Evil Nasty Horrid Petstore!

[SerpentLust]

Urgh, I went back to that pet store. The one I recued Chaos from to see that the Ball Python that was in a horrid shed was STILL in the horrid shed. It's been a MONTH.

I told him that he should REALLY consider soaking the poor thing in some nice warm water and taking care of it. And he said, "Well, that would take care of the shed but the real problem is that he's sick and we're force feeding him now"

Looking into the enclosure you see...a small waterbowl. That is all. This poor ball is slithering around trying desperately to get the skin off or find someplace to hide. There's NO humidity. And all he says is, "It's sick" Come ON!

It honestly hurt to watch...

Jenn

[Tim and Julie B]

People suck! Pet stores never hire people who know anything about the animals. And they won't listen which is the most frustrating part! Dam it people suck!

[Mardy]

Maybe you could post a sign on the door

WE'RE PROUD TO SELL YOU SICK ANIMALS
FREE BONUS OFFER STAFF THATS INCOMPETENT

Just put a new sign up every night for a week
maybe they'll get the hint...

MArdy

[V.hb]

call animal control.... have them go in and look at it.

Putting a sign up could lead to legal problems, just do it the right way.. Don't give up on animal control either, continuously call them and pester them.. Sometimes it takes a kick in the butt to get them to do anything.

[Rattlesnake75]

that sucks i dont know how a pet store can stay up with sick pets.....sounds kinda like a petstore near my house

[Samba]

Well, a more practical solution might be to approach the store's owner or district manager. Explain to him/her that the store which is displaying 'sick' animals is giving the public a 'bad image' of what a 'good' pet store is supposed to look like. Tell them that you have some suggestions to 'improve their image'. If you use terms like these they should be willing to do something. Also, if they take better care of their animals, more of them will survive and need less medical care; therefore saving the company money and increasing profits.

Offer easy to follow instructions on the proper care of the species effected. If possible, print some care sheets from the internet and take them in with you. Be courteous, and don't assert blame on anyone. You want to sound helpful.

Follow up with them in a week or so and ask how the animal is doing. If there is not any improvment, or you think the snake may need medical attention (which it probably does) you may want to report this (it IS a crime) to a Humane Society or Animal Welfare organization in you area. Call the police (non-emergency number, of course), and explain to them you are witnessing animal neglect/abuse/etc. By law, all complaints have to be responded to by uniformed officers if requested. Just having the police show up and discussing the situation with the owner/manager can be embarassing and scary (when speaking of fines, imprisonment, shutting down the store, etc.) enough that they may want to listen. If you are an extreme individual you may call for a boycott. Boycotts are perfectly legal so long as the protesters are not on the property of the store and aren't harrassing the customers. The purpose is to educate, and when possible divert those consumers to another place. Good luck and keep us updated actions your taking!

[RachelS.]

How can petstores actually hire people that don't know what they're doing or how to take care of the animals??? It's such a sad site to see... I hate it!!

[Lizzy]

Was that pet store in your hometown Serpentlust? I'm in Sudbury and there is a pet shop here I would like to see take batter care of all of their animals. The reptile section is a mess, and I don't want to get too close for fear of mites. The small animal stanch fills the store even thought the room they are kept in is behind a closed door. I can't immagine how that room must smell. The fish staff don't seem to know how to do algae scrubs, maintain thanks or scoop out dead fish. They don't seem to care that their store looks and smells worse than a barn. Ugh...

Lizzy

[Lisa]

Alot of problems with the displays of animals isn't the store staff, it's often the management doesn't care, all they are interested in is the sales of animals and the care/cleaning. Care and cleaning cost money so they don't like doling it out.

[Shane Tesser]

Remember kids...before we get to that point..no company names mentioned please....law suits suck :(

[LadyHawke]

i worked at a pet store and was hired because of my knowledge, not all pet stores are the same, not all are good either, you can't condemn them all, its just like anything else - you get your good and bad with everything and do what is right, but i do get tired of people saying ALL pet stores don't hire knowledgeable staff, i am sure its more common in large chains then in small ones because of the turnover rate that is mostly students who probably don't even care about animals

[Linds]

I agree with LadyHawke, not all hire a bunch of incompetant staff members. I was the first person at the reptile store I worked at to be hired after 8 months of being opened because they couldn't find anyone previous to myself with the necessary knowledge to work with the animals, and do birthday parties and shows. They just remainded staffless for that period versus hiring a bunch of people that weren't qualified.

[Mr.Lizard]

It is unfortunate that many petstore keepers and staff have little interest in the animals themselves other than making a buck off them.
It is also unfortunate that these people would rather keep the animal in their "care" than give it away to a concerned and qualified individual. I agree that animal control or the police should be called in to investigate these cases.
It's great when pet stores have qualified people on staff who have an interest and respect for the animals. These are the people who read up on the animals and can actually answer questions and offer advice to prospective customers.
More times than I can remember have I encountered staff whose
field of knowledge was far less than my own.
This wouldn't do for any other type of business but unfortunately when dealing with living creatures you don't need to have the "product knowledge"you would if you were selling bicycles or boats or anything else.

[Invictus]

It's just a matter of picking a good pet store. I don't buy ANYTHING retail any more, now that I'm hooked up with breeders and suppliers and such, but occasionally I go into (*$%(*$# to see what's new. They have a gal working the reptile department there that is just fabulous with her knowledge. She owns several snakes and lizards herself, which I think should be a requirement to work in that department. So no, not all are bad.

[Samba]

I remember $%^(*#( I cant believe ppl still dont get not mentioning names!!! Shane)! In fact, I still have a red-eared slider I bought there soon after moving to New Mexico when I was 10! The Store I bought her from has since closed, but I remember good things about them. I only had one problem: they were going to let me, a 10 year old kid, buy a veiled chameleon, no questions asked. (I never did get that chameleon, as they sold it to someone else, and I was too mad to take another one).

I agree that most pet stores, (if not all) probably need some kind of specialized personnel in their reptile department. If these people don't know anything, basic training should be offered. (Heating, Lighting, Foods, Sick Animal Recognition, etc.) Lisa is right when she points at management. Recently, when I reported a coorporate pet store for neglect, the manager told me that there's nothing he can do. (Which, of course, is total BS). If the management could be convinced, this case would be smooth sailing. Jenn... I wish you luck, and I really hope you report them. There is no reason on Earth an animal should suffer like that.

[Collide]

Some times i honestly think that pet stores like their animal looking like they need help! There have been more times then i can count that I have had to force myself to leave a store b/c I wanted to punch the manager. I have seen more sick animals then id like to remember. I think i bugged the manager in one store soo much they took out their reptile department well their anamals anyway.