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Surya Gayatri

(15,445 posts) Sat Jul 11, 2015, 11:06 AM Jul 2015

119

Live Animals Are Stuck Inside These Plastic Keychains [View all]

This bizarre souvenir gives the phrase pocket pets new meaning.

Vendors in China have been selling live animal keychains for years: small plastic bubbles containing trapped turtles, fish, salamanders and frogs.

CNN first reported on them in 2011. The little animals are suspended in brightly colored liquid, often along with beads and other decorations, and are barely able to move.

The water supposedly contains oxygen and nutrients that can keep them alive for a few days.

Of course, animal activists have condemned the keychains as unnaturally cruel, as the animals inevitably die once their oxygen wears away.

In the best case scenario, they're freed from their prisons and end up as pets to people who aren't prepared to care for them.

There's also the psychological cruelty of trapping a sentient animal in a living grave.

Unfortunately it's not the first time animals have featured in unusual fashion trends. In South America, living beetles are covered in gems and worn as brooches. And earlier this year, a watch company unveiled a watch filled with live ants; after receiving widespread public backlash, the company said it was an early April Fool's joke.

https://www.thedodo.com/live-animal-keychains-china-1225684627.html

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Barbaric, cruel and callous. Sorry to say, I'm not at all surprised to find China's 'capitalist' entrepreneurs behind this inhumane trade.

146 replies

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Live Animals Are Stuck Inside These Plastic Keychains [View all] Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 OP

Makes me Faux pas Jul 2015 #1

Sickening, indeed. The very idea of carrying a suffering creature Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #4

Yep Faux pas Jul 2015 #54

And think of the factory farming to produce all of these. cui bono Jul 2015 #67

Disgusting how horrible human beings ARE... n/t chervilant Jul 2015 #106

You ain't seen nothing yet. Enthusiast Jul 2015 #112

Ugh just ugh, AuntPatsy Jul 2015 #2

So many people are absolutely so revolting and cruel. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth always RKP5637 Jul 2015 #3

You have to wonder. When people/customers see the animal Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #6

Unfortunately, I suspect they feel superior and powerful to be able to dispose of life for a dime. freshwest Jul 2015 #17

Or they feel Cute. Cool. Fashionable. BlancheSplanchnik Jul 2015 #70

By blaming just the "capitalists," Igel Jul 2015 #20

Agree about the 'slaughter' of nuisance insects. Get them before they get you, I say. Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #29

I regret some of the things I did to ants also packman Jul 2015 #68

They don't much care about humans there either. Their worker conditions are much worse than ours stevenleser Jul 2015 #115

That is fucked up phantom power Jul 2015 #5

Badly! Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #7

That's horrible! procon Jul 2015 #8

You know what they say about the myriad species Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #10

Bingo - we have a winner. thanks. airplaneman Jul 2015 #84

When I see something like this I can only imagine a galaxy FlatBaroque Jul 2015 #9

Perhaps we are hanging on a celestial keychain which Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #11

We'll make great pets MattBaggins Jul 2015 #22

Like me some Perry Ferrell! nt kjones Jul 2015 #40

Reminds me of a story I read as a kid passiveporcupine Jul 2015 #91

Absolutely disgusting. Humans are so casually cruel, just for profit or a joke or just Nay Jul 2015 #12

It IS, on occasion, very difficult to 'respect' one's fellow man, let alone 'love' them. Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #14

Sick and depraved! Baitball Blogger Jul 2015 #13

The lack of empathy for the evident suffering of Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #15

turtles are vertebrates restorefreedom Jul 2015 #16

Any country that finds dog meat to be a fine delicacy, is suspect in my book. Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #31

Exactly. Duppers Jul 2015 #100

Why is this cruelty culturally acceptable? Do people buy them so they can let them go? lonestarnot Jul 2015 #18

Unfortunately, the animal protection movement in Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #24

Their culture is not known to be humane to 'pets', livestock or zoo animals. Sunlei Jul 2015 #19

