Petco - Where the pets go??? A vent

[GreyhoundGirl]

This is why I cannot stand to work where I have to deal with people! I cannot tolerate behavior like this! Those poor kids, having a mother like that will get nowhere in life!!!

We are one of mind.

It IS sort of like a petting zoo, people can bring in their little monsters and people can marvel at how stupid they both can be.

You did well, much better than I would have. And you have a good manager.

A customer came up to me and asked "Oh, do you see that woman over there" (pointing to a lady rapidly dragging her little kid from the store).
I'm like: "Yeah, what about her?"
Customer: "She just took a bin of plastic animals off the shelf and let the kid pee in them"
Me: *dumbfounded* What?!
... I go over to look, and sure enough .... pee in the bin of animals. Straight to the back room, and straight to the garbage. We had a bathroom, if she'd been desperate - ask - but to do that? What kind of parenting is that

WHAT ?!?!?!

RIP Poor little critters.

[Blue_Frog]

WHAT ?!?!?!
RIP Poor little critters.

OH SNAP! Sorry - that was badly explained! it was a Plastic Bin of Plastic animals (like 3-inch long tigers or something!) Oops!

[GreyhoundGirl]

OH SNAP! Sorry - that was badly explained! it was a Plastic Bin of Plastic animals (like 3-inch long tigers or something!) Oops!

PHEW ! I was thinking hampsters and ginea pigs. STOP SCARING ME!!!

[moosmom]

Blue_Frog,

Wow! That 5 year old COULD have been abducted by some pedophile. Then you know what would've happened?? The parents would've sued the store. Some people, like all animals, need to be spayed or neutered. The stupidity of parents these days amazes me.

I've heard nightmare stories about people who just dump their kids off at toy stores to play while they shop. They are the ones that need to be in jail.

I hope I never see that family again.

On a lighter note...

I was putting new arrival mice in their tanks. First time since I've been there that I did that. I was kissing them and talking to them as I put them in. My manager was laughing so hard, she came over to me and said, "Donna, if you insist on doing that with every mouse that just arrived, you'll be here till next week!!" She walked away laughing and shaking her head. I told the guy who delivered them that I felt bad that they would become some snake's dinner. He told me, "Yeah, well in all my years in this business, I've never heard of a vegetarian snake."

Did I say how much I love this job???

[Blue_Frog]

Blue_Frog,
On a lighter note...

I was putting new arrival mice in their tanks. First time since I've been there that I did that. I was kissing them and talking to them as I put them in. My manager was laughing so hard, she came over to me and said, "Donna, if you insist on doing that with every mouse that just arrived, you'll be here till next week!!" She walked away laughing and shaking her head. I told the guy who delivered them that I felt bad that they would become some snake's dinner. He told me, "Yeah, well in all my years in this business, I've never heard of a vegetarian snake."

Did I say how much I love this job???

*lol* thats cute It sounds like you've got yourself a great job (except for the occasional crazy customer ), and your manager sounds like a good guy to work for too! I'd love to spend my work day with animals too ... maybe i can smuggle the ferrets in under my desk!

[elizabethann]

Wonderful experience.

Sounds like she came to America just so she can sue someone and get rich. God help us all.

You played it cool....I would have kicked them out of the store. But then she would have sued me for discrimination I guess.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

What a nightmare. I can't believe that some people actually feel that by giving their child no boundaries they are doing them a favor.

If that happens again (which hopefully won't happen) I would ask the parent to move the child if the child refuses. It they refuse, you could say something like, "Ma'am if you don't move your son I will have to." Just to cover all of your bases.

I'm glad your manager was understanding. I actually feel sorry for the boy if his mother lets him behave that way. He will have a hard life.

[ramanth]

I keeping thinking of Darla in "Finding Nemo" tapping on the aquarium glass with Star repeating "Find a happy place! Find a happy place!"

[CathyBogart]

Working at Petco was a horrible experience for me. I cannot sit by and just let someone's little bratleigh stress animals out just because the parents are too dumb to stop them. I won't. That's one reason I'll never work in pet stores again.

[buttercup132]

If this kid was acting like this in a store with animals then I feel sorry for the ones he has at home (assuming he dose and thats why they were in there) I bet even if her son scared the crap out of one so much that they died the lady wouldnt of cared!

Although I dont think you touching her child was right, I think you should have told the mom and if she did nothing get your manager.

Hopefully they wont come back. They should not have animals.And have a restraining order from all animals

I'm not trying to be racist or putting it against any forgin people but I think people that arent from very developed places dont know how to care for animals properly, not all of them but mostly when I see cruelty cases on tv its forgin people and when I see kids doing things like that at pet stores they are forgin too.

[Sevaede]

I feel for ya Donna and everyone else with experiences like this.

I worked at a small, locally owned, pet shop for a while. People would come in and stick their fingers in the bird cages and wonder why they got bitten! They all seemed to love to stick their hands in the cages of the ones known to be a little, um, naughty. Rainbow Lory, for example.

They have these lock-type things on most of the cage tops. Sometimes people would come in and just pull mice (or other critter) out of the cage to pet and play with. Even when there were multiple signs to not touch animals or cages without assistance. It really aggravated me because these little babies can JUMP and RUN.

Hmm. This has to be a topper for the times that I worked at Pet Zone.

One time, I was working and I was literally locking the doors when these three little teenagers (1 girl, 2 boys) come in. They want to look at the mice and I point them to the cage. I was suspicious so I hung around on the other side of the area (yes, they could see me). I heard them talking about buying a mouse so they could set it loose inside of Burger King! I quickly told my asst manager and she told me not to sell anything to them but they decided not to, anyways.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

W W! Sonme parents just need to get a damn cllue! I swear!

[cyber-sibes]

Oh Donna, I love the image of you kissin the mices - how sweet! And about the kid - I'm always amazed what kids get away with right IN FRONT of their parents, too - and I do say something to the parents before saying anything to the child - then if they ignore me, I will address their kid. Don't usually have to, they're so surprised I ask them to control their child. (Gee, imagine that - what a concept!) It sounds like a great job overall!

[trayi52]

Donna, that is just awful! I don't see anything you did as wrong. You did the right thing. Some people really do need parenting classes. They just don't know how to be parents! Don't they know the dangers at all?

Willie

[Lady's Human]

Trayi, which dangers, the dangers of being parents? LOL

Or the dangers of P/o'd store clerks after you retrieve your kids?

Sometimes I think people should have to get a license before reproducing.


Donna, kudos for holding your temper.