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Pet Stores Working at a Pet Store: Supporting the cycle?

sugarandspice

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I am looking at getting a part-time job at a Petco, Pet Pros, Petsmart etc. I love animals, and when I look at the pet care associates, I can't help but notice how much a lackluster job they do taking care of the animals. Over here at least, you can tell these stores hire teenagers and young adults who really don't like taking care of their animals. I think I would be doing these stores a favor by doing what their Pet Care associates should doing.

However, what if I come across a 10 year-old child with his/her mother wanting to buy an animal? I in no means would try to urge them to buy the animal, of course, but I would tell them about the animal and its care. The child begs and pleads with his/her mother for the animal. the mother says okay, and I tell them this animals does better either in two or by itself, but they don't follow instruction. I give them a proper cage size dimensions, yet they buy a smaller cage. Would that be promoting bad animal care, and the cycle? Is working at a pet store even ethical towards animals? Even though I would dislike doing it, according to the job description, my duty is to properly assist customers with buying an animal.

All of this is all very confusing to me... :confused:
 

gertieshmertz

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I feel like unfortunately it would be supporting the cycle. I've thought the same thing though. Well if I get a job there, no one will get the wrong info, and all the pets would be treated well while I'm there, and things would be fantastic. I don't think that would ever be a possibility though, because it is your job to assist the costumers, and they are always right. I honestly think the only way it would work out is if you personally owned a pet store that was also a rescue or something like that. You can always try and see if local shelters or rescues are hiring. Or even like animal daycare/groomers if you just want to work with animals.
 

Dessypoobear

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I work at Petsmart and I have told plenty of customers to adopt don't buy and I always give the correct info. My store also doesn't treat there animals like garbage and sick animals are usually adopted by the associates because they care so much for the animal. Not every store is awful, I would say no it wouldn't be supporting the cycle. I work in the grooming salon but have voiced my opinion of the mistreatment of the animals at the mills they are produced and all my co-workers agree and would like to change it. By shutting out a company and not buying there because you want them shut down causes more damage to the employes not the company. People with children, animals, and bills to pay. Good hearted people
 

TwoMissPiggies

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I worked at a family owned pet store and primarily worked with the small animals. I did my best to educate my co workers and if the co worker didn't know, they would come ask me (if I was working). We didn't have flyers or brochures like Petco & Pet Smart does, but I tried my best and the customers were very thankful for the information they got :)
 

mufasa

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Putting aside the issue of supporting the cycle, could you live with knowing that you'll end up selling animals to inappropriate homes? I know some pet store workers try to screen people, but it's impossible to weed out all the impulse buyers because some will talk a good story until they find out how much work that pet really is. Then most will dump it or let it languish. That's the part I'd have the most trouble with. It's hard enough to screen when you're a rescue, let alone a pet store catering to the general uneducated public.
 

MrWhistles

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Putting aside the issue of supporting the cycle, could you live with knowing that you'll end up selling animals to inappropriate homes? I know some pet store workers try to screen people, but it's impossible to weed out all the impulse buyers because some will talk a good story until they find out how much work that pet really is. Then most will dump it or let it languish. That's the part I'd have the most trouble with. It's hard enough to screen when you're a rescue, let alone a pet store catering to the general uneducated public.

I agree with @mufasa . Also, you'll have to deal with the fact that company policy will probably not be in the best interest of the animals. You may get reprimanded or fired for repeatedly telling customers they would be better off buying a cage elsewhere than getting a too-small one from the store. That will depend on the management of your store, but is very likely at Petsmart, Petco, etc. My friend worked at Pet Supermarket this summer and she had to handle mice that she knew were just going to be feeders, as well as having to watch a mom and her daughter buy a new hamster as the daughter said she wished the old hamster would die.

