petco problems

[JUNKyardHOE]

Hello everyone,

I have noticed going through this forum that quite a few people have had some pretty interesting problems at Petco. From seeing four snakes in a small cage with two hides soaking wet and yet none of the snakes were actually in their hides, to even at my local Petco a BP with mites. It is amazing to me that all across the United States people are having the same concerns and/or problems at their local Petcos and yet nothing has been done about it (well to my knowledge).

Anybody who comes on this forum cares for animals, no matter reptile or not, we want them all to be treated right and protected. So I pose this question,
Why not do something about? We could all band together and put a stop to this, because I don't and assuming everybody on this forum doesn't like to hear these stories of BP treated inhumanely or animals in general.

So, lets do something about.. Lets attempt to fix a wrong that can be fixed, I was thinking of sending a letter to corporate, with your support and guidance, and telling them what is going. IT is possible that they do not know how the animals are being treated, and it would be a start.

If you have any suggestions or you would like to support this cause please let me know.

[nixer]

Hello everyone,

I have noticed going through this forum that quite a few people have had some pretty interesting problems at Petco. From seeing four snakes in a small cage with two hides soaking wet and yet none of the snakes were actually in their hides, to even at my local Petco a BP with mites. It is amazing to me that all across the United States people are having the same concerns and/or problems at their local Petcos and yet nothing has been done about it (well to my knowledge).

Anybody who comes on this forum cares for animals, no matter reptile or not, we want them all to be treated right and protected. So I pose this question,
Why not do something about? We could all band together and put a stop to this, because I don't and assuming everybody on this forum doesn't like to hear these stories of BP treated inhumanely or animals in general.

So, lets do something about.. Lets attempt to fix a wrong that can be fixed, I was thinking of sending a letter to corporate, with your support and guidance, and telling them what is going. IT is possible that they do not know how the animals are being treated, and it would be a start.

If you have any suggestions or you would like to support this cause please let me know.

isnt the heads of petco and petsmart on the board for pijac or was it usark?perhaps contact them.
i have boycotted both petco and petsmart for donating money to HSUS

[spygirl]

As a person who worked for PetCo for three years, in all departments and as a dog trainer, I'm going to say, no you can't change it.

1.) PetCo is a retail store that just happens to sell animals and products for animals. No matter what they say ("At PetCo, animals always come first."), profits are the number one goal.

2.) PetCo corporate has their own vet. He is the one who writes the "care sheets." What he says pretty much goes. You can write a letter all you want, but they're going to side with their vet. Also there is someone who is called the RCAC. They come into each store randomly and check on the animal care. They have a checklist that says things like "each animal enclosure has a hide", "enclosure clean of waste", and other similar things. Most of the RCAC's care about animals but are very loyal to corporate. I had huge knock down, drag out fights with my RCAC about certain things. In the three years I was there, I managed to get the stores in my district to be allowed to use reptile carpet in the leopard geckos and bearded dragons enclosures. That took 3 years! Point is, PetCo is always going to say they have a vet and they have a knowledgeable corporate staff. They don't need to hire knowledgeable retail workers.

3.) PetCo is also going to tell you that it is not cost effective to house each animal in it's own enclosure. As an ex-reptile manager in a brand new reptile store, I'm going to have to agree with them. Generally these animals are only there for a month at a time, at the most. So again, it's all about profits.

4.) As for the mites... Most of the Ball Pythons (I know in my districts at least), come from Rodent Pro. These guys sell captive hatched/imports. So yeah, there's going to be mites. That's what you get from buying from some wholesalers. Not all, but some.

For the most part, the people who work there love these animals, but are just generally uneducated. They are told to strictly follow the care sheets and in the enclosures to only use the products they sell. When I was a reptile manager at the privately owned store, I pretty much did the same thing. Only my enclosures and care sheets were done correctly. It makes things easier on everyone to run things this way. But you've got to remember, they are a retail store first. You can try to change it, but I'd save your breath. Or maybe I'm just jaded.

[nixer]

As a person who worked for PetCo for three years, in all departments and as a dog trainer, I'm going to say, no you can't change it.

1.) PetCo is a retail store that just happens to sell animals and products for animals. No matter what they say ("At PetCo, animals always come first."), profits are the number one goal.