Don't even want to contemplate that--SEA WORLD and China? Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #21

proof positive that seaworld's new "we treat them well" campaign restorefreedom Jul 2015 #25

They're definitely on the way down... Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #34

I always imagine one of the Orcas so stressed & 'pushed' to perform going postal- like elephants do, Sunlei Jul 2015 #44

I think it's nearly happened a few times. That's a lot of orca to land on you and your kids. Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #47

They could certainly make that jump without much effort. Sunlei Jul 2015 #52

And that's why I have a real problem with it. AngryOldDem Jul 2015 #61

That is totally inhumane and needs to be stopped now. This is one item we should use jwirr Jul 2015 #23

Wow. That's.Fucked.Up. nt Adrahil Jul 2015 #26

+1,000,000 emmadoggy Jul 2015 #118

I had a post in May about birds being smuggled in plastic pop bottles Omaha Steve Jul 2015 #27

Blatant, flagrant and sickening. Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #35

Fucked up as Sea World. Fred Sanders Jul 2015 #28

I had no idea there was a SEA WORLD in China. Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #36

Indeed, American companies need to stop the animal cruelty as well. Fred Sanders Jul 2015 #45

already open, a huge complex with hotels, and water parks.For their middle class families-keychain Sunlei Jul 2015 #49

Oh, cruelty, thy name is nouveau-riche Chinese consumers. Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #51

ahhh wtf?!?! retrowire Jul 2015 #30

I said "China" before I even opened this. nt alphafemale Jul 2015 #32

It reminds me of the way betta fish are LibDemAlways Jul 2015 #33

If only more children had your sensitivity and tender heart. Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #38

Male Bettas are highly territorial LuvLoogie Jul 2015 #59

I know. I had a betta I inherited from my LibDemAlways Jul 2015 #64

I agree, the cups are a relatively new thing to me LuvLoogie Jul 2015 #71

my god I hate humans so much sometimes... magical thyme Jul 2015 #37

Precisely, in what 'corporate' boardroom did a bunch of sadists Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #43

Its China... GummyBearz Jul 2015 #82

So many humans are absolute scum! I recall down south when they used to stack RKP5637 Jul 2015 #75

I would be in jail if I saw that ... brett_jv Jul 2015 #39

Sickness. Madness. navarth Jul 2015 #41

Ugh. WTF is wrong with people? City Lights Jul 2015 #42

I want to cry. I hate this so much. BlancheSplanchnik Jul 2015 #46

It's really hard to look at. How could anyone want one of those chains-- Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #48

I wouldn't do that to a cockroach awoke_in_2003 Jul 2015 #102

You were a good kid! Sunlei Jul 2015 #50

If China rules the world, there won't be any animals left donna123 Jul 2015 #53

They will have turned all those creatures into some form of table delicacy, Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #55

RIP Baiji dolphin marle35 Jul 2015 #108

Capitalism. Anyway to make a buck. . B Calm Jul 2015 #56

Wow... The karma on that idea tavernier Jul 2015 #57

As it should be, IMO. AngryOldDem Jul 2015 #62

Karma does not exist. GaYellowDawg Jul 2015 #119

Karma notwithstanding, it's pretty SCARY to think that Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #129

I don't know about that... tavernier Jul 2015 #133

And now I have to mea culpa. GaYellowDawg Jul 2015 #141

this is so sick Marrah_G Jul 2015 #58

The Chinese generally have very little respect for any type of animal, including humans. roamer65 Jul 2015 #60

Really REALLY hard to have respect for their cavalier Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #63

This makes me so sad Control-Z Jul 2015 #65

That's horrible! cui bono Jul 2015 #66

Revolting! denvine Jul 2015 #69

Then there's this... Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2015 #72

Gag me with a spoon. Conspicuous, obscene consumption. Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #73

China is responsible for more animal cruelty than any other country in the world red dog 1 Jul 2015 #74

