Pet Stores: If you were offered a Job at a Petshop..

[fieryone]

Originally Posted by paula.m.moore

If they have an adoption center how did you buy an animal there? A lot of pet stores will only adopt dogs and cats (and sometimes bunnies) while still selling animals from breeder mills. Animals like guinea pigs, and hamsters, and gerbils. They're no better for adopting certain animals while still selling others.

If this were true, they'd be adopting the animals, not selling them for profit. Sorry, there's a difference, and this pet store is just as bad as any other that sells living creatures for profit.


Sure, what you've done for this one animal is good. But what about the others who will take his place? They "won't live long there" either. Are you going to go and buy all of them? Whether you understand it or not, buying that one animal did more damage to all others that will come after him, because by buying him you said to the people selling him that doing so is perfectly acceptable.

Just to play devil's advocate here, whenever money changes hands in any sort of exchange, people often refer to it as buying. Holliegh may have said "bought" because money was exchanged when in fact it was an adoption fee for the guinea pig. It's possible that people would have stores like this. As I said in my post in this thread, I have thought for years about doing something like this. The only animals being available would be those that were surrendered and would be adopted out, but in an outside building instead of from my home along with all supplies and education so that to your average Joe, it would seem like a pet store when it really wasn't. She never said that all of the animals were being adopted, but she also never said they weren't and only cats and dogs were being adopted. She did seem to differentiate them from Petco and Petsmart that do sell small animals but also have the adoption center.

[Paula]

Acquiring an animal generally involves money whether buying or adopting, I agree. But I think most people would know the difference between paying an adoption fee and a purchase price, and wouldn't refer to adopting an animal as buying one from a pet store, like this:

Originally Posted by Holliegh

Yeah. Okay.

I bought them from a pet store.

[auburnmare5]

I would take it. You are taking money away from the company, and you can also use the time, to first hand see what really goes on behind closed doors.
I was thinking about working at a petstore over the winter because I started my summer job already.

[fieryone]

Originally Posted by paula.m.moore

Acquiring an animal generally involves money whether buying or adopting, I agree. But I think most people would know the difference between paying an adoption fee and a purchase price, and wouldn't refer to adopting an animal as buying one from a pet store, like this:

I do agree with you on the terminology and I wouldn't use the word "buying" in this case either if all animals in this store are homeless. But I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt since she made a point of stating that this "store" adopts out their animals. She seemed to be stating that they were different from the big box stores that also have adoption centers but still sell smaller animals, so I took it upon myself to assume that she meant all of their animals are adoptions since I can't possibly be the only person in the world who has had this idea. Maybe I'm wrong to assume.

[Paula]

Originally Posted by fieryone

She seemed to be stating that they were different from the big box stores that also have adoption centers but still sell smaller animals...

I got the distinct impression she was stating they were "different" as a means to justify buying an animal there. In any event, it's up to her to clarify, and matters very little either way at this point.

[fieryone]

Originally Posted by paula.m.moore

I got the distinct impression she was stating they were "different" as a means to justify buying an animal there. In any event, it's up to her to clarify, and matters very little either way at this point.

Maybe. I do tend to wear rose colored glasses sometimes

[wonderwhiskers]

I don't think buying from a petshop is a good idea, and I would'nt do it myself .Not since
volunteering at an RSPCA shelter anyway ..I, like many other people here have seen what happens to a lot of those animals.
However, I'm not going to pass judgment on those who have bought from a petshop ..because in my eyes all animals are equal, and another animal has been saved.
I know that I'm contradicting myself, because Yes, one animal has been saved, and that will most likely cause the suffering of another ..But there is no way to get around this over night. A lot of change must happen first ..(The best way to solve this is a Law-change) ..But people do tend to follow their gut instincts.

I know alot of you will disagree, and really I disagree with myself, but I still can't help but be thankful that that pig isn't still in a petshop.
Stupid >Yes. Rational >No. But its how I feel.

And thank you CavyLuver It wasn't that brave of me to be honest ..It was only me and the manager working in the shop ..her on the tills at one end of the shop, and me helping customers on the other end, so there was no way really of me being caught out. hehe!

And Paula ..I know alot of people would'nt be able to 'discourage customers'. I was'nt actually discouraging customers ..I was just being honest with them, and it was just a summer job, I was only 15 at the time ..I was'nt responsible for paying for anything essential for myself ..just clothes, magazines and stuff ..so even if I had got fired, It would'nt have been the end of the world. I was quite lucky, and I know other people ..adults are'nt fortunate enough to still have 'mommy' paying for everything for them!

[Paula]

...because in my eyes all animals are equal, and another animal has been saved.

