A certain petstore...

[littlemissdwarfhamster]

I still hold a grudge against them from the petsmart days

Thats great since PAH didnt have anything to do with Petsmart - they just bought them out.....

And I do think its unfair that big chains dominate the market. As in my experience small stores care more

Care is down to individuals. Small stores get a better reputation as there is only one shop to base your opinion on. But when a chain has 215 stores and a few are bad, then they ALL get a bad name which isnt really fair. Most people have mentioned that they have been into a good PAH, imagine if that was the only PAH in the UK - that name would then be excellent. If a small pet store was to branch out it too would end up with a not so good branch and then their reputation would go down. Its all down to the staff.

You cant make people care, even with the best training in the world.

We have a very bad local petshop chain in the north-east. It has 4 shops (I think) and it is horrific. The RSCPA check them constantly and they are constantly getting court summonses but they still get their licence every year.

[sarahh]

Hi LMDH is right Petsmart and Petworld were 2 totally different firms Pets@home bought them right out. Petsmart used to throw small animals up the wall and they were treated really badly. It was in the papers in the news about how cruel Petsmart were.

Pets@home were a totally new firm that came in.

It is I agree care that people give to the animals there is down to individuals. Mum and I will not tolerate cruelty to animals and there is none of that in ours they are caring and good. The vet pracitce on the other hand isn't good but I have heard other vets in store that are good.

Sarah x

[Holly]

Originally Posted by littlemissdwarfhamster

You cant make people care, even with the best training in the world.

That is unfortunately a very valid point and something I see in the "caring for humans world" (NHS) all the time. In my work there are a minority of people who don't care doing the minimum they can - enough to actually avoid doing anything "wrong" but not enough to show they actually care about people and what they are doing. I'm sure it's the same in P@H - even worse in fact as many people are just using P@H as a "stop-gap" job rather than a career choice.

It's very sad, all anyone can actually do it keep plugging away so that P@H get rid of the really bad staff.

Originally Posted by sarahh

The vet pracitce on the other hand isn't good but I have heard other vets in store that are good.

I was told by a lady who runs a rescue that the vets in store are terrible (although I think her problems had been mainly rabbit-related) which got me quite worried as I use the in-store vets at Beckton (East London). I've found them to be really helpful and experienced with hamsters. I couldn't have asked for more from them!! They were great with my little diabetic boy Rajko.

[vnewman236]

Originally Posted by East London Chick

I was told by a lady who runs a rescue that the vets in store are terrible (although I think her problems had meen mainly rabbit-related) which got me quite worried as I use the in-store vets at Beckton (East London). I've found them to be really helpful and experienced with hamsters. I couldn't have asked for more from them!! They were great with my little diabetic boy Rajko.

I use the vets at Beckton and think they are Brill. They were wonderful when my rabbit got sick (he nearly died) but somehow they managed to save him. For that I will be forever grateful. They seem to know what they are doing with the rats as well, but (touch-wood) have never had to take a hamster yet...

The only 'problem' there is that one of the vets is allergic to rabbits and another one is allergic to rats

This is the reply I got from Head Office re my complaint:

"Further to your email, I am sorry to hear about your concerns following your recent visit to our Blackheath store. I wish to assure you that our store staff care greatly for the welfare of all the animals in our care and we have many routines and procedures in place to ensure they are cared for to the highest of standards.

As I am sure you are aware with any living creature they may not get on and fights occur. When a fight occurs it is instantaneous and our store staffs try to intervene immediately. Clearly with this little hamster it had not been noted. I have forwarded your email directly to the manager of the store as well the Field Pet Manager of Blackheath to look into further. The management team of the Blackheath store was concerned to hear that the issue had not been taken seriously when you brought it to the team member’s attention and for the advice being given. This will also be investigated however as it is a personnel matter I am unable to reveal the results of the investigation.

The hamster is still in isolation but the store has your name and number and they will give you a call once he is better.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention but please be assured the welfare of all the animals in our care is our main priority. Once again I apologise for any upset that this matter may have caused."

[sarahh]

Hi ELC it sounds like a fair reply to me they have carried out the right procedures. I know they do forward replies about stores directly to them we contacted head office about how good our store was and they sent the email to them and also again when 3 animals I bought all had to see a vet the necessary was carried out and since then when I bought Mya and adopted Kumi both are fine no sneezing at all.
Hopefully that team member will be dealt with accordingly like attending courses or watched closely.

Hopefully you will be able to have the little hammy once he is better and you can give him a loving home.

On a different note regarding the vets. I agree I have heard of the vet pracitce in the store in Thanet who are really good and caring. I think it depends on who they employ in the practice. When I took my rabbit to be spayed there because it was half the price of our usual vet practice and I couldn't afford the £120 vet bill at ours and P@H vets was £54.00, The vet made horrible comments like that rabbit is fat I don't know how i'm going to get through all that. My rabbit is not at all fat and we only feed half a bowl in the morning and a whole bowl in the evening and that is between to rabbits they also have hay and vegetables/fruit which is ok.
On picking my rabbit up she said I had difficulty doing the op because of the fat I was fuming by this point and she said I had to use dog stitches for her. She then said are you squeemish mum and I said no so she brings out my rabbits uterus/womb etc and shows us I couldn't believe it how unprofessional to do that and she says look at all that fat mum and I are thinking erm like where there isn't any.
My poor rabbit found it hard to lay or sit down for days because of the stitches.

Another time when I took my hamster who had pneumonia back because he wasn't improving they picked him up by the scruff now in hamsters we have read in the Lopaedia this is not to be done as hamsters eye's can pop out this also happened with another one of our hamsters being picked up by the scruff.

We told our vet practice about all of this they couldn't believe it, they were disgusted about how unprofessional they had been. We will never go back to the instore practice at ours after this.

I am glad to hear other people have had really good appointments at other instore practices.

Sarah x

[Bunsey]

in other words they think you're bothering about nothing and there's nothing wrong with the store.

[littlemissdwarfhamster]

ELC - that will be dealt with. I know all three pet field people and the one for that area will not take that lying down at all.