conglomarte pet stores

[hoax]

I posted this as a reply in another thread. I liked it so much as I am often not very eloquent or able to put down this many words with out loosing my thought process that I decided to copy and past it in my own thread and add a poll. Please tell me how you feel because all to often one voice is heard screaming above the crowd.

I would just like to point our just because the animal is alive and looks healthy that does not mean that it makes a good beginners animal. I have had pets for many years and the snake is the one that eats the least and requires the most attention as far as the housing issue goes. If you want a beginner pet go buy two parakeets and feed them and water them daily they will be just fine. But for a snake the word "beginner" belongs no where in the vocabulary.

Not trying to be rude but I hate pet stores such as petsmart and petco they have no business selling pet food much less pets. I find no defense for them. When you have some one cranking out puppies and selling them sick and with fleas usually some one calls the local SPCA but with chain stores such as these that sell sick fish, birds, reptiles, and other miscellaneous animals PEOPLE ACTUALLY PRAISE THEM because they donate to a charity or have animal adoption days!!!!! WOOOP-DE-FRIGGEN-DO!!!! I could care less I really wish people would open their eyes and take off the rose colored glasses and realize that chain stores like this really should not be in business and most people are just to dumb to realize it until it is too late and they have already bought a "pet" from this place.

I was one of these "innocent" by-standers. I bought pets from the conglomerate places and I always thought oh they take such good care of the animals until you start to learn what each animal requires for housing, food, attention, and medical attention. I mean what are these people thinking!!!!

Please some one tell me I am not crazy and that I am not making all this up.

I also know that there are a few people in this forum that run pet shops and do a darn fine job at it. You care about each animal that is there. You pay attention to them you ensure proper diet and housing. This is not directed to you few that don't just care about the "sale". To you few whom are to few I tip my hat to you.

I think some people in this forum would agree with me on this subject.

Ok I am off my soap box sorry you guys had to endure that.

[extensive]

conglomarte?

[piper]

conglomarte?

I think they meant conglomerate.

The pet stores we have in Canada are pretty bad as well. I bought my first bp from there, needless to say I didn't keep it for more then 2 days.

When it was sold to me, the guy selling it to me asked numerous questions, which I already had answers for and knew what I was getting myself into.

The pet store issues:
A) They sell the BP's for $192.00 + taxes for a normal.
B) They are full of mites.
C) I remember reading about how picky they can be as eaters and asked if they were eating and he told me the snake was.

Anyways, the snake had a slit up its stomach which I am still not sure what that was.. I called the petstore the day after and specifically asked for the person who feeds the lizards. Took me 2 days to finally talk to him. He was honest and told me the snake had never eaten the whole time the snake was with them, which was 4 weeks. When I brought the snake back they tried to tell me the snake should not have been for sale, but it was because the tag was flipped over showing the price.

After talking to that person for about 20 minutes on the phone, I put the snake back in the bag and brought it to them. I gave it to one of the workers and they way she was handling the snake was so rough. You could pet the snakes head like it was a cat or a dog, there wasn't any resistance from the snake what so ever.

They told me they would not sell the snake, but I have

I was up there the other day because I was out of mice and my supplier has moved now and I always check out the animals. They have an adult bearded dragon for sale for $249.99. Here's what makes that worse, half of the dragons tail is missing.

They have another aquarium with a younger dragon for sale, a little less then for the adult, missing half of its tail as well and has a bunch of stuck shed in its ear. It's disgusting there.

[anendeloflorien]

I HATE the large conglomerate stores they're in for the sale. The only good thing is every once in a great great while there is someone actually knowledgeable working there that can tell people the truth about the proper way to take care of an animal but they are few and far between and has been said before they are going against company policy by educating people on the CORRECT way to keep an animal. Its freakin sad.

[Argentra]

Ok, here's what it comes down to: the big chain stores are necessary for SUPPLIES, at least to allow people to pick up bedding or food quickly in emergencies and the like or for those poor people who can't afford the prices plus shipping of buying online supplies.

However, they should NOT be selling live animals. Period. Unless they were to update their policies, improve their sales enclosures/reduce the numbers of animals in stock at one time so each cage had ONE inhabitant, and train their employees with a Knowledgeable trainer in animal care. And of course, those thing will happen when pigs fly and the national deficit is paid off in one day.

[AmandaTolleson]

I believe only breeders should sell live animals. Not that every breeder is a good one. But to rule out chain pet stores selling live animals entirely would be nice. lol

[Somed00d]

there is nothing wrong with large pet store chains selling animals. thats what drives the hobby.. HOWEVER!! They should be held to a certain standard.

Personally I woudn't pay pet store prices anyhow but they are good in a pinch for supplies.

[Johnny Hive X]

I'm in between because without them, I wouldn't be able to acquire the supplies I need for my pet at an affordable price. If I order strictly through an online market, I'll end up paying crazy rates and shipping/handling. By having the pet store, I can get what I need the day I need it (within minutes if need be). The problem is that you have to do some bargain shopping and deal with (usually) uninformed and uncaring associates that aren't capable of doing what is needed. Having the corporate backing usually decreases quality with most things anyways.

That's just to sum up how I feel. I'm in between but lean more toward NOT liking them.

I had to go to about 4 different pet stores to get decent deals on everything I needed to set up my first tank.

[ohyeahnow]

I have been able to find all items on line that with shipping are still cheaper than the big chains. If I cannot wait for mail orders, I go to a local mom and pop store. Do not think much of big chains and their care for reptiles.

[BooRadleyAMG]

There are some Petstore chains that just plain suck. I had an issue where I was trying to find frozen feeders, and I was directed to the "Reptile expert" or so they called him. I asked if they had frozen Mice Hoppers, and his reply was "What are Hoppers?" I then stared at him for about 10 seconds without saying anything, and just thinking "This is their Reptile Expert!?" then I just turned around and walked out, never to return! I also walked into a diff pet store and seen some guy I knew from a Local Car lube shop, now working in the pet store selling puppies as a second job. Customers where grilling him with questions and he had difficulty answering 80% of them. WTH is that?

I find most Pirvately owned shops are much better. (But not Perfect). I now feed live due to the low quality of frozen in my area. One shop will spend 30 mins or more (or until I was happy with the selection) picking out the best sized meal to make sure it is not too big or too small.. I tip my hat to shops like this.

just my $0.02