Petco Adoption?

[Lourdes]

I adopted a girl rat from Petco. Filled out a form and paid 2.00. She was a dump, but was not originally from petco as they only sell male rats and mice. I'm wondering if anyone else "adopts" from petco. Past the registers right before the exit there is always a few animals that are looking for homes. I wish they would put them by the rest of them.

[Cavy Carnage]

I would never adopt from a Pet store unless the animal was free as I doubt the money you hand over goes to charity etc, I personally believe it just goes in Petno's/ Pet Stupids bank account.

[piggly wiggly]

It depends on who is doing the adoption. At my petsmart, the animal services does adoption days there, it is advertise on the animal services website, they get the adoption fee, and the adoption application is the same as when you go to the shelter, so in this case I would adopt from there, because I know where the money is going, and that the animals are from the shelter.

[Weatherlight]

They do direct "adoptions" themselves? I always thought they just gave nonprofits room. Interesting.

I'd consider it like a breeder who does "rescue" on the side. I'd go elsewhere.

[Rattie Mom]

In all honesty, I wouldn't consider getting a pet from Petco as an "adoption".

I believe that all animals deserve a wonderful forever home. But just like with the horrid puppy mills, most of the chain petstores get their rats from "mills" too. These regularly breed unhealthy rats, in horrible conditions. Buying a pet from petco just contributes to their horrible practices.

There are some very serious and deadly viruses that affect rats. This is why a 2-3 week quarantine is an absolute must before introducing new ratties into your home. It's much safer to go through a reputable rescue that places their ratties into QT homes before adoption.

Just my two cents.

With all that said, I hope your new rattie is healthy and she has a wonderful life with you. They all deserve only the best.

[dra&pigs]

The Petsmart near our house rents out space to two of the local shelters. Mostly its just space for kittens, mice and an occasional rat, but the people working there are sent by the shelters, and they are always very knowledgable (sp?) about the animals. (I've never adopted from there, but I went with my friend to help her find two healthy piggers).

[wheeek]

My first guinea pig was adopted from Petco. He came with his tiny cage, a pigloo, food dish, water bottle and toys for $30. He was full grown and they had no idea what his name was or how old he was.

[PrincessAngel]

One petco near me has adoption of small animals.I'm guessing they were taken back to the store. But the fee is really small and the animal normally comes with the cage it's in. Usually I only see rats,mice, hamsters, gerbils. But I think there were a few rabbits once and a guinea pig. On the smaller rodents I think the sign says "for adoption, 5$ fee." and I think it gets donated somewhere but I can't remember.

[DIGGYDI]

Hi, I adopted my piggy Boogie from Petco. He was free. I hope things work out for you and your rat.

[Should I?]

Originally Posted by Rattie Mom

In all honesty, I wouldn't consider getting a pet from Petco as an "adoption".

I believe that all animals deserve a wonderful forever home. But just like with the horrid puppy mills, most of the chain petstores get their rats from "mills" too. These regularly breed unhealthy rats, in horrible conditions. Buying a pet from petco just contributes to their horrible practices.

There are some very serious and deadly viruses that affect rats. This is why a 2-3 week quarantine is an absolute must before introducing new ratties into your home. It's much safer to go through a reputable rescue that places their ratties into QT homes before adoption.

Just my two cents.

With all that said, I hope your new rattie is healthy and she has a wonderful life with you. They all deserve only the best.

The OP isn't talking about buying animals. She didn't buy the rat from Petco. Some other person took their rat and gave it to Petco because they didnt/couldnt want it anymore. Petco takes in animals like that whenever they have room. They don't have to do this, they could just turn the animals away. But they keep them and take care of them until they can find them a home. And they don't sell them, they really do adopt them out for a very low fee and its on completely different type of paperwork, it is not a sale. Its just like getting a cat or dog from the humane society.

[5guinea5pig5]

You're not really adopting it. The person who gave the rat to petco probably got it from there and wanted to return it. So, since they can't sell it again they say it's up for "adoption".

