Bad Guy Kenner, LA Petco

[volvotech]

Found this little guy at the local Petco.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb43/volvotech97850/IMG_3309.jpg[\img]

As convenient as the store's location is, I can't continue to support them any longer. The state of that gecko is just pitiful. Just thought other enthusiasts should be aware of this sort of thing.

Patrick Fisher

 

[volvotech]

Messed up the image link. :/

 

[Mikkwa]

That is very sad that the lizard has to suffer in that way. Did you point out to a manager that this little guy needs to visit a vet, quickly? And if so, what was their reaction to your request? Also, I'd be getting in contact with any rescue organizations that might intervene & could take him to the vet. if the store refuses.

Not sure how the Petco chain handles this sort of thing, don't have one close to me. But the other major chain store I do have local to me does take their animals & reptiles to a vet. when needed.

Hope that they get the message that this is not acceptable in a private collection & is certainly not acceptable in a public store for all the world to see.

 

[Gilali]

It definitely saddens me to think these pet stores and their ironically ubiquitous ignorance with pets. I've gone to chain pet stores like this and received great advice; on the flipside, I've had stores tell me that BPs NEEEEED those infrared bulbs at night and that feeder goldfish can only live up to 6 MONTHS.

Basically, it all depends on who works the store. In the case of independent pet stores, they have to personally pay for their follies in pet care. For these chains? They more than make up for it with the supplies they sell and the national title they work under. Really, I'm sure these animals are more to draw people in than to actually make profit–who doesn't love free petting zoos???

Its especially sad to know that hobbyists on all sorts of sites share their horror stories and outrage about these stores and yet, business is booming!


Personally, I think the sale of many animals should be left to independent stores and sellers; they are much more likely to suffer from bad business practices, having nothing to fall back on but their own name.


Also, I am pretty sure they are required to give vet-care to their animals. Years ago I worked at Petsmart, and they had a quarantine room with vet-examined animals. Considering Petco and Petsmart are very large chains, they've gotten a lot of hell from activists and probably have their own "requirements". For example, last I checked at Petsmart, you can bring back the corpse of a fish you bought within two weeks, and get a FULL refund, no questions asked. That's more generous than any independent aquarium store I've seen (though I've only seen a handful), considering that ignorant buyers can easily kill a fish within hours of getting it home...

Like I said; leave the live animals to those who have something to lose. Because, clearly, a dead 30$ gecko is no skin off of a large corporation's back...



––Summan Mirza

 

[fuzzylogix]

i think this would be justification to contact your local animal cruelty prevention offices. that just sickens the crap out of me. i've had leos go off feed and get extremely thin, to the point where some have had to be humanely euthanized. but to try and sell an animal in that bad shape just shows how much the almighty dollar means to a corporation like that. i have a feeling the sand had something to do with this geckos current state. the sad catch 22 of this situation is that someone will most likely go in and purchase this gecko thinking they are "rescuing" it. when in fact they are just going to use that money to purchase another one just like it. the "good samaritan" will keep it alive for a couple of weeks, and when it does eventually pass, the store will find some loophole to prevent a refund or replacement. it may sound harsh but that poor little gecko is probably way past the point of rehabilitation. so damn sad...

 

[Revolution1221]

For example, last I checked at Petsmart, you can bring back the corpse of a fish you bought within two weeks, and get a FULL refund, no questions asked. That's more generous than any independent aquarium store I've seen (though I've only seen a handful), considering that ignorant buyers can easily kill a fish within hours of getting it home...

While this does happen at most big stores its not supposed to be no questions asked. When i worked at petsmart the good employees would require water sample when someone would come back multiple times with deaths and we always asked questions to find out what happened to the animal. Its not just fish though any animal is guarenteed for 2 weeks at petsmart but i believe it is longer at petco. Multiple times we actually had to refuse all sales to people who were uncooperative and would not follow advice to take proper care of animals. sadly this isn't the case with most of these stores i just had the privilage to work with an exceptional bunch of people who actually cared for animals(well most of them did others were just dumb) It really bugs me to see things like this. These companys have these policys in place for reasons the animals are required to recieve vet attention when they do not appear to be in pristine health with exception of fish. Unfortunately due to bad managers and bad employee selection they end up with employees who do not have proper knowledge or concern to recognize problems like this.

