Some things I noticed in Petco Yesterday...

[Susan9608]

So in some areas peoples only choice if they want a guinea pig is to buy them from a petstore.

Buying a guinea pig is NEVER the only choice. There is always the choice to travel to another town, city, or state to get one. There is always the choice to try to set up a pig train to get an adopted/rescue pig from one area to another. And there is the choice, unpleasant though it may be, to NOT get a guinea pig until there is one available for rescue.

And while there might not be any shelters/rescues dedicated to guinea pigs in your area, that's hardly the only place that you can - or should - look when you want to adopt another one. There's petfinder, there's the newspaper, there's vets' offices ... buying a guinea pig from a pet store is NEVER the ONLY option.

Better care for animals in pet stores is not a step in the right direction. The animals SHOULD have been properly cared for all along. A step in the right direction would be the total and complete removal of all animal sales of any kind. That's a step in the right direction.

[TrekkiesUnite]

Originally Posted by Susan9608

Buying a guinea pig is NEVER the only choice. There is always the choice to travel to another town, city, or state to get one. There is always the choice to try to set up a pig train to get an adopted/rescue pig from one area to another. And there is the choice, unpleasant though it may be, to NOT get a guinea pig until there is one available for rescue.

And while there might not be any shelters/rescues dedicated to guinea pigs in your area, that's hardly the only place that you can - or should - look when you want to adopt another one. There's petfinder, there's the newspaper, there's vets' offices ... buying a guinea pig from a pet store is NEVER the ONLY option.

Better care for animals in pet stores is not a step in the right direction. The animals SHOULD have been properly cared for all along. A step in the right direction would be the total and complete removal of all animal sales of any kind. That's a step in the right direction.

Now that all seems a little on the extreme side to me. In my opinion, not selling pets is not the right answer, actually caring about the animals you sell, wanting to give them what is best for them and treating them not as merchandise but as living creatures that need our care is a step in the right direction, which is what I saw at petco asside from the cage size, the pigs where given plenty of hay, clean water, plenty of pellets, had room to move, and were in a safe bedding, which to me said that the store actually cared about these pigs well being.

[Susan9608]

You think those pigs are cared about? Ha!

You see the "pretty" side when you see the animals out on display. You don't see the back room where the ill animals are. You don't see how they rarely get medical care. You don't see the mills where they come from, so you don't see the overbred sows that are forced to keep breeding and breeding.

And I guess you don't see all the animals wasting away in animal shelters for lack of good homes. I guess you don't see how the animals that are bought in pet stores take away potential homes from the animals wasting away in shelters. And I guess you don't see how breeders supplying pet stores *causes* the overpopulation problem.

I guess if you don't see those things then a new and improved Petco would look pretty good to you.

[standuprookie]

Buying from breeding mills and breeders is treating the animal like merchandise. There isn't any pet store that gives there animals good care.

[TrekkiesUnite]

Originally Posted by Susan9608

You think those pigs are cared about? Ha!

You see the "pretty" side when you see the animals out on display. You don't see the back room where the ill animals are. You don't see how they rarely get medical care. You don't see the mills where they come from, so you don't see the overbred sows that are forced to keep breeding and breeding.

And I guess you don't see all the animals wasting away in animal shelters for lack of good homes. I guess you don't see how the animals that are bought in pet stores take away potential homes from the animals wasting away in shelters. And I guess you don't see how breeders supplying pet stores *causes* the overpopulation problem.

I guess if you don't see those things then a new and improved Petco would look pretty good to you.

I know about mills and that, but there are many pet stores that don't get their pets from mills due to the legal issues they could get into if discovered that they support mills, and I am assuming that being the major chain that Petco is that most likely they are one of those stores that does not support mills. And yes I do know of the pets in shelters, and all my cats are SPCA Specials. But when it comes to guinea pigs the only place I have ever been able to get them are at pet stores, the SPCA near me now does have guinea pigs, but it is a first in years. And back when I got my first Guinea pig, we didn't have internet access, so we went to the petstore, I have no problem saying that all my guinea pigs have come from pet stores and they have all lived long happy normal lives. Now if I do get Twister a Playmate it probably will be from the SPCA becuase now they actually have guinea pigs. All I am saying here is that what I saw at petco was much better than what I have seen elsewhere. And not all breeders are bad. Saying breeders are evil and cause all the problems with animals just proves that you have never gotten anything from a respectable breeder.

[standuprookie]

Originally Posted by TrekkiesUnite

Saying breeders are evil and cause all the problems with animals just proves that you have never gotten anything from a respectable breeder.

Your darn right I haven't and proud of it! I adopted my two pigs and in a month or two am looking into adopting another. Some people on this forum bought from stores without knowing about the overpopulation, but now know why it's wrong and won't do it again.

[Percy's Mom]

Originally Posted by TrekkiesUnite

which is what I saw at petco ... cared about these pigs well being.

That is the problem. What you "saw". I dare you to go back into that store and ask them to show you their back room. Ask them to show you where they put the sick animals. Ask them what happens to the animals who get URIs from constantly breathing ammonia fumes because they've chosen to build non-ventilated boxes for them to live in. Ask them for the name and address of the pet mill that stocks them with "merchandise", and if the manager of that store doesn't know, write a letter to the corporate offices of Petco asking for it. Then go to that mill and take a look at the sows put in tiny little cages with a boar until she gets pregnant, is allowed to give birth, and then the boar is put back in, so she will get pregnant again. Petco cares about the well-being of those animals about as much as they care about the well-being of the bag on food on the shelf nearby. It's merchandise. When it's sold, they'll order more. If it's defective (sick or dies) they'll send it back to the vendor for replacement or a credit towards their next order.

