yet another bad pet store!

**sofiemuffins** · #1 09-28-04, 10:14 am

Has anyone witnessed neglect at a pet store and needed to take an extra step in order to help the animals? I went to a pet store yesterday, that I typically don't go to because they sell live animals (dogs, sometimes kittens, you name it-they sell it). I go there once and a while just to see if they're taking care of the animals. I've noticed some things in the past, but when I went there yesterday I was outraged! They had aqaurium tanks filled with Hamsters, gerbils, mice and rats-and most of the water bottles were empty-and if they weren't empty they were close to it. One of the bottles was even pulled off the side of the aquarium-empty- and a hamster was desperately trying to drink water from it! They had a hairless guinea pig in a 10 gallon fish tank, with a bowl of brown water =( I left the store-wishing I had done something, so I called the store when I got home and spoke with a manager. He profusely denied everything ofcourse-put me on hold to go check the situation, then came back and told me they all had water. When I asked him about the tank with the empty bottle on the bottom-he replied, "yeah, I saw that." and when I asked about the brown water in the guinea pig's bowl he replied with the same answer. He then said that it's their policy to give their animals fresh water 3 times daily-which I find it hard to believe that if they had given them fresh water 2 times already (he said their last water change is at 7pm-and I was there at 6pm) that those bottles would be empty and the guina pig would have brown water! I'm not exactly sure how to go about persuing action against this store...any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! It breaks my heart to see those poor little critters in those tanks with no access to water =(

Thank you in advance!

-Andrea

**MilesWaterson** · #2 09-28-04, 11:10 am

Terrible aren't they? I went into one and noticed some dead fish floating in the aquariums. I pointed it out to a member of staff and they replied "it's usually only children that notice that kind of thing".

**CavyCrazyMom** · #3 09-28-04, 05:53 pm

Yeah, fish die a lot and kids are usually the ones to point it out!

Anyway...My advice to you is to call the local Animal welfare people whever they may be and report it. They will come out and check to make sure that they are taking their 'policies' seriously. Next time you go out there, keep a camera with you so you can take pictures of the empty water bottles when they aren't around. They can't deny what's on film. better yet a camcorder would be better if you have a small one that way they don't see your flash. Good for you for wanting to take the action!! Most people just talk about it. It's places like that that give all petstores bad names. Good luck and keep us posted!!!

~~Cheri~~

TinaFabulous · #4 09-28-04, 08:34 pm

not sure, but i agree, and good luck with watever you decide to do about it

**My Baby Mu** · #5 09-29-04, 07:21 pm

Horrible!!! I went to my petstore today they have a policy you can't buy animals if your under 18 unless you are with an adult. They also seriosly sugguset that you do lots of reasearch on them before you buy them. When I went there to buy my pig (I just fell in love with him and had to get him) the guy who worked there asked if I had my cage set up and all the supplies. The downside about that is they don't keep them in cages that are 7.5 square feet (for 1 or 2) they are smaller.

**loves2travel** · #6 09-29-04, 07:27 pm

i went to a fishstore today (we wanted some new fish to fill our tank, and unfortunately, the SPCA and the humane society never have fish) and saw some fish lying at the top of the water. When i pointed it out, they didnt do anything!!!!! They just shrugged and walked away. i was there for the next half an hour or so, just lingering around to see if they removed the dead fish, but no one did ANYTHING!

**CavyCrazyMom** · #7 09-29-04, 07:50 pm

That is defanatly bad managment!!! And the reason why they don't keep them in the correct space is because if they did it wouldn't look right. And the animals don't stay there long, I think the longest we have ever had a small animal (aka rats mice hampsters and pigs) is aboutfour weeks...so about a month. Ususally they sell very quickly! So they argue that point when cage size is brought up. "It's not meant for permanent housing..."

**My Baby Mu** · #8 09-29-04, 07:52 pm

I would think they didn't keep them in the right amount of space is so they can sell the way to small petstore cages.

