Don't buy from Petco!!

[BitsyNaceyDog]

In my town there is only pet store, and it's horrible and the people are terribly unfriendly. Their animals are all kept in very poor condition. That's why my husband and I shopped around until we found the cleanest and best run store around. That store was PETCO. We drive an hour to get there but we feel good doing it. PETCO is the only pet store around here that we will shop at.

[CathyBogart]

I don't shop there because supporting one is supporting them all...but then again, I worked at our local one, and it's one of the "bad apples".

[DJFyrewolf36]

I posted this elsewhere but here again

I worked at PetSmart here and good lord the manager was a TOTAL idiot. He cared more about facing shelves than caring for the animals...once he told us to kill about 200 feeder goldfish *they were deseased or something but nothing treatment wouldn't fix if given time* and told us NOT to warn the customers who wanted to buy the ones that were alive. I warned the cusomers anyway, cause Im not going to be responsable for someones oscar or something die because of my managers idiocy. I tried to make a difference in that store *the fish were REALLY treated badly, more than anything else* but for being a loudmouth and trying to fix things I got canned ugh. I think that "behind the scenes" a pet store can look really really different, even ones that are nice looking on the surface. I think the people here that have worked in a pet store really can understand the whole story better than people who haven't.
Ive never had a problem with the local PetCo *except they know jack nothing about rats, morons* it is always really clean and all but employess have told me *ex coworkers at petsmart* have told me that some of the same garbage that went on at petsmart happens at petco, although not as profoundly. I shop at both places, I have to. PetSmart NEVER has mealworms and PetCo doesn't sell crickets grrrr so its two trips every time the lizard needs food. Comparitively they are both clean, respectible stores and I've never seen any dead animals just left in cages, even fish. You notify an employee and theyre on the problem right away if there is a dead/sick/injured critter.
What I mean is is that there are bad points and there are good points. Any time you get that many animals in a space with realistically not enough people to care for them, bad stuff is going to happen. The key is damage control. Some places obviously stink at it.

Im not going to judge the whole company on a few bad eggs.

[felinefanatic]

I read the list of complaints, and it sure looked like a lot more then just a few "bad apples" as some one else stated. There were complaints in almost every state!! I am sure there are a few pet stores that operate a humane business, but I prefer to rescue animals my self or go to a shelter!! I do buy animal care products from pet stores though, although I certainly won't go to Petco

[smokey the elder]

I take anything PETA says with not just a grain but a whole beakerful of salt. That said, chain stores are like franchises; run locally. I've seen variances in how Petsmart is run because of three management changes in two years. The best bet is vote with your wallet; if you see a problem, contact the BBB and the AG, not PETA. They have no legal standing.

[G.P.girl]

JMO i think if anything, we should ban Wal-mart from having oets. they always have dead and sick fish in the cages