Should there be some kind of oversight required?

[The Moonshiner]

For the rest, I was like "Yeah"... but for this, "Ummm".
Monopoly corporate interests control so much of the business world that finding a place to work with decent morals is a joke. Workers are forced to compartmentalize and accept employment to survive.

You are probably correct for most people and most locations. Sometimes I forget I live in a different world than most. I'm from a rural area that is littered with small towns.
There's not a lot of corporate here or at least not as like in the city. The few fast food places around are probably as close to corporate as we get. A lot of places here are their only location or they might have 2 or 3.
The downside is you don't get rich working here. Lots of people commute the one hour drive to the city where I imagine it is more corporate like you speak. Some of us don't want to be in that world and if you're willing to work you can usually find something. Again, it won't pay like corporate but you don't have to compromise your values or priorities. After reading your post I get what you're saying. People need jobs and people want good paying jobs so you got to do what you got to do.

 

[Gezellige_Poes]

It's of comfort to chat with like-minded people. So much we simply have no control over. Perhaps you know the story of the starfish saver? There are various versions of this story, but essentially, there was a young lad walking the shore, tossing starfish back into the ocean, rescuing them from certain death as the tide ebbed. An elderly man was watching with curiosity, and asked the lad what he was hoping to accomplish. For as far as the eye could see, starfish were stranded and there was no way he could save them all. As the young lad picked up the next starfish to help him to safety he replied, "To this one I have made all the difference." And that is how I have survived navigating the world of animal abuse.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

When you buy a fish in a pet store, the seller does not ask you if you have a proper aquarium, if it has a light, a thermometer, filters or a bubbler. He just takes your money and sells you the fish. If you buy a budgie, he doesn't ask if you have a proper cage, feeder, waterer, cuttlebone, mirror, toys, etc. Well, they might, if they know their business, trying to upsell you, but not because they are concerned about the bird's welfare. More in order to sell product. We would not want these things mandated or regulated, would we? And how practical would it be? "Sorry, can't sell you a fish unless you can prove you have a proper and adequate home for it." How would that work exactly? Not practical at all. Same with selling chicks, rabbits, puppies or any other animal. If people spend money on an animal, can't take proper care of it and it dies, hopefully the hit to their pocketbook leaves them a little wiser. It's too bad for the animal, certainly. But I don't see a better way, practically speaking.

 

[Project Blue]

One thing to consider, if you over regulate the big corporations take advantage and things get crazy expensive. They have done this with the pet industry. I'm old enough to remember when it cost less to take your dog to vet than your kids. Same thing with people food. You now pay more to feed your dog pound for pound than yourself. Back when we were "ignorant" about feeding our pets my dog lived to 18 and a cat got to 21. Right now I can run my cows through the large animal vet for a tiny fraction of what it costs a dog. There's always going to be cruel and dumb people, but too much legislation will not be beneficial small farmers or back yard chicken owners. Cruel and dumb people don't follow laws anyhow.

 

[Gezellige_Poes]

Cruel and dumb people don't follow laws anyhow.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Certain locally-owned pet stores will refuse to sell animals (even fish) to a customer if they’re unequipped to care for them. So yes, I believe there should be at least that much oversight.

 

[Project Blue]

Certain locally-owned pet stores will refuse to sell animals (even fish) to a customer if they’re unequipped to care for them. So yes, I believe there should be at least that much oversight.

What you see as a culture of good, I see as a gimmick to sell products. Those particular stores on a corporate level try to create an environment where the spenders are good people and if you don't buy their products you are a bad, bad person. Fish only costs a couple of dollars, the products supporting a fish are way way above their intrinsic value. Selling a pet does not make them money. Notice how TV commercials have a gangster killing one of his own, a couple breaking up, just because someone questions buying refrigerated dogfood? Any kind of government regulation will just be added on fees and hard to regulate with chickens and the desired result won't happen. Despite decades of campaigning for people to neuter dogs for example, animals shelters and rescues are still chock full. I can't tell you how many dumped dogs and cats on my farm I've had to deal with out of my own pocket, despite paying yearly for dog tags for my own dog. You can get your car towed for the same amount with AAA faster than get a dog picked up or cared for. It's already a given you can sell to whoever you want unless you are discriminating against someone based on race, religion or the like. The big chicken and egg industries and retailers would like nothing more than to regulate small chicken owners to death.

 

[Charlotteak]

I definitely don’t want more oversight. I don’t want anyone checking up on my chickens . This is devastating though. I don’t know what could be done. Maybe more info sent home with each purchase. A hatchery I ordered from sent me a link full of chicken care essentials and what to have on hand BEFORE picking up my order. But that still leaves room for people to ignore the info.

 

[Charlotteak]

I definitely don’t want more oversight. I don’t want anyone checking up on my chickens . This is devastating though. I don’t know what could be done. Maybe more info sent home with each purchase. A hatchery I ordered from sent me a link full of chicken care essentials and what to have on hand BEFORE picking up my order. But that still leaves room for people to ignore the info.

The spontaneous purchases are likely the problem. People aren’t planning ahead, they just get excited and buy at the moment. Too bad there isn’t a holding period. Like buy the chicks and take home the next day. That wouldn’t be as successful for the feed stores.

 

[saysfaa]

...Too bad there isn’t a holding period. Like buy the chicks and take home the next day. That wouldn’t be as successful for the feed stores.

That would work a lot better for people who live less than an hour from the nearest feed store than for those of us who don't.