ATTENTION ALL LUSH CUSTOMERS: Lush has joined the ranks of the Humane Society of the Unites States (HSUS) and PETA to wage a war against the “captive keeping and breeding of exotic animals”. What they either fail or refuse to realize is that the definition of exotic animal is any non-native, non-domesticated animal. That’s right. Every angel fish, every Guinea pig, every alpaca, every snake, ALL fall under this category. They have responded to quite a few comments reiterating their stance, and this is not a hoax (I can provide links later).
They are not only coming after private ownership, but zoos, aquariums, and farms as well. They’re intentions, while good, are terribly misguided with the notion that we get all of our animals from the wild. ALL animals (dogs, cats, horses, cows) that are currently kept as pets have ancestry from wild animals. It’s an unavoidable truth! But, like these animals, the majority of these exotic animals have been bred in captivity for generations upon generations. Exotic animal import and export is but a small fraction of captive ownership, depending largely on the species, and it is already heavily regulated by the individual countries of origin. Additionally, certain countries REACH OUT to captive breeding programs in zoos and aquariums worldwide in an effort to SAVE heavily threatened species! If it weren’t for the efforts of captive breeding programs, there are hundreds of species that would be lost as we speak.
Want another example?? The American Alligator was on the brink of EXTINCTION before people took charge with captive breeding efforts to establish alligator farms. We could not stop the demand for them as food, or their hides for other uses (much like beef and leather), so instead we turned to captive breeding to establish farms that would give the public a sustainable source for these goods and a way to learn about them without harming the wild population. Without the efforts of people like us, who have been uniquely called to be passionate about animals some people may not understand, an iconic species of this country would have been lost to ignorance and apathy.
Lush, PETA, and HSUS are making NO distinction between responsible pet ownership, species survival plans via captive breeding, the LIFESAVING research of captive venomous and poisonous animals for medicinal use (that doesn’t harm the animal since it is their toxins that are collected, not the animal), people who keep exotic animals for the sale of sustainable goods (I.e. wool), and the illegal pet trade. Why on earth would they join the ranks to condemn us all for the actions of a few?
If you or anyone you know not only loves but relies on providing exotic animals or exotic animal goods to adults and children alike as part of their passion and livelihood, I implore you to boycott this brand. We need to show them that siding with extremist animal activists for the sake of sales will NOT be tolerated.
