PetCo Ball Python, Chico California...This is NOT OKAY

[greenacid]

So, I went into my Local petco today to pick up some stuff for Ollie. I decided to do a quick look at their snake selection...

This is what I saw...(Not for the faint of heart). I Understand he maybe shedding, but still. It said he was a year old. Ollie is way fatter than him and he's 5 months old...This has to stop...

[sunn_maiden]

Poor Baby!

[RaskaNeil]

My Petco started doing better with all their Herps and Amphibians after I made a call to their corporate.

[MsMissy]

My local Petco probably hates me by now, I spend all my time there lecturing on the conditions their snakes are kept in. Poor babies!!!

[rocknhorse76]

The Petco by me had a BP that appeared to be dead.....all shriveled up and not breathing from what I could tell. When I told one of the associates about it, she wasn't even concerned. Pretty sad if you ask me.

[SaintTawny]

To be fair, they don't pay their employees enough to care. That said, this is why you should never ever ever buy anything from Petco/Smart if you can avoid it. I don't care if it's dog food, you shouldn't perpetuate their business.

[MsMissy]

My Nagini came from Petsmart and she is perfect... Probably because they had only had her for about 3 days.

I don't mind that I got her from there in this sitch, at least someone like me will take good care of her and make sure she has what she needs.

[DestinyLynette]

I thought about getting a job at a local PetSmart or PetCo and request to care for the reptiles specifically... Or do you think they'd even let me care for them properly?

[dr del]

I once took a job at a petsmart in the uk.

I wasn't allowed to fix the problems I could see.

I managed to last three days before the fight.

[Eric Alan]

Why do these threads always turn into company bashing tirades? It's become so cliche to bash PetSmart or Petco.

Each of the two big box pet stores have to have proper animal care policies in place that ensure the health of their animals while they are in the store. They wouldn't be in existence if they didn't (or at least not nearly as successful). Ultimately, though, most people do not work for a company - they work for either themselves or their management team. It is up to the employees, and of course the managers, in the store to ensure that policies are followed. If an animal, such as the one pictured in this thread, isn't being cared for it's typically not the company's fault - it's the store's fault for not following the policies put in place. Similarly, I've been in many PetSmarts and Petcos that do a GREAT job taking care of their animals. But, even a well cared for animal from these stores get posted about in a negative tone as if proper care was done by accident.

Honestly, I'm not really sure if I'm going anywhere with this. I guess I'm just getting sick of the mob mentality against the very places that bring a majority of new snake owners to our hobby.

Eric