[Should I?]

Thats your opinion but I still think its adopting it. But yes, PetCo can and does resell pets that are bought from their store and then returned.

If someone just can't keep a pet, no matter where they obtained said pet, and surrenders it to PetCo, thats when they obviously can't sell it for profit because is not part of their "stock". So they take them in and find them homes. I don't see how you can say thats not adopting. They care for it and find it a home and do not make any profit from it. I think its really awesome that PetCo does that and our local humane really appreciates it too since they are so overcrowded all the time they appreciate the help! Why are you trying to turn something good into something bad, I don't get it.

[Peggysu]

Petno can't "make" a profit off of it because they already did. It's not adopting unfortunately you're just supporting their horrible cause. Unfortunately Petno and places like it cause the humane society to be over crowded.

It isn't something good, it's something horrible!

If someone is "adopting" a pet from Petno chances are that person then goes into the store and buys supplies for the new pet. Therefore making a profit for Petno.

[Should I?]

Originally Posted by Peggysu

Petno can't "make" a profit off of it because they already did. It's not adopting unfortunately you're just supporting their horrible cause. Unfortunately Petno and places like it cause the humane society to be over crowded.

It isn't something good, it's something horrible!

If someone is "adopting" a pet from Petno chances are that person then goes into the store and buys supplies for the new pet. Therefore making a profit for Petno.

The animals they adopt out can come from any source, they are not just animals that petco has already sold in the past. They are not animals that petco has already "made a profit from" (although I'm sure some could be) They are not "returned" animals. And they usually come with a cage and supplies so there is still no profit. I adopted a hamster from petco before and he came with a very nice cage and all supplies, I filled out an adoption agreement and paid the $5 adoption fee, which is very reasonable since they have been caring for him just like a shelter would. He was not an animal originally purchased from them, they take in animals from all sources just like a shelter does. And yes they are helping the shelter because the shelter does not have the proper facilities to care for these types of animals, they are only set up for cats and dogs only, although they will take in other kinds if they have to. (I'm speaking of my local shelter, no all shelters). They also do not have a small animal vet so if the animals get sick they can't do anything. Petco does have a vet they use if the animals get sick. Yes, they are helping. I think some people just hate Pet stores so much they have closed their minds and can't see anything positive.

[Percy's Mom]

Originally Posted by Should I?

I think some people just hate Pet stores so much they have closed their minds and can't see anything positive.

If you couldn't turn the corner from where Petco has returned and rejected animals up for "adoption" and have an employee pull one out of a cage or aquarium to sell it to you, it would be easier to see anything positive about "adopting" from them.

The fact of the matter is that Petco, Pet Smart, and any other store that sells animals should be avoided. Any money brought into the store goes towards stocking the shelves with products and the cages with animals from breeders and pet mills. It's a business. That's it. When they stop selling animals and profit only from decent products, then picking up an animal that has been abandoned there can be called adoption. Until then, it's just buying a rejected product; like a lot of retail stores sell open box items or have scratch and dent sales.

Unless a rescue or shelter is having an adoption program there, there is no way to guarantee that the money coming in is going towards good works.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

If Petco is reselling animals, they are breaking their own corporate rules. Not surprising since they support pet milling too.

[Should I?]

Originally Posted by rabbitsncavyluv

If Petco is reselling animals, they are breaking their own corporate rules. Not surprising since they support pet milling too.

They aren't resellin them. This thread is about adoption not selling.

[Slave to the Wheek]

Originally Posted by Should I?

They aren't resellin them. This thread is about adoption not selling.

Adoption is a word tossed around loosely these days. The term adoption was originally developed by RESCUERS who took in HOMELESS animals. However, in recent years, the BREEDERS have started calling it adoption anytime you get an animal in any way. Guinea Pig Home - Social Cause Marketing - Articles reading this article will help you become educated on the subject. Petstupid and Petno have ONLY been able to prosper because they jumped on the bandwagon early on in their corporate history. Originally, the DID sell dogs and cats, as I remember when we got our first Petsmart in Sacramento and was appalled that they had them for sale.

