Live animals used in keychains

[Catherine]

It seems that in China you can buy a keychain with a live animal trapped inside it. Mostly they die in a few days when their oxygen runs out. It seems particularly cruel to take a baby animal and seal it in plastic and let it die slowly. They struggle to escape, but escape is not possible. They are essentially entombed while still alive.
Who sells such things and who buys such things? Who thought this up?

https://www.thedodo.com/live-animal-keyc...84627.html

Is there no end to the new ways we come up with to be cruel to animals?

[LPC]

This would probably be illegal in many countries. I posted about this practice a few years ago on another (non-animal) forum.

The problem is that China still does not have any animal welfare laws. Until such laws are passed, and/or public awareness of animal cruelty increases greatly, the prospects are not good, sadly to say. These appalling keyrings are sold by street corner vendors to ordinary Chinese people, who seem to think it amusing or original to watch a baby creature struggling in a tiny plastic bag.

[Tobi]

I honestly feel there has to be something quite psychotic about anyone who can witness a tiny living creature struggle to survive inside a closed space like this, and all the time knowing it will only last a few days! What do they think it's doing? Waving at them? Oh my goodness. I had no idea these keyrings were still being sold. I thought they'd been banned....
How do we get them banned?

Okay I found these petitions:
http://forcechange.com/70233/end-the-sal...keychains/

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Pet...ne/?pv=519

http://www.rivoice.net/petitions/ban-liv...hains.html

[Catherine]

I am glad there are petitions and people really care about the little animals.Somehow this has to be stopped.

The animals are all babies and they start dying from the moment they are sealed in the key chains. Who can watch this and not want to free them. I agree, there is something quite strange about anyone who would buy or sell one of these babies.