Venting About Petco...

[Crawly's Mom]

Crawly my very first BP I ever bought was from PetsMart. I was not there specifically to buy a snake, however, that being said if I had seen something that I wanted then yes I would have picked it up. Granted there would have been a long quarantine process away from all of my other snakes, but it is possible to find something. I have heard of people spotting pastels, black backs, yellowbellies, fires, etc. at Petco and sometimes PetsMart. So I always look, just in case.

[SpencerShanks]

After reading multiple stories like this I feel like I'm the luckiest guy around when it comes to local pet stores. At the two Petsmarts, the Petco, and a small exotics shop within 10-20 miles of my house, I've had good experiences for the most part. Both Petsmarts have had reptile owners working the floor (one of them I think was lying, just to make my mom trust what she was saying and buy more fluff, actually). The Petco has a man that breed his own crested geckos, willing to reach into any tank to show me what they had. The people working at the small exotics shop know all the regular customers, know a bit about their reputation, and know their products. Shows that not all chain stores are bad just because they're a chain store.

[zeion97]

After reading multiple stories like this I feel like I'm the luckiest guy around when it comes to local pet stores. At the two Petsmarts, the Petco, and a small exotics shop within 10-20 miles of my house, I've had good experiences for the most part. Both Petsmarts have had reptile owners working the floor (one of them I think was lying, just to make my mom trust what she was saying and buy more fluff, actually). The Petco has a man that breed his own crested geckos, willing to reach into any tank to show me what they had. The people working at the small exotics shop know all the regular customers, know a bit about their reputation, and know their products. Shows that not all chain stores are bad just because they're a chain store.

Very well put.. enough said.

I will ad.. It is funny to see "stupid" animals strike the employees who you can tell don't like them and not you

I mean stupid in the terms of Ball pythons always getting the rap of "mindless reptile" I honestly think they're smarter then what we give them credit for.. I mean they can distinguish person to person. (scent it may be, but still smart!)

[Skiploder]

Another Petco/Petsmart bashing thread?

Yawn.

In defense of the manager, at least she wasn't stupid enough to buy one, too lazy to research on how to properly care for it, fail to provide proper husbandry for it and then post here on what to do when the animal gets sick.

Then after being given the proper advice, argue with the people trying to help her, refuse to take the animal to the vet and then report back on how heartbroken she was that it died.

Then rushes out and buy another and spams the forum with crappy pics.

Nope, she doesn't sound THAT stupid at all.

Just a store manager afraid to touch a couple of snakes. Excuse me if I don't jump in on the judgement party with you all.

See, I happen to know for a fact there are people on this forum who work at Petco and Petsmart. I'll wager they know more about snakes than most people who are stupid enough to typecast them. Shame on some of you for ASSuming that all petstore employees are cast from the same mold.

Now I know there are some people who post here who feel they are truly God's chosen few because they know just enough to be dangerous when it comes to reptiles. I know that because we routinely get treated to their judgement filled posts as they look down with a discrimination bordering on contempt for any one who they feel isn't as enlightened as them, whether it be the dog food store manager who doesn't want to touch a snake or a Craigslist poster who doesn't have his ball python mutancy terminology all worked out.

[SpencerShanks]

Very well put.. enough said.

I will ad.. It is funny to see "stupid" animals strike the employees who you can tell don't like them and not you

Haha, not sure that I've seen that before. Recently I've only been able to run in and out, just to buy some feeders while my mom sits in the parking lot :L Not much time to hold the baby BP's.

[Highline Reptiles South]

The issue is this is not a kid. It was an adult woman and she was the manager. As a manager at a store that carries multiple types of snakes you should at least be comfortable enough to handle them for general care. If you cannot even manage moving one then frankly you should not be in charge of a store that carries animals. Additionally she told me to get up on a ladder and move them myself. I have worked retail myself and can tell you that had something happened and I fell off the ladder or one of the snakes had bit me, they would be liable for that. Again that is something she should keep in mind as a manager.

I realize this is a major chain store and a lot of what they do is not right, however, that does not change the fact that they should AT LEAST know the basics... especially something as basic as moving an animal.

The "ladder" at my Petco is a 3 step step stool. Whether a grown woman or girl a shift manager at a local Petco is extremely low paid worker. You can't expect them all to have the same passion that we have. It's just not gonna happen. I think we need to respect that. It seems you went into there with an agenda. If your not looking for a normal for your collection, why force them/waste there time/stress the snakes out to move them all around? For the life of me, i'm lost here...

