Not All Pet Stores Are Bad

[kathleen5]

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OK now please don't get upset with me for what I am about to say. I am also willing to hear your opinion on this topic as well.

Now you are seeing more and more pet store only adopting out animals from local shelters that are in need of rescue. In the city I live in there are so many adoption programs going on that are great through pet stores.

Now I got my 2 boys from a pet store. I was unaware that I had guinea pigs in my local shelter and I do admit that it was my fault for not checking the shelter more often for them.

Both of my boys came with total information on them that included the date they were born, pics of mom and dad, and notes for each of them from the breeder. There cages were clean and so were they. They were also very social.

I did stake out a few pet stores though before I settled on the one I did.

I guess I am just trying to say that not all pet stores are evil. Yes, there are so that should be shut down on the spot. If were are so concerned with all the homeless unhealthy pets in pet store that mostly will end up in shelter due to people growing old of them etc. then why are we still breeding them out of our homes?

Kathleen

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[CavyKind]

Originally Posted by kathleen5

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I guess I am just trying to say that not all pet stores are evil. Yes, there are so that should be shut down on the spot. If were are so concerned with all the homeless unhealthy pets in pet store that mostly will end up in shelter due to people growing old of them etc. then why are we still breeding them out of our homes?

Kathleen

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Hi Kathleen,
Sorry I don't know what you mean when you ask..."why we are still breeding them out of our homes?" I doubt very much whether many people who post here will breed...unless they are the type who just pops in to reply to selected posts.

Sadly I do hear of some "rescue people" who do breed and sometimes even supply petshops, no one in the animal welfare world would respect them. I don't.

[Piglet]

I don't know why people still breed them at home. It is a mystery that baffles me

Yes, pet stores can be clean and well informed, but for me that doesn't matter. I just want people to get all those animals in shelters and rescues.

[Susan9608]

Even if pet stores treat their animals well, there is still the underlying problem of treating animals like merchandise and property ... and of selling them to anyone willing to pay for the, as opposed to screening people for good, adequate homes.

[mom to cujo]

This is the first time that I feel that I can reply to a post like this. Two weeks ago we drove 2 and a half hours to adopt a buddy for Cujo. The rescuer wanted to see pictures of my cage, and the application was probably as long as detailed as a human adoption application! How do you feed? What do you feed? How often, etc. We brought Cujo with us and let the boys meet and when the rescuer saw that they seemed to interact well she let us take Sebastian. She gave me a bag of bluegrass hay, some Oxbow pellets and a book with health information. Now Cujo was bought at a pet store - this was before I became very interested and learned from this site. Cujo, thank goodness was just a baby and luckily was only at the store for about an hour when we got him. He is healthy and we were fortunate. But the store asked for my money and that was that. I couldv'e been feeding him to a snake for all they cared. That is the point. If you truly love these animals it doesn't matter if they are babies or mature. They just need loving homes. The ones we adopt were probably purchased from some uncaring petstore.

[CavyKind]

Originally Posted by Susan9608

Even if pet stores treat their animals well, there is still the underlying problem of treating animals like merchandise and property ... and of selling them to anyone willing to pay for the, as opposed to screening people for good, adequate homes.

That is so true, have you ever heard a pet store refuse to sell to an owner (unless underage) or ask them about their guinea knowledge...I haven't.
They sell to anyone...old enough...who comes through the door.

Pet stores are also a handy source for backyard breeders to sell on their babies.

[Access]

Originally Posted by kathleen5

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Both of my boys came with total information on them that included the date they were born, pics of mom and dad, and notes for each of them from the breeder. There cages were clean and so were they. They were also very social.

I did stake out a few pet stores though before I settled on the one I did.

I guess I am just trying to say that not all pet stores are evil. Yes, there are so that should be shut down on the spot. If were are so concerned with all the homeless unhealthy pets in pet store that mostly will end up in shelter due to people growing old of them etc. then why are we still breeding them out of our homes?

Kathleen
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Have you looked at the paperwork in depth? That the pig came from a breeder -- that alone is part of the problem. All pet stores (that sell animals) are evil, some are just prettier on the outside. Plus is there any way to verify the information you were given? Anyone can take a picture of a few similar looking older pigs and claim they are the parents, make up some information about a breeder and fake vet checks, etc.

I don't think anyone here is 'breeding them out of our homes'... when people here talk about pregnancy it is almost always the mistaken / unintentional type.

