Frogs sold at Hallmark store in plastic box?

[disney_mommy]

After 18 months of protests, thousands of calls and e-mails, and appearances outside Brookstone stores by our giant "frog," Brookstone has finally decided to pull a cruel product called the "Frog-O-Sphere" from its shelves!

PETA started campaigning against the tiny plastic frog prisons after receiving complaints from Brookstone customers and after a whistleblower reported that frogs and snails housed in the tiny 4-inch-by-4-inch plastic boxes were neglected, deprived of veterinary care and adequate food, and kept in filthy water. The whistleblower told PETA that when frogs became obviously ill and "unsaleable," they were moved to the stores' storage rooms, where they often wasted away and died.

PETA's undercover investigation of Wild Creations—the company that came up with the idiotic idea of throwing two frogs and some gravel into a container smaller than a shoebox and leaving them there for their entire lives—revealed filthy conditions and deadly neglect. In some cases, frogs were so hungry that that they chewed each other's legs off.

Brookstone joins Magic Beans, Target, and other retailers that have stopped selling these cruel products, but Coach House Gifts is still selling frogs in "EcoAquariums" to make an easy buck. In one shipment to Coach House Gifts, 37 out of 40 frogs died after they were left in a container so long that they suffered from heat prostration. Please take a moment to urge the company to stop selling its deadly EcoAquariums.

 

[sandramaac]

wow, a little frog in a aquarium turns into a controversy

my mom was a card carrying member of peta way back in the 1970's, she protested against the slaughter of the baby seals, all her dogs were rescue dogs, she never wore any kind on fur, and I too follow her beliefs

however, hidden camera reports on frogs---I am sorry but that is bit over the top for me---might as well as not allow anyone to own any sort of pet---peta needs to spend their $$ on more pressing aninal cruelty issues

 

[disney_mommy]

wow, a little frog in a aquarium turns into a controversy

my mom was a card carrying member of peta way back in the 1970's, she protested against the slaughter of the baby seals, all her dogs were rescue dogs, she never wore any kind on fur, and I too follow her beliefs

however, hidden camera reports on frogs---I am sorry but that is bit over the top for me---might as well as not allow anyone to own any sort of pet---peta needs to spend their $$ on more pressing aninal cruelty issues

Frogs are less worthy of humane treatment than other animals?

 

[sjs314]

This thread caught my attention, the litte frogs look to be the "African Frogs" my son had in the mid-seventies, we bought ours from a pet store just like you did fish, kept them in in aquarium and fed them I believe tubiflex worms? Ours lived for quite a few years I want to say 5 or 6 years. I can not imagine keeping them in a little closed box forever, it seems cruel as they are quite lively and enjoy a larger space to live.

 

[PollyannaMom]

We have some that came that way, but we transfered them to a bigger tank (castle, plants, fancy rocks, the whole works) - partly so the cat can't push it off the shelf, and partly to make the little critters happier. The cube just seemed small to me. You can also get more info by searching "African Dwarf Frogs".

 

[momrek06]

Wow, how odd … go to Hallmark; buy a card or two, a Yankee Candle and a FROG!

 

[Beachbumpirates]

I am going to ignore all the SILLY controversy and let you know OP we have 2 of these and love them! We even gave 2 to both my Grandmas for Mother's Day last year and they love theirs too. They have brought great joy to our grandmothers as they can put them on their kitchen table and watch them swim. Ours are going on 6 years old and seem to be doing great. We leave them with a friend when we go out of town and usually they end up getting their baby frogs own once we get home and take ours back. I believe they are Dwarf African Frogs - about 1" in length. Good luck!

 

[disney_mommy]

I am going to ignore all the SILLY controversy and let you know OP we have 2 of these and love them! We even gave 2 to both my Grandmas for Mother's Day last year and they love theirs too. They have brought great joy to our grandmothers as they can put them on their kitchen table and watch them swim. Ours are going on 6 years old and seem to be doing great. We leave them with a friend when we go out of town and usually they end up getting their baby frogs own once we get home and take ours back. I believe they are Dwarf African Frogs - about 1" in length. Good luck!

