Pet stores you SUPPORT?

[Roxanne]

I was just wondering if anyone on here happens to be lucky enough to have a local pet store that takes awesome care of their animals. Not all stores that sell animals take crappy care of them!

I happen to live near one of these stores. There is a local pet store that I fully support. They take great care of their animals. Sure, not as good as we the owners provide, but 1000x better care then PetSmart and other large chains do.
Guinea pigs are kept in sizable cages that are cleaned daily, fed Oxbow pellets and Oxbow hay. They get a small salad in the morning and a small salad before closing. They have a place to hide and a toy or two as well. They are kept 1 in a cage so you don't have to worry if your pig will be preggo, they almost never have more then 2 in the store and seldom even have 1.
[Quick side story: A man put a hold on a guinea pig then left. Called the store from a Walmart asking if a 10gal tank was big enough! The pet store said no and sorry sir, but we cannot sell this animal to you.]
Hamsters, gerbils and dwarf rats are also kept in sizable cages, again with a place to hide, a wheel or toys, and kept females separate from males. They keep about 1-3 in a cage, and rarely have more then 5 or 6 in the store at a time. Birds also receive the same quality of care and live in cages filled with toys. They do NOT sell dogs, cats, ferrets, or rabbits. The only time I have seen rabbits in the store was when a workers rabbit had babies so she brought them in to be sold.
All animals are kept in a separate cage away from the rest of the store for a minimum of a week when they are first brought in. All animals are handled daily as a part of opening then closing the store. If you purchase an animal and it is aggressive you can bring it back and they won't question. If they have an animal that is aggressive they will send it home with one of the employees to work with.
These folk really care about the animals. They are a bit on the expensive side and I could easily go to PetSmart to get the same food/bedding/hay for a cheaper price, but I chose to spend my money at this store because I know they really care for their animals.

Is anyone else lucky enough to have a pet store near them that really cares about their animals?

[bamby71994]

No!! Lucky!! What is the stores name??

[naturestee]

The only pet store I really support is one whose only live pets are fish. No hamsters, guinea pigs, birds, etc. They sell great food brands including Oxbow, and several types of frozen prepared raw food diets for cats and dogs. They are very willing to do special orders for people, and I used to buy large boxes of Oxbow hay through them when I wasn't able to have it easily delivered at home. (I only stopped because I buy bales from a local farmer instead.) They frequently have adoption days with local rescues and shelters.

My question is, does this wonderful pet store of yours screen people before it allows them to purchase an animal? Do they call landlords to ensure the animals are allowed? Check ID's to make sure kids don't buy animals without a parent's permission? Where do they get their animals from? A shelter, or a breeder?

The only warm blooded (or lizard/turtle) animals I am ok with having in a pet store are shelter animals whose adopters have to go through an application process. Otherwise, the store is still contributing to the same problems that cause animals to wind up in shelters in the first place.

[Sammy and Peanut]

I've never been in it, but a lot of people say it is good. It is called New World Pet Center.

[Jenni_Feathers]

There is one petstore that I suppose I support. Its a tiny small family owned one that only sells tropical fish and their supplies. It also sells frozen feed (for reptiles) and some reptile supplies and a few dog collars. The only animals it sells is fish though and they are all kept in normal tanks (not like the petco ones) and they are kept clean and in good condition. I dont think they sell many though their main profit is from their dog grooming, its where our dog Shadow gets groomed. The store part is only like 10ft by 20ft , so ya they dont have very much room to sell things.

[Ly&Pigs]

Here we go again...

It doesn't matter how well a store seems to take care of their animals. The bottom line is that they still buy their animals from breeders and pet mills or breed their own. They are still adding to the overpopulation problem. The only good pet store is one that does NOT sell animals.

[suzilovespiggie]

I was going to say the same thing. Ly&Pigs. It is not the care, but the breeding to supply that petstore. The only good petstore is one that does not sell animals. End of story!

[newpiggiemommy]

Seriously, if they HAVE to sell animals, why not go to the shelters and rescues and pick up animals that really need a new home instead of going to a breeder who is creating new animals in this world that is already so over run with homeless animals!

