was I unreasonable to refuse to go an aquarium on welfare grounds

I think “it’s not for me “ was all that was needed

I don’t think you were at all unreasonable OP. I absolutely agree with you. Animals for entertainment is just not something I can get on board with.

My views on it aside, you are always entitled to your own opinion & actions anyway. I found that some of my ‘mum friends’ and I naturally drifted once we realised we have different core views and the only common ground was having a child.

Why should OP lie when others can just respect her decision to not go. She didn’t ask them not to go.

Its fair enough if that's what you think op but you risk not making friends with some of the group. It sounds like you're a cat who thinks for itself though so that's probably fine with you.

Good for you OP. I would have done exactly the same.i don't go to aquariums, zoos, circuses or theme parks with animals. As you say, they are a poor substitute for their natural home. Maybe the other mums will stop and think about this.

None of my friendship group would visit this place either for the same reasons as you. Animals in captivity like that is disgusting. It's often the case that the only thing you have in common with NCT friends is having had a baby at the same time.

you were not unreasonable to state why. You didn't berate them for choosing to go, you didn't launch into a tirade, you didn't use overly emotional language like I just did above, you simply stated your valid opinion and reason why you're declining. I think it's ridiculous that PPs find that offensive. I think they find it offensive because they know it's true but don't like the inconvenience the statement brings.

@FanofLeaves you have made me rethink about Pets at Home, too. You're right - they do have rabbits in plastic boxes the other side of the dog stuff. 😡

I tend to keep this kind of reason to myself or be very light hearted about not liking something as is a bit harsh to be judgmental about something that someone else has planned. Also, when it comes to animal welfare I’m a total hypocrite because I don’t like things like zoos but then I eat meat.

The penguins are suffering!

YANBU. What's unreasonable is that person thinking he/she knows what happy looks like on a penguin. Was it dancing a little jig and whistling Walking on Sunshine FFS? What a silly comment that person made.

Good point!

If you want to stay friends with the group. You should have been more diplomatic.

A. Suggest other option that maybe cheaper or easier to get to, so all can attend. Then later, maybe mention your views.

B. Decline the invitation, with sorry not this time, Aquariums aren’t my thing. Later mention you views if you feel the need.

Etiquette and being polite/diplomatic is all about making others feel comfortable. It seems like you might have made others feel uncomfortable.

If I were you, I'd be proud of myself for sticking to your guns. Hopefully you have made others in the group think twice before supporting this kind of thing.

YA never BU to draw attention to animal welfare issues OP, even if it makes people feel a bit uncomfortable with their own choices.

Yeah and look at the state of humans now. Probably because we are so far from where we used to be.

Greyhound racing is vile. We have a rescue greyhound, who has to be kept away from cats and small animals forever because most greyhound racers teach them with live baiting, even though it's generally illegal, so the dogs cannot - mostly - be re trained not to try to slaughter cats etc. And they are eerily fast. Its not the greyhounds fault, at all, but it limits who is willing or able to have them.

There is always an over supply of greyhounds, as they mainly bred specifically to be raced, if they are not fast enough they are dumped and slaughtered and if they are injured or just get too old (and there are a lot of injuries in greyhound racing) they are also dumped and slaughtered. Greyhound rescuers fight a constant uphill battle to save them.

They call dumped and slaughtered greyhounds wasteage.

I don't think you can compare penguins in a zoo to that, but everyone has a right to draw their own lines of course.

There is simply no way I would ever set foot anywhere near a greyhound track, knowing what I now know, and I would just say no thanks if I was you. I tend to believe that they either they know and don't care about the dogs or they are choosing not to know, but if you want to educate and can deal with the pushback and entitlement you might receive, you could start here.

www dot bluecross dot org dot uk/why-its-time-to-end-greyhound-racing#:~:text=Dog%20welfare%20is%20at%20the,phasing%20o

Thanks for saving me a response to the nonsense…clearly the conservation efforts of many zoos and aquariums do so much for the planet, and provide an educational experience to encourage the future conservationists of tomorrow who see these species when they are children.

But yeah…let’s get rid of all zoos 🤣

Humans are bound by all sorts of rules of society too tho. It's not like humans can take off wherever they want or live anywhere they like. In that respect wild animals have it even better than us. BUT if I was an animal and had predators and had to hunt for food in the wild, I think I'd much rather just be in a zoo? Surely wild animals suffer way more than zoo animals? As a PP said, the wild is a really cruel and barbaric place.

I guess it depends, I'm assuming they are meeting their needs as best they can, being in captivity to make money? I don't know the individual situation here or the details, I'm just saying let's not kid ourselves these things are the best thing for the animals that's all

I've only seen penguins in captivity once, abroad, and they were in the basement. It was in a warm climate. Had they been exposed to those temperatures, they would have been miserable. They had these huge lights, so it looked like daylight - and it meant they could also simulate long Antarctic winter nights and summer days.

They had lots of information about how they were meeting the penguins' needs, and why they were doing things they way they were.

Some are there for conservation reasons so that's true in one aspect, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that it's better for an animal to be held in captivity than in the wild in its natural habitat. Let's see how you like being put in a zoo, huh? 😜

Why? Humans are hardly in their natural habitat either and we seem to prefer that than having to hunt for food, be wary of predators 24/7 and with no access to medical treatment. I don't understand the problem with zoos that have good animal welfare.

Oh come on! 🙄