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RANT: The Pet Store

Kenna18155

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I'm fuming.

So as some of you know, my first piggy was given to me as a gift, bought from a pet store. I asked my brother the other day which store he bought her at, and he told me she was from The Pet Store in Chambersburg, PA. Thinking I could do a good deed, I asked to stop by next time we were in town, with the intention of letting the employees know that Scarlet was pregnant when I got her. I was hoping they could separate the animals by sex, thus preventing many unwanted pregnancies and further overpopulation.

I walked into the store and decided to check out the guinea pigs while I was there and assess their care. I noticed that they had no hay and no veggies at all. There were at least seven crammed into a small aquarium, and the only food they had was pellets, oats, and a dirty bowl of water.

I let myself cool down a bit and went up to the counter. I talked to an employee, letting her know that a pig bought from the store was pregnant. I asked if they were separated by sex, and her response was, and I quote: "Uhm, we don't separate them because we don't sex them." So NOT ONLY are they getting pigs pregnant, they are selling unsexed pigs! I calmly suggested that they could let customers know that they just might be buying a pregnant piggy. She ignored me and promptly started talking to a customer.

There was NO WAY I was going to be able to stay in the store without causing a scene, so I just left before I started screaming and/or swearing.

Is there ANYTHING I can do for these poor piggies? If it helps I can give you guys the link to their website. Maybe if they get enough complaints they'll start giving their animals better care. They sell cats, dogs, hamsters, mice, rats, gerbils, guinea pigs, birds, and reptiles, and the conditions their animals live in is appalling.
 

MamaMagpie

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I think the complaint route might be the most effective. If it's a chain, we would need to specify the specific store we're talking about. Do you know if that store is the only one in the area?
 

ClemmyOddieIndy

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I would go back and request a meeting with the manager. Write out a list of concerns (so that you can stay focused). Go back a few weeks after the meeting to see if anything has changed. If not, I would contact the local humane society and ask how to report potential cases of neglect.
 

LoveMyPigs25

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double post
 

LoveMyPigs25

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They probably don't sexed them because they are suppose to receive either all boys or all girls. All my local pet stores sell either all boys (of every type of animal) or all girls. So they just assume they are receiving the right sex. Which means she may have got pregnant before they received her. I would write an email to their corporate office with the store number and address.
 

Kenna18155

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@MamaMagpie

It is a local thing. Not a chain. It only exists in Chambersburg, PA.

@ClemmyOddieIndy

I wish that would work, but I'm a minor, and probably the least threatening-looking person in the world. If I requested a meeting with the manager, I'd probably just be laughed at. And, unfortunately, nobody else in my family shares my beliefs on care and breeding, so I couldn't have someone else do it for me.
 

LoveMyPigs25

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Call animal control and ask who to make a report to about a store. They should put you in the right direction if they don't look into it. You should have taken photos for proof.
 

ClemmyOddieIndy

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@MamaMagpie

It is a local thing. Not a chain. It only exists in Chambersburg, PA.

@ClemmyOddieIndy

I wish that would work, but I'm a minor, and probably the least threatening-looking person in the world. If I requested a meeting with the manager, I'd probably just be laughed at. And, unfortunately, nobody else in my family shares my beliefs on care and breeding, so I couldn't have someone else do it for me.

Having been a very active teenager in promoting animal well-being (including having conversations with politicians), I can tell you adults will listen to kids with well thought out arguments. It's not about being threatening, it's about being persuasive. :) But, at the same time it can be hard if your family isn't supportive. Even though they don't share your beliefs, are they supportive of you enough to stand behind you? I was lucky that my family 1) shared my beliefs and 2) stood behind me no matter what. Do you have an English teacher, or any teacher, that might help you write a letter to send to the store laying out your concerns? That way you don't have to worry about getting there and meeting with the manager. I remember one of our English teachers in high-school helped a student write an opinion piece for the newspaper.
 

Kenna18155

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I wasn't expecting to go into the store and witness such bad care, as I only went in to warn the employees of possible pregnancies. I'm afraid picures wouldn't do much to help, anyway. Upon first glance, the cages look fine. Due to a lack of hay (fiber), the piggies aren't pooping much if at all, which gives the illusion of a clean cagw, and therefore, a clean environment. Unless the person who investigated it was very good with small animals, they might not even know anything's wrong.

And to [MENTION=27350]ClemmyOddieIndy[/MENTION], I'll try the letter-writing idea. Do you think a handwritten letter or a typed one would be more effective?

If needed, I can post an address/number/email on here and hopefully with a lot of people complaining, they'll treat their animals better.

Ugh. I hate pet stores.
 

ClemmyOddieIndy

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I wasn't expecting to go into the store and witness such bad care, as I only went in to warn the employees of possible pregnancies. I'm afraid picures wouldn't do much to help, anyway. Upon first glance, the cages look fine. Due to a lack of hay (fiber), the piggies aren't pooping much if at all, which gives the illusion of a clean cagw, and therefore, a clean environment. Unless the person who investigated it was very good with small animals, they might not even know anything's wrong.

And to @ClemmyOddieIndy, I'll try the letter-writing idea. Do you think a handwritten letter or a typed one would be more effective?

If needed, I can post an address/number/email on here and hopefully with a lot of people complaining, they'll treat their animals better.

Ugh. I hate pet stores.

I would type it. Make it very professional looking. I would even type the envelope.

Unfortunately, it's hearsay and really the only way to make a difference is if you see it yourself.
 

HeresTheSkinny

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Seconding the idea of asking your English teacher for help. I'm a teacher, and if one of my students came to me with this idea, you bet I'd help. If you're not a big fan of our English teacher, I'd be happy to help. Write a draft and send it to me, and I'll edit it for you.
 

Kenna18155

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I think I'll do that instead. I have a lot of respect for my English teacher, but she's not always open to extra work, as she already manages the yearbook. And she can be a bit rude when it comes to asking for help.

I'll get working on my letter ASAP. Thanks.
 

oldnewie

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Good on you for acting on this. Minors are just as important as adults, & when they speak out on issues in a mature way like you, they will be listened to. The SPCA, Humane Society, etc. need people like you to be their eyes & ears, to notify them of any concerns regarding cruelty, abuse, abandonment, dumping & neglect.
A great pity your family refuse to help.
 

4cavies

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Ugh. This reminds me of when I was about 18, I had an interview with a pet store. They had their enclosures for every animal aside from cats and dogs open so anyone could reach in. I was standing up front waiting for the manager, already wondering what I was doing there, when I saw a women that was holding a ferret, literally, throw it back into the habitat because it pooped on her. When the manager walked up I told him about it, he shrugged and said it happens. I turned around and walked out. On top of that, they had a macaw that was obviously I'll and dogs and cats in tiny little enclosures, sitting in their own waste. I called the ASPCA in the area and they were able to take the report and it was given to the county animal control. That store was shut down 3 months later and the whole chain is now extinct. Good for you to be doing this. Animals need someone to speak up for them.
 
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