cats for sale at flea market

so today we went to canton trade days here in texas, its just a HUGE flea market. well after we shopped i wanted to go to the animal section just to see. (i'm like a kid) and whoa! it's kind of gross and disgusting, not all of the animals situation but most are gross.

they had ducks, chickens, goats, birds, hundreds of different breeds of dogs, donkeys, horses.... now it wasnt exactly clean, lots of people, animals getting water out of rusted coffee cans, blah. not all the dogs were treated that way but a lot were.

out of the whole giant mess i saw 3 poor little cats. along beside them were $100 chihauhuas sitting in their own filth. they were not any special breeds or anything, the sign said young cat $10, long hair $30, short hair $20. these cats were filthy and they had black gunk in their eyes. the young cat was the only one i could get to respond.

oh i wanted to buy them all, but couldnt. this just did not sit right with me, it just seems wrong. i don't mind selling a cat, but they were just pathetic looking, no one is going to buy them. well until tomorrow a friend of mine is the neighborhood cat lady. i called her told her what was up and she is going to get them tomorrow. the whole scene was just seedy, if that makes sense, and it stunk and the cats are obviuosly not taken care of. it's just disturbing that for one they are trying to make a 10$ profit from the poor things and that the people let it happen!

Don't you or anyone else dare give these people a single dime. You'll only encourage them and that's not rescuing anything. This does no favors to the next kittens they can round up and shove in a cage to sell. You need to report them for this. If these animals are sitting in their own waste then it is a public health issue and something must be done (at least that's how officials will see it).

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Don't you or anyone else dare give these people a single dime. You'll only encourage them and that's not rescuing anything. This does no favors to the next kittens they can round up and shove in a cage to sell. You need to report them for this. If these animals are sitting in their own waste then it is a public health issue and something must be done (at least that's how officials will see it).

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that is true, i just want to get the poor things out of those cages! i wondered if there was some way or someone to report them too. because it is not just those cats, its a lot of the animals. i just do not know if anything would acutally be done about it. this is a big, huge sale that happens once a month every month. anyone from the area will have heard of it, and this has been going on for a long time.

but i do not think that i am over-reacting as others think. who would i contact? what officials? thanks for any advice...

Originally Posted by katmama

but i do not think that i am over-reacting as others think. who would i contact? what officials? thanks for any advice...

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Do you have a local humane society? Or an animal shelter?? If you do contact them...If you have to contact the local news group and try and get them to do a story on it. The most helpful would be a local animal shelter or rescue group; they would be able to go in and get them out of there. I totally understand how you feel about just wanting to get them out of there...I would too! I hope this help.

I would definitely contact someone. Most people don't bother or care and the cycle of neglect/abuse continues.

1) contact your local animal control.

2) contact the SPCA

Great that you are trying to help. All it takes is the effort of one person to make their lives better. Bless you!

Not all humane societies have any control over things like that. Here we can do nothing in animal abuse cases. Call you local law enforcement center/police.

That's illegal in the UK - sale of live animals at street markets, fairs, and shows is banned. (Largely because markets and fairs cannot be effectively patrolled by animal health/welfare wardens to ensure appropriate welfare, and also due to disease control cos of Foot & Mouth, BSE, and other communicable disease legislation). Contact your relevant political representative to complain about the lack of appropriate legislation that makes if possible for this sort of thing to be legal where you live.

Originally Posted by Epona

Contact your relevant political representative to complain about the lack of appropriate legislation that makes if possible for this sort of thing to be legal where you live.

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Getting it banned isn't likely to happen. In the southern and midwest US, this is very much part of what I guess you'd refer to as our heritage in a way. We commonly have fairs and shows for livestock - and by this I mean the animals are shown, judged, and awarded. During other parts of these fairs some animals are auctioned/sold.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with this provided that the animals are healthy and properly being provided for while on fair/show grounds.
I'm not sure if companion animals are sold at these, though it would make some sense if some of the popular working breeds of dogs are.

Senators or house reps aren't likely to push to ban it for another reason - a lot of them from such areas come from families that have a history in farming and ranching.



Also, Texas has enough animal laws and bills, including some very ridiculous ones (you can't move a turtle off a road down there now, it's considered "hunting"). The state doesn't need more laws, it just needs to enforce the ones it already has.


As I recommended already, the animal waste is a public health issues. Call the health department - they're more likely to send someone out and get something done.

here is the SPCA page on how to report animal abuse:http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cr...l-cruelty.html I know it dosen't say anthing about Texas... but it tells you about other states!

There is an indoor weekend market here and they have some vendors selling animals. Its really sad and disgusting. The puppies and kittens are not cared for at all, they are crammed into tiny cages with hardly no food and little water if any. The birds and other exotics are in even worse conditions. It is heart breaking and nobody seems to care.

I have called and will continue to call on these people. I refuse to stand by and watch people try to profit off of the suffering of living creatures. It is just wrong. It does not take that much effort to put food and water into a cage, to clean the cage and get the animals some playtime. A simple playpen does wonders. I wish it was illegal to sell live animals in places like those.

Originally Posted by anita1216

There is an indoor weekend market here and they have some vendors selling animals. Its really sad and disgusting. The puppies and kittens are not cared for at all, they are crammed into tiny cages with hardly no food and little water if any. The birds and other exotics are in even worse conditions. It is heart breaking and nobody seems to care.

I have called and will continue to call on these people. I refuse to stand by and watch people try to profit off of the suffering of living creatures. It is just wrong. It does not take that much effort to put food and water into a cage, to clean the cage and get the animals some playtime. A simple playpen does wonders. I wish it was illegal to sell live animals in places like those.

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Is that at the Gibraltar Trade Center? Ugh! I have never been to one - there is another in Mt. Clemens. I didn't know they did that there... well.. .that seals it for me. Can't patronize a place like that if they allow bad treatment of animals!!

If that market in MI happens to have a vendor selling turtles or tortoises pay attention to how they word it and the turtles size. If they directly sell turtles under 4 inches they are breaking a federal law. Again, this would go over animal control or aspca's head and straight to fish and game - thus being more likely to get them in trouble if you can get someone out.

Town and city's animal control or ASPCA are often over worked and underfunded. If you can go higher, do so.

What a sad, sad story!!! Definitely call all the cat-rescue societies that you can think of, as well as ask your local district attornery/prosecutor's office & try to find someone who will care. Sending prayers that you get help for those kitties very fast
Kudos to you for getting involved