Another horrible pet store

[Aric]

Yesterday we went to a fish/pet shop that my mom has been going to since she was a kid. It used to be the best fish shop you have ever seen and so clean and the owners were always talking about the animals and you could tell they truely loved them. When we got there, they had moved into a smaller section of the building and had a new name, so we thought they might have changed names. When we walked in the store it was a whole nother story. The first thing you see is 3 cages, one with ferrets and one with sugar gliders (cant think what was in the other one) and a cat sitting on top of the ferret cage with its paw down in the cage trying to get to the ferrets. Then all the products they had for sale looked like someone just threw them on the shelf. When you walk around the corner to see the fish, the first thing you see is a feeder goldfish tank thats about 6 feet long half full of very brown water and no filter with a ton of dead and alive goldfish in it, that was first strike for me. We walked down a little further and the owner was trying to talk these other people into buying a few fish, in the tank that they were looking at there was a little tube like fish (dont know the name) and it was swimming upside down like it was dying. We asked about that and the lady said they just got them in this morning and ever since she put him in the tank hes been doing that? The other owner said to take him out and put him in the tank on the counter, again super dirty water. We walked around a little further and in the back room next to a window so you could see was a 30 gallon tank with more feeder fish. The water was brown and the bottom of the tank was covered by about 3 inches of dead fish with more piles of dead fisl floating on the top and the fish that were alive were all in the corner and to me looked like they were trying everything they could to get out of the tank. That went strait to strike 3, so we turned around and started to leave. When we got to the door the owner asked us it we saw anything we liked and when we told him no, he asked us if we have any critters. We said everything we had and when I mentioned BPs he asked "do you ever sell them? You could always sell them to me." I had just about blew up at this point, the rest of the day was just so bad. Whenever I go into a bad pet shop it makes me fell horible and ruins the rest of the day for me. I have NEVER seen a more digusting pet store and such horrible conditions in my life. I contacted the TN Spca about the shop and when she emailed me back, she had said she forwared my email to someone from Peta. IMHO I dont really like the thing peta are trying to do but I just hope they can do something about them.


Sorry for the long ming boggleing post, had to get it off my chest.

[CraigC]

Don't you have a Fish and Wildlife law enforcement division? I would think that they are more likely to actually do something. Calling the "enemy" just throws fuel on the fire. I avoid looking around when I go to pet stores and always remember how my animals are cared for when I'm in one. Helps avoid jail time, LOL.

Craig

[Aric]

Don't you have a Fish and Wildlife law enforcement division? I would think that they are more likely to actually do something. Calling the "enemy" just throws fuel on the fire. I avoid looking around when I go to pet stores and always remember how my animals are cared for when I'm in one. Helps avoid jail time, LOL.

Craig

We do but they only really do anything if it involves native animals. I didnt call peta, I had emailed the person incharge of the TN Spca and shes the one who sent my email on over to peta, when she emailed me back and said she did that, I thought oh geez, why she have to do that. I think ill try and email the TN Fish and Wildlife department.

[CraigC]

We do but they only really do anything if it involves native animals. I didnt call peta, I had emailed the person incharge of the TN Spca and shes the one who sent my email on over to peta, when she emailed me back and said she did that, I thought oh geez, why she have to do that. I think ill try and email the TN Fish and Wildlife department.

It wouldn't surprise me if she is a PETA member. Pet Stores that deal in fish or other exotics here in Florida are under the guides and laws that are enforced by the FWC. Just thought your state might be similar.

Craig

[Aric]

It wouldn't surprise me if she is a PETA member. Pet Stores that deal in fish or other exotics here in Florida are under the guides and laws that are enforced by the FWC. Just thought your state might be similar.

Craig

she probably is a peta member if the first thing she did was forward the email to someone "higher up" in the group, they did actually have a tank with a sign that said blue gill on it, dont know if they were actually in the tank as ive only ever seen full sized blue gills. These were really small. If it was than I think thats illegal, I just contacted the TWRA law enforcement division, hopefully something will get done.

[ryandlf]

I know that feeling of walking into a tiny, smelly pet store and you just instantly feel surrounded by death. There is a reptile store not to far from me that another member on this board had complained about so I decided to go check it out for myself.

She wasn't kidding! I'm not going to get into details, but lets just say every snake cage had at least 3 sheds in it, there were dead mice on the floor, dead lizards in a tiny disgusting caiman tank. I almost vomited. Needless to say, its those kind of people that ruin the fun for all of us.

On the up-side to all of this, there are also very many people (a whole bunch on this board) that own very professional, clean and simply gorgeous reptile stores. I just figured out that Reptile Basics is less than an hour away from me...I can't wait to go check it out!

[Aric]

I just figured out that Reptile Basics is less than an hour away from me...I can't wait to go check it out!

yeah they are only about a 200 mile drive for me, hopefully one day ill be able to check them out.

[wolfy-hound]

Just what I tend to do...
I walk in and see a tank full of dead goldfish, I make a face, and ask the owner(worker or whoever is there) "What's with all the dead fish?" And see what they answer. "Eww... why is there a dead rat in there! That's so gross, you can't think a snake is gonna eat that! Ugg."
Sort of clueless with no mouth filter, but non-confrontational. Saying the same sort of thing to other people in the store. In real life, I could butcher rats all day long, and it wouldn't bother me. In a 'pet' store that has a dried up mouse in the corner, uncleaned for weeks, I made faces, and act totally squeemish. It at least makes the owners think "Geez, our displays are turning off this possible customer" as opposed to confronting them which makes them think "Oh geez, some nutcase.. ignore them"
But again...... it's only my method(unless I see something that needs IMMEDIATE correction, which although nasty, dirty cages is something that most animals can live with temporaily)
When you leave, call anyone you think might have authority. Especially the F&W folks. Especially if they had bluegills, and the officers will hopefully tell them to clean up the stuff. An occasionally dirty cage is one thing, people can be ill and get behind on cleaning. But all the fish tanks being filthy, the filth in all the other cages you describe is just someone being lazy and not cleaning up.
Wolfy

[Aric]

When you leave, call anyone you think might have authority. Especially the F&W folks. Especially if they had bluegills, and the officers will hopefully tell them to clean up the stuff. An occasionally dirty cage is one thing, people can be ill and get behind on cleaning. But all the fish tanks being filthy, the filth in all the other cages you describe is just someone being lazy and not cleaning up.
Wolfy

There was no doubt in my mind that they were just not taking the time to clean the stuff up, and really didnt seem to care about anything except for the money. The lady was following us really close and said she took all the tops off the tank and everything that would give them some security (plants, rocks, etc...) so everyone could see them better. They also had 2 HUGE oscars in about a 20 gallon tank, they were side by side and couldnt even move.

The guy from peta emailed me back, heres his email

Dear Aric,

The SPCA of TN asked us to assist you. Do you think you would be able to get photos of the conditions inside the pet shop? I called the Sheriff’s Department, but there is no Animal Control for Blount County. The photos would help us confront the owners of the store. Please let me know. Also, your anonymity is guaranteed.

Thank you.

Sincerely,





Peter Wood, Cruelty Caseworker

Ive emailed the TWRA law enforcement about this and ill wait and see what they say before I return this guys email. There is NO WAY ON EARTH that I will step foot in the place again.

[Ginevive]

It seriously takes a LOT of neglect for most aquariums to have Brown water.. I know that you can go for months on one filter cartridge and the water will stay crystal clear.. those people need to hear an earful from someone definately..