110%!!!!
I couldn't deal with it! And to add insult to injury. My PetsMart was VERY lacking in getting these animals the right treatment or really any treatment for their illnesses. The employees often NEVER cause sight of URIs. So the rodents suffered and died. They never really inspected these animals. Just captured them into boxes, changed bedding, gave a handful of hay/a dish full of pellets, checked the bottle was full of water and put them back in there.
 

rsgymjam

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At our pet world, their pigs were in the standard pet store cages, huddled in their bedding, shaking. I felt so badly! I am seriously crying writing this post. They did not even have a hidey! Oh my gosh I wanted to 5ake all of them home, and pet them and give them something decent to eat and somehow reassure them that all humans don't keep you cooped up in a 2x1 cage until you die. The babies were breaking my heart, just sitting there shaking. There were a ton of mice in a cage that was at the most 1.5x2. Pet stores are cruel to every animal except maybe fish. I even love MY fish, and would hate for him to die! I rescued him from a carnival!

Note: I never went back there.
 

Melissa123

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I use to work at Petsmart for almost 3 years. I quit this September. I didn't work in the store itself but in the Pets Hotel boarding facility.


Near the end of me working there I felt horrible for being involved in such a horrible company. I am so glad I quit. I miss all of the awesome dogs and cats that I've met over the years and have fallen in love with but Petsmart as a whole is awful. I do not understand how a company who is supposed to love animals and is all about adoption for dogs and cats BUT has a double standard with small pets. Every chance I got I would tell people about adoption and large c&c cages.

I understand the need for a job, trust me, I get it. One person at one store can NOT change the company as a whole and that is what matters if they are ever going to stop. I am relieved that I no longer work there.

My current job you ask? Building and selling C&C Cages! Love doing this and getting these cages out there more! :)
 

MrWhistles

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Instead of working at PetsMart,(I quit from there) I am a Force Free/Positive dog trainer. I pride myself on teaching people how they should be training their dogs, having patience and spreading canine language awareness. The more people know about how dogs really interact and their language, the better educated the general public will be.

I couldn't deal with the endless people who treat animals as easily replaceable and non-living objects. It drove me insane daily. It all ranged from putting a guinea pig in a ball or harness to dog owners using inhumane and painful tools to "fix" their dogs behavioral problems. Stressed me out to no end.
 

PeetaNewtAce

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I just started working at Petco this past September, and although I work in the grooming salon, I can safely say that everyone involved in the store actually cares. We have a think-adoption-first policy and also a booth that allows a customer to look up pets on petfinder.com. The associates educate people on the importance of care and I was actually shocked at the size of cages we have (although I would recommend any customer a C&C cage). They also clean out the cages of poop and other stuff every morning. Usually about once a day, I walk over to see how the guinea pigs are doing (most of them have been there since I started :( ), and they always have veggies or fruits like lettuce or oranges. Now, don't get me wrong, no pet store is perfect (do not agree with having the small animals in the store), but Petco (at least mine) actually cares about the animals.
 

mufasa

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You mentioned the guinea pigs have been there for a rather long while. I'm curious, what does your store do with them if they don't sell?

I just started working at Petco this past September, and although I work in the grooming salon, I can safely say that everyone involved in the store actually cares. We have a think-adoption-first policy and also a booth that allows a customer to look up pets on petfinder.com. The associates educate people on the importance of care and I was actually shocked at the size of cages we have (although I would recommend any customer a C&C cage). They also clean out the cages of poop and other stuff every morning. Usually about once a day, I walk over to see how the guinea pigs are doing (most of them have been there since I started :( ), and they always have veggies or fruits like lettuce or oranges. Now, don't get me wrong, no pet store is perfect (do not agree with having the small animals in the store), but Petco (at least mine) actually cares about the animals.
 

PeetaNewtAce

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I actually have no clue, to be honest. I don't work on the store floor (groomers are not allowed) and I've never asked. I know that people surrender pets to the store and usually the associates end up with the pets as their own. I'm not saying that Petco or any pet store is perfect, but I think it really depends on the people working there.
 

mufasa

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I'm glad your Petco takes in surrendered pets. My local Petco does the same, which is how I got my Quinn. The workers there don't usually take them, but they put them out for adoption to customers with a small fee that goes directly to the charitable fund. Now if only they'd stop selling and stick strictly to adoptions (I know, I'm a dreamer). I'm always sad when I see guinea pigs that don't sell because I wonder about their fate. Even if the store puts them up for adoption because they're too old to command full price, that takes away space for surrendered adoption pigs.
 
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