[CavyKind]

Originally Posted by Access

Have you looked at the paperwork in depth? That the pig came from a breeder -- that alone is part of the problem. All pet stores (that sell animals) are evil, some are just prettier on the outside. Plus is there any way to verify the information you were given? Anyone can take a picture of a few similar looking older pigs and claim they are the parents, make up some information about a breeder and fake vet checks, etc.

type.

A guinea pig breeder in our area who breeds/shows and "rescues" once told me quite cheerfully that the guineas they supplied to a local pet store chain all went with a "pedigree" and birth certificate...like that made it alright!

If these breeders are so conscientious, why aren't they rehoming their unwanted guineas themselves...though I think it is a bit naive of me to believe they weren't breeding simply to sell. Sorry but a bit of paperwork typed up on the home computer doesn't make these people any better than they are...backyard breeders.

[Ly&Pigs]

The only petstores that are not evil are the ones that DON'T sell animals period!

[mom to cujo]

Another thing - don't think that for one second when I see a piggies in a petstore (if I need something in an emergency) I am not tempted to buy it just to get it out of there. They are always adorable and it always breaks my heart to leave them but after adopting I realize that all the information I've gotten from this board is worth listening to. As hard as it is, after staring at them for a while I turn and leave, even when I tear up at the thought of what might wind up happening to them. About a month ago I was in a store and saw two piggies. Two days later they were gone. They both had goopy eyes and I had a bad feeling so when I asked the store manager if they had been sold he told me that they both had died. They were just babies! Think, people. If I can be convinced so can you. Just think of the piggies.

[Piglet]

I know, its really tough. Like I said in another post, I went to the pet store, and it literally did break my heart. Yes there were cute ones, but there were also ones with fur missing, scabs etc. I want to get them ALL, but I know that if I do, boom they will all be replaced.

[Ly&Pigs]

That's why I avoid going into pet stores that sell animals. Because I do get a temptation to want to bring them home and the last time I was in our local mom & pop petshop, I did just that, brought moppy home. Now I don't go there. For every pig you buy at a petstore, it is replaced with 2 more. Not only does that leave a homeless pig in a shelter, it leaves other pigs homeless as well because the shelters have no room to take in more pigs.

Plus so many of the employees don't know anything about the animals they are selling. To them it's only $$$ not lives. Pigs from pet stores are often sick and all they need is to be treated for mites or some antibiotics but the stores don't care enough to give them the treatments. They just sell the sick pets to anyone who walks in the door with $$$ to buy them. Then those new owners take the poor pig home only to have it die days later. Then return to the pet store and have it "replaced" by yet another sick pig. Thus the cycle continues.

The ones that really care about the pets they just "bought" will do a search and find out more, often leading to the pig being treated for the illness or mites, give it a much better home and give it/them the proper food and hay. The ones who don't or follow the advise of grossly misinformation phamplets have piggies that lead short lives or are very unhappy lives.

People like us who protest to the pet stores selling pigs and giving owners incorrect information can in fact do something about it. Petitions to stop it, informing pet stores of proper care and give phamplets with correct information in it. Petitions to stop the manufacturers from selling things that are bad for pigs, such as the mixed foods, bad treats, balls, wheels, etc. It will take time but I believe in my heart that it could be done.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by mom to cujo

About a month ago I was in a store and saw two piggies. Two days later they were gone. They both had goopy eyes and I had a bad feeling so when I asked the store manager if they had been sold he told me that they both had died. They were just babies!

I hope that wasn't the Petco in White Plains because I saw a white male pig with a crusty, shut eye on 1/30. I told the manager, petco hq, and peta about him and I was assured that he would be visiting a vet the next day.

[mncavylover]

In reference to a previous post, I know of a child, aged 10 or 11 at the time, who walked into a local Petland, purchased all the supplies for a mouse, purchased a mouse, etc, without his parents there. He simply walked in, plunked down the money, and walked out. They would not take anything for return except the live animal. It's a sick enough reality that if there's money, they'll sell.

[Poohbear]

I personally think all pet stores are bad becuase they do not really care about the animals they just want the money.

[lindsey's boys]

Originally Posted by Queen B

I personally think all pet stores are bad becuase they do not really care about the animals they just want the money.

Yep Queen B, I think you hit the nail on the head.

[Poohbear]

Thanks, lindsey.