petco

[KellamGuy7603]

I was in Petco this afternoon. When I wnet over to check out the birds, I was discusted at he way that they treated their birds. There were no toys to speak of, the cages were to small, the finches had toenails that looked like they had never been clipped, and there was a sick finch huddled at the bottom of the cage. The sad thing is that this is the best I have seen it yet. It makes me sick because the people at these stores are so called animal lovers and they let the animals live in these conditions.

[Xavier]

I too see abuse in Petstores across the country. Siamese fighting fish in filthy little cups, dogs and cats in cages too small for them to stretch properly, never let out to roam free unless adopted... and the birds. Oh I could just go on and on about the birds.

Sadly the most we can do for these animals is not buy them and hope (or "suggest" ) that these Petshop owners attempt to take better care of their animals. Hopefully the tyranny will end soon enough, but so long as people keep buying from these stores, they just keep on getting more and more animals...

[Samm]

Oh don't get me started on Petco! Just about every time I go in there I raise hel about no clean water in the dishes.....I go straight to the manager and then watch them to make sure they clean the dishes and replace the food. If they didn't, I'd be on the phone right away to the district office, and they know darn well I would. The past few times I've been in there everything looked good, however. They hired a girl to take care of the aviary, and she seems like she's doing a pretty good job.

[Xavier]

Oh don't get me started on Petco! Just about every time I go in there I raise hel about no clean water in the dishes.....I go straight to the manager and then watch them to make sure they clean the dishes and replace the food. If they didn't, I'd be on the phone right away to the district office, and they know darn well I would.

Thank god there are people like you out there Samm. I'm twelve years old, and whenever I bring it up to the clerk, they give me a look of disgust and tell me to "back off KID." How annoying! Nobody in my family other then me seems to take this seriously. "They're proffesionals Hayley, they're doing their job, and better then anything YOU could do."



Good thing that there are some people that WON'T be treated like scum by the employees... Woot for Samm and anyone else doing their part!

[Samm]

I don't bother with the salespeople on the floor, they could care less. The managers are responsible for the store, and if they don't take care of the live stock there, they have to answer to the district office.
The manager in this particular store is very cooperative, because he knows I'll call the office in a minute, if the birds aren't cared for properly.

[The Outlaw]

You need to ask for the store number and the name of the store manager. Go online and complain to the corporate offices. Works like a charm!

[Monica]

Hayley, you don't even sound as if your twelve! To me, you sound like a mature, young adult! And people should not take you for granted because of your age, though people are always putting age restrictions on people, even people who are 50yrs and older. TV programmers shoot for people that are 18-49 years old, and it's almost unthinkable to put a program on for people over the age of 50.

I'm 17 myself, and it bothers me when I see birds in the area that I am in, who are taken care of less than properly (two cockatiels on a wild bird seed diet, who knows when they are fed and watered, let alone IF anyone cleans the cage as I doubt anyone does besides myself - cage needs to be broken down and power washed, or better yet replaced.... another tiel who was found by the wrong family, and stuck in a 'finch' cage [she is in a larger cage now, only adequate, but not proper for a tiel], and fed primarily a sunflower seed diet with seed sticks and given a mite protector that is more harm than good). Those 3 tiels are only 2 of the cases that I know of. I could go on about other birds in homes that I've gotten, or that I have seen, and I have tried to help numerous times, however being a 'child' myself, they just don't listen.

I must say though, a lot of my time is spent helping others over the internet to better care for their birds, and to help them to learn more about what they can do for their feathered friends! This is the best way I have found to help others help their birds as they are more willing to speak with a stranger (whom they may unknowingly assume is an adult) than a child. The thing I like most about the internet is how you can better judge a person by their maturity and knowledge rather than by age and looks! You simply get to know a person better and what they are capable of doing if you don't know their age and/or looks.

I will admit though that I've only ever met two twelve year olds who were very mature, and you are by no doubt, one of them! We all enjoy you here, so even if the pet shops don't want you, we are glad to have you!

[Christine9]

While I have seen some questionable Petcos, I have to say that the one in the town that I live in is excellent as far as how the birds are taken care of. They are in a separate room, and their cages are always very clean. They are also all healthy. It is too bad, though, that they bad ones have to ruin the reputation of the chain. Obviously the person that runs this particular Petco is doing his or her job.

[Xavier]

We all enjoy you here, so even if the pet shops don't want you, we are glad to have you!

Why thank you! That means alot.

You need to ask for the store number and the name of the store manager. Go online and complain to the corporate offices. Works like a charm!

Will DEFINATLY do that next time! Looking forward to the better health of the birds in my area...

I too have a few horror stories about petshops. The last time I was in Petland buying millet there were a few kids 8 to approximatly 10 or so years old by the cockatiel cage. These tame and very friendly cocktiels were chirping happilly in their cage, gladly stepping on these kid's arms and such... then the 8 year olds decide to have a little fun...

You can only imagine what happens next! For some reason, there was a metal hamster wheel in the cockatiel cage. The kids put a cockaitel in it and drastically spun the wheel around. The poor 'tiels tail feathers caught caught, and a few snapped right off, as well as a few feathers on the wings!!!

Sadly I didn't see this, my younger sister (_Cass_) did and reported it to me. I was too late, the kids had already left the store with their mom. I was furious! The poor cockatiel looked horrible! I am definatly going to complain about that hamster wheel!!!

Auggggggggh!!!!!!! It makes me so mad when people can be so cruel, regardless of age.

[Monica]

They've got an excuse because they are a child... I think those kids should have been put into a NASA training station and spun around in one of their preparation tests to become a space pilot (you see these things in movies... there's also a spinning ball!). It's not right, and it would be nice for them to feel how that poor tiel felt so that they could understand that creatures do have feelings as well... Hopefully what comes around goes around for these kids and that the children learn to respect themselves, their parents, their friends, other people, animals, and other peoples belongings... among other things of course!




Oh, and just to add... As far as the pet stores around here, I don't see any major problems with any of them, though they all do use corn cob bedding (cept for two stores.. only one of which is actually any good)... Some of them are actually feeding fresh foods to the birds, others not quite so... the birds, although they don't always appear healthy, at least seem to have food, water, and a clean environment.