Petsmart Nashville raided for animal cruelty

[tttaylorrr]

Again I will say not all petstores are negligent. I would LOVE for any animal authorities to walk into my store right now and tell me my animals are neglected. In fact, the animal shelter animal control works out of have animals in my store for adoption.

It should be a case by case basis just as we do for breeders being raided or individual animal cruelty cases. Lumping all box box stores together is not right.

Am am I sticking up for that store? Nope...if they are cruel to the animals close that store down or fire all the employees. Have PROPER training from an outside company source.

i just want to say i always value your opinion on the topics of big chain pet stores as you have an insight most of us don't. thanks for always sharing your viewpoint in these threads.

[Ax01]

Again I will say not all petstores are negligent. I would LOVE for any animal authorities to walk into my store right now and tell me my animals are neglected. In fact, the animal shelter animal control works out of have animals in my store for adoption.

It should be a case by case basis just as we do for breeders being raided or individual animal cruelty cases. Lumping all box box stores together is not right.

Am am I sticking up for that store? Nope...if they are cruel to the animals close that store down or fire all the employees. Have PROPER training from an outside company source.

every company is as good as the peeps it keeps. also and/or it's leadership.

also i think Eric Alan, one of our forum Mods, is/was like a store or district manager or something for Petco/Petsmart and he's a great breeder. i know, i have on of his girls.


Edit: i think it's easy to bash the box stores b/c their problem seems chronic and widespread b/c they're so big. then when someone tries to have it addressed, it get's lost in the corporate rabbit hole. but i give credit where it's due. some stores i've been in do take good care of their animals. again it's the peeps u keep.

[tttaylorrr]

every company is as good as the peeps it keeps. also and/or it's leadership.

also i think Eric Alan, one of our forum Mods, is/was like a store or district manager or something for Petco/Petsmart and he's a great breeder. i know, i have on of his girls.

agreed. idc that 16-year-old Bobby knows nothing about their animals, and just collects a pay check to buy weed; i expect him to. i care that a manager walks into that store every day and is responsible for EVERY LIVING THING inside that store - people AND animals - and either doesn't care about the animals or doesn't know. NEITHER is excusable.

someone from management needs to be fired, and they need to find out who allowed that person to manage animals, and fire them as well.

[SDA]

Doesn’t matter how good a store is as long as the corporate policy is still one of neglect. A few good stores do not make up for the many that are full of neglect and a corporate culture that treats animals like a bag of dog food.

[cchardwick]

By looking at the video and the eyes of the rodents I'd say that they have some kind of infection, bacteria or virus. I doubt very much that PetSmart breeds their own rodents. It's more likely that they buy them from some big rodent shop that breeds them, I'm guessing if it's in PetSmart its probably going through the whole rodent breeders colony. That's the door I would be knocking on next. It's not just a handful of rodents, it could be hundreds or thousands infected. I think that PetSmart needs to find another rodent supplier. Doesn't really seem to be the problem of the pet store unless they are not giving them food and water and clean bedding, they didn't say anything about those details. Personally if I owned the store I'd move those rodents to a separate room or building and mark them not for sale and in quarantine until they can be medicated or in extreme cases euthanized. I've had sick rodents in my colony, it happens and it's not fun.

The other thing that scares me is that a lot of rodent diseases can also affect humans and can be lethal. They should be wearing masks and gloves to move those sick rodents out of the main part of the store, better yet a separate room or building with HEPA ventilation to keep it contained.

It's crazy that they will confiscate rodents, but what would they say about feeding live rodents to baby snakes? Sometimes that is exactly what it takes to keep the snakes alive. It's a double edge sword and a fine line we are walking... I doubt very much that you can equate a rodent to a dog or cat. If you fed a dog or a cat to your snake you would probably end up in jail. However, it doesn't mean that you can mistreat rodents either.

[tttaylorrr]

I doubt very much that you can equate a rodent to a dog or cat. If you fed a dog or a cat to your snake you would probably end up in jail.

thread digression: something like this is happening in Idaho right now!

[Sunnieskys]

agreed. idc that 16-year-old Bobby knows nothing about their animals, and just collects a pay check to buy weed; i expect him to. i care that a manager walks into that store every day and is responsible for EVERY LIVING THING inside that store - people AND animals - and either doesn't care about the animals or doesn't know. NEITHER is excusable.

someone from management needs to be fired, and they need to find out who allowed that person to manage animals, and fire them as well.