2.) PetCo corporate has their own vet. He is the one who writes the "care sheets." What he says pretty much goes. You can write a letter all you want, but they're going to side with their vet. Also there is someone who is called the RCAC. They come into each store randomly and check on the animal care. They have a checklist that says things like "each animal enclosure has a hide", "enclosure clean of waste", and other similar things. Most of the RCAC's care about animals but are very loyal to corporate. I had huge knock down, drag out fights with my RCAC about certain things. In the three years I was there, I managed to get the stores in my district to be allowed to use reptile carpet in the leopard geckos and bearded dragons enclosures. That took 3 years! Point is, PetCo is always going to say they have a vet and they have a knowledgeable corporate staff. They don't need to hire knowledgeable retail workers.

3.) PetCo is also going to tell you that it is not cost effective to house each animal in it's own enclosure. As an ex-reptile manager in a brand new reptile store, I'm going to have to agree with them. Generally these animals are only there for a month at a time, at the most. So again, it's all about profits.

4.) As for the mites... Most of the Ball Pythons (I know in my districts at least), come from Rodent Pro. These guys sell captive hatched/imports. So yeah, there's going to be mites. That's what you get from buying from some wholesalers. Not all, but some.

For the most part, the people who work there love these animals, but are just generally uneducated. They are told to strictly follow the care sheets and in the enclosures to only use the products they sell. When I was a reptile manager at the privately owned store, I pretty much did the same thing. Only my enclosures and care sheets were done correctly. It makes things easier on everyone to run things this way. But you've got to remember, they are a retail store first. You can try to change it, but I'd save your breath. Or maybe I'm just jaded.

as for the letter i was referring to contacting pijac not petco.
as for the vet does anyone actually know his name you think with all these stores he would be known pretty well by now. also is he or she a member of the avma. either way its his duty to see that they provide for these animals properly and he can lose his lic. for it

also for what its worth i have never got any ch that had mites on them,but i have seen a tick or 2

[americangypsy]

We could all pick a day to call and speak out about what we have seen . I have done this in regards to their fish that are always floating up side down and even dead If it is all about profit they will not want to lose customers that is for sure . there is power in numbers . Also someone could start a petition on care2.com and get signatures globally .

[spygirl]

as for the letter i was referring to contacting pijac not petco.
as for the vet does anyone actually know his name you think with all these stores he would be known pretty well by now. also is he or she a member of the avma. either way its his duty to see that they provide for these animals properly and he can lose his lic. for it

also for what its worth i have never got any ch that had mites on them,but i have seen a tick or 2

The vet's name is on the tip of my tongue, but it has slipped my mind at the moment. Tom something I believe.

As far as they're concerned, care standards ARE being met. Animals are cleaned once a week, they are being fed, there is heat and UVB, and they have water.

Most cities have the same minimal standard of care for dogs and cats as well. Ever see a dog in a nasty backyard with a dog house that's falling apart with food kinda scattered everywhere and a bowl of gross water? You're concerned because you never see anyone interacting with the dog and the owners just throw food at the dog. So you call a rescue/animal control/the city. 9 times out of 10 they cannot take the animal away. It has food, shelter, and water. It doesn't bark or cause problems. So they have no reason to take it away.

I also said CH/imports. Meaning a lot of those CH babies are mixed with imports. So yes, mites are common.

The letter I was talking about was when the OP suggested writing a letter to PetCo corporate.

Please believe me, I am in no way whatsoever defending them. I'm just laying out the facts.

[nixer]

The vet's name is on the tip of my tongue, but it has slipped my mind at the moment. Tom something I believe.

As far as they're concerned, care standards ARE being met. Animals are cleaned once a week, they are being fed, there is heat and UVB, and they have water.

Most cities have the same minimal standard of care for dogs and cats as well. Ever see a dog in a nasty backyard with a dog house that's falling apart with food kinda scattered everywhere and a bowl of gross water? You're concerned because you never see anyone interacting with the dog and the owners just throw food at the dog. So you call a rescue/animal control/the city. 9 times out of 10 they cannot take the animal away. It has food, shelter, and water. It doesn't bark or cause problems. So they have no reason to take it away.

I also said CH/imports. Meaning a lot of those CH babies are mixed with imports. So yes, mites are common.

The letter I was talking about was when the OP suggested writing a letter to PetCo corporate.

Please believe me, I am in no way whatsoever defending them. I'm just laying out the facts.

their standards are not being met because they have parasites.
i didnt think you were defending them