Quote:
PETA undercover investigations conducted in two PetSmart stores in 2006 and 2007.
Away from public view and off-limits even to many of PetSmart's employees, PetSmart's back rooms hide away the immense suffering of the littlest companion animals.
At the PetSmart store in Manchester, Connecticut, a location that PetSmart boasts of as having an "exceptional pet care record," PETA's undercover investigation documented more than 100 animals—including hamsters, domestic rats, lizards, chinchillas, and birds—who lay hopelessly, just waiting to die, in the store's "Sick Room," deprived of desperately needed veterinary care and wasting away out of customers' sight.
This link is to a short video of a behind the scenes perspective of a undercover employee at one of these chains. Images of deceased and injured animals are shown. http://www.peta.org/feat-petsmart-video.asp
|
My thoughts: this is horrible but not surprising.
Smoo and I have together witnessed some awful things at PetsMart on our visits. In one incident I came across a young cockatiel who appeared to be weak and unable to climb up and and perch with the other birds. It's time on the floor of the cage had resulted in its feet becoming caked over with tones of bird feces. It appeared by my guess, to have been placed in to early with the older ones and probably should have been on bird formula still. When I confronted an employee I had to show them as if it wasn't blatantly obvious!
They are notorious for mislabeling their hamsters, by giving them incorrect names and not educating the owners as to what they really are. I see it all the time and it drives me nuts!
I've heard from other people who have worked there that all their new hamsters that come in are automatically treated for wettail with the use of dritail. They take these poor young hamsters who are probably stressed out and had just come in from a long drive from a mill that might have been halfway across the country, and then forced to have these "treatments" for a problem they might not even have! Dri-Tail like products kill off the hamster's "friendly" or resident bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, which could worsen or cause diarrhea symptoms. I have to wonder if the use of this product is the main reason these hamsters get wet tail in the first place!
The cages they sell are usually way to small. They certainly don't do a great job of promoting the best hamster care and husbandry. They sell hazardous products like pine shavings and nesting material that has caused countless injuries to heir limbs or digestive systems. It makes me wonder.. do they research any of the products they choose to sell in their stores?
I'm sure PetsMart inst the only large chain of pet store with questionable practices. This is why Id rather people looked into buying their pets from good breeders, or check local shelters for hamsters in need of homes first, rather then supporting the huge industry. I know not many people even think of it, allot is just ignorance, but if we spread the word on how these places work, perhaps less people will buy animals from large chains.
To me it seems sad that when you buy an animal from a large chain store they give you a refund period of something like 12 to 14 days encase the animal dies or becomes sick. Its like they are saying to you "here is your new furry friend, we know there is a good chance it will die, but lucky for you, we have a guarantee that will make up for your loss and cover our buts as well!"
I bought a hamster from PetsSmart, she was a long haired cream banded syrian who I named Hammy. I had her not even 4 days when I knew she had wet tail. I called Petsmart and they told me to bring her in where she would be treated by their in store veterinarian. In order for the treatment I had to surrender her, once she got better ( that is "if") they would contact me where I could re-purchase her. (remember this is only if your hamster get sick in the short refund period after you buy them)
Hammy didn't make it, she died during the ride on the way to bring her. I barely had time to get to know her. When I got there they asked me if I wanted another hamster or my money back
I don't see how either of those options makes up for the pain I had to go through watching her suffer. It doesn't seem like enough for trauma that little ham went through.
After that I vowed to never support that industry by purchasing animals from them. All my hamsters since have been given to me free by people who couldn't keep them or didnt want them. Craigslist is a wonderful thing
After seeing this, I'm wondering if Ill support them at all, even for buying bedding or feed. I think Id rather support my local pet stores (even though some of those can be just as awful) But there are a few decent ones that have sprung up over the past year.
Its hard to justify saying that /all/ Petsmarts are horrible. It seems to me that the quality of the store can vary. I think a large part of it is just pore management to each individual location. Managers that don't care and employees who slack off and are in it just for the checks. Still though, if I keep going to these large chains Im still supporting them. I would prefer to seem them stop selling animals and focus just on supplies. This would get rid of horrible mills responsible for cross breeding hybrids, and creating poor specimens susceptible to wet tail or diabetes. It could make way for more real enthusiast to better the different hamster species.
PETA investigations conducted in two PetSmart Stores.
Linear Mode
