Letter to PetSmart!

[leanne]

I'm getting so tired of seeing a zillion species of frogs and toads smooshed into one container together, and the PetSmarts in both Kingsport and Johnson City in my area are guilty of this----how's this for a start: a letter from anonymous community members to PetSmart? The Health Department only gets concerned when human health is at risk, i.e. illegally selling turtles, but I figured it was still worth mentioning as someone "we" might contact if things kept going like they are. Comments or suggestions? Thanks!

 

[jeff]

That's awesome Leanne. Hopefully they'll do something now to correct the problem.

 

[john]

How about adding that you've also opted to not inform PETA....yet. I personally can't stand those nutcases and find them to be very near to domestic terrorists but mentioning them might very well get these folks off their butts and do something.

 

[dawn]

"very near to domestic terrorists "

thats putting it a bit mildly don't you think?

 

[leanne]

Wow, ok---will include that in the letter, thanks!

 

[gord]

This letter is a good idea...an FYI really. But I think most of the ma and pa pet shops are largely ignorant of mixing as well. I went to a really nice shop last summer with a great selection of caudates for sale. Most of the tanks were fine - with one species per - , but in one tank they had firebelly toads, juvenile P.Waltl and C. Orientalis mixed together. I mentioned it to them and the gal working there seemed shocked that I would not think they could all live together well.

No wonder there is so much confusion among first time newt owners.

Gord

 

[john]

" "very near to domestic terrorists "

thats putting it a bit mildly don't you think?"

Well, yes...putting it very mildly indeed. lol

 

[tyler]

Man, now I feel as though I should boycott Petsmart. I hope this problem clears up so I can continue doing business with them. And yeah I agree with the whole PETA being domestic terrorists conversation.

 

[jennifer]

I think it's not a good idea to make this letter anonymous. They won't take it seriously. Either sign your own name, or a list of names of people who agree with your cause. I suppose that anonymous is better than not sending it, but it would be looked at more carefully with a real name and address on it.

I'm not sure if I would mention PETA, but perhaps there is a local animal welfare league of some kind?

Good work, Leanne!

 

[edward]

I agree with Jen, an unsigned letter is just going to get tossed.
You not only need to sign it but provide contact information so they can respond to you over the issue.

Threatening them with other organizations may not have a lot of effect unless it comes in on the letter head supplied by that organization.

Ed

 

[leanne]

Welp, I sent it this afternoon before reading these last posts, but I think you're right----I needed to sign it. The next round of this will include a signed letter by many parties involved whom I will get in contact with, including animal welfare individuals and groups throughout the area. Thanks guys for the advice and help here! I am also going to get in touch with the ma and pa pet store that I rescued the T. granulosa newt from as well (he was being housed with a bunch of firebelly toads).

 

[karen]

Very good letter, although I've found my local petsmart to be pretty good about caring for thir pets. The petco near me, however, is horrible! I agree with everyone that signing your name will have a greater impact, if any. Perhaps, you may also want to consider putting an "open letter" in your local newspaper/flyer about the situation to notify any other pet-lovers in your community about that matter. Maybe more people will write letters then!

 

[jeff]

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Karen E wrote on Thursday, 30 March, 2006 - 03:21 :</font>

"Very good letter, although I've found my local petsmart to be pretty good about caring for thir pets. The petco near me, however, is horrible!"<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>
More than likely this all has to do with the way District Managers run things. Over here in Sacramento it seems like the Petcos take better care of their herps than do the Petsmarts.

