it has a heart and each heart deserves to be loved.
128 days ago
0
How could they do that? Just leave a still live animal to die for an entire month? Oh gosh… I’m still shivering from watching the horrible conditions these animals had to live, suffer, and die in.
130 days ago
1
Thank you PETA for helping to take this place down!!
140 days ago
0
I CAN’T BELEVE WHAT I JUST WATCHED ON THE VIDEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! URG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
151 days ago
2
I am absolutely sickened and saddened by what I’ve seen here. These animals literally suffered and lived in pure hell. These individuals have no heart or soul and are living proof that Satan walks in various forms. How anyone can live with themselves after allowing these poor defenseless creatures to suffer and die so senselessly and painfully is unimaginable. May God have mercy on their souls.
152 days ago
1
People need to understand that animals have feelings, just like humans do. they can feel pain, this is horrible!
153 days ago
1
So Sad! I have no words because this is so horiable! I was crying during the video! RIP Little animals!
153 days ago
2
This is very disturbing even for peta material. How can humans be okay with this going on in front of them?
153 days ago
2
As an owner of 2 rats this is the most depressing thing.
154 days ago
2
when the intellectuals will lean the utility of these innocent animals, they are the back bone of the life and nature. we must respect and save them.
154 days ago
1
This is so freaking horrid I don’t know how to cuss at this! Those poor animals!