Inside Petco...

[mommyoffive]

Well I went spying on my local Petco yesterday and the place made me sick! I got chatting with one of the pet care assocites and this is what I found out...

First of all I found out that have no quartitine room, they leave the animals were they at for the public to see and "treat" them right were their at.

They have no idea who their breeder vendor is, but they only deal with one so when and animal dies in their care they can blame it on the vendor not on their neglagence sp? jerks...

They was this poor little oscar cichlid (a fish for people who dont know) who had ick (a horribel parasite disease) really bad...I asked the guy in teh fish department what they were treating it with and he said nothing!!! I asked why and he said simply..."its gonna die anyways, there's no point it trying" I wanted to punch him so bad, I swear I felt handcuffs already on my wrists!

There was a guinea pig who I know had mites...the lady who was giving the guinea pig hay said that he just scrached his ear and thats why is was red and raw. She took him out to "treat" him, and she put on this ointment stuff on his ear...the poor little guy was sqeeling so bad, you could probably heard him on the other side of the store. I told her to take him back to vet because he needs ivermectin. She got all snotty on me and said that ivermectin is only used on horses. So I argued with her for a couple minutes before I won. She said that she would "try" to take him to the vets but I dont know if she really will.

In the finch cages, there was 5 spice finchs and 3 zebra finchs all who had plucked feathers really bad. They had no shredded papers, no timothy hay, nothing for them to make nests and thats why they were plucking out each others feathers...thats what they were using to make nests. I wouldnt leave until they did something about it, so the lady just put the plucked feather guys in a cage up above everyone else apparently so they can "heal"

I want to turn them in, but I have no idea where to turn them into, so I know this is the place to come! I live in Antioch, CA...the Bay Area to be exact, what organizations are there over here where I can turn them in?

[Fluffy_Guinea]

Urgh petco makes me sick there's one near me and thats where we buy are cat and dog food (my parents won't order the cat, dog and bird food online) I always look at the animals and it makes me sick. There are some up for 'adoption' but I don't feel comfortable with that unless I could contact the shelter. Anyway I'm not sure where to report them either I would like to know I'm going with my parents there either today or tomorrow for dog food. At are petco they only sell bettas not oscars or any other kind of fish they have guinea pigs, rats, mice, cockiteals, parakeets, snakes, frogs, hermit crabs, leopard geckos, ferrets and rabbits. They also have a parrot I can't remember the breed at the moment but he's green. Is much is it enrages me I don't think that lady is going to take the pig to the vet. I would argue with those people too but I'm sure they wouldn't listen to me but maybe I can try to while I'm there .

[YuselinMaikel]

I like better petsmart, i haven't experience any bad situations like you guys, but I find petsmart cheaper then any other pet store.

[ittybitty98577]

Yuselin, Still a store should not sell anypets even if no one sees the bad treatment they go through day and night. Im going through the same thing as mommyoffive I posted a thread " Im so upset with this" But you know what if there are so many people in this nation who is outraged by petstores selling animals we can stop it we just need leaders to guid and help up in our areas.

I dont know how to stop it but im going to step up in my area and stop the petstores selling animals well at least im going to try. Are you going to be a leader in your area and help the fight? No one els will! And the animals cant walk out but they can bite ^_~

[YuselinMaikel]

I got my guinea pigs from a shelter, I adopted them both. They were receiving perfect care and treat. I think that if pet stores are selling animals they will also have to take care of them.

[salana]

Even if petsmart is cheaper than petco, they also support the overpopulation of animals through over-breeding and irresponsible selling. A local pet supply store (no animals!), feed store, or an online store like www.petfooddirect.com is a much better option for buying your supplies.

[John4216]

I would hope you would go to this website and e-mail them the information you just posted here.

Little Shops of Sorrows: API's Pet Shop Campaign and Undercover Investigation

Their investigation was in California and that is where they are based. You can contaxt them and they can help you.

[mommyoffive]

I work at Petsmart...I know what it was like until we got our new boss and I became lead...it was just like Petco. I still dont like that I work at Petsmart but I try my hardest to make sure that the animals that come into my store are treated with upmost care.