Originally Posted by TrekkiesUnite

I am assuming that being the major chain that Petco is that most likely they are one of those stores that does not support mills.

You know what they say about assuming?

[momof2pigs]

Trekkies, you won't be able to convince anyone here about Petco not getting from millers. I work there and I KNOW they do. I used to work for A*** (a pet distributor) in Illinois. They housed the mammals in huge oval "horse-trough" style metal bins. The animals were stressed and over-crowed. Thankfully the cages were kept absolutely spotless and the animals were well fed and cared for due to cheap labor being hired out for that specific purpose.

Rows and rows of aquariums full (some not so healthy) fish. It was my job to "sell" these fish to Wal-marts in the IL/WI/IA areas. It sucked and I hated it. It was high-pressure and you could get fired very easily.
So, yes, Petco does get (at the small animals and fish) from millers. I am not so sure about our conures and cockatiels. We get them in and finish hand-feeding so I can't imagine them coming from a mill. I would give up on the "Petco isn't so bad" angle. I don't anticipate working there much longer but while I still need the pay, I will educate the best I can.

[Susan9608]

Saying breeders are evil and cause all the problems with animals just proves that you have never gotten anything from a respectable breeder.

I've never gotten an animal from a breeder, period.

Breeders may be wonderful people; they may even care about their animals and take good care of them. But there is no denying that they contribute significantly to the overpopulation of animals. And that, in my opinion, which you may take or discard, makes them "bad."

And you've got to be kidding that you don't think Petco gets their animals from a mill. Where do you think their animals come from?

If pet stores don't get the animals from mills, they usually breed them themselves. In some ways, that's a whole lot worse.

This is a rescue oriented forum. Surely you're aware of that by now. So let me make some things clear - you do not get to praise Petco or any other animal-selling pet store on this forum (Unless of course you're praising the fact that they quit selling animals.) It is also generally not acceptable to us to purchase animals at pet stores.

Too many of us have cleaned up too many messes caused by breeders to have any tolerance for that sort of thing.

[standuprookie]

you won't be able to convince anyone here about Petco not getting from millers
So, yes, Petco does get (at the small animals and fish) from millers.

Umm, What?

[fourbwabbys]

Pigs in pet stores are seen as merchandise. Period. That's it, not matter which way you look at it, they are being sold for the stores profit. ESPECIALLY a large chain pet store, they don't want to get the best quality, most expensive item to sell. They want what's cheap and easy to get, aka BYB's and Pet Mills. I no way whatsoever would a responsible breeder sell to a pet shop. Where else could they get their stock for cheap and sell it for more than they bought it for? That's where you get profit, sell for more than you spent buying it.

Don't judge a book by its cover. Just because it looks goody-goody on the outside, in no way makes it ok behind the scenes. Have you seen the back room? the BYB or mill? The MILLIONS of pigs in shelters around the country? No. Until you can see the whole picture, you can't make accurate assumptions.

My PetCO has signs EVERYWHERE around the store saying "Adopt First". In my state alone, there are close to 400 pigs in shelters. Why in the world would they keep selling pigs if they really knew about the overpopulation problem? It's all to put on a good face. To hide the bad things that were revealed about them.

[momof2pigs]

I thought the first part was clear. The second part was meant to say

"So, yes Petco does get (at LEAST, the small animals and fish) from millers.

[Percy's Mom]

I think that was meant to include her in that "anyone here". Being that she works for Petco and used to work for a pet mill, she knows where the animals come from. Confused me at first too.

[TrekkiesUnite]

Originally Posted by standuprookie

Your darn right I haven't and proud of it! I adopted my two pigs and in a month or two am looking into adopting another. Some people on this forum bought from stores without knowing about the overpopulation, but now know why it's wrong and won't do it again.

Let me tell you something, when we had Newfoundlands, we got them from respectable breeders. Upon getting these dogs we had to sign a contract saying that the dog would not end up in an SPCA, it would be cared for to their standards, and a few other things, and if those are not met and the dog is not being cared for to what they feel is acceptable they reserve the right to take back the dog. That is what I mean by a respectable breeder. Not all breeders are bad. I am not saying backyard breeders who think that they can make a few bucks by putting a male and female together are good breeders to get pets from, I am saying the ones who know what they are doing, and have good reputations. Just becuase someone is a breeder doesn't mean they are evil, just becuase someone buys pets from a petstore doesn't mean they are evil. And god forbid someone post on THIS forum something a little positive about what they see in a petstore becuase that would be a no no. You all have to have your negative petstores are evil threads to rant in.

[standuprookie]

Originally Posted by TrekkiesUnite

Let me tell you something, when we had Newfoundlands, we got them from respectable breeders.

Dogs, do you know how many dogs are put to sleep everyday. I can see not knowing about the overpopulation of guinea pigs, but I thought everyone know about it with dogs.

[Susan9608]

THIS FORUM IS A RESCUE ORIENTED FORUM.

The owner of this forum runs a guinea pig rescue. You can't hone