Pet Supermarket...WOW!

My son and I stopped by pet supermarket to get some larger hides and just to have a look around and I have to say....I was pretty impressed! I don't know if it's just this store or if it's policy but they seem to take good care of their animals! They didn't have any balls at the time but she said that they keep them in individual tanks, feed them in individual tanks and won't let customers hold them for 3 days after they eat! If somebody wants to hold one but it's within those three days, they tell the customers they have to come back!! She doesn't care if she loses a customer over it either...because if they can't respect the snake in the store, they won't give it any respect, or care, once they get it home! Is that awesome or what?? It could have all just been lip service but at least she had more knowledge and seemed to care about them a whole lot more than the other large pet store chains!

Is this a once of a kind store or are all the Pet Supermarkets like that?

Unfortunately though the store is too far away for me to drive out there everytime I need something! :( I would give up Petco in a second if only they were closer!

It is going to vary by store. I have noticed though, that Petsmart's store policies seem to be a little more up-to-date than Petco. I have gotten into verbal fights with Petco people, and never really had a problem with Petsmart. Neither places are ideal, but overall I have noticed Petsmart to come out on top more often.

For instance, the one nearest me has half-log hides in their tanks. Apparently, it's store policy so that customers can SEE the product. (Makes sense, no matter how unfortunate it is...) But they aren't told HOW MANY half log hides to put in, so they have one on each side, and then they also stand one up on its end, and place it at an angle in front of the log being used as a hide. This forms a sort of "half wall" in front of the log's opening, giving them a little more privacy. I thought it was a pretty creative way of working AROUND the system. :giggle: I'da done something similar.

Sorry if my post was confusing...I was referringn to Pet Supermarket, not Pet Smart. Here is a link to their site http://www.petsupermarket.com/

I know PetSmart and PetCo typically isn't up on their bp care...thanks to the big-wigs who just want to make money.

while i cant speak for their reptiles, i know i wasnt too impressed with their selection and temperament of the birds we saw at pet supermarket. Its possible that my store is one of there "lame duck" stores. But i do know that the store itself is very clean, and everyhitng is organized nicely

I loathe that store, and its chains.. they don't teach their employees how to properly care for the animals. The enclosures are ususally too small for any animal.
I saved these two ball's from the one near me for free after talking to the manager/co owner. They were CH, and still not shed their hatching shed. PLUS had never eaten for them.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...s/DSCF0969.jpg

and
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...s/DSCF0964.jpg

I got this updated photo last week of one of them that I rehomed.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...etuniaball.jpg

Now the store near you may be the rare exception. I hope so.

Tanya where was this place? I'm always on the lookout for pet shops in central FL.

It's nice to see big box stores that care about animals. I have a fish store, and truly appreciate knowledge. I never go to Petco or Petsmart for anything if I can help it. I know how bad they are with fish, I can't imagine what they do to reptiles. that's why I only go to specialty shops for my animals.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mikeamy2007

while i cant speak for their reptiles, i know i wasnt too impressed with their selection and temperament of the birds we saw at pet supermarket. Its possible that my store is one of there "lame duck" stores. But i do know that the store itself is very clean, and everyhitng is organized nicely

---

My son was petting some of the birds and one of them did strike at him...but that was one of many. All the others were fine.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Montessa Python

I loathe that store, and its chains.. they don't teach their employees how to properly care for the animals. The enclosures are ususally too small for any animal.
I saved these two ball's from the one near me for free after talking to the manager/co owner. They were CH, and still not shed their hatching shed. PLUS had never eaten for them.


I got this updated photo last week of one of them that I rehomed.

Now the store near you may be the rare exception. I hope so.

---

Just as I thought...too good to be true for it to a company wide policy to care for their animals. I'm glad you were able to rescue the poor little guys and give them a chance at life. hats off to you!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nate

Tanya where was this place? I'm always on the lookout for pet shops in central FL.

---

If you are in Orlando it would be a good 2+ hour drive for you since it's in Pasco County...somewhere. We were all over the place today so I don't remember exactly where it was. If you took 50 all the way over and then headed south on US 19 you would eventually run into it.

When we were first looking into getting a snake we found a petshop in Ocala that seems to be pretty good and knowledgeable but found out shortly after that they closed down. In fact, that was the only pet shop I've been in since looking for a snake that had a dark room for their reptiles. It was too bad that they closed!

The pet supermarket in Pensacola is not very good, they dont have a very good selection of reptile supplies, they only sell mice not rats. I went in there once and they had some BP's in there and they were very skinny looking and there was 3 of them in a hatchling sized enclosure. The enclosure also had small air holes in the sides connecring to other tanks on the same rack, so if one reptile gets sick they all get sick.

