"cruel" pet shop

[Cricetinae]

Why do people buy pets from places like this? We are part of the problem, we aren't really 'rescuing' the animals, we are dooming another to take its place.

Businesses have to sacrifice the welfare of animals in order to obtain higher levels of profit, if you buy from pet stores that sell livestock then you have to accept that you are supporting this business.

• 1) Small cage sizes are generally justified by the fact livestock has a quick turnaround period, they would likely argue that permanent homes would obviously need to be larger. The smaller cages also help to facilitate the illusion that commercial cages that you can buy from the store at the same time are acceptable, further increasing profit.
• 2) If the windows are double glazed then that would likely be justified as protection enough. Again, by having livestock near the windows they are increasing exposure to potential customers.
• 3) It is a well known fact that the vast majority of shops do not handle pets enough to tame them. The hours that this would take could be instead be spent on domestic tasks or on sales.

As members of a hamster forum, we are privileged to generally have a level of knowledge that exceeds the majority of the population. We can't expect our standards to be reflected in commercial stores, but if the standards are so low that you feel that the animals are susceptible to unnecessary harm, then there are a few things that come to mind that might lead to a partial resolution.

• 1) Politely and rationally question why certain 'things' are being done, you might be surprised that they have suitable explanations. If they do not, you might be able to persuade them to improve with evidence or your own experience. If you are not confident enough to do this in person, put your points down on a piece of paper and leave a letter. If the store is part of a big chain, ask to speak to a manager or write to headquarters or a customer relations department.
• 2) In smaller stores, you could offer to volunteer. Explain that you would happily work unpaid to improve the animals welfare, that you could clean cages or handle livestock, not only would this likely improve their well being, becoming a friend of the store might allow you to request certain changes to be put in place. Although consider you'd be encouraging the sale of commercial pets instead of those needing adopting or rescuing.
• 3) Consult your local authority and assess their local charters or policies, write them a firmly worded email or letter regarding your concerns.
• 4) Consult the RSPCA Contact us - - rspca.org.uk
• 5) Forward your concerns to a local newspaper, negative publicity is something any store wants to avoid.
• 6) Boycott the store, refuse to support their business and encourage others to do the same, and publicise alternatives instead (local shelters).

[montysmum]

Originally Posted by Munchalot

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.)

Funnily enough, I know exactly what you mean-I work in a hospital and we slave away for people to criticise and complain, because they only see a very small part of the picture. Sometimes we say to each other "it's a hospital, not a hotel" :s not quite the same, but there ya go, it's still upsetting. Don't like seeing animals in bright sunlight with no shade though, I'm sure most responsible pet shops would think before they put their animals in that position, it's just this particular one (and I'm pretty sure the same hamster has been in that window for months )

[montysmum]

Originally Posted by ILSMarki8

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.

The woman who sold us monty seemed really happy that he was going to have a home, she'd been giving him little treats, knew he was a boy and how old he was etc. I haven't seen her since, which leads me to believe she was a volunteer. I'm worried that as I am in no way an expert on small animals they would basically just tell me to shove off as they did to you Wish the council had taken me seriously, my boyfriend has lived in the area much longer and knew it as a "dodgy" pet shop. Sigh.

[slatted]

I really wish that live pets could only be sold from specific breeders at reasonable prices. This would leave pet shops to become pet supply and accessory stores selling suitable products to help us keep our pets well.

It is not as if the cost of the animals is high and I feel most stock the animals only as a way to "hook" a person to buying the cages and other things from them ....and keep coming back (like how a certain store sends vouchers to the pet c/o the owner ) the animals are a "necessary evil" to most I fear

[Jessie]

I know the pet store my friend supplies only giver her $2-$3 dollars a hamster and sells them at a minimum of $10-$15 depending on breed. ut they take care of and socialize the critters they have.

[Grubbbery]

Originally Posted by Cricetinae

Why do people buy pets from places like this? We are part of the problem, we aren't really 'rescuing' the animals, we are dooming another to take its place.