Why is stating a fact silly? And why the condescending attitude?

 

[cassiez76]

i love those little frogs. i had a bunch of them. i got them in the aquarium at walmart and they were called african clawed frogs.

i had ferdinand and would buy him the little ghost shrimp as treats. i had one of those little tanks for him. he somehow got out. mom found him down the hall then he got out again, but i think this time sassypants (cat) found him. we never found him

so i got 2 (ferdi 2 and claude the clawed frog ) the next time, i really missed that little frog! i got a bigger tank and cleaned it all the time, i watched them constantly, they were a great source of entertainment. it was also peaceful watching them too after my dad died.

when hurricane katrina struck, i hurried to walmart and got one of those little ice tea jugs (with the spigot)...it was the only container i could find to take my babies in. i ended up buying a giant tank on our month and a half "vacation".

they lived for 4 years. and when i see my tank in the garage on the shelf, i think i should really go get another one.

you can feed them the pellets or the little ghost shrimp. they are teeny tiny, no longer than a small pinky toe. you have to becareful though because if they eat too many they could get sick. i've never seen the shrimp at petsmart, just at walmart and that was few and far between.

also they do get to grow bigger. i was told the bigger the tank you put them in, the bigger they will get.

for those of you who get the little frogs, enjoy them! they are wonderful little fellas!

 

[Beachbumpirates]

Why is stating a fact silly? And why the condescending attitude?

Well Andrea, against my better judgement ( and because the only thing on tv is the President) I am going to reply:

I stated SILLY because the OP had one question and made one statement - they questioned the type of frog and the plastic tank as it's environment as not being conducive. A simple question - not a fuel sparking debate about the unethical treatment of frogs. The OP just wanted to know what the frogs were that their DS wanted.

So no, I did not state a fact was silly and had no such suggested condescending attitude - just wanted to tell what kind of frogs they are.

The End

 

[princessmom29]

After 18 months of protests, thousands of calls and e-mails, and appearances outside Brookstone stores by our giant "frog," Brookstone has finally decided to pull a cruel product called the "Frog-O-Sphere" from its shelves!

PETA started campaigning against the tiny plastic frog prisons after receiving complaints from Brookstone customers and after a whistleblower reported that frogs and snails housed in the tiny 4-inch-by-4-inch plastic boxes were neglected, deprived of veterinary care and adequate food, and kept in filthy water. The whistleblower told PETA that when frogs became obviously ill and "unsaleable," they were moved to the stores' storage rooms, where they often wasted away and died.

PETA's undercover investigation of Wild Creations—the company that came up with the idiotic idea of throwing two frogs and some gravel into a container smaller than a shoebox and leaving them there for their entire lives—revealed filthy conditions and deadly neglect. In some cases, frogs were so hungry that that they chewed each other's legs off.

Brookstone joins Magic Beans, Target, and other retailers that have stopped selling these cruel products, but Coach House Gifts is still selling frogs in "EcoAquariums" to make an easy buck. In one shipment to Coach House Gifts, 37 out of 40 frogs died after they were left in a container so long that they suffered from heat prostration. Please take a moment to urge the company to stop selling its deadly EcoAquariums.

Just to let you know, quoting PETA actually makes it much less likely that I will take anything you say seriuosly. Most people I know feel the same way .PETA has zero credability with many peole these days. They kill more animals than any other shelter. They would rather kill the dogs and cats in their care than rehome them. That is a deal breaker for me.

 

[Scurvy]

OP, I haven't seen frogs at Hallmark so I'm not sure if I'm familiar with the same kind of frog, but my younger sister bought one of those "Grow-a-Frog" kits at a toy store thinking it would be a cute pet. She ended up getting him a different aquarium because she thought he'd be happier in it. She has since grown up, gotten married and moved out, and my mother has inherited the frog since they were afraid he wouldn't survive a move. He's 22 years old now. My mother takes great care of him, feeding him and cleaning his aquarium every few days. She likes him, but I'm sure that if she knew how many years she'd be caring for him, she would have made sure that my sister went home from that store with something else instead.