The one you went to may be the exception though, it really does matter who works there and what they know.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mochelem

The pet supermarket in Pensacola is not very good, they dont have a very good selection of reptile supplies, they only sell mice not rats. I went in there once and they had some BP's in there and they were very skinny looking and there was 3 of them in a hatchling sized enclosure. The enclosure also had small air holes in the sides connecring to other tanks on the same rack, so if one reptile gets sick they all get sick.

The one you went to may be the exception though, it really does matter who works there and what they know.

---

Just an add to this.. most racks have airholes that are on the sides of the tubs and are usually right next to eachother. That part doesn't really make a difference because that's what it's like even at a breeder's rack.

Edit: According to that site most snakes do well at room temperature! Wait why did I buy all this equipment to stabilize heat then? :rolleyes:

You have to keep in mind that many stores, pet and other alike, are incompetant and don't stand up to the normal standards they're asked to. In my hometown, Petsmart is in much better shape than Petco...partly because petco is so incredibly old there. Here, Petsmart is HORRIBLE, and our petco does pretty well with having animal specialists who know a ton about the animals in their department, and taking good care of them. I think for any store, it all depends on the individual location, because I've seen a ton of variance. It has alot to do with management and who they hire...some people care about animals and some are just in it to make money and get the opportunity to touch the animals.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TanyaL

When we were first looking into getting a snake we found a petshop in Ocala that seems to be pretty good and knowledgeable but found out shortly after that they closed down. In fact, that was the only pet shop I've been in since looking for a snake that had a dark room for their reptiles. It was too bad that they closed!

---

It wouldnt have happened to be next to a Staples and a dollar general by any chance, was it ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Just an add to this.. most racks have airholes that are on the sides of the tubs and are usually right next to eachother. That part doesn't really make a difference because that's what it's like even at a breeder's rack.

Edit: According to that site most snakes do well at room temperature! Wait why did I buy all this equipment to stabilize heat then? :rolleyes:

---

This wasnt a breeder rack, it was a rack of tanks, and it was thier entire reptile tank, think of it like this 15, 10 gallon tanks stacked 5 wide and 3 tall.... there were holes connecting each tank to each other. The other tanks had bearded dragons, water dragons, colubrids, scorpions, tarantulas, geckos.... I just saw that and I thought that all those animals could transfer things to each other very easily....

I have a rack this was not like a breeder rack...

never heard of pet supermarket... guess there isn't one around here...
Anyways, chain stores have the same basic husbandry rules they have to follow, whether they are right or wrong. But each individual store does things a little bit differently. My job requires me to travel to many different petco stores. I cover about 20 of them on a regular basis, and occassionally a few others. Some know more than others, it depends on the individual employees... One store I was at let the ball pythons and red tail boas live together. I pointed out that they were mixed. There was a divider between the two enclosures, but it wasn't secure, and they kept pushing past it and ending up together. I was told that they do it all the time, and it was okay because in the store, the animals don't have enough space to establish their individual territory, so they don't fight. Um, okay. Even if that made sense, what if someone came into the store and saw them living together, and then tried to do the same at home? Big trouble.
Other stores I've been to do a pretty good job. That was the worst I've seen. Except for maybe the guy that tried telling me that bearded dragons were the perfect childrens pet, because if the kid forgot to feed it for a few weeks, it would be fine.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by halfwaynowhere

never heard of pet supermarket... guess there isn't one around here...
Anyways, chain stores have the same basic husbandry rules they have to follow, whether they are right or wrong. But each individual store does things a little bit differently. My job requires me to travel to many different petco stores. I cover about 20 of them on a regular basis, and occassionally a few others. Some know more than others, it depends on the individual employees... One store I was at let the ball pythons and red tail boas live together. I pointed out that they were mixed. There was a divider between the two enclosures, but it wasn't secure, and they kept pushing past it and ending up together. I was told that they do it all the time, and it was okay because in the store, the animals don't have enough space to establish their individual territory, so they don't fight. Um, okay. Even if that made sense, what if someone came into the store and saw them living together, and then tried to do the same at home? Big trouble.
Other stores I've been to do a pretty good job. That was the worst I've seen. Except for maybe the guy that tried telling me that bearded dragons were the perfect childrens pet, because if the kid forgot to feed it for a few weeks, it would be fine.

---

The things you have stated here are why most people on this site dont have much trust in pet stores. Most of the people that work in the stores dont really know what they are talking about. They are like the used car sales people of the reptile community. Im not saying everyone who works in a pet store doesnt know anything.

This is just an example, the first ball python I owned was back in 1996 and I was told by the person who sold it to me that it should only be fed once a month, and all i needed was a 20 gal tank and a uth. I didnt have a thermostat also nothing about humidity was ever told to me. After a year of owning that snake it was under 300 grams. I ended up moving to a place that didnt allow pets and a guy I knew who had many reptiles took it off my hands... But pet stores are not known for healthy animals or for advise on keeping them...

