Boycott petco!!!

[sardonicscorpio]

What I think is kind of ironic that Petco/Petsmart consistently give poor care/diet/etc to their animals, yet they charge 3x more than a private breeder.
The employees that work there are not vet techs or certified, they are just employees who happen to work around animals. Anyone who assumes that an employee at one of these stores is any sort of expert is making a very bad assumption. You may get lucky with a person or two, but it all boils down to doing your own research.
I totally understand buying an animal from a petstore to rescue it from the bad consitions, but doing that also necessitates the understanding that the animal is most likely not in perfect health, and that if the stores cared in the first place, they wouldn't have inexperienced high school employees (not that they're all bad, but c'mon, most of 'em couldnt care less) providing care for exotic animals.

Birds are notorious for stressing out. Most of them from petco/petsmart receive very little if any socialization, kept isolated, not used to being handled. If it was on a poor diet, and possibly been sick, the stress of being moved/in a new home/handled etc could have killed it.

 

[aykfc]

I understand sardon but the birds at the store i work at get a lot of socialization. I am constantly interacting with our blue crowned conure, over an hour a day, so is a lot of other people. Also, this girl has had birds all her life and when she has it for 3 days it dies? I never agreed with her buying the bird there, but it was her choice. And the treatment from the associates we got was horrific. How can you defend the store when the bird cages are covered in feces, as well as the water bowl being full of feces?

 

[rljlll]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10675950#post10675950 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aykfc
Yeah, depends on the store

How can you defend the store when the bird cages are covered in feces, as well as the water bowl being full of feces?

How can you judge a whole company on one store?

Do you have a better suggestion to double bag a fish in an efficient manner, while still obtaining a good seal?

I use this technique and i do not know a better one. if anyone does im all ears and im willing to try it out for a period of time.

 

[mjstech]

http://www.peta.org/feat-petsmart-photos.asp
'nuff said

 

[Iammatt219]

"This is just me but I HATE their bagging techniques, first they take a normal bag fill it tie it up with rubber bands (which are in most of the tanks, for whatever reasons) then they invert this bag into another one, upside down, then tie the outer bag.
I hate this cause the poor fish is being netted, dumped into a container of water, dumped into a bag, then flipped, and then fipped again to un-bag the fish, (my question whY!)"

This is also done to aid in the prevention of some spiny or bity fish from punctering or getting stuck in th e bags at the corners. Sometimes some of the highend local stores will presetup some bags with newspaper in between both bags which are faced the same way. in this case in a good seal is not gotten on both bags but the first bag generraly is aided from puncter and less stress is endured by the fish theoretically.

 

[pupfish]

OH CRAP!!! I WANTED THIS BIRD! I haven't checked this thread for days 'cuz I was scared crapless that this was the same bird. My heart goes out to you and your friend. And everyone giving you crap for not liking PetCo should just shut up. If it was a freaking beagle puppy you guys wouldn't be acting like this - nice to know what a lack of compassion there is in this goup.

I can tell you that the one on 101 and Indian Bend (where Milo came from) and the 44th and Thomas store are 2 of the most pathetic excuses for "pet" shops I've seen and I've gotten into verbal exchanges the managers and workers of their fish depts' to point it out. I don't think Milo was in there for months, although that's beside the point. I go there for my dog's food (guess I'll get it at PetSmart now - even longer drive) and to see what kind of horrorfest is going on with the tanks. This is the Pavillions PetCo and, yes, the employees are as ignorant as they come. I went in to price compare some items and saw Milo gone and was queasy, because I notice ALL the larger birds look sick and listless. Then to cap it off, as I left the store, some woman had just come in wanting to speak to someone who knew something about birds because "my bird is seriously ill". I didn't wait to find out if she got it there but she seemed real p***** and upset. The huge turquoise parakeet that seemed sick when I saw Milo (and fell in love too... that was the friendliest bird I've ever met, totally affectionate little conure.) is gone, the canaries are gone, the sun conure that was there near Milo's cage looks listless (could pass for stuffed), the cockatiels are even quiet. Freaky. No, there's something weird going on in their aviary and I think it may have come in on that big keet (that they were having a "Managers Special" on - now, that bird was in there for longer than Milo and he looked sick when I first saw him.)