 

[twinmomplus2new]

They are African claw frogs. We had one from a grow a frog kit. Named froggy. He loved to be 12 and we adored him! The males sing when they reach maturity. And boy did he sing every time he saw me. Sadly it was a little flattering.
he passed and we got 2 more so they would not be lonley...

UH HUH.... One was male and one was female. afte about 6mts they started mating I will spare you the details of that but lets say there was no doubt.
Called the pet store they said no worries the eggs will never come to fruition.
UUUHHH huh. came home to hundreds yes hundreds of eggs they kind of stick them to the side of the tank.
don't worry they are not fertilized.

UUUUHHHH HUH
We wound up with over a 200 or more tadpoles. called schools brought them to schools for life science lessons. found out that just like humans they mature at differant rates. So had to seperate them by size. At one point I had tanks all over my house. it got really weird here for a awhile.

Gave the babies to everyone. Ended up keeping about 10 or so? FYI we had to regular frogs to start and almost a third of the offspring were Albino.
When they were bigger than an ornage we gave them to the pet store to rehome. Mom and Dad died.
And i bought another frog... just one a male named Fernando.
Public service announcement. if you buy 2. Once they mature about 6mts. you can determine males from females. the males will get dark markings on the insides of the fore arms. and the front claws interior of feet will darken as well. females will not.

 

[{Kat}]

Just to let you know, quoting PETA actually makes it much less likely that I will take anything you say seriously. Most people I know feel the same way PETA has zero credibility with many people these days. They kill more animals than any other shelter. They would rather kill the dogs and cats in their care than re-home them. That is a deal breaker for me.

I don't believe anything PETA has to say anymore either. After I found out how the euthanize dogs and cats I was Disgusted and refuse to support anything they do now Unless I do my own research on it first.

 

[Tinijocaro]

That's a pretty funny story! Must have been agreat science lesson for your kids.

They are African claw frogs. We had one from a grow a frog kit. Named froggy. He loved to be 12 and we adored him! The males sing when they reach maturity. And boy did he sing every time he saw me. Sadly it was a little flattering.
he passed and we got 2 more so they would not be lonley...

UH HUH.... One was male and one was female. afte about 6mts they started mating I will spare you the details of that but lets say there was no doubt.
Called the pet store they said no worries the eggs will never come to fruition.
UUUHHH huh. came home to hundreds yes hundreds of eggs they kind of stick them to the side of the tank.
don't worry they are not fertilized.

UUUUHHHH HUH
We wound up with over a 200 or more tadpoles. called schools brought them to schools for life science lessons. found out that just like humans they mature at differant rates. So had to seperate them by size. At one point I had tanks all over my house. it got really weird here for a awhile.

Gave the babies to everyone. Ended up keeping about 10 or so? FYI we had to regular frogs to start and almost a third of the offspring were Albino.
When they were bigger than an ornage we gave them to the pet store to rehome. Mom and Dad died.
And i bought another frog... just one a male named Fernando.
Public service announcement. if you buy 2. Once they mature about 6mts. you can determine males from females. the males will get dark markings on the insides of the fore arms. and the front claws interior of feet will darken as well. females will not.

 

[LukenDC]

I had thought about getting my nephews a frog tank from Brookstone (I was unaware of the controversy), but then read the warning on the box that amphibians can carry salmonella. So, I gave them Sea Monkeys instead, which was a very popular gift.

 

[Christopher Robin]

I had thought about getting my nephews a frog tank from Brookstone (I was unaware of the controversy), but then read the warning on the box that amphibians can carry salmonella. So, I gave them Sea Monkeys instead, which was a very popular gift.

Hey, Sea Monkeys are people, too!

Nah, j/k. They're cool.

 

[agnes!]

Speaking of pets living long lives...

