Family Sues PetSmart, Claims Father Died From Contact With Diseased Bird

[papayamama]

I saw the segment about this case on Good Morning America. It's so sad that this happened. I'm on the fence about this because my PetSmart is wonderful and I don't know all the facts about this lawsuit.
I did go to PetSupplies(lesser known chain) last month for baby formula and saw their bird seed bulk bins infested with moths. I told the cashier and she said "Ya were leaving the lids off to get rid of them." In other words they weren't doing anything because the moths were burrowed in the seed laying eggs. I was furious and wrote an email to the manager. Never again will I return!
I guess we just have to careful where we shop and ask as many questions as possible.

[Meredith]

I just came across this thread and after reading about all the negativity towards petco and petsmart, I have to say that I totally disagree. I am not at all saying you are wrong, but at least in my area the petco and petsmart are just wonderful. I have heard with chain stores like these there are large differences in the care and such depending on the area you are in, but I must say my area is just wonderful.

As far as the petco, the head of the bird department is just a wonderful woman - we have talked several times that over the years we have even become friends. She is just great and cares so much for those birds. She is in charge and has a few "helpers" which are also very good, but this woman does not sell these birds right on the spot, she requires a few visits before you purchase the bird and each visit is logged so that you can look back and be sure the customer has gotten all the visits in. I am not sure if all petcos are like that, but mine is. He hand feeds these birds and all birds are weaned onto pellets and fruits and veggies. The cages are always very clean with fresh water and lots of food. They have a bowl of pellets and yes I do actually see fruits and veggies in there cages. All of these birds and socialized and do get daily out of cage play time. She will even get in a few birds that are not very nice - some that arent tame at all and others that are tame, but will bite on occasion. With these birds she will actually work with them and try and get them tame and sweet so they are more likely to get a home. The birds at this store are always selling and lots are selling before they are even weaned. Non go home unweaned, but they are sold and remain there until weaned. She is always getting new babies in and she is never over crowded with birds. She has a certain number of cages and each bird gets there own cage and she only gets more once cages are available.

As far as petsmart goes, they are also very good however they don't spend the time with the birds like the lady at petco does, but they are very well taken care of. Always have a clean cage and fresh water/food. They also don't over crowd there cages. None of the animals are ever mistreated and always have clean cages with lots of fresh food. Nothing is ever old or dirty.

[angelicarboreals]

Wow. I don't even know what to say.....mind you, I don't care for PETA very much, but the website about Petsmart is quite horrific. I literally cried when I saw some of the pictures!

I have never purchased birds from any store, but I am always careful that if I go to a pet store, bird fair, etc. that I come home, take a shower, and change clothes before greeting my flock. I never handle or touch any birds while I am there as well, in hopes that this will keep anything from reaching my babies. It is scary, and I would never take one of my birds into a petstore- not for anything.

I have never personally seen any of the horrors described here, and I occasionally go to both Petco and Petsmart. Petsmart has a better variety of bird supplies but to me Petco just looks cleaner. However, after reading this report, I may not be going into either ever again. On the website there is an African Grey completely plucked that came from a Petsmart in Knoxville, Tn. It is the very same store that I used to shop in when I was living there with my ex. I just can't bellieve that they would have let the grey pluck like that- and then discount it for sale!!!!! Shame, shame, shame on them!

[xafsmom]

Originally Posted by angelicarboreals

I just can't bellieve that they would have let the grey pluck like that- and then discount it for sale!!!!!

It could very well be that they're at a loss to why the Grey is plucking. It could very well be that the Grey has had enough vet checks and tests to power up an entire season of E.R. It could very well be that they didn't 'let' but were proactive on fixing it as best as the store was able. It COULD very well be that due to various things outside of their control, they cannot GIVE the bird away but are discounting it in hopes someone comes to get this bird to a better situation in hopes that it will relieve it's plucking tendencies.

Or it could be they're all just horrible people.

Truth isn't something you find through assumptions, just sayin'.

[angelicarboreals]

Xafsmom, this is the link to the pictures of the grey that I was referring to:

PetSmart Cruelty // Photo Gallery

If you scroll to the bottom of the page you will see Gracie, the plucked Grey. I just don't feel in my heart that there is absolutely no way on earth that the grey received any kind of medical attention for the plucking. It is about the worst case I have ever seen, other than skin mutilators. Maybe I am wrong, maybe not. But I feel that at some point SOMEBODY who saw that bird or worked in the store should have got it to a vet and got it treatment wwwwaaaaaayyyyyyyy before the bird plucked every single one of its feathers except for on its head.

