"Snakes don't eat crickets?"

[4theSNAKElady]

That would be great. I work at a petsmart and they actually discourage some animal care (they would prefer that you are cleaning or selling). I have been fighting for months about animal care (just throwing new snakes in with old ones, multiple species per cage, making sure animals actually get fed watered daily even knowing selling snakes with mites even though I pulled them from the floor repeatedly). About a month ago I finally got fed up fighting with the petcare manager about this and went over her head. Things finally changed. Now, different species have to be housed separately in semi-appropriately sized cages. The result, animals are doing better and my hours were cut from about 30 hours to 0-3 per week.

That sux. It seems to be a growing trend in the pet stores around here......the best, most knowledgeable employees have been "dissappearing". But I guess there's some gratification in knowing you made a difference.

[aalomon]

The issue is really with management. There are two managers in my store that know anything about animals...the rest have to ask (even basic questions). If management doesnt care, they arent going to hire people who care. They are going to hire people who sell. One day, my manager wrote on our communication board that for every one thing someone buys, suggest 3 other things whether they need it or not.

[Quiet Tempest]

The pet store I used to work for actually did implement something like this for a while though it certainly wasn't federally mandated or anything like that. They started doing it shortly after I resigned so I have no idea what it's like there nowadays. There are certificates on the wall with photos of employess alongside a certificate of sorts that shows they passed a test on basic care of a specific area of knowledge (reptiles, birds, small animals, fish). I believe the management just saw it as an oppurtunity to snub competing pet stores but it did mean that their employees did have to take an interest in the information in order to obtain their certificates. If more stores did this maybe it would help..

[aalomon]

The problem is what the information is. Did you know all petsmart employees have to pass tests on petcare? The problem is the material is either wrong or they just forget it the next day.

[Quiet Tempest]

The problem is what the information is. Did you know all petsmart employees have to pass tests on petcare? The problem is the material is either wrong or they just forget it the next day.

Hmm. That's true.

[jfreels]

I found out yesterday that Georgia will examine claims made about petstores given to the Animal Control. I will probably start making some calls in the future.

Found out by being at a Pet Supplies Plus last night getting some crickets and taking a look at a new carpet python they got in. Carpet pythons are awesome by the way! Anyway, while I was there, animal control came in to make sure they handled a situation that was called in by a customer about a ferret who was sickly. The officer thought I had a love for all animals and said if I wanted to help, I could donate some time to a farret rescue group. I took the information but I have no passion to help take care of sick ferrets.

I wasn't the one that called on the ferret, but I do remember seeing it and I had a hard time believing they would even keep it with the other ferrets. They no longer sell ferrets anymore.

Just thought I would pass this information along. Not sure if I commented in that thread, but they are not hired to be animal experts. It's not up to the government to do anything. The chain should take the initiative. If you want to make a difference, don't look towards the government. Write something up and send it to the store manager of every petstore in your area. Send it to the regional manager and send it to the home office for the chain. Don't use threats, play a numbers game.

How many threads on this forum bash PetCo/PetSmart/PetLand/etc... That's lost business to them. And when you HAVE pets, people talk to you about them and if they decide to get a pet you will probably tell them not to get them from one of those pet stores. I know how to go about change in a corporate environment. I just don't have the drive or time to do it.

[Oroborous]

The issue is really with management. There are two managers in my store that know anything about animals...the rest have to ask (even basic questions). If management doesnt care, they arent going to hire people who care. They are going to hire people who sell. One day, my manager wrote on our communication board that for every one thing someone buys, suggest 3 other things whether they need it or not.

It was the same at the pet store I worked at, only I resisted their policies and gave people honest info on what they needed and what they didn't. But it was really hard because people often don't do the research themselves and the animals suffer for it. Even when I gave the best info on care people would come back to say their lizard/snake was not doing well, or had died. But on a bright note costumers came back to me again and again for help, and I was able to help educate people and better animal's lives. I geuss that's why I stayed there so long, despite all the negative things happening on a daily basis.

[EvesFriend]

I don't think we need any more government involvement.