[QUOTE=Mochelem;853596]The things you have stated here are why most people on this site dont have much trust in pet stores. Most of the people that work in the stores dont really know what they are talking about. [QUOTE]

I'll argue this statement, to a degree. At least with petco, many of the employees are specialists in certain areas...outside of that, they have a general/decent idea about the other pets. But most of them unfortunately wont admit it, and even with the pets they know less about, they will pretend to know what they're talking about when asked. A good employee should call on someone who can answer accurately...but unfortunately, its hard to find that many people who are completely competant. So, most employees know quite a bit about SOME animals. The stores I'd worry more about are those which take care of their animals poorly...because that is everyone's fault.

What kind of help do you think you are going to get when you pay barely above minimum wage, and hire based on hours worked instead of knowledge?

What kind of help do you think you are going to keep with giving your employees 3.5 hours shifts for part time, and requiring full time to have 100% availability and other such nonesense?

Even if you get employees that want to help, and do things right... You have corporate policies which may be totally incorrect dictating how to keep the animals "Correctly." Then keep in mind you also have employees that are over worked, and simply can't take care of everything in their work day (without getting fired for not stocking a shelf) or because they have too many customers to help, but knowing the next employee coming in doesn't give a rats butt if things are done right or even know if they are or arent.

Then also keep in mind, at a management and district management level you have people that were hired because of their management skills not because they know a damned thing about pets, especially a lot of management at a corporate level.

[QUOTE=Myenia;853650][QUOTE=Mochelem;853596]The things you have stated here are why most people on this site dont have much trust in pet stores. Most of the people that work in the stores dont really know what they are talking about.

Quote:

---

I'll argue this statement, to a degree. At least with petco, many of the employees are specialists in certain areas...outside of that, they have a general/decent idea about the other pets. But most of them unfortunately wont admit it, and even with the pets they know less about, they will pretend to know what they're talking about when asked. A good employee should call on someone who can answer accurately...but unfortunately, its hard to find that many people who are completely competant. So, most employees know quite a bit about SOME animals. The stores I'd worry more about are those which take care of their animals poorly...because that is everyone's fault.

---

Just do a search on this site for petco and take a look at all the nightmare stories about them and how they instuct new buyers on taking care of thier newly bought animals.

my petco seems to take great care of its animals too. the temps and humidity are all correct too. I ask the guy why the place has so many bp's in one cage, and he said, "you know, i completely hate the policies this place has! if it was up to me I would have them all in one individual tank" So I guess its just the employees that happen to work there. And they make sure is better than policy says it should be.

I work at Petsmart and I absolutely hate the policies but I need the money and its helpful to get discounts on things I need. I am honestly the only person in the store who can get the snakes to eat and its just so dumb to me that they carry these animals and dont have the knowledge to take care of them properly. There are some policies the stores have which are just completely stupid to me. I realy feel like they shouldnt carry reptiles if they cant keep them alive and feeding....
I am happy however because I am transferring to a new store where they keep all the bps in individual tanks and they have these nice fancy bubblers for their tree frogs which keep the water moving and the humidity up. It seems like this store knows much more about reptiles, although I worry about the ones I am leaving behind....

On a seperate note I went to the Pet Supermarket here yesterday and it seems very nice, they only have small animals and fish which is probably for the best. They had very nice cheap feeders and a great supply of frozen as well. I also bought a lovely betta from them, and I was very pleased with the cleanliness of the store. Im sure like most chains it varies from store to store but I was surprised by this store.

[QUOTE=Myenia;853650][QUOTE=Mochelem;853596]The things you have stated here are why most people on this site dont have much trust in pet stores. Most of the people that work in the stores dont really know what they are talking about.

Quote:

---

I'll argue this statement, to a degree. At least with petco, many of the employees are specialists in certain areas...outside of that, they have a general/decent idea about the other pets. But most of them unfortunately wont admit it, and even with the pets they know less about, they will pretend to know what they're talking about when asked. A good employee should call on someone who can answer accurately...but unfortunately, its hard to find that many people who are completely competant. So, most employees know quite a bit about SOME animals. The stores I'd worry more about are those which take care of their animals poorly...because that is everyone's fault.

---

When it comes to our local store I have to disagree with you. I was talking to the 'snake expert' who told me that I was feeding my bp too often and that the most I needed to feed her was once or twice a month (can't remember which, it's been a while). There were some other things that were said that made me wonder how much of an 'expert' he really was. Then, I read the care sheets they provide when you purchase a bp and understood why he was such an 'expert'. BTW...petco bp's don't require humidity!

