Pet Chipmunks

Has anyone noticed or found it bizarre that our own little North American chipmunks, of which I've never heard of keeping as a pet, have been exported to this country and are stocked in the pet stores?  

I think this is TERRIBLE!  They look so unhappy flinging themselves against their cage and running around in circles.  I don't like this at ALL.  Set them free.  Let's buy them and set them all free!  

I don't agree with any non-domesticated animal being kept. I think it's totally cruel. And the only way to stop it is to not buy them. Sorry, although I agree the ones here should be freed, if they are bought and freed, the "demand" level will be seen to increase, and the next shipment of chipmunks will be doubled. I say we start a rumor that chipmunks are know to be carriers of this chicken virus thing and ones kept in pet stores among other animals in close quarters will cause an outbreak to all the other petshop animals. The only way to prevent the possiblilty of this is to house chipmunks in a separate building away from all the other animals. This new building has to have strict regulations of sanitation and be monitored monthly by a health inspector, for which you have to apply way in advance of even wanting to stock chipmunks because the waiting list is now 10 years.

Yeah, I think I'd start a rumor.  

Oh wait, if they are coming from the US, what are they doing about rabies and quarantine? Heck, that IS a real threat! Nevermind the chicken virus thing. Houston, we've got ourselves a REAL problem!

I don't know where they're coming from, I hadn't thought about the rabies, so I imagine they're going through quarantine, and probably some incredible number like 60% of them die in there.  

Hmmmmmm.  How would a person go about starting a 'Don't Import Chipmunks' campaign.  

I think we'd have to find out where and how they come in first, unless they're already being bred for sale over here, which could be possible too.

I'll call my local petshop tomorrow to see if they can tell me anything about how they get them.