There are NO good petstores that sell animals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[guineapigluver1]

Right on NPG!!

[krittercrazy]

Pet Food Discounters. They only sell supplies for animals. The only animals in the store belong to the shoppers coming in and the leave with their people.
They do have the crappy food available. However, where the average pet store has mostly crappy food (if not all) , Pet Food Discounters has mostly the better quality foods in abundance and encourage pet owners to buy it.

[pgpsm]

Mine don't know what they are doing!!! They are PETSTUPID & PETDUMB ALONG WITH PETNO!!!

[Roxanne]

Originally Posted by naturestee

My question is, does this wonderful pet store of yours screen people before it allows them to purchase an animal? Do they call landlords to ensure the animals are allowed? Check ID's to make sure kids don't buy animals without a parent's permission? Where do they get their animals from? A shelter, or a breeder?

They will ask basic questions to make sure you know the animals basic care needs. If you as a stupid question- such as if a 10gal tank is big enough for a guinea pig- they will not sell you the animal.
They actually do not get their animals from breeders who breed in large quantities. The hamsters, gerbils and dwarf hamsters come from an employee who breeds them herself. She does not just keep pumping babies out for the store though, the store often does not have any small animals at all.
The bird, rabbits and guinea pigs come from people who cannot keep them any more or just plain do not want them.
The owners of the store I am talking about own a second in a different town. The 2nd store does not carry any warm blooded animals, only fish, a snake, and a few Anodes.

I am not saying I condone any breeding they do, I am just saying that this place is by FAR the lesser of the evils around here. There are no stores that sell supplies only, and I do not have the extra money lying around to pay shipping if I were to order from a place that did sell supplies only. That is why I chose to spend my money at this particular pet store. I would MUCH rather spend my money here then at PetCo, PetSmart or anywhere else.

[daftscotslass]

The bottoms line is this. Who cares how they're kept? They still sell to anyone who can talk the talk. How do they screen homes if they're so great?

The only pet shop I supported has now gone - it only sold supplies and not animals. I now get my supplies online or from my vet.

[DaCourt]

Originally Posted by Roxanne

They actually do not get their animals from breeders who breed in large quantities. The hamsters, gerbils and dwarf hamsters come from an employee who breeds them herself. She does not just keep pumping babies out for the store though, the store often does not have any small animals at all.

But she is still breeding. It does not matter if it is one litter or ten. It is still too many

I am not saying I condone any breeding they do, I am just saying that this place is by FAR the lesser of the evils around here.

Lesser of two evils is still evil no matter how you look at it.

[Jennicat]

I have this AMAZING pet store near me. It has every type of high quality animal food available, and tons and tons of Oxbow. There are all kinds of soft guinea pig beds and treats. They even sell bird stuff! The most amazing part of the store is that there are no animals for sale in there! The people that work there have adopted from our rescue before, and they donate supplies to us occasionally. They're awesome people!

[thalestral]

I do not support any shops that sell animals, and that includes fish - which are animals too

I support the online stores that sell the best hay and pellets for my girls, as well as a site that specialises in natural toys especially for piggies, and my local rescue that sells goodies to raise money for the homeless piggies they care for.

[LouisesPigguns]

I have been buying my supplies from a pet shop in Liverpool that does not sell animals.

However I have been paying £7.99 for a 4kg bag of Excel, I have found it cheaper online at £3.21!

My Timothy Hay I get from a discount store but I am just waiting for DustFreeHay to update their single bale prices and I will get from them! Having six guinea pigs I prefer to buy in bulk as you tend to make a saving.

Any toys they need, I make out of cardboard, any pigloos they need I buy from pound shops which are popular over here.

I simply refuse to use a pet shop that sells animals to anyone.

[catzeye21138]

My town has one pet shop, and it is a mom and pop store. It is really great and the employees actually know their facts. One girl in her early twenties works there and I come once and a while and we have chats. A lot about guinea pigs, she really picks up a lot of what I say. AND she already knew a lot to begin with! For one they keep all the small animals on suitable bedding and not the stuff that is usually sold at petstores like pine. The guinea pigs are on wood pellets. They quarentine their guineas everytime someone brings them in. I have never EVER gotten an unhealthy fish from there(or pigs in the past) either.

