Shocked at Petsmart!

[Katie007]

Had to delete the original post. by moderator

Hi,
Many people thinking pet shops are a specialty do believe that the employees should have some base knowledge that won't kill their dragon! It doesn't make them an **** :roll: I agree people have an obligation and should research before they buy any pet.....but they don't always. There isn't much you can do about it but educate people on bearded dragons when they find there way here! *AND* to protest, complain, educate, and bring it to attention whenever you see the gross neglect and abuse of these beautiful creatures at the hands of money hungry pet shops. Attempting to stop the poor practices will eventually get results if enough of us take action to protest and complain. Nothing will change or improve if everyone does as you suggest in your other post and just buy all the beardies they see in that poor situation....You posted "If you were that concerned you should have just bought the little guys."...huh?
It's sad you find this post pointless. This forum is for education, support and encouragement. I think this is a extremely important and justified thread! Having a beardie yourself, I would think you would have just a little concern for the beardies subjected to the poor care and treatment at the hands of theses pet shops. I have 4 beardies and love them to death but I can't buy every beardie I see in need of rescue from the nasty pet shops! That's absurd! BUT when I see gross abuse and neglect I CAN and DO bring it to the attention to whoever is there at the pet shop at the time. Usually it has been a teen or very young employee who has not been educated even in basics of care. I acknowledge to them that it isn't their fault but the company's for poor practice and not educating the staff. And I do follow up with the management and the company....everytime!
It is spectacularly wonderful that the pet shop you frequent is near prefect. In the rest of the world, these chain pet shops are notorious for poor care and neglect. We need to have attention brought to their poor practices. Nobody is saying all chain pet shops are bad....but the majority of experience dictates most are! When gross neglect or abuse of any animals is observed you should speak up immediately or you are part of the problem by allowing it to go on happening unchallenged.
Just my 2 cents!
Amanda
"You must be the change you want to see in the world " Mahatma Gandhi

Thank you for saying what I was trying to say/thinking WAY better than I did!

 

[dangit12]

just ignore the ***** he just trying to get us mad.

 

[dangit12]

i saw a video on youtube. it was about how wallmart were selling bettas and you know what happened they all were dead and for clearance!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[Katie007]

Thats terrible...

 

[szubelak]

When gross neglect or abuse of any animals is observed you should speak up immediately or you are part of the problem by allowing it to go on happening unchallenged.

RIGHT ON Amanda! :bikerwave: :headbang:

 

[RandyMarsh]

Put it this way, how much knowledge can one person (especially the teens they hire) have enough knowledge on "X" amount of reptiles that they are for. Im not saying its right, but honestly, do you know how to care for snakes, geckos, iguanas, birds, fish, ect. All at the same time? Dont get mad at the guy whos working the one shiftt that you happen to walk in and see the beardies? If you are really that concerned take it up with the actual owner of the company, even then i bet youd lose that fight. Every petsmart i have ever been to has been top notch and helpful, and if i ask them something they dont know the answer to, they dont feed me false knowledge they tell me that they dont know. If you were that concerned you should have just bought the little guys.

hey guy, why don't you come down here off your high horse and stop treating everyone like you're somebody special around here. This thread isn't pointless, your posts are pretty much though. I would have reported your posts, but some one beat me to it already.

 

[bonnie]

well i had written the other evening about going to petsmart for a beardie. didn't get one they had 2, one was super alert and energetic, the other one kind of was just blah. the guy came over, asked if he could help, told him what i was looking for, and he asked if i had done my homework, because a lot more to them than just taking one home and they can run into some $$. we talked for quite a while. he was knowledgable in what he told me (went along with things i had read here and in general on the web). he also said too many come in and want one because they are cute, said although mgmt doesn't like it, he would rather discourage someone and lose a sale then sell to someone who has no clue and have the pet die. the tank was very clean, no sand. he was also not happy that they come in so small (was maybe 5"). said chameleons come in so tiny he keeps them in the back for at least a month b4 they are put out for sale. i decided against getting one as i was afraid as susceptible as babies are, if one was sick the other might have it also. so maybe another time hopefully!! but i had no prob with this guy at all, he knew his stuff, cared about the animals.

 

[Katie007]

Thats really good! Im glad you ran into a knowledgable worker who seems to care about the animals. And there's no rush. You should wait until you find the little guy thats right for you. Maybe check out some breeders? There's a thread on here about where we all purchased our dragons, and people are leaving comments about various breeders. It might be helpful if you choose that route, but whatever you choose Im glad you've done your research and aren't rushing in to anything.

And as for that other poster... I didn't even think to report him, but Im glad someone did. I don't understand why people need to be so negative.

 

[LOKI97]

at my petco theres one lady who really knows about reptiles..... one, and she works every other day. so the reptiles get fed and socialized... every other day. but she works like crazy wen shes there and wen shes not everyones to freaked out to open the tanks

 

[clearlyjoyful]

at my petco theres one lady who really knows about reptiles..... one, and she works every other day. so the reptiles get fed and socialized... every other day. but she works like crazy wen shes there and wen shes not everyones to freaked out to open the tanks

That's so weird to me. Why do people take jobs when they know that a big part of it is handling and cleaning up after reptiles? I almost had a job at Petsmart, and I think I would've been a really beneficial and knowledgeable addition to the group, but I would've had to touch crickets and I have a big fear of them. Usually I use one of those Kricket Keepers with the textured tubes, and they have served me well over the years, haha.