There are VERY VERY VERY few PetNo, and Petstupids that literally offer up GUINEA PIGS from rescues or from a shelter of any kind. IF they have a GUINEA pig in their retail store, and they offer it to you, the chances of it being an actual RESCUE is so slim it's not worth even discussing. Usually, even if they do attempt to use rescuers, they often change back as soon as people stop complaining. They also put stickers directly on their animal cages that say 'opt to adopt' which is purposely misleading.

Those 2 stores along with other large regional corporate pet selling stores are currently the biggest customers of this place:
Take Action: Undercover Investigation Uncovers Horrors at PetSmart and PETCO Supplier's Breeding Mill
I'm not a PETA fan, nor am I vegetarian or anything like that. However, facts are facts folks. What's hard to understand is that the video at this site doesn't even show the REAL horror stories of some pet store suppliers. This place is the largest and most profitable. However, there are smaller suppliers that sell to the small pet stores. I'll never forget when I was told by more than one employee at Petco that they use "LOCAL reputable breeders"
Hollister Seizure and Rescue

Pet Stores and Guinea Pigs
Pet Mills Churn Out More Than Puppies | The Humane Society of the United States

rabbitsncavyluv is perfectly aware of this as are most of the folks who are old timers here. That's why she's pointing out that it's AGAINST store policy for them to accept guinea pigs, let alone resell them. Pet Mills Churn Out More Than Puppies | The Humane Society of the United States
Please take some time to look at these links and really read over what's happening.

Personally, I had NO idea of this until I came to GPC and started learning about how bad it really is for RETAIL stores to house and sell any kind of animals and what it takes to keep them 'supplied'.

This thread is titled "Petco Adoption?" which is virtually impossible. Unless you consider that adoption simply means getting an animal from anywhere for any reason, including resells. Normally a thread with such a title will turn into a kitchen item pretty quickly.

[Should I?]

Originally Posted by Slave to the Wheek

Adoption is a word tossed around loosely these days. The term adoption was originally developed by RESCUERS who took in HOMELESS animals. However, in recent years, the BREEDERS have started calling it adoption anytime you get an animal in any way.

But thats not the way we are using it here. We are using to describe when people, for whatever reason, can't keep their small pets anymore and dump them at petco. petco does not "resell" them. Often those pets were never sold by petco in the first place. Petco takes them in and adopts them out just like the humane society and shelters and rescues do. They keep them in the back and care for them. They don't sell them with their regular animals, and they dont' sell them for the same price, and they almost always come with a cage and all accessories. The adoption fee they charge, which is minimal, is a lesser amount than the care they invest in these animals while they are waiting for a home.

Please take some time to look at these links and really read over what's happening.

I have already read some of those links long ago and am very well aware of animal mills, not only in the pet trade but also in the food trade, its horrifying. But we aren't talking about mills, or buying a pet from petco. We are talking about taking in an animal that someone else had dumped and is being temporarily cared for by petco.

This thread is titled "Petco Adoption?" which is virtually impossible. Unless you consider that adoption simply means getting an animal from anywhere for any reason, including resells.

Again, we arent' talking about just walking in and buying a pet from petco. We are talking about adopting one of the HOMELESS ones that someone has dumped on petco. People dump pets at shelters too. Shelters then care for the animals until they are adopted and then charge an adoption fee to reimburse for the care and/or help to fund future care for other homeless animals. There is no difference.

[Deenanicole08]

I do know that when a store like Petco and Petsmart gets an animal someone surrendered to them, or left at the front door at night, they do take them in and do not put them in with their regular animals, they are not allowed, it would be against the law. They only adopt them out for minimal price, to only try to recover a fraction of what they've spent while the animal was in their care. The money does not go to the store directly, the store actually losses money when they get these animals, since they pay for them out of the stores income. I also read on Petco.com that they teamed up with Petfinder and only do adoptions now.