Businesses have to sacrifice the welfare of animals in order to obtain higher levels of profit, if you buy from pet stores that sell livestock then you have to accept that you are supporting this business.

• 1) Small cage sizes are generally justified by the fact livestock has a quick turnaround period, they would likely argue that permanent homes would obviously need to be larger. The smaller cages also help to facilitate the illusion that commercial cages that you can buy from the store at the same time are acceptable, further increasing profit.
• 2) If the windows are double glazed then that would likely be justified as protection enough. Again, by having livestock near the windows they are increasing exposure to potential customers.
• 3) It is a well known fact that the vast majority of shops do not handle pets enough to tame them. The hours that this would take could be instead be spent on domestic tasks or on sales.

As members of a hamster forum, we are privileged to generally have a level of knowledge that exceeds the majority of the population. We can't expect our standards to be reflected in commercial stores, but if the standards are so low that you feel that the animals are susceptible to unnecessary harm, then there are a few things that come to mind that might lead to a partial resolution.

• 1) Politely and rationally question why certain 'things' are being done, you might be surprised that they have suitable explanations. If they do not, you might be able to persuade them to improve with evidence or your own experience. If you are not confident enough to do this in person, put your points down on a piece of paper and leave a letter. If the store is part of a big chain, ask to speak to a manager or write to headquarters or a customer relations department.
• 2) In smaller stores, you could offer to volunteer. Explain that you would happily work unpaid to improve the animals welfare, that you could clean cages or handle livestock, not only would this likely improve their well being, becoming a friend of the store might allow you to request certain changes to be put in place. Although consider you'd be encouraging the sale of commercial pets instead of those needing adopting or rescuing.
• 3) Consult your local authority and assess their local charters or policies, write them a firmly worded email or letter regarding your concerns.
• 4) Consult the RSPCA Contact us - - rspca.org.uk
• 5) Forward your concerns to a local newspaper, negative publicity is something any store wants to avoid.
• 6) Boycott the store, refuse to support their business and encourage others to do the same, and publicise alternatives instead (local shelters).

This is the issue I always have with pet shops I am generally reluctant to use ones who have animals in conditions I don't agree with. Our ham was actually an adoption for a charity because he wasn't wanted by his first owner but he was being housed in a pet store.

[Gizmoandfriends]

I hate going to some petshops because I know that if I see an animal in bad conditions, I want to help it, but at the same time not wanting to give them money to continue!

[Panda's_mommy]

I got my Panda at the local petsmart. Fortunately that store seems to take good care of the animals. I rarely see dead animals and the one time I did it was 1 little fish. All the cages have silent spinners so no unsafe wheels, and all of them have the igloo hiding houses. They always have food and water and they are not dirty. also the people there seem to be very knowledgeable about the small animals. i am an animal lover so i'd want to rescue all animals in those kinds of conditions but fortunately my local petsmart isn't like that!

[Gizmoandfriends]

I was lucky that at seapets where i got peanut from, he was in a good sized tank and had lots of things in there, and he is a decent size...Okay he is massive! At P@H they have tiny tanks and they have loads of syrians together

[Munchalot]

I really don't like the cages at P@H, but then I don't like them all together. Some of the advice they give is appalling. Huge chain store in general are terrible.

One good thing about the little shops, like the one I work in, is that many will accept litters from hobby breeders. In this case, you can get the contact details of these people and get animals off them. I've bred for our shop before, and there is another girl who breeds her pet hams, which she adores, and her pups are beautiful and so well natured. My Basil, a breeding male, was one of hers.

This is what I don't understand. I asked P@H if they accepted animals off hobby breeders, and they said no, they only get their stock from their own breeders and nobody else. And then, as a response to my next question, they told me that they are not allowed to sell animals for breeding purposes, because even with the syrians, their animals are such genetic mysteries that the pups are very likely to be born with serious deformities and life-threatening conditions.
Seriously. They won't take my pups, but they are happy to sell messed up mysteries and hybrids from the rodent mill. No wonder my Marley has only got 3 legs! Just another P@H mutant (no offence little spud).