worst pet store ever

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Originally Posted by cyclops81

i dont really trust that many pet stores i went to petco last week and saw that they had a ball python and it was just so sad looking at it. it looked like it never got fed and just looked sick. i hate how all of the pet stores around here, minus Zoo Creatures, wont even take the snake out of the tank because they dont want to touch it unless youre going to pay the money to buy it. i think its really sad and i wish i could do something about it. :mad:

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I am not trying to defend any pet stores because I have seen many crappy ones myself, some Petcos included....I did however, work at a Petco for six years, and the first year I worked their the reptile guy totally sucked...he didn't personally own a single reptile or listen to a word I said....needless to say I cheered when the day came when he got canned..!!!:D The one they hired after was and STILL is awesome!!!! Takes awesome care of all the reptiles, and has all the BP's on a weekly f/t routine. And if you want to hold or play with any of the reptiles, he would gladly take it out for you....In fact he asks that you hold your potential new pet, to be sure if you really want it. So, if you happen to be in DE in Christiana, ask for Bill...he's the best.:D I think the case with most of your corporate chain stores (Petco and Petsmart) is that each store is individual....some good, and well, some not so good..I have seen both ends of the spectrum.

I saw something similar at one of the local Petco stores the other day. There were two balls in the enclosure, one of them had pieces of retained shed hanging all over its body. Only one hide, a cheap temperature strip on one side of the cage reading between 75 and 78. I guess that's why I almost never go there.

My petco isn't that great either. The about 75% of the fish always have ick, and the BPs humidity is never attained to. I put in an application there a few days ago, just in hopes that I can teach these people a thing or two, and turn it around a little.

I was in a Petco yesterday that had seven (yup I counted the heads) BP's all in one cage all draped over each other in one corner. The cage was not up to temp (using a dial) and had no hides whatsoever. I was so disgusted I bought my dog food elsewhere.

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Originally Posted by cyclops81

i dont really trust that many pet stores with anything. the store that i go to is "Zoo Creatures"...they have the store downstairs and breed the snakes and otehr various reptiles upstairs. they are awesome and all of the animals there are well fed and well taken care of. i went to petco last week and saw that they had a ball python and it was just so sad looking at it. it looked like it never got fed and just looked sick. i hate how all of the pet stores around here, minus Zoo Creatures, wont even take the snake out of the tank because they dont want to touch it unless youre going to pay the money to buy it. i think its really sad and i wish i could do something about it. i went to a petsmart and asked about a snake that they had and they knew nothing about it. if youre going to sell snakes, or any animals for that matter shouldnt you have some knowledge of what youre selling?? am i wrong here?? you cant just leave a snake, or any animal alone and never go near it or never feed it and expect it to be healthy and happy.

makes me really sad and angry :mad:

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haha, they'd better know what they are doing! "Zoo Creatures" is downstairs and upstairs would be NERD, home of some of the most excellent ball python morphs in the world. You do realize that, right?

The pet store I go to buy my feeder mice also doesn't know what they are doing. They had a very sad looking BP on Wednesday when I was in there and the girl said "well, he just won't eat for us". I said "I bet if you got his temps correct and offered him a few hides so that he can feel safe from all the predators that look at him, he might feel more comfortable to eat". She just shrugged and went on about her way.


And the owner of this store is very interested in my future breeding plans and wants to buy babies from me. Not on your life!!! The only way I'd let him sell my babies, is if I provided him with pictures that he can show potential buyers and they remain in my care until sold. I don't believe for a minute he'd change his set-ups to my requirements so that he could be able to buy from me. After all, he already knows it all - he's been keeping snakes for 30 years.

I think many stores intentionally provide no hides, or inadequate hides, because they want their customers to SEE the animals for sale. If a bp (or most other snakes) have the right kinds of hides, people wouldn't ever see them. It's just a logical business practice. (NOT that that makes it right.)


However, I really don't see why they can't/won't/don't provide the right temps and humidity levels, with acurate measuring devices. I guess they wouldn't sell their crummy little stick-on dials if they didn't use them themselves. But even so...yes, it would take more effort on their part to maintain proper environments...but I think they would actually sell MORE animals if people could see them healthy and thriving.

meh...what do I know? :rolleyes:

the pet store i frequent (and i mean frequent!) doesn't worry about your seeing what's in the cage... they give everyone exactly what they need to feel safe and if you are interested they bring whatever it is out for you to see (or in the case of frogs they move the greenery around so you can view them)

they provide waterfalls for the critters that need them, vines and branches and hides and clean water... that's why i have no problem picking stuff up from them. all the staff are addicts as well and have tanks/snakes/frogs/spiders etc etc in their homes as well so they know the care for these guys and if they don't... they find out!

i picked up my two corn snakes from them... both had a thick layer of aspen (yes you read that right... ASPEN not bulk pine) to burrow under. larger snakes... they keep covered in the back in large tanks and they use 'word of mouth' to let people know they have it for sale. actually there have been times when they've said to me "nope, that won't work in your setup, don't buy it" - so they aren't in it for the $$ (although let's face it... they need the $$ to stay in business) so anyone who knows anything about critters KNOWS they can get quality stuff from them!

oh by the way... it's hidden reef in abbotsford bc canada 604-856-1433 ;)

there's another place in abbotsford in a mall (i won't give the name) - and they had 14 snakes in a small tank... 14!!! assorted snakes some 18" and some 3' all in one big pile. it was disgusting... absolutely disgusting. the manager told me not to ever buy from them... that she is attempting to 'clean up the store's quality' but the owner won't let her. :( i don't know how she can work there... very sad (she's a breeder with excellent quality critters... i've purchased a few things from her home)

it sure is nice when you can find a good quality place near your home eh?

Yes, there are certainly exceptions to the "logical business practice" rules....and it's great when you can find them! Whenever I do, I make a point to offer my business as much as I possibly can.

yup. they get ALL my $$ (and i mean all waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)

LOL