[zeion97]

Haha, not sure that I've seen that before. Recently I've only been able to run in and out, just to buy some feeders while my mom sits in the parking lot :L Not much time to hold the baby BP's.

I went to a pet store where they had a 4 foot RTB for sale while we were visiting my Fiacee's family and I asked to hold it and it tried to bite everyone but me, even took a nip at my Fiancee lol. I just picked it up it went around my neck and sat so calmly. I wanted to take it home so badly, but hey. Unlike Ash we can't "catch" them all.

[Crawly's Mom]

Another Petco/Petsmart bashing thread?

Yawn.

In defense of the manager, at least she wasn't stupid enough to buy one, too lazy to research on how to properly care for it, fail to provide proper husbandry for it and then post here on what to do when the animal gets sick.

Then after being given the proper advice, argue with the people trying to help her, refuse to take the animal to the vet and then report back on how heartbroken she was that it died.

Then rushes out and buy another and spams the forum with crappy pics.

Nope, she doesn't sound THAT stupid at all.

Just a store manager afraid to touch a couple of snakes. Excuse me if I don't jump in on the judgement party with you all.

See, I happen to know for a fact there are people on this forum who work at Petco and Petsmart. I'll wager they know more about snakes than most people who are stupid enough to typecast them. Shame on some of you for ASSuming that all petstore employees are cast from the same mold.

Now I know there are some people who post here who feel they are truly God's chosen few because they know a smidge about reptiles. I know that because we routinely get treated to their judgement filled posts as they look down with a discrimination bordering on contempt for any one who they feel isn't as enlightened as them = whether it be the dog food store manager who doesn't want to touch a snake or a Craigslist poster who doesn't have his ball python mutancy terminology all worked out.

As I said before, I understand this is a large company. I even know there are people who may be afraid to handle animals there or who do not know everything they should about caring for them. My issue is that as a manager of a petstore that you should be capable of managing your fear and at least being able to move an animal so a customer can see it.

Telling a customer to get up on a ladder and reach into a tank of snakes because you are too afraid to do it yourself is not okay. If for no other reason than the risk involved in that one action. If you go to Home Depot and try to climb one of their ladders to take down a product I guarantee you they will tell you to get down, in fact they have signs on those ladders that say do not climb. It is a liability to the company. My judgement is of that individual for not being capable enough to do her job without being a risk to the company and her customers.

If I or someone else who she had done the same to either fell from the ladder or was bitten then they or I would have a right to sue the company. That is an error on the managers part, I do not care who you are or how you view it, that is a flaw.

[Skiploder]

After reading multiple stories like this I feel like I'm the luckiest guy around when it comes to local pet stores. At the two Petsmarts, the Petco, and a small exotics shop within 10-20 miles of my house, I've had good experiences for the most part. Both Petsmarts have had reptile owners working the floor (one of them I think was lying, just to make my mom trust what she was saying and buy more fluff, actually). The Petco has a man that breed his own crested geckos, willing to reach into any tank to show me what they had. The people working at the small exotics shop know all the regular customers, know a bit about their reputation, and know their products. Shows that not all chain stores are bad just because they're a chain store.

No freaking way.

All Petcos are bad.

All people working at Petcos are idiots.

The Petco we have in my neck of the woods has a young man who works there. He works part time at Petco while he is working on the first leg of his veterinary degree.

He is perhaps one of the most dedicated and knowledgeable keepers I have ever met when it comes to varanids and he builds some of the most amazing enclosures I have ever seen.

He also knows a heck of alot about rear fanged colubrids and the effort to reclassify them. I have spent a lot of evenings in Petco, holding a 40lb bag of grain free kibble while my kids fidget and tug at my clothes, talking to this kid.

Just saying..................

[Crawly's Mom]

The "ladder" at my Petco is a 3 step step stool. Whether a grown woman or girl a shift manager at a local Petco is extremely low paid worker. You can't expect them all to have the same passion that we have. It's just not gonna happen. I think we need to respect that. It seems you went into there with an agenda. If your not looking for a normal for your collection, why force them/waste there time/stress the snakes out to move them all around? For the life of me, i'm lost here...

I did not go into the store with an agenda. As I said above had there been something there I liked or was interested in, then I would have picked it up. If I cannot see the animals then I do not know if there is anything I want to take home. I am in fact looking for a normal black back female, which is not unheard of to find at a pet store. I do not expect them to have my same enthusiasm for reptiles, however, I do expect a manager at a pet store to be able to move an animal so it can be seen when it is HER JOB. I do not care how much she is paid, it is her job to handle and sell pets and pet related goods. If she is not capable of that then she should not be working there.