 

[Gilali]

i think this would be justification to contact your local animal cruelty prevention offices. that just sickens the crap out of me. i've had leos go off feed and get extremely thin, to the point where some have had to be humanely euthanized. but to try and sell an animal in that bad shape just shows how much the almighty dollar means to a corporation like that.

Agreed; it shouldn't be out on display, it should be in a QT room.

While this does happen at most big stores its not supposed to be no questions asked. When i worked at petsmart the good employees would require water sample when someone would come back multiple times with deaths and we always asked questions to find out what happened to the animal. Its not just fish though any animal is guarenteed for 2 weeks at petsmart but i believe it is longer at petco. Multiple times we actually had to refuse all sales to people who were uncooperative and would not follow advice to take proper care of animals.

Also agreed; some do ask for a water sample, but some that I've seen do not.

I also worked at a Petsmart where we were told to refuse sales to people on certain conditions. One dude wanted to buy 10 fish and place them in an empty uncycled tank... though the tank might've been somewhat large enough, it hadn't been cycled, so we refused. He RAGED out on us, saying that it was bad for business to do this. Ultimately, from the scene he caused, the managers ran over, backed us up, and sent him out.

Again, some of these stores do have some good practices. Unfortunately, there is not much in place to ensure that the other stores do the same, corporation-wide policy or not.

 

[Revolution1221]

what gets me is i know the corporations are not doing it for the animals sake merely for publicity sake. Employees apperently used to have the right to rufuse fish sales to unsuited homes but apperently that is not the case anymore??? unless that was the store managers doing telling us we weren't allowed to. We had a guy bring a snake back one time he said he wanted to return. I opened the box and the snake was lifeless cold and I thought he was returning it because it was dead so I pick it up and ask him "how did it die" his response was "what are you talking about it's not dead" then after looking at it he was like "it wasn't dead when i brought it in. my son had a ball python that died we tried to replace it so he wouldn't notice. he noticed right away and wanted nothing to do with it but we found another he cant tell the difference" the son was 9 years old now if he noticed it wasn't the same snake the first time how could he be fooled the second time. sounded fishy to me. Well I started explaining to the man that the snake was very cold and asked how long it was in the car as it was the middle of winter. He said he came straight there and only lived a short distance. Then i noticed the snake twitch and remarkably it was still alive. I explained that it was not possibly for him to come straight there the snake was near death and must have been in the cold for a while. Needless to say he fought and argued so my manager and I denied him a refund we took the snake to the vet after it warmed up and put him on the do not sell list!

 

[Wolfy-hound]

Did you go to the store employee and ask why the gecko was on display? If the employee said nothing was wrong, did you go to the manager to point it out and ask as well? If a manager refuses, you can contact the main offices and report it(with your picture too!).

The home offices do NOT want any bad PR or media in any way so even if a local manager just doesn't like or care about reptiles, he will care when the big boss calls up and asks why he's gotten complaints about the care of an animal on display.

Animals sometimes just don't thrive and end up dying. That doesn't excuse having it on display, whether it's being given vet care or not. It should be back in a QT area so it's not under any stress. It especially doesn't excuse having it up for sale!

If I were you(and I've done similiar things myself in the past) I would call and talk to the manager, then call corporate if the manager doesn't show any concern. If you didn't bring it to the manager's attention, it's possible he has no clue because he probably doesn't run around looking at every single critter, much less know whether it's in good shape or not. Not everyone understands that a leopard gecko shouldn't look like a anole lizard, sadly.

 

[Joe Barnhart]

Animals sometimes just don't thrive and end up dying. That doesn't excuse having it on display, whether it's being given vet care or not. It should be back in a QT area so it's not under any stress. It especially doesn't excuse having it up for sale!

If I were you(and I've done similiar things myself in the past) I would call and talk to the manager, then call corporate if the manager doesn't show any concern. If you didn't bring it to the manager's attention, it's possible he has no clue because he probably doesn't run around looking at every single critter, much less know whether it's in good shape or not. Not everyone understands that a leopard gecko shouldn't look like a anole lizard, sadly.

I like this approach also. It is quite possible that the manager doesn't realize it. I would think the manager would take appropriate measures, and if not, then call the corporate office and send the pic to them. They'll do something about it. I think that's the fairest way to approach it.

I, as well as others here am saddened to see this.