**loves2travel** · #9 09-29-04, 07:54 pm

its not permanent, but still....

*sigh*

**CavyCrazyMom** · #10 09-29-04, 08:00 pm

Trust me...I'm not sticking up for them! I have brought this up many times to the people above me. It's not gonna change any time soon...but maybe in the future if enough people tell them...

**loves2travel** · #11 09-29-04, 08:24 pm

yup. there are just too many pet stores right now to start a global reform. individually, we can do our best, but beyond that, there is a mulititude of people who LOVE petstores and find them thoroughly convenient. They would riot if we announced to shut the stores down.
lets face it....pet stores just simply cant be made to a thing of the past.

TinaFabulous · #12 09-29-04, 08:36 pm

i agree, but we can work on one chain at a time and help it out a bit

TinaFabulous · #13 09-29-04, 08:40 pm

[font=Arial]http://www.PetitionOnline.com/4pookyM/petition.html[/font] These people are concentrating on petsmart as their first choice chain to work on shutting down... I'd suggest signing it, who knows what this could lead to?

**loves2travel** · #14 09-29-04, 08:52 pm

i thought petco was worse than petsmart.

TinaFabulous · #15 09-29-04, 08:58 pm

Ive never been to petsmart before, but they are both for breeding and selling live animals like porly treated products which is my problem with them

**CavyCrazyMom** · #16 09-30-04, 05:24 pm

**Cheri zipps her lips**

**Ruthies owner** · #17 09-30-04, 05:56 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by sofiemuffins

Has anyone witnessed neglect at a pet store and needed to take an extra step in order to help the animals? I went to a pet store yesterday, that I typically don't go to because they sell live animals (dogs, sometimes kittens, you name it-they sell it). I go there once and a while just to see if they're taking care of the animals. I've noticed some things in the past, but when I went there yesterday I was outraged! They had aqaurium tanks filled with Hamsters, gerbils, mice and rats-and most of the water bottles were empty-and if they weren't empty they were close to it. One of the bottles was even pulled off the side of the aquarium-empty- and a hamster was desperately trying to drink water from it! They had a hairless guinea pig in a 10 gallon fish tank, with a bowl of brown water =( I left the store-wishing I had done something, so I called the store when I got home and spoke with a manager. He profusely denied everything ofcourse-put me on hold to go check the situation, then came back and told me they all had water. When I asked him about the tank with the empty bottle on the bottom-he replied, "yeah, I saw that." and when I asked about the brown water in the guinea pig's bowl he replied with the same answer. He then said that it's their policy to give their animals fresh water 3 times daily-which I find it hard to believe that if they had given them fresh water 2 times already (he said their last water change is at 7pm-and I was there at 6pm) that those bottles would be empty and the guina pig would have brown water! I'm not exactly sure how to go about persuing action against this store...any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! It breaks my heart to see those poor little critters in those tanks with no access to water =(

Thank you in advance!

-Andrea

One time I went to this pet store and it broke my heart the way they kept their animals. But my local one is excellent and the animals are taken care of very well.

**lilouisianagal** · #18 10-22-04, 03:29 pm

At least in our area, Petsmart is the best of the worst. While, yes, they do keep small animals, they are all vetted and the cages are clean, etc. No, they are not big enough, but still. And Petsmart also lets the Humane Society put cats and dogs in the store for adoption.

Petco also lets the shelter come in. They also have a shelter book and signup including small animals. They don't have the vet thing though. At a glance the animals looked okay and the cages clean, though small. And they separate the birds so that it isn't as noisy.

Petland just moved in and it was VERY controversial because they sell puppies and kittens as well as small animals (instead of letting shelters come in). I went in there the other day to look around it broke my heart to see the TINY cages that they were in. The small animals weren't as bad though. They had some really young ones and you could just reach in pull them out (ie kids can). They had bigger cages than Petsmart or Petco.

I just wish that they would put small animals at the stores instead of selling, like they do with the dogs and cats. Not to be a pessimist or anything, but I really don't see petitions, etc working.

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