My aunt has a macaw (or parrot?...not sure which) that is at least 56 years old, the family has owned "Stella" since she was a baby.

And I had no idea frogs could live such long lives.

agnes!

 

[sjs314]

They are African claw frogs. We had one from a grow a frog kit. Named froggy. He loved to be 12 and we adored him! The males sing when they reach maturity. And boy did he sing every time he saw me. Sadly it was a little flattering.
he passed and we got 2 more so they would not be lonley...

UH HUH.... One was male and one was female. afte about 6mts they started mating I will spare you the details of that but lets say there was no doubt.
Called the pet store they said no worries the eggs will never come to fruition.
UUUHHH huh. came home to hundreds yes hundreds of eggs they kind of stick them to the side of the tank.
don't worry they are not fertilized.

UUUUHHHH HUH
We wound up with over a 200 or more tadpoles. called schools brought them to schools for life science lessons. found out that just like humans they mature at differant rates. So had to seperate them by size. At one point I had tanks all over my house. it got really weird here for a awhile.

Gave the babies to everyone. Ended up keeping about 10 or so? FYI we had to regular frogs to start and almost a third of the offspring were Albino.
When they were bigger than an ornage we gave them to the pet store to rehome. Mom and Dad died.
And i bought another frog... just one a male named Fernando.
Public service announcement. if you buy 2. Once they mature about 6mts. you can determine males from females. the males will get dark markings on the insides of the fore arms. and the front claws interior of feet will darken as well. females will not.

Thank you for the very informative post, I am guessing now that ours were maybe two females, I do not recall any dark markings on them nor did we ever have any eggs or population explosion....I had to laugh reading about your tanks all over the house since when I was a young girl we had the same thing with our guppies

 

[disney_mommy]

Well Andrea, against my better judgement ( and because the only thing on tv is the President) I am going to reply:

I stated SILLY because the OP had one question and made one statement - they questioned the type of frog and the plastic tank as it's environment as not being conducive. A simple question - not a fuel sparking debate about the unethical treatment of frogs. The OP just wanted to know what the frogs were that their DS wanted.

So no, I did not state a fact was silly and had no such suggested condescending attitude - just wanted to tell what kind of frogs they are.

The End

My intention was not to spark a debate. The OP asked a question and I gave my information. And, though you may not have meant it, your post was in fact condescending, beginning with the word 'silly' in all caps.

Just to let you know, quoting PETA actually makes it much less likely that I will take anything you say seriuosly. Most people I know feel the same way .PETA has zero credability with many peole these days. They kill more animals than any other shelter. They would rather kill the dogs and cats in their care than rehome them. That is a deal breaker for me.

I don't believe anything PETA has to say anymore either. After I found out how the euthanize dogs and cats I was Disgusted and refuse to support anything they do now Unless I do my own research on it first.

Because a company made mistakes does not invalidate all of their other research. I agree they lost their sheen for me as well, but their research is solid and backed by witnesses and videos. As far as the frog-o-spheres are concerned, I know the truth, and felt anyone else considering these deserved it as well.

But just in case, here is one more article from a Florida newpaper that came to the same conclusion about these animals:

OC Weekly - Local animal activists have joined a national campaign blasting gadgets store Brookstone, Inc., which has five Orange County locations, for selling a most unusual gift: the "Frog-O-Sphere Ecosystem" with two live African dwarf frogs.

Saying that Kermit-Mutumbos are "imprisoned in tiny tanks next to gadgets and other gift items at hundreds of mall locations around the country," the latest alert from Orange County People for Animals (OCPA) alleges Brookstone "misinforms customers about the sensitive needs of these wild animals, who are destined to spend their entire lives circling endlessly in plastic prisons."

"These animals are native to tropical and sub-tropical Africa, where they spend their time swimming and playing in shallow water in the forest," OCPA continues. "African dwarf frogs can live for five to 18 years, but Brookstone callously offers a one-year warranty on their lives."


And here is a video of the Suppliers of the frogs, Wild Creations.