As for discounting the price, the only thing I have to say is that I feel that they discounted the bird just like they would have done "defective" merchandise. I don't think it had anything to do with finding the grey a good home, it was more about "let's make what we can off the bird and get rid of it". If they truly cared someone would have intervened and given the grey to a good home or at least did something to have a vet come out. Plucking like that does not happen every night. But apparently, Petsmart allows its animal care employees to "guess what the problem is" and attempt to correct it with a box full of medications (also documented on the website).

[NaniOokami]

I'm hearing a lot of "I feel"s and "I think"s here.

That's the thing, you really can't just go on what you feel or think. I've seen birds plucked further naked than 'Gracie' and they've received plenty of medical care. I've also seen cases where well-known avian vets are unable to identify the cause.

Some birds, Greys and Toos especially, pluck for emotional reasons, and they may never stop. Vet care won't help these birds, and putting them on drugs to ease their minds isn't the healthiest thing to do for them either.

You don't even know that she can grow her feathers back at this point. She may have damaged the follicles, but is well taken care of and happy.

Just saying, I think research is in order before you take the medias word, ESPECIALLY PETA. These are the same people who killed thousands of dogs and cats because they were 'better off dead than as pets'. More than likely, the discounted price is corporate policy. They're not allowed to give the bird away. It's not the store's fault, it's the corporation, and if you find me one that isn't backwards and corrupt, I'd be shocked. A discounted price gives them a better chance of finding the bird a home. Nobody is going to pay full pet store price for a plucked grey. Why let it sit there and suffer, instead of giving it a chance to actually get a home?

[xafsmom]

I'm just saying that before you assume the worst, there might be something you don't know. I have a bird that would freak you out, it's a cannibal. It eats itself. 4 thousand dollars worth of vet med into her before she came to me, and now another grand and pretty much it's concluded there's nothing physically wrong with her that's able to be found. It's psychological. She's a sweet thing, very loving and friendly... except she happens to like the taste of herself.

If you looked at her, you could easily assume she's never had vet care, but she has. That's all I'm getting at, you can't assume the grey hasn't had care.

[Syaoransbear]

Greys and too's should neverrrrr be sold in chain stores. The employees don't have enough time to spend with them because they have so many other responsibilities and animals to tend to, plus customers, and the turn over rate is so high that having a new person handle the bird all the time and losing someone that they just started to get used to would probably stress them out.

Especially when little ankle biters are banging on the glass, or people are letting their dogs jump up onto the glass and think it's funny.

We have a petland in our city and nearly every time I go there they have a new grey, always under 1 year old, plucking. Sad. But people poke their fingers in the cage so much(mostly when it's trying to sleep) it's really no surprise. Those birds are way too sensitive to be in a chain store, and they are so expensive they usually don't get sold for a long time.

[NaniOokami]

Quite honestly, I don't think any birds should be sold in the chain stores. Even the conures end up getting shipped from store to store because they don't sell, the price tag is just too high. Even when the individual store is nice, they still typically get their birds from the same place. Bird mills, like puppy mills, are a horrible, horrible place.

Large-scale breeding is a bad industry, and makes for very unhealthy pets in the long run. A good, responsible breeder doesn't just take two animals that will procreate and slap 'em together, there's a lot more to it than that. And beyond that, the 'mills' don't give proper socialization to the animals. It's not profitable to do, so a lot of the animals are deprived right from the start.

Greys and Toos may be more visibly affected, but no bird should have to go through that treatment. Don't blame it on the store (unless, of course, the store actually is to blame as well.), it's the corporations, and the mills they buy from and support.

[Syaoransbear]

I wouldn't have my birds if it weren't for chain stores, and I think a lot of people here wouldn't either. Everyone's story of how they got into birds seems to be the little budgie they bought from a chain store.

Where they get the birds from is really bad, but I think there would be way, way fewer bird owners if chain stores never brought them more out into the public. Chain stores should buy from local breeders instead of mills, but I don't think they should stop selling them altogether. The more people that have birds and are exposed to birds, the more aspiring avian vets there will be.