BTW, for sheer ignorance and stupidity, the 44th and Thomas sells (miliarias?) Morays as freshwater, although the info sign clearly states "ORIGIN: INDO-PACIFIC". The store manager and I got into it and he told me if I thought it was so important to contact the wholesaler and try "fixing it". Jerk. Anyone who knows anything about Muraenidae should know how cruel it is to keep them in freshwater..... Of course, I used my huge influence and magical superpowers to make them stop. Not.

Just doing whatever to make a buck, screw the livestock, customers, last vestiges of their own humanity. At least PetSmart somewhat trains there employees on husbandry (even though they purchase penny livestock).

Heartbroken and Angry,
Meredith

 

[Reef-o-Roni]

Why do you people go in there if you hate it so much?BTW I don't like beagles.
If the animals are so abused in this store you folks should file a complaint whith the SPCA instead of doing what your doing in this thread.
Avain certified..lol.:lol:

 

[aykfc]

Thank you so much pupfish. Milo was an amazing bird and she is heartbroken over it. What would filling a complaint do? They go look, say something and leave. Getting the word out to as many people as possible will hurt business. Milo got an amazing home... and Milo died 3 days later. They are supposedly sending him in to get an autopsy : / I just want as many people to know what happened. They can make up there mind for this situation

 

[pupfish]

Actually, around 8 years ago I called the Humane Society regarding the dead (as in stiff dead) ferrets they had in the Gilbert store. Recently, I called a crapload of oganizations incl. AZ Humane society, Scottsdale police dept, CBS 5 News and avian organizations when I found a couple of ducks beaten to death in our neighborhood park.

I went to PetCo so I wouldn't have to support Marshall Farms and I could get Senior Totally Ferret food for my SPCA rescue ferret. My dog's food also isn't sold at grocery stores - PetCo was the only place within decent driving distance. Now I'll drive farther and go to PetSmart to get it.

But if someone is saying I shouldn't go into a PetCo because what their doing is wrong but it should just be ignored and I've got the b*lls to argue with the manager and talk customers on the spot out of shopping there (which I have ), then I'd like to hear a good reason for why I shouldn't do so.

Meredith

 

[Reef-o-Roni]

One thing I was wondering.What is so "amazing " about everything.That word has been used in this thread like Mike Tyson likes to use ecstatic.

[\tyson]I'm feeling ecstatic about that Robin[tyson\]

 

[Reef-o-Roni]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10690843#post10690843 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pupfish
Actually, around 8 years ago I called the Humane Society regarding the dead (as in stiff dead) ferrets they had in the Gilbert store. Recently, I called a crapload of oganizations incl. AZ Humane society, Scottsdale police dept, CBS 5 News and avian organizations when I found a couple of ducks beaten to death in our neighborhood park.

I went to PetCo so I wouldn't have to support Marshall Farms and I could get Senior Totally Ferret food for my SPCA rescue ferret. My dog's food also isn't sold at grocery stores - PetCo was the only place within decent driving distance. Now I'll drive farther and go to PetSmart to get it.

But if someone is saying I shouldn't go into a PetCo because what their doing is wrong but it should just be ignored and I've got the b*lls to argue with the manager and talk customers on the spot out of shopping there (which I have ), then I'd like to hear a good reason for why I shouldn't do so.

Meredith

Maybe you should contact Sherrif Joe ,He takes animal cruelity very serious.May have some luck with him.
Here's the #602-876-1681

 

[jenn_jeffery]

Contact corporate headquarters for PetCo too. If enough people complain and say they won't be back, they WILL have someone investigate--and mention how rude the employees were.

 

[Reef-o-Roni]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10690843#post10690843 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pupfish
Actually, around 8 years ago I called the Humane Society regarding the dead (as in stiff dead) ferrets they had in the Gilbert store. Recently, I called a crapload of oganizations incl. AZ Humane society, Scottsdale police dept, CBS 5 News and avian organizations when I found a couple of ducks beaten to death in our neighborhood park.

I went to PetCo so I wouldn't have to support Marshall Farms and I could get Senior Totally Ferret food for my SPCA rescue ferret. My dog's food also isn't sold at grocery stores - PetCo was the only place within decent driving distance. Now I'll drive farther and go to PetSmart to get it.