Some things she picked up from me just babbling are: They no longer feed oranges, but bell peppers which are donated by the local grocery; the guinea pigs are in larger cages now with more ventillation(were in 10 gals, now in back ventillated glass cages a bit bigger); they actually STOPPED selling guinea pig harnesses after I kept dropping hints AND they are ordering different small animal balls that no longer have pictures of guinea pigs on them! I don't know if this is because of me but it sure seems that way!

Their reptile section is very well off as well.

But they do still get their animals from breeders occasionally. But thankfully MOST of their animals come from accidental litters in the community.

The one main thing I have to complain about is they have a Blue & Golden Macaw in this cage that isnt' suitable for it, and the only time it gets taken out is after hours by the owner as he is the only one that won't be bitten. Poor thing is always grumpy - i'd be too being stuck in that cage all day long poked at by little children.

[Biscuit]

Originally Posted by Roxanne

They will ask basic questions to make sure you know the animals basic care needs. If you as a stupid question- such as if a 10gal tank is big enough for a guinea pig- they will not sell you the animal.
They actually do not get their animals from breeders who breed in large quantities. The hamsters, gerbils and dwarf hamsters come from an employee who breeds them herself. She does not just keep pumping babies out for the store though, the store often does not have any small animals at all.

Not good enough. Not even close.

Originally Posted by Roxanne

The bird, rabbits and guinea pigs come from people who cannot keep them any more or just plain do not want them.

I would have to have this proven to me. Until then, it's probably a lie. Sorry!

Originally Posted by Roxanne

I am not saying I condone any breeding they do, I am just saying that this place is by FAR the lesser of the evils around here.

You are condoning it by purchasing things from them. The lesser of an evil is still evil, get it? It's still part of the problem. A person who steals once is less of a thief than someone who steals every day...but they are still a freaking thief, mkay?

Originally Posted by Roxanne

There are no stores that sell supplies only

There are lots of stores around here that sell supplies only. Where do you live? Tread lightly, I promise you someone on this forum is not as lazy as me and will look up your area and find supplies.

Originally Posted by Roxanne

and I do not have the extra money lying around to pay shipping if I were to order from a place that did sell supplies only.

So, what exactly do you buy at this store and how much do you pay for it? I order things online and I save money compared to buying it in any pet store I've seen. The only exception is aspen, which I buy in a feed store.

Apologies for being blunt, but if the minimal amount extra shipping charges could possibly add up to is too much for you, how are you going to pay for an expensive vet bill? What is this "extra" money bs. Honestly, it's BS. Are you saying I do have the "extra" money? I'm sick of being told that I must be oh so rich just because I don't contribute to pet overpopulation with where I buy my supplies.

Even if I lived in the same dream world you do where it takes "extra" money to not obtain supplies from stores that sell animals, I would probably choose to spend my extra money saving some gerbils from being put to sleep or some guinea pigs from living miserable lives.

Originally Posted by Roxanne

That is why I chose to spend my money at this particular pet store. I would MUCH rather spend my money here then at PetCo, PetSmart or anywhere else.

You aren't going to find much support for that on this forum.

[Susan9608]

People forget, when they come on here to tell us about this pet store that's "better" than all the others that good conditions should be EXPECTED. Good conditions should be the RULE rather than the exception.

Why get so excited and give so much praise for something that should be routine and expected? If you keep living, sentient beings, you should take the upmost, proper care of them. Period. That's certainly not asking a lot and it's certainly not going above and beyond.

Pet stores that sell animals are not the lesser of any evil. They ARE the problem, no matter how wonderfully those animals are kept. And, I tend to think, they actually make things worse, because then people like the original poster think, "Oh, look, they take good care of their animals, so I'd rather support them and spend my money here," instead of boycotting the whole idea of selling animals as merchandise.