-Joe

 

[ShadowAceD]

I cannot speak for Petco, but I know they eliminated their return policy some time ago. Unlike PetSmart, Petco carries a much larger variety of non-furry animals and, because of that, always seem to bite off more than they can chew. I have never been to a Petco where I have been satsified with the condition of the animals or with the people who work there. This is the same company that (I do not know if they still do) sold fancy rats and feeder rats as the same thing, which they are not.

That animal is in deplorable condition and should have been to a vet. a long time ago, but I am unaware if Petco's policies require that an animal be brought to the vet. when in such condition. PetSmart's policies do require that they go to a vet.

I would say call animal control, but it is likely nothing will happen of it. You would be better of contacting the Area Manager/Supervisor for that store and any of the surrounding Petco's stores. If that does not work, then contact the Area Manager's Supervisor. If you go high enough in a retail chain and become a big enough thorn in their side, someone below will eventually come under fire. There was a Petco in New Mexico that myself and friends did this too and it resulted in the General Manager being fired for the horrible conditions animals were being kept it. Whether or not they found someone to improve the place after that is not known to me. I left before finding out.

As far as big corporations and their negligence ... I will state this ...

PetSmart reserves the right to refuse the sale of animals to anyone that the employee does not feel comfortable selling to. This goes for fish, small animals, birds and reptiles. In the six months I worked for PetSmart, I refused sales to numerous people for varying reasons and it was all within the company guidelines.

There were some instances where fish were sold to people who had no business having them, but the fourteen day guarantee was null and void at that point.

PetSmart also reserves the right to refuse refund to people if severe neglect or lack of care is evident in an animal people attempt to return. PetSmart may try to convince them to turn the animal over to them so it can seek medical attention at a Banfield, but they are not required to take it back. It is all written in the contract "Pet Parents" sign when buying an animal.

All of this is written in the extensive hand book for the PetCare department at PetSmart. Of course, the human variable can readily mess this up, but PetSmart does have policies in place for the protection and well being of the animals for more than just publicity reasons. If it was purely publicity reasons, they would advertise it to everyone, but they are actually pretty strict about keeping most of their policies within the company alone.

Many PetSmarts fail in that their execution of the procedures and policies fail, but that is normally due to a failing PetCare Manager.

 

[Ophion]

There is never an excuse for any animal to get in that condition. It does amaze how a smaller store, breeders and just owners can be reprimanded for simple things and an animal in a huge chain store can look like that with no consequences.

Saying that, I work at Petco. (I still have some hopeless dream of helping)Though I do not work on the 'floor' (rather a grooming assistant or some silly title) so I only have a basic grasp of the rules. I do know it is required that they take an animal that need medical attention to a vet. However, from my understanding they cannot euthanize an animal. (this I find shocking)

Petco does have a return policy (though I cannot remember if it is similar to Petsmart at 2 weeks or if is closer to a month). Unfortunately, I get to see this all to often with the small animals and reptiles. Just last week a man purchased a ball python, when the son left town his father who hated snakes returned it a couple of days later. Apparently we cannot refuse this type of return. (we can refuse the sale though - yet to see it happen)

There are some good people who care and do know some things at Petco then there are some who don't care and don't know a thing and they're all plastered under the same corporate rules.

 

[volvotech]

I returned to Petco this morning and purchased the dying Leopard Gecko's two cage mates. The "runt" was clearly for sale, and the store employee did ask if I wanted him. She claimed that the Leopard Gecko was eating, but he was always the runt.

However idiotic some Petco workers are, the true problem is the corporation. I've got nothing to gain by telling the employee what a terrible job she's doing of caring for reptiles (in other news, the Bearded Dragons were being kept just above 80% humidity, which actually reads as tropical on the humidity gauge). Instead, I decided it was best to make my last Petco purchase two Leopard Geckos, who may be at risk because of their cage mate's condition.

I forwarded the picture to Petco (headquarters/corporate?) via their website, and have also forwarded the picture to local animal agencies. I now own nine pets (7 reptiles), so I fully understand the fragile nature of animals. Stress can do terrible things to a lizard; However, selling a lizard under those conditions is absolutely unacceptable.

-Patrick Fisher

 

[Joe Barnhart]

I returned to Petco this morning and purchased the dying Leopard Gecko's two cage mates. The "runt" was clearly for sale, and the store employee did ask if I wanted him. She claimed that the Leopard Gecko was eating, but he was always the runt.