I myself do not shop at petsmart, I buy online and at pet food express!

[jrmPiggies]

Your local animal control office should be able to take complaints or tell you who to contact.

[YuselinMaikel]

Thanks, i will try that website. I am surprised that I have never experience those horrible situations.

[YuselinMaikel]

Good website and supplies I checked it out. They have a lot of things in good prices that my piggies will love. Thanks for the site.

[muffynilla]

That is horrible, The manager must know about this and probably doesn't care, (it's awful) and the commercials are obviously fake too, (duh!) I've had a bad Petco expierence but nothing like that! I just went to the restroom and There was dog poop all over the stall, You might be able to complain online to petco"s presidents and see if they could do anything! The animals would be better off in a shelter! That's pretty bad! If you find out anymore or Did something that fixed the problem let us know!

[YuselinMaikel]

Wow, that is really bad and nasty. I think it is a good idea to let someone know about this. I adopted my two piggies from a shelter and I have no complain. The piggies are healthy, good shape, and the customer service was hilarious.

[lovepigs]

I will spy on mine to. The last time I wen't to petsmart, There were 15 pigs in a 10 galon tank!!!!! They were dead pigs on bottom!!! I was so horified. I asked why there were so many and so cramed. They said they weren't selling but they kep getting more and more and there "vet" couldn't get there in time!!!! My mom bought the 8 that were alive and sent them to a very good pig shelter. Hands on loving pigs was the name. They sen't us updates saying that 4 had died becaus of very poor care and 3 had been sold together and 1 is ready to be sold. The last pig has a clame on him and might have a good home too. R.I.P. to the 4 pigs who sadly let go.=( I am going to now order my supplies. PM me to know where. Thanks so much.

[YuselinMaikel]

Wow, that was very nice of you, I wish I could have a bigger place to do that. Hopefully I had never gone through experiences like that, in the petco's and petsmart's I have gone they treat animals with respect and their cages are always fill with water and clean. I guess I'm just lucky. Have a nice day, and those piggies thanked you for your act.

[ortal]

Originally Posted by lovepigs

I will spy on mine to. The last time I wen't to petsmart, There were 15 pigs in a 10 galon tank!!!!! They were dead pigs on bottom!!! I was so horified. I asked why there were so many and so cramed. They said they weren't selling but they kep getting more and more and there "vet" couldn't get there in time!!!! My mom bought the 8 that were alive and sent them to a very good pig shelter. Hands on loving pigs was the name. They sen't us updates saying that 4 had died becaus of very poor care and 3 had been sold together and 1 is ready to be sold. The last pig has a clame on him and might have a good home too. R.I.P. to the 4 pigs who sadly let go.=( I am going to now order my supplies. PM me to know where. Thanks so much.

wait, the shelter SELLS animals?

[YuselinMaikel]

Well, where I live you can adopt guinea pigs in the shelter for $3 I adopted 2. It felt good to save two little piggies. I am planning to buy more, but I need space and money, I love guinea pigs and that is a good way of saving them from death or abusive people.

[babytulip07]

Ortal,
When she said "sold" I think she just meant that the rescue charged a fee to adopt the pigs. Most rescues (in my experience anyway) charge a small fee to adopt or they ask for a donation of a certain amount. It's not selling in the same sense as a petstore which sells purely for profit. Rescues use the money to help care for the pigs, vet costs, food, hay, cages etc.
Am I correct in assuming this lovepigs?

To comment on the topic at hand, the only pet store which sells oxbow in my area also sells animals. I asked the manager one time where they get their pigs from and she said most of them are born right there in the store... uh hello how about sexing them properly and then you wouldn't have that problem... I can't figure out which is worse, the store buying from a breeder or breeding by accident/on purpose.

[YuselinMaikel]

Thanks for the specification.

[ortal]

Oh okay, there is a difference between selling fees and adopting fees, I think you are correct though. Usually adopting fees in my area are more costly then geting a pig at a store, but it is well worth it.