The worst part was seeing my sister cry. I didn't care what they did to me, but when they hurt her, it broke my heart. I knew we had to get out.
- Ceri, pet-trade survivor
The pet trade, as it's colloquially called, is more directly considered trafficking. It refers to the practice of capturing and enslaving
animal-kin and selling them off to the highest bidder. The act of enslaving animal-kin has been illegal for more than 200 years, but there are still blackmarket trades going on in the underground world. It is a practice that is considered by most to be revolting, but is unfortunately still highly profitable for the types who engage in it. Exotic animal-kin often fetch a price upwards of an average man's year or even decade of pay.
Price is often the driving point for the trade, and it has even been recorded for a family in poverty to sell one of their own members into the trade in order to make enough money to last them for years.
The Red Blooms are one of the most notorious names in the trade, having many connections and a thriving market.
An animal-kin sold into slavery might expect any number of positions, from hard labor to household help to sexual acts. Most often, however, it is less moral members of the nobility who purchase animal-kin, often for display in some way.
An animal-kin is often kidnapped at a young age, if they are targeted, as the younger ages are "easier to work with". Once in the trade, there is little hope for escape, but some do manage to either buy their way out, run away, or are rescued by law enforcement. Survivors often are diagnosed with PTSD.
There are multiple organizations dedicated to helping end the pet trade and aiding survivors in regaining some semblance of a normal life after they are freed, one of the most well known of which is
NeLAK, an officially sanctioned branch of
MIRO.
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