I also think that all animals are equal, and I think they all deserve to be "saved." It's never been a matter of whether or not a pet store animal is worthy of being given a great home. It's never been a matter of the pet store animal deserving love and kindness just like any other.

But for there to be any change at all in the big business mentality pet stores have created - of selling small animals as merchandise - a lot of people are going to have to wise up and see beyond that one animal that their heart goes out to.

It's too big an issue and if we keep dwelling on those single pigs or other animals that need our help, that bigger issue - the issue of those animals being sold with no more worth than a bag of dry dog food in the first place - won't ever be addressed.

[pigsmakemesmile]

The jobless rate is, as of today and as reported on nbc nightly news, at 9.5% If I were to loose my job today...yes, I would take an available position at a petstore. To feed my pigs, I need to earn the bucks. I'd use my knowlegde to help their customers make the right decisions in choosing the right food, and bedding. I may not be able to stop the purchase of an animal, however, I can at least help that animal by educating the would be owners, on the proper housing, diet, and care and give them the knowledge they need to get the most enjoyment out of their pets while giving their pet the quality of life they deserve. I'd offer the links to this site and encourage them to join. Give them names of cavy savvy vets and encourage them to call when they have concerns or issues about their newly adopted pet.

[Myspoiltpiggies]

Yes I would. If I didn't someone else would get the job anyway and you never know what that person will be like, at least the animals' stay in the petshop will be made as comfortable as possible with me looking after them. I would even look after animals in a laboratory.. this may sound terrible to some of you but animals are always going to be tested on (I wouldn't want to do the testing myself however!) so whilst they are alive I would love to care for them and give them the best life possible in that situation.

[eschimpf]

Personally before I decided to be a stay at home mom I did work in a petstore that sold animals. I did spend hours( no jok) informing new pet owners of what they where getting into. I ALSO would decline owners if I thought that the pet was not going to be in good hands. But then again I was my bosses right hand and almost EVERYTHING went past me before it hit the floor.

A job is a job as far as I am concered. IF you take a job like that you are also taking on the responsibility of those animals. And by doing so you can help them in a small way. I was lucky because my boss understood where I was coming from. He never questioned me when I sent people to the rescues for pig if we had some for sale. I was also lucky because we only carried females, I would check each shipment and IF there was a male they all got sent back. Since I left the store has started to go under as my ex boss can't find someone to replace me. I went abover and beyond what "normal" pet store staff do.

Just had to put my two cents in.

[Paula]

Originally Posted by eschimpf

I was also lucky because we only carried females, I would check each shipment and IF there was a male they all got sent back.

Out of curiosity, what would happen to the animals that "all got sent back"?

I think they average person walking into a store probably wouldn't likely be willing to listen to a store worker for hours talking about what they were "getting into." Sadly, most people want to go and make a purchase and not be hassled and if they encountered a person harping on proper care, I'd imagine many, not all, would just go to the next store and make their purchase there. I also think it's unlikely that you'd find a pet store who would allow workers to "decline" potential buyers.

It also seems like the store would be more likely to "go under" before if you were sending all their business elsewhere.

I agree that a job is a job and we all need to work, so there's no shame in working for a pet store. If you're able to help animals in any way while you're there, great. But I don't think anyone really needs a glorified version of what they'd really be getting into.

[eschimpf]

If we got a boy in our females they would get sent back, the people there would move the male to a male store. The females would be watched to see who was and wasn't pregnant. IF there was some that the male go to they would take care of them and the babies, the rest would be sent back to use after the 2 an 1/2 month mark that way they would know for sure by the vet that they where not pregnant. As for your comment on my "harping" No one had to listen to me and could leave if they want to. Some did some didn't.

As for the store going under. They have lost 3 out of 5 managers in a month, they are down to 10 staff members from 20 in total. Most left because of people coming in and complaining about many things, alot of them could not handle the stress of everything. I know that 5 people left when I did because I held alot of that store together. Yes there was loss when I would send people to the rescue BUT alot of the sales was in food, fish tanks, cages for hamster and so on. I was a great sales woman when it came to dog foods, toys, cat stuff and items for fish, reptiles, birds and rodents. I spent hours everynight looking things up that would come in so I knew if they would be good. I also got many items pulled if I found out that there was bad reviews. I talked to my ex boss just last week and If things do not change in the next 6 months they are closing the store. He also offered me my job back but I said no as I would rather raise my children.

I agree that they do not need a glorified version, this was what happend to me. there was the bads with any job. We would lose some animals that people whould get, mostly lizards that people thought they new about and we'd get back and have to fork over for a vet visit and meds until it got better. Not all petstores do that and so I was very lucky.