My dubious pleasure, red dog. Wish there weren't things like this to post... Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #77

Tigers harvested for their organs? red dog 1 Jul 2015 #85

No, to be made into traditional Chinese 'remedies'. Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #86

China is the main importer of Rhinoceros horn powder (supposed to be an aphrodisiac) red dog 1 Jul 2015 #88

They don't have much empathy for animals LittleBlue Jul 2015 #76

Is this any worse than what goes on in factory farms? oberliner Jul 2015 #78

Point taken. That's one of the reasons I don't eat meat and Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #80

That is very admirable oberliner Jul 2015 #81

sick! thank u for publicizing this Liberal_in_LA Jul 2015 #79

Again, my unfortunate 'luck' to have happened upon this... Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #83

It does need to be seen. AngryOldDem Jul 2015 #87

this needs to be seen too ... every year in Yulin, China napkinz Jul 2015 #89

The medieval madness just boggles the mind. And, these are the Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #90

This, this in a so-called civilized, modern nation (not for the faint of heart)... Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #93

This message was self-deleted by its author stage left Jul 2015 #92

I can't even begin to wrap my head around this. hifiguy Jul 2015 #94

It's like the most horrendous scenes from some twisted Hollywood horror movie... Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #95

Fucking sickening. Enthusiast Jul 2015 #114

You think this is bad... AZ Progressive Jul 2015 #96

This is when I wish YouTube had never been invented... Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #124

Damn, that is cruel! Uncle Joe Jul 2015 #97

... Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #126

... Uncle Joe Jul 2015 #128

Not surprising Egnever Jul 2015 #98

Notice the female scavenger... StoneCarver Jul 2015 #117

May the Creative Entity bless this humane woman... Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #123

Enough to make you regret belonging to the same species... Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #122

How horrible! BeanMusical Jul 2015 #99

words fail me Lifelong Protester Jul 2015 #101

Fucking monsters get the red out Jul 2015 #103

China is a horrible place for animals. They torture, kill and eat dogs and cats. michaz Jul 2015 #104

It evens out. Some space aliens sell plastic boxes with humans inside as keychains. tclambert Jul 2015 #105

More likely that Robert Rankin will be proved correct hifiguy Jul 2015 #107

This is REALLY disturbing. :_( C Moon Jul 2015 #109

Message auto-removed Name removed Jul 2015 #110

How fucking sick is this? Enthusiast Jul 2015 #111

Message auto-removed Name removed Jul 2015 #113

Mankind is a plague on the earth. There can be no God. IHateTheGOP Jul 2015 #116

with great sadness, i have to agree. n/t restorefreedom Jul 2015 #143

I fucking hate people a la izquierda Jul 2015 #120

I hate lots of them n/t malaise Jul 2015 #131

I don't hate them all... a la izquierda Jul 2015 #139

Fucking people. I mean, we move kids to food stamps and let families go desperate and hungry while jtuck004 Jul 2015 #121

I am struggling to find the words... CrawlingChaos Jul 2015 #125

My dubious pleasure (and duty...) Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #127

I know how you feel CrawlingChaos Jul 2015 #145

Horrible. Reminds me of how they treat human labor. raouldukelives Jul 2015 #130

Just sad. Scuba Jul 2015 #132

China's karma is going to be even worse than what the USA is building up loudsue Jul 2015 #134

Many of them are latter day, nominal Buddhists. You'd think they'd Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #135

K & R for exposure. nt SunSeeker Jul 2015 #136

Horrifying...I'm claustrophobic and identify wholly PCIntern Jul 2015 #137

Wow, PCI, you and me both. Thank god the lift cabin in my building Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #138

I'm pretty good with day to day stuff... PCIntern Jul 2015 #140

What kind of culture would tolerate such cruel, claustrophobic imprisonment? Orrex Jul 2015 #142

thank goodness for tpp restorefreedom Jul 2015 #144

This is beyond disgusting. Calista241 Jul 2015 #146