Quote Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion View Post
Take the photos, and send them to CORPORATE. Go over the store manager's head. Tell them that if they don't act, you're planning to make a fuss and post the photos, because if this is how they treat their animals, the world should know.

Petco corporate doesn't hate animals, and they aren't completely heartless. The problem is individuals, and if you put a bug in their ear at corporate, it's a lot more likely that something will get done about it. Particularly if you tell them it's an ongoing problem.
Mention the lack of hot water as well. It's hard to imagine anything being properly cleaned without hot water, as well as the issue with thawing rodents for the snakes.

They're a big corporation, and they have a lot of inertia--they had a vet write up their care protocols, and unfortunately, he just wasn't enough of a reptile expert to do it properly. Since a vet told them to, now it's hard to convince them to change. They do think they're doing the right thing.

The only way to get them to fix it, is to keep at them over it. Be polite, be reasonable, but be resolute and definite.
It can work, and has worked.
I agree with this. Im sure there are many members of this site who have bought their snakes from Petco/Petsmart or insert store name here and had great service. Both of my local stores have been great with Sheldon but maybe I am just lucky. The problem comes from the individuals who run the stores not caring about the animals. Corporate can only do so much. I do wonder if they routinely visit stores. When I worked at Target we would see corporate executives all the time. Maybe this sort of thing, inspections, would help fix these problems. I know for me personally it would be hard to walk away from that little guy even though it would probably be expensive and ultimately, in vain. To me the real tragedy in that the Animal Control and humane societies do not care about these animals. Yes there are people who claim that snakes (or frogs, lizards, iguanas, tarantulas, etc) are heartless creatures that belong in the wild, or worse but tell that to someone who has actually owned one for long enough to love it. It is really sad that, outside of enthusiasts, that no one cares about these animals.