Brookstone Has No Business Selling Animals
By Adam M. Roberts, Executive Vice President of Born Free USA

I have seen a lot in the past quarter-century of animal advocacy. A lot of cruelty. A lot of unthinkable things done to animals in the name of sport, fashion, commerce, and greed.  But I have to say that I was completely caught off-guard when I went into a Brookstone store recently to buy a gift for a dear friend and saw the Frog-o-sphere. Unnecessary. Stupid. Cruel.

Two African dwarf frogs floating aimlessly in a tiny tank with some colored gravel and a single stalk of green bamboo. Shame on Brookstone. I asked the Born Free USA staff to tell Brookstone to stop selling this cruel product. Now I'm asking you to do the same.

My colleagues couldn't believe it so we checked the website, and more importantly, read the reviews from unwitting consumers:

— One of my frogs has already died. The other frog is floating upside down ... but when I touch the tank, his leg moves. I am very sad for the lives of these tiny creatures. ...

— After just 5 days, one frog died. It was sad to see the poor thing spasming out for several minutes before it finally went belly up and stiffened up. The second one doesn't look too well, and may also be dead soon. Once I removed the dead one, the second one went crazy swimming all over the tiny tank as if looking for it's [sic] friend.

Ironically, part of the allure of the product is supposed ease of care for these fragile amphibians. Wild African dwarf frogs can live for years in their natural habitat! And, according to the Centers for Disease Control, African dwarf frogs have been implicated as the source of dangerous transmissions of salmonella infections to children in the past.

While I have seen many bad things done to animals, I have also watched as grassroots animal advocates secured many victories for the wild creatures with which we share the planet. Now is the time to secure another victory for animals!

Please tell Brookstone to stop selling cruelty in a box no more live animal sales!
Click Here to Take Action!

Big Blend Radio - Adam Roberts was a featured guest on The Nature Connection show on June 25, 2010. To listen to the interview with Adam, please click here. To listen to the entire show, please click here.