 

[tony]

good initiative. like other said you definitely should included at least your name and made your plight aware to local sympathetic groups.
Kingsnake has lots of links to find groups/adoption/rescue in your area

it's unfourntate that chain and mom/pop pet stores sometimes don't provide the necessary care for their *product*.

i've only been to 1 petsmart in my area. it was an average size store but for whatever reason had a limited variety of pets.. birds,kittens,puppies and fish... the most exotic thing i saw were fiddler crabs and FBT's

been to 3 petcos. surprisingly @ each store there animals looked well. herps and large insects were limited but separted by species and not overcrowded. newts were missing completely.. i was told by a worker that the tank/filter setups they have don't permit them to lower the water so they don't keep any for fear of drowning/escape... that could either be a sign of sincere concern or design flaw of there tank walls learned the hard way

mom and pops shops no different. there often pressured by less room and competion from the chains that they'll house multiple species in those cool looking waterfall vivariums that incourage the customer to buy and replicate the same setup @ home

 

[edward]

A lot of Mom and pop stores are simply uneducated in the care and maintence of these animals while depending a lot on repeat customers.
If you can show them a better method of keeping the animal so there is less loss these places will often switch methods of care for those animals. They won't change if you go in and demand that they really invest a lot of money in the setup but you can make a difference by pointing out some simple changes. Crowding may not be as big a problem for the animals depending on the filtration system used in the store. If for example, it has huge biotowers and routine water changes then the effects of the crowding via waste is being resolved. The effects of stress due to collection and transport through the different stages is a seperate issue.


If you develop a simple care sheet and list of the hardier species for the stores to carry then this may go a long way to helping deal with the issue.


Ed

 

[leanne]

How would I get them to look at the caresheets? The mom and pop store I got the granulosa from had a newt/salamander identification BOOK on hand that they were even selling, and they still didn't know what species it was----didn't even bother to look it up. I am concerned that if I go in there with a helpful caresheet, they will at best ignore it, and at worst, take offense that someone claims to know more than they do.

 

[heather]

As it goes, I don't know any "pet shop" that does not exhibit these sort of housing conditions. This is because at pet shops, pets are not animals. They are merchandise. They are treated like fresh produce, kept under the conditions to maintain their sellability [is that even a word?]. The cashiers, associates, animal care specialists and even the managers may have a heart for the welfare of these creatures. But the people running the company sure don't. It's not much different than any other part of the live animal trade. They probably have it better than most.

The only cure for this is to never buy from a pet shop. Buy all pet supplies from dealers who only sell pet supplies, and buy all pets from breeders who are knowledgeable on their select breed of animal... Of course... And work on getting lawmakers to pass legislature on making stricter laws for the animal trade. I don't see any of this ever happening other than that last part. Most of us can't afford to do all that selective shopping. It's like telling a poor person not to go to Wal*Mart because "they're evil".

 

[heather]

Some more information: If you type into google some combonation words such as "Petco Horrors", "Petsmart cruelty" "Pet shops mistreat animals", ect, you are bound to find many links to sites about the conditions found in pet shops by both customers and employees. Don't believe everything you breathe, but trust your instincts. And trust what you see when you enter a pet store. If it looks bad, its bad.

Don't let me sound like you should do nothing, however. I fully encourage people to write to the general and district managers of pet companies when deplorable conditions are found. Please include your real name, as well as any other name of a customer who "does not want to be a customer due to the deplorable conditions found in your store" and wants to be included. If possible, do include the store number(s) [usually found on the reciept or in the store] as well as the names of anyone who may have assisted you poorly at that time.

Informing the district manager is the best way to get things accomplished as far as improving immediate problems with conditions found in tanks and at the pet store itself.

 

[leanne]

And at a place whose slogan is, "Where Pets are Family", I would expect the animals to be treated less like merchandise and more like respectable living creatures, sigh....

 

[heather]

Places like Petco and Petsmart hurt and help. On one hand their fish and animals are often over crowded or kept in poor conditions.

On the other hand, they do a lot to help the dog/cat community by providing locations for rescue programs to find homes and hold seminars, as well as providing low cost classes for people to come and train their pets [and well trained pets benefit anyone who comes in contact with them].

But the way their merchandise-animals are treated is simply a reflection of how our society treats animals. Take a look at any beef cattle, dairy, pork, egg or chicken farm. How about fur farms, which have been banned in many countries already [but not ours!]. Our mass pet breeders are really no different. Heck, even our misuse of illegal immigrants in this country reflects our treatment of living things when it comes to business. It opens up a can of worms everyone wants to talk about, but nobody wants to touch.