"cruel" pet shop - Page 2

montysmum · 06-21-2013, 04:26 AM

Oh no, all these bad pet shops

I did say to my friend pointedly and rather loudly that the animals needed more space/shade/bedding/cleaning and got the most horrible looks off the pet shop owners. I will contact the council again and maybe they'll actually do something this time

Gizmoandfriends · 06-21-2013, 05:42 AM

I hate it when I see animals being mistreated, I went to a pet shop where I got my mouse and theyre cage was sooooo dirty

Munchalot · 06-21-2013, 05:55 AM

How terrible! D: Honestly, it's places like this that are giving pet shops bad rep, and it's not right. The poor little guys, these people are supposed to know how to look after animals! How are they supposed to give advice when they can't even look after them themselves?

I would try and get into contact with the manager - in person, if you can (letters/emails will only be ignored). Unfortunately the RSPCA rarely give a damn, especially for small animals. The fact that its in a pet shop will make them even less likely to respond. Honestly, they are a waste of time. Even if they do pay a visit, as long as it has food and water and is not in serious distress or in very poor conditions they will do nothing.
Try to contact the council, and definitely the manager. The last thing a manager wants is bad rep, because that means losing customers.

(As a foot note, I'm sorry to pester but a number of you have said it. It is incredibly annoying when people enter a pet shop for the sole purpose of trying to find flaws. We are trying to get on with our work. I get so many whiney little children coming in just to see if we have anything to moan about. Then, right there in front of customers: "Did you know one of your fish is dead?". -_-
The fish have just arrived, they are getting used to the new water, they are stressed. Fish die very easily, especially the plecs. Sometimes the whole order will go, despite our efforts.
The hamsters get cleaned once a week and food and water topped at opening and closing times, because we are VERY busy; we have to get a work experience girl to come in and clean them for us, so yes, the cages are not spotless. Yes, the cage is quite small, but it's only designed as a temporary home. Glass tanks are expensive, and it's a small shop. We can't have a huge cage for every hamster - it would waste time and money and we would lose money rather than earning.
Yes, they aren't handled much. That is because we have a busy shop to run, serving customers, filling shelves and bagging feed - we don't have time to sit out the back and play with hamsters.

Sorry for the rant, but people get in their heads that ALL pet shops are these horror stores. I'm so sick of know-it-alls coming up with their noses in the air, trying to find something to slate us for, even though we are pretty good. It's a business, not a petting zoo.)

Gizmoandfriends · 06-21-2013, 05:56 AM

I know its upsetting because animals cant clean themselves out, they have to get a person to do this, which is mean when people can do it

Tutu · 06-21-2013, 07:45 AM

I bought my first ever Syrian hamster from big chain pet shop and she was with wet tail straight away. They didn't clean her cage properly therefore next batch of hamster pups were treated with wet tail again. I know for sure as same vet was treating whole shop hamsters that week and the following week. They only cleaned out cages after my personal complaint to the manager front of customers! ( I complained and complained was ignored) And this same pet shop sold me all the wrong sized cage and accessories amounting over £150 when I bought my hamster. I can prove it as I kept the receipt as souvenir! They did not know a thing about hamsters and are still continue to sell way too small cages to inexperienced customers. I used to go there buy stuff but now stopped as can not stand ignorant shop people doing wrong things over and over again and i was supporting them in my stupid way spending money there! I'm zooplus customer these days.
We are not talking about good pet shops here but bad ones. If I ever come across good pet shop I'd be the first to shout their names and tell everyone to shop there. And I am still looking for that perfect shop. Hey I'm optimistic person and life is full of surprises. Meantime zooplus shall take my monies

Grubbbery · 06-21-2013, 08:05 AM

Paws for thought in Leeds (a small two store chain) is about one of the best stores I have seen. You rarely see sick of dead fish, cages are cleaned often (they even clean animals out during working hours if they have to!). And they have a large range of cages to choose from.