Well, I'm sorry to hear your store sucks. Like I said, that happens...our Petsmart here is like that, but I've seen some petsmarts that are great. And that depends on the management, as I mentioned. Some care about the animals and hiring the right people for the job...others just care about the business aspects. But as for humidity...here's our BP caresheet, which does mention a humidity gauge, a bowl of water large enough to soak in, and the use of a light or ceramic heater. This is the exact care sheet that is available in the stores.

http://www.petco.com/caresheets/snak...ython_Ball.pdf

This is why I stated in the post that you disagreed with that "most" of the people at thease pet stores have no clue what they are doing... I have ran into a couple of people that knew some stuff but not many..

Its great if you have good pet stores in your area, however I still wouldnt buy a snake off of them, they usually will tell you that the snakes are captive bred just to make a sale, when in reality they have no clue where the snake came from. I have seen many baby snakes die for no apparent reason that were bought from pet stores. I get better deals and better animals going through a breeder than pet stores...

I tend to avoid visiting my local PetSmarts and Petco's, they kinda urk me on how some of them take care of their animals. It's partially one of the reasons I'm looking into opening my own Exotic Pet store in Atlanta, GA.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Myenia

Well, I'm sorry to hear your store sucks. Like I said, that happens...our Petsmart here is like that, but I've seen some petsmarts that are great. And that depends on the management, as I mentioned. Some care about the animals and hiring the right people for the job...others just care about the business aspects. But as for humidity...here's our BP caresheet, which does mention a humidity gauge, a bowl of water large enough to soak in, and the use of a light or ceramic heater. This is the exact care sheet that is available in the stores.

http://www.petco.com/caresheets/snak...ython_Ball.pdf

---

Also that caresheet there has more than that wrong with it, not just humidity issues, but its saying use a lamp as primary heat and UTH for secondary. No where does it mention a thermostat or rheostat. It tells you to keep the hot end at 95 degrees, thats the very highest I would ever keep the hot end but what if some noob reads that and sees 97 degrees he might think thats close enough.

That sheet does say on its equipment check list that you have a thermometer and humidity guage, but nowhere does it say what the humidity should be. It does state you need a large water bowl big enough for the snake.

I'd agree...I wouldn't buy any pet from a pet store. I cringe every time we have someone bring in a new puppy they bought from a crappy petstore...knowing its going to have oodles of health problems. Both of my snakes came from breeders...and I tell customers that come in when the next reptile shows are, and encourage them not to buy them from us. Why should anyone pay 80$ when they can pay 20 for something much better bred? We get enough pet sales from people who just walk in because they "want to get some sort of pet." Not willing to do any kind of research or put any thought into it. I know a petco in our area that sells chameleons and RTBs, and their reptile specialist will not sell those animals without proof that the customer has educated themself. I wish they did that everywhere.

If you think the employees can be dumb...you should hear some of the things customers say and do. It makes me wish permits were required for all reptiles...just so owners would know a few things about their animals instead of just taking them home and assuming that since they're alive, they must be healthy and happy.

they are good went to every pet supermarket in orlando this summer...they take good care of their animals

both petsmart and petco around here are horrible. they have skinny little snakes with bad sheds stuck to them, and I have to say it looks like Petco's frozen mice got thawed a few times... even petsmart has better ones.

I held a baby snow corn snake at petsmart, and the "snake guy" was telling me how they took care of the shed. and yet, this poor TINY thing was leaving skin flakes on me as it moved through my hands. plus I've had to mention to an employee that temps were too high in a corn tank. they dont sell BPs or anything really interesting there. corns, kings, geckos, and water dragons. thats about it.

the petstore at our mall, on the other hand, is actually pretty nice. my cousin and her husband breed corns, and Michael (the husband) is the assistant manager there. he keeps all the reptiles healthy and well fed. only thing I dont like is that they keep up to three corns per tank, but they dont have much space. thats where I got my butter corn, and he was nice and healthy from the start. plus he gives me discounts on everything since he likes me. :cool:

went to petco *once*. rescued a small mouse with a hair loss problem. unfortunately he died before I could get him to the vet. I will NOT do petco again.

fortunately I have a local shop that is awesome. anyone in or around st paul or minneapolis should visit this store. not sure if I shoud post the name or what, but I will if its an ok thing to do here. they take care of their critters better than anyone anywhere else.

The Pet Supermarket in Gainesville carries reptile supplies but no reptiles.

It seems like it's a pretty mixed bag everywhere. The PetCo near me looks like it takes decent care of their BPs, but their fish are in horrible shape. The PetSmart has ok fish, but I almost wanted to cry when I saw their BPs - all in horrible, horrible shape - all in the middle of bad sheds. It was sad.