 

[dragonlover3]

well i had written the other evening about going to petsmart for a beardie. didn't get one they had 2, one was super alert and energetic, the other one kind of was just blah. the guy came over, asked if he could help, told him what i was looking for, and he asked if i had done my homework, because a lot more to them than just taking one home and they can run into some $$. we talked for quite a while. he was knowledgable in what he told me (went along with things i had read here and in general on the web). he also said too many come in and want one because they are cute, said although mgmt doesn't like it, he would rather discourage someone and lose a sale then sell to someone who has no clue and have the pet die. the tank was very clean, no sand. he was also not happy that they come in so small (was maybe 5"). said chameleons come in so tiny he keeps them in the back for at least a month b4 they are put out for sale. i decided against getting one as i was afraid as susceptible as babies are, if one was sick the other might have it also. so maybe another time hopefully!! but i had no prob with this guy at all, he knew his stuff, cared about the animals.

Hi,
This guy sounds like he's a good example for what the pet shop employee should be! Would that all pet shop employees had that much compassion for the little ones, was knowledgeable, wanting people to research first rather than make a sale, wanting the beardies in appropriate care, obviously not wanting them to die and keeping them clean. Ya can't ask for better than that!
Amanda

 

[mommisgurl]

I am very sorry to hear this.! All the comments I see make me very upset.!
I was hired 3 months ago by a new Petsmart out here in Va, yes as a Pet care associate..and I for one have never tried to give someone a wrong answer, or a guess..

I know alot of people get mixed, or completely wrong answers from other pet stores, or even other Petsmarts...but I made it a personal mission to end all that starting with me..If I don't know an answer that a customer has, I go and get all of the managers until we find a correct solution..and I stand by to hear the answer just in case I have another customer with a similar question.

I have been looking at this great website for the past 3 months as well, and I recently joined..and everything that you guys have said, I have taken with me when I talk to people who have questions about our bearded dragon babies..I have personally helped many people new to the bearded dragon world get their new habitats set up correctly..and I tell them the honest truths about their eating habits, costs etc. If they are not ready, I do NOT sell them a baby. It would kill me to find out one of the babies I adore had past away by an owner's miscalculations.

The babies we have over here are 2 months plus..and are as healthy as ever..we feed them as much as they can eat in 15 mins, and coat everyone with calcium, as well as a multi twice every week..when I work, I make sure to handle them carefully, so as to make sure they used to human contact as much as possible,,

I know I am in just one small store in this world..but I make sure that every single beardie baby, is as healthy as possible, and a possible new owner is as educated as possible before taking on this one of a kind pet..It still upsets me to hear that many pet stores only care about the business end of selling babies, but I know that I will never allow this while I am working at my store

 

[dragonlover3]

I am very sorry to hear this.! All the comments I see make me very upset.!
I was hired 3 months ago by a new Petsmart out here in Va, yes as a Pet care associate..and I for one have never tried to give someone a wrong answer, or a guess..

I know alot of people get mixed, or completely wrong answers from other pet stores, or even other Petsmarts...but I made it a personal mission to end all that starting with me..If I don't know an answer that a customer has, I go and get all of the managers until we find a correct solution..and I stand by to hear the answer just in case I have another customer with a similar question.

I have been looking at this great website for the past 3 months as well, and I recently joined..and everything that you guys have said, I have taken with me when I talk to people who have questions about our bearded dragon babies..I have personally helped many people new to the bearded dragon world get their new habitats set up correctly..and I tell them the honest truths about their eating habits, costs etc. If they are not ready, I do NOT sell them a baby. It would kill me to find out one of the babies I adore had past away by an owner's miscalculations.

The babies we have over here are 2 months plus..and are as healthy as ever..we feed them as much as they can eat in 15 mins, and coat everyone with calcium, as well as a multi twice every week..when I work, I make sure to handle them carefully, so as to make sure they used to human contact as much as possible,,

I know I am in just one small store in this world..but I make sure that every single beardie baby, is as healthy as possible, and a possible new owner is as educated as possible before taking on this one of a kind pet..It still upsets me to hear that many pet stores only care about the business end of selling babies, but I know that I will never allow this while I am working at my store

One of my favorite quotes....."You must be the change you want to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
You are trying to make a difference and it was great to read your post!
Amanda

 

[mommisgurl]

Dragon,
Thank you for that I'm am trying my hardest to change how people take care of their animals, and as well as the stigma of all petsores having bad information.

I don't even have a baby of my own yet and I've already fallen head over heels for these guys :mrgreen:

 

[ThisIsAUsedName65714]

At a petco I recently went to they had several baby leopard geckos who where skin and bone, on calcium sand, and has three or four full grown crickets in their cage. I think one of them might have been dead. It was awful!
The other day I went to Petsmart to get crickets. There was a lady there with her kids getting a chameleon. They obviously had no idea what they where getting into. The guy helping them didn't seem to know that much either. Then they changed their mind and said they wanted a turtle. They had already picked out a 20 gal vertical terrarium. And she actually asked if she could keep the turtle in that. And I'm not saying she was stupid, she just wasn't educated about it. Then her son said he wanted a beardie. I told her they needed a 40 gal at least and that I spent $450 on everything for my two. I told them that a leopard gecko might be best. they don't get too big and they're easy to care for. I gave them all the info I could and begged her not to use sand. So they got a leo. I really hope it works out.
While I was there I saw the smaller beardie I've ever seen. She was just laying in the water bowl, and she was nearly black. And I actually bought the little thing. Gut feeling. Now she's doing great. Active, hungry, and so, so pretty. I think she might actually be a dwarf.
Minus all the rambling, my point is that we really should try to educate people on these things whenever we can.