This I agree with. I know when I walk in, even before I clock in I look at all of my animals. I clock in then walk them again, thoroughly inspecting each habitat, who opened them, and follow up if something was not correct. This includes fish and bettas.

Also so keep in mind we provide a "temporary" habitat for these animals. It is my job (and other managers at other stores) to provide as close to optimal conditions as a permanent habitat. I have to make adjustments like misting the BP's every hour to maintain humidity which then gets the bedding wet. So now I have to change it every two days so it doesn't mold or create scale rot.

These are the things managers need to know. Animals come first before my customers. I tell people no. I also wont sell a reptile until I see they have a thermostat in their Amazon cart and paid for. Not an option. You don't have it, you're not taking one of my animals home sorry.

Do do I get in trouble...yes. Is it worth it...yes!

Dont to get me started on goldfish......

[Sunnieskys]

Doesn’t matter how good a store is as long as the corporate policy is still one of neglect. A few good stores do not make up for the many that are full of neglect and a corporate culture that treats animals like a bag of dog food.

Not petcos policy at all. They actually have very strict protocol. It is usually the managers in store that don't abide. Don't assume you know it all because you don't.

[Sunnieskys]

By looking at the video and the eyes of the rodents I'd say that they have some kind of infection, bacteria or virus. I doubt very much that PetSmart breeds their own rodents. It's more likely that they buy them from some big rodent shop that breeds them, I'm guessing if it's in PetSmart its probably going through the whole rodent breeders colony. That's the door I would be knocking on next. It's not just a handful of rodents, it could be hundreds or thousands infected. I think that PetSmart needs to find another rodent supplier. Doesn't really seem to be the problem of the pet store unless they are not giving them food and water and clean bedding, they didn't say anything about those details. Personally if I owned the store I'd move those rodents to a separate room or building and mark them not for sale and in quarantine until they can be medicated or in extreme cases euthanized. I've had sick rodents in my colony, it happens and it's not fun.

The other thing that scares me is that a lot of rodent diseases can also affect humans and can be lethal. They should be wearing masks and gloves to move those sick rodents out of the main part of the store, better yet a separate room or building with HEPA ventilation to keep it contained.

It's crazy that they will confiscate rodents, but what would they say about feeding live rodents to baby snakes? Sometimes that is exactly what it takes to keep the snakes alive. It's a double edge sword and a fine line we are walking... I doubt very much that you can equate a rodent to a dog or cat. If you fed a dog or a cat to your snake you would probably end up in jail. However, it doesn't mean that you can mistreat rodents either.

Yep, the gourmet rodent sends our geckos, snakes and beardies. We have a local breeder for our Aussie green tree frogs and northwest zoo for our small animals. I have even declined animals right away and sent them back.

im really tired of the "ALL big box stores suck! Shut them all down!" How about you talk to people who work there, talk about policies and procedures. Cause you sound like PETA at this point and are on a witch hunt.

People have their first experience with animals and fall in love with them because of big box stores. Do I wish every employee was educated on proper husbandry...yes. DO NOT lump us all together.

to address the sick animals...all stores have a quarantine room for sick animals. They also are required to see a vet within 24 hours upon discovery.

Not sure about petsmart but at Petco that is policy. I just spent 200 on a hamster that sells for 15.99 because it is a life not a bag of dog or cat food.

[SDA]

I don't think anyone is attacking people about this but the fact remains that far too many of both these chains just can't provide the care needed for these animals. They can't or do not hire people who can specialize in the care required for these animals.

In the early 90s when I lived in San Diego, petco was hands down the best source for fish and pet supplies. That sadly is no longer the case now that both these chains have become so big that they can't provide the individual care they once did.

I am not against shopping at either store and do all the time but I will never buy a live animal from either and have seen across the country far too many of them keep their animals in substandard conditions. I simply condone the ban on the selling of live animals in these stores much like how many states are now banning the sale of puppies from mills in stores.

I love what petco and petsmart do for dog and cat adoption and that is a great thing mostly because they don't keep them there, the simply sponsor adoptions. There is no good reason to sell live animals other than to upsale supplies to unsuspecting first time owners.

So good for you for giving a damn but that doesn't change the corporate attitude of indifference that is with both these stores.