I got my syrian from pets at home and I too was given an unsuitable cage (far too small!) for him. He didn't get wet tail which I was happy about, though the cage he was kept in was boring as hell. Only one thing to chew on and basic food bowl etc. What annoys me the most is the pets at home in my town has huge pieces of empty floor space, where each hamster and gerbil cage could have ample space and stimulation and yet they are put in the smallest possible cage in a small display section e_e. They really don't use their floor space to benefit the animals at all.

ILSMarki8 · 06-21-2013, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jessie

have you considered going in and talking to the staff or managers at the store? Tell them they should have shelter from the sun. See how they react perhaps? They may be willing to change it if they know how customers feel about the set up.

Similar thing happened to me (terrible pet shop; hamsters all mixed together(even syrians and ww), smelly filthy bedding, few betta fish males in the same tank, birds in bar-flooring cages). I tryed to talk to staff, but they said they are the ones runing pet shop, not me, and they keep animals for over 20 years, so I can take all of my internet knowledge with myself, walk out and never return again. I thought about contacting some animal organisation or even police, but someone was faster then me; that shop closed within a week.

Bailey · 06-21-2013, 09:05 AM

You have to keep trying until they remove the pets from the window display. I have made anonymous complaints with two pet shops in the US that mistreat their gerbils and hamsters. Then, I go in and check on them occasionally. Things got better. One of the shops stopped carrying gerbils and started to treat the hamsters better. Although I've had to point out obvious cases of wet tail to various pet stores for many, many years. Many pet store employees are not paid very well and see it as just a job. Budgies and rodents are among the most mistreated.

Also, if it's a chain pet store, send an email to their headquarters and be specific about the problem without going on about it too long. You can also write online reviews for most businesses these days and the owners almost always see those.

Munchalot · 06-21-2013, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bailey

You have to keep trying until they remove the pets from the window display. I have made anonymous complaints with two pet shops in the US that mistreat their gerbils and hamsters. Then, I go in and check on them occasionally. Things got better. One of the shops stopped carrying gerbils and started to treat the hamsters better. Although I've had to point out obvious cases of wet tail to various pet stores for many, many years. Many pet store employees are not paid very well and see it as just a job. Budgies and rodents are among the most mistreated.

Also, if it's a chain pet store, send an email to their headquarters and be specific about the problem without going on about it too long. You can also write online reviews for most businesses these days and the owners almost always see those.

That's the thing. I see it in the pet shop I work in. I mean, we've never had wet tail or any complaints of unhealthy animals, but I seem to be the only one there who genuinely cares about the animals. I make sure they always have plenty of food and water, and I give them occasional treats (e.g. when we're bagging up a box of millet sprays, I'll save the few stray bits at the bottom that don't make up enough for a bag, and put them in the tanks for the animals) and extra tunnels and stuff, like when we have loads of kitchen roll tubes or spare boxes. I also take time to handle each animal so I know their temperaments, so I can recommend them for customers, like when a young child comes in asking for a hamster, I can pick out the most docile to make handling easier.
But to the others, it's just a job, and they make me feel like my extra attention to the animals is a waste of time that I could be spending filling shelves. Half of our staff don't like rodents, so either me or my colleague (who used to breed) have to sell them. Granted, we didn't use to sell animals, only supplies, so the animals are only a shop extra to them.

Unfortunately, pet shops are just businesses, and it's hard finding one where the staff are actually animal-lovers. Most of them are just peple struggling to get a job, and will except a position anywhere, so there is no genuine interest. :/

Grubbbery · 06-21-2013, 09:44 AM

That is what annoys me so much about pet stores. I have applied to them several times but as I have "no relevant working experience" have been knocked back, for people who have worked in shops but might have no actual animal knowledge and just want a job, where as I have a genuine care for animals.

I must admit the girl who served me seemed to genuinely care. She found us the perfect hamster for us. But most staff there seem to not be doing much at all in terms of general care :/