A garden centre in the Trader area is to stop selling pets in a move commended by Britain's largest animal rights group, Animal Aid. Wyevale Garden Centre, in Findern - which is part of a chain - still has some pets for sale, believed to include rabbits and guinea pigs. But the Burton Road centre will be 'selling these until they are sold out', said a member of staff. A spokesman for Animal Aid said the group was 'absolutely delighted' over the decision. The spokesman told the Trader: "Garden centres are totally unsuitable environments in which to sell animals and encourage impulse buying by customers who will have gone to purchase plants, not pets." So far, there has been no announcement to phase out the sale of ornamental fish by concessionaires operating within the company's stores. Animal Aid says it will be pressing Wyevale to stop these sales, too. The animal rights group is claiming the decision by Wyevale as a victory following a 16-month campaign. But a spokesman for Wyevale denied this was the case. Barry Stevenson, chief executive of Wyevale Garden Centres, said: "This decision follows a complete review of Wyevale's business over the last few months by its new management team. We will now concentrate on growth areas like pet and wildlife foods, pet accessories and other pet equipment. "Wyevale is proud of its excellent record of responsible trading, not just in relation to pets but also in other areas of proper ethical concern to our customers and the public generally." Meanwhile, Animal Aid claims that animals 'bought on a whim' often find themselves neglected or abandoned at already hard-pressed rescue centres once their 'novelty' has worn off. Wyevale is the second biggest retailer of pets in the country, with animals being sold in about half of its 114 stores. Animal Aid director Andrew Tyler said the group had offered to help re-home some of the animals at Wyevale Garden Centres in suitable, pre-checked homes. The group also said the move by Wyevale marked the second major success in its campaign to afford better protection for domestic animals. It said a three-year campaign against DIY chain Focus culminated in the company ceasing to sell animals last year. l What do you think of the way in which pets are sold? Email your views to burton_trader@mrn.co.uk | 
