Segundo Quispe (left) and his nephew Maximo Quispe eat guinea pig in a restaurant in Lima, Peru on Oct. 18. Peruvians consume an estimated 65 million guinea pigs each year.
Posted on 01/21/2005 7:42:08 AM PST by zoobee
Pet store animals cooked in school
Fri Jan 21 2005 08:35:35 ET
A Guinea pig and rabbit purchased from a Geauga County pet store ended up on plates at a Cleveland area high school.
A 16-year-old student skinned and cooked the animals during a living skills class on Wednesday, prompting student and parent complaints to the Thompson Township Police Department and Geauga Humane Society. Officials at both agencies said they are investigating.
Friday editions of the CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER detail how the incident may warrant animal cruelty charges.
Geauga Humane Officer Sarah Westman said it's illegal to needlessly kill "companion animals" raised for domestic purposes.
"Something irrational and wrong happened," Westman explained.
Ledgemont Principal Beto Gage acknowledged that "misjudgments" took place but said the boy's actions are far from criminal.
The student - whose name was not released - described what he did in terms of harvesting meat to fix a dish for classmates, Gage said.
The principal described the boy as an active hunter. The Ledgemont district covers the rural communities of Montville and Thompson townships, where killing - and then eating - wild game is fairly common.
The hunt, however, usually doesn't take place at Pet Supplies Plus.
The boy went to the Chardon store and purchased the Guinea pig and rabbit after coming up empty in the great outdoors.
"My skin's crawling over this," said Linda Schempp, a spokeswoman for the pet store chain. "We sell our animals to be family pets - not food."
Developing...
If "life skills" were the motive, I'd have flunked the kid. He probably spent $25 or $30 dollars and got maybe two pounds of meat.
No if he would have gotten a Great Dane from the pound, that's an A!
They provide transportation, insure confidentiality and allow the girls time off for an abortion without aspirin? Ouch.
I am sure all those cute little white mice end up as pets for peoples snakes.
Possum would have been more appropriate
JEEZ... these animals are RODENTS... they are the bottom of the FOOD CHAIN... DEAL WITH IT!
I Bet they don't get all bent out of shape in selling Feeder Mice or Crickets as live food.
Morons.
I don't see this as an "animal cruelty" or "lack of empathy" situation. The kid is a hunter and tried to obtain some wild game to cook for his class assignment. When he came up empty, he procured his "game" from a store.
How is that significantly different from buying an animal from a farm for slaughter? For that matter, how is it significantly different from buying a steak from the butcher? You know, some people do keep farm animals as pets (or "companion animals" as I guess they are now called).
People have become too politically-correct and, ironically, too far removed from the basics of nature and survival.
Next it will be cats and dogs for this kid.....in fact, I would not be surprised if his daddy already cooked some up for the family.
Actually, no - I hear they're arranging for a sport-fishing trip to the aquatics department at Petsmart.
The rabbit, I can understand... but a Guinea pig? :|I forget which South American country uses guinea's as a food staple.
Segundo Quispe (left) and his nephew Maximo Quispe eat guinea pig in a restaurant in Lima, Peru on Oct. 18. Peruvians consume an estimated 65 million guinea pigs each year.
They were out of doormice and cuy.
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Does the pet store gal think mice and other fuzzies sell to become "friends?" Fuzzies are on the bottom of the warm food chain. If high school kids don't eat them, then the snakes owned by the high school kids will. Pet store gals know that . . . |
Guinea pigs are commonly eaten in Peru. The Aztecs 9?, some native american bunch) raised them and used them for trade and custom. Had some pig when I was there.
see #30
I take it you've never tried smoked guinea pork loin, guinea baby back ribs, guinea bacon, etc. ?
Kid reminds me of the Chinese guide's explanation of the Chinese diet.
"We eat anything with four legs - but the table, and anything with wings and a tail - except an airplane."
People have become too politically-correct and, ironically, too far removed from the basics of nature and survival.It's not ironic at all... it makes perfect sense, actually.
My sister was once bitten by a lagomorph.
Guinea barbeque!
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