However idiotic some Petco workers are, the true problem is the corporation. I've got nothing to gain by telling the employee what a terrible job she's doing of caring for reptiles (in other news, the Bearded Dragons were being kept just above 80% humidity, which actually reads as tropical on the humidity gauge). Instead, I decided it was best to make my last Petco purchase two Leopard Geckos, who may be at risk because of their cage mate's condition.

I forwarded the picture to Petco (headquarters/corporate?) via their website, and have also forwarded the picture to local animal agencies. I now own nine pets (7 reptiles), so I fully understand the fragile nature of animals. Stress can do terrible things to a lizard; However, selling a lizard under those conditions is absolutely unacceptable.

-Patrick Fisher

Good for you Patrick!

I volunteer at the local alachua county animal shelter on weekends and I don't want to even speak of the horrors I see from animals being brought in by the trucks, or owner "surrenders". Makes me sick.

Good for you!

Joe

 

[chongorojo]

Right on Diem, its a pretty solid company for dealing with live animals but the pet care manager can make or breaK a department, it should be a destination position not a through fare to core management.

I returned to Petco this morning and purchased the dying Leopard Gecko's two cage mates. The "runt" was clearly for sale, and the store employee did ask if I wanted him. She claimed that the Leopard Gecko was eating, but he was always the runt.

However idiotic some Petco workers are, the true problem is the corporation. I've got nothing to gain by telling the employee what a terrible job she's doing of caring for reptiles (in other news, the Bearded Dragons were being kept just above 80% humidity, which actually reads as tropical on the humidity gauge). Instead, I decided it was best to make my last Petco purchase two Leopard Geckos, who may be at risk because of their cage mate's condition.

I forwarded the picture to Petco (headquarters/corporate?) via their website, and have also forwarded the picture to local animal agencies. I now own nine pets (7 reptiles), so I fully understand the fragile nature of animals. Stress can do terrible things to a lizard; However, selling a lizard under those conditions is absolutely unacceptable.

-Patrick Fisher

Due to old experiences with petco geckos and how that one looked.... I have a bad fear that you just brought Crypto in to your collection, I really hope you QT those guys and have one tested for it...

 

[Wolfy-hound]

You might not have anything to gain by talking to the employee about the condition, but the animals certainly do have plenty to gain. I don't know why it would harm anything to talk to the people in the store.

Sending the info and pictures to the head offices will hopefully send some inquiries to the local store. I hope you are practicing really strict quarentine on the new comers so they don't spread anything they might have.

 

[volvotech]

Due to old experiences with petco geckos and how that one looked.... I have a bad fear that you just brought Crypto in to your collection, I really hope you QT those guys and have one tested for it...

Thanks for the heads up. Some of the pictures here seem to match up: http://www.petstoreabuse.com/crypto.html. I'll see if I can get the Leopard Gecko's into a vet Wednesday.

 

[oldworldlife]

This is the same company that (I do not know if they still do) sold fancy rats and feeder rats as the same thing, which they are not.

Are they not both Rattus norvegicus ????

I returned to Petco this morning and purchased the dying Leopard Gecko's two cage mates.

WOW this is why petco can sell sick animals cause people like you support them . Did you also donate money to the petco foundation as well you know that goes straight to the HSUS.

 

[mxracer4life]

I would have to say here in Southern IL we have a pretty good PETCO. I hate having to go in there, but they ran off all of the local pet stores so anytime I need something quickly, I have to go there. The one big advantage they have is they happened to hire 2 employees from one of the local pet stores that shut down and they take really good care of the reptiles and fish. Compared to other PETCO stores, this one is really nice. It is a shame that they all can't follow this stores procedures and quality of animal care. Hope your able to help those little ones out. I have purchased animals for those same reasons before, always breaks my heart to see them in that condition.

 

[reticguy76]

as with any big corporation retail stores, there are gonna be "good ones" and bad ones".

here in AZ, we have both good stores and bad stores (of both petsmart and petco).

i rarely purchase anything reptile related from either of them. about the only thing i have and will get from them, is their heat bulbs (im old school and like heat lamps over belly heat), because they are A LOT cheaper than my local reptile shops.

there are many other ways and things you can do, rather than pay them money for animals that they are not taking care of properly.

way too many people do that because they feel sorry for the animal (and we should), however, that gives the frame of mind to say, hey if we keep these animals sub-par, someone will eventually buy them.

they are a business and the love/proper care for the animal comes further down on the list