But if someone is saying I shouldn't go into a PetCo because what their doing is wrong but it should just be ignored and I've got the b*lls to argue with the manager and talk customers on the spot out of shopping there (which I have ), then I'd like to hear a good reason for why I shouldn't do so.

Meredith

Nope saying you should'nt support those places at all .The reason they exist is supply and demand.Keep buying they keep
selling
I would'nt go in there to get change for a soda machine.If I had to drive 50 miles to get dog food or what not, I would order it online.10 gallons of gas would'nt make me shop anywhere.
petco,petsmart are all the grim reaper of the LFS. Support the LFS and maybe it will change,Would you pay 10$ more a bag to have it ordered from the LFS?
It's just as much the fault of the person buying the bird as it is the place that sold that "Amazing" animal.
Once again it becomes an issue of know what you are buying and get it from a reliable source.If these people are such bird experts They should have known better.If a bird is ill and had 3 days to live besides anything I can think of other than newcastles It would have shown.
BTW if it is newcastles AKA parrot fever.It may be contagous to humans ,Just a thought.
And before you attack me on not knowing about birds ,I've delt with them all my life,My mom was one of the largest breeders on the west coast,With 3 pet stores around the valley.A little more exp than being avian cert.What all does that entail to get that cert anyways.
Just my .13$

 

[desart]

What does any of this have to do with salt water-reef tanks?

just curious........

craigslist has a rant and rave section for this stuff.

 

[pupfish]

Well, there ARE problems with saltwater fish at some of these stores (keeping them in freshwater for instance. Ahem..) Having fish with ectoparasites in the same systems with inverts is pretty common. Just not knowing or giving a crap about things that are aquatic is a problem. People buy from them, put them in their reef tanks and then hit these boards with "I don't know blah, blah, blah...." If they were informed that these "Wal-marts" of the pet world don't practice decent husbandry and the employees are woefully ignorant, then they wouldn't have us telling them that they have to pull out all their fish and let the tank go fallow for X amount of time. Those are a few things it has to do with SW reefing.

Meredith

 

[sir_dudeguy]

If they were informed that these "Wal-marts" of the pet world don't practice decent husbandry and the employees are woefully ignorant, then they wouldn't have us telling them that they have to pull out all their fish and let the tank go fallow for X amount of time. Those are a few things it has to do with SW reefing.

again, half the time i'd agree with you, but there's always gonna be those few stores that actually DO know what they're talkin about and DO care for the animals as best they can. However, there are company policies that prevent a lot of stuff that would normally be done by any reefer or anyone who knows what they're talkin about... Such as acclimating fish or number/type of fish in one tank, yada yada yada. In those cases where there actually are knowledgeable people in the aquatics department, its the company policy that messes stuff up, not the employees.

 

[aykfc]

Exactly, petco is not doing whats best for the animals. I.e feeding iceburg lettuce to iguanas? Giving conures an all seed diet...with walnuts?? And so forth.

 

[Philwd]

Not to stir the pot but there are Petcos that actually do care about the fish and have knowledgable fellow reefers working there. The one at Stapley and Baseline which is their Aquatic Supercenter comes to mind. I was quite surprised at how good it looked. The livestock looked well cared for.

 

[frontosa_man80]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10692666#post10692666 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reef-o-Roni
..............................It's just as much the fault of the person buying the bird as it is the place that sold that "Amazing" animal.
Once again it becomes an issue of know what you are buying and get it from a reliable source.If these people are such bird experts They should have known better................

i belive this holds true for anything pet related, fish,dogs, birds......

My coworker bought a green cheek conure. She has had plenty of birds before, I am avian certified at petsmart, and can tell you just about anything from the genus of conures too what part birds use to vocalize.

and yet she never thought to look at the cage it was in or the food and water dishes? for someone thats "had plenty of birds before" this never crossed her mind. its almost her fault for buying a bird without knowing its history. sure that Petco is at fault for not caring for the bird correctly, but to by a sick bird, take it home and get pi$$ed off becuse it died then trash them for selling it, thats bad judgement on both parties.

my thoughts, ask questions ask for its history and spend time with it(if you can). if your not willing to do this then you get what you pay for.

-jesse

 

[aykfc]

I agree with you, but she saw it and wanted to rescue it. She thought it would at least be able to survive more then 3 days. Can you honestly blame her for trying to help the bird out?