This Question From Veterinarian Jokes | 7 Answers
I have been working at PETCO for 2 months now and I have witnessed several acts of animal cruelty. I am an animal lover and studying veterinary medicine. Petco policy states that sick and injured animals should get veterinary care, well not at my store. Instead the so called animal care specialist says the animals are ok.
3 weeks ago, a female chinchilla (also has calcium defiicency and sore paws from being in a small cage), injured her nose. Due to lack of ventataltion, it looks to me like fur fungus because it is getting progressively bigger. I took action and filled an animal wellness sheet, (I have studied the anatomy and physiology of chinchillas of 8 years) and discussed my concerns to the manager. They took me as a joke and said its just a scratch and it will be okay. Today, the chinchilla still hasn’t seen a vet. Also, to help with the calcium defficiency, I placed a cuttlebone in the cage, the manager got at me because they need veterinarian approval. It’s not like this store takes the sick animals to the vet anyways!
Also, the rat cages smell like pure ammonia, the walls and glass are covered in blood and brown stains. Not to mention they are overcrowed. They aren’t cleaned regularly. All the hamster houses in the cages are packed with mold, feces, and urine. I removed them all and placed them on a table so the animal care specialist (who plays the role of the store veterinarian because she says all sick animals are ok) could clean them. They have yet to be cleaned.
I went around the store and took pictures of the unsanitary conditions, which were appauling.
Now for the disturbing part, on Oct 5, a customer returned a hamster. I went in the backroom yesterday to find a hamtser cage with a dwarf hamster on it. On top of the cage was an animal wellness sheet that said “Customer returned, looks as it was squeezed to hard and insides hanging out-keep comfortable”. This was written by the animal care specialist aka “store vet wannabe”. The animal never recieved veterinary care, and most likely still in the back room.
I have informed several local newstations, humane society, and houstonspca. I will also be informing OSHA because of the unsanitary condition and mite infestation in the store.
If anyone knows what else I can do please let me know! I have already called coorporate several time, but they weren’t helpful.
Petco Store #464 in Katy,TX
7 Comments so far
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THANK YOU for bring media attention to such cruelty.
I always knew stuff like this went on in some of these big franchises, but I never worked there..so i cant prove it. It sound like you are doing everything right, alerting the media, Humane society, Good job!
Keep on it until the truth gets out. I would likely start looking for a new job, since as soon as they find out the “traiter” you will likely be fired(if its that corrupt).
THANK YOU>!
That is horrible I am a animal lover myself!!!! Maybe call the police they might be able to do something? Poor animals I hope they get some help!!!!!!!!!
You should maybe also try other groups that are against animal cruelty like SPCA.
guess what??? this happens in EVERY pet store – they are stores their goal is profit.. animal shelters are different – most are Non-profit.. they get vet care
I worked 1 month in a pet store – thinking it was a good place for animal lovers – its not
read my storeyhttp://www.helium.com/items/1367568-what…
I am glad you took pictures..
here are 2 more links you may want to read and pass alonghttp://gomestic.com/pets/the-problem-wit…http://gomestic.com/pets/determining-if-…
get a FLICKR membership – upload your pictures but do so using a CREATIVE COMMONS license so the public are free to use your pictures on links devoted to spreading awareness like this!
write a letter to your local newspaper or contact the media to do an indepth report
call petco head quarters – they probably wont care.. because at the end of the day its all about profit.. but they will want to look good.. do every thing ANONYMOUS
At the Petsmart I work at there is a hot line number that is completely confidential and we can call them with cruelty in our store and stuff like that. I’ve never worked for Petco only for Petsmart but they probably have something similar. You should try calling them.
The Petsmart I work at is very strict as far a P&P goes for our animals. If any thing like this happened our manager would have our heads. We must have everything correct our we get in trouble.
If that doesn’t help then just quit. If they don’t care about your opinions then they don’t need you.
The next thing for you to do is find a new job because they are going to fire you at the first opportunity. You have encountered the cruel reality of “pet” stores. This is the rule not the exception. No pet store can afford to have an on call or staff veterinarian and even if they say they will take the animals to the vet they don’t and won’t. I can hardly stand to think about it much less work in one. Good luck in vet school.
I live in MA and I think the conditions at my Petco are a little undesirable. I think the cages and tanks could be cleaner. I can only imagine what goes on when the store is closed.
You can report it to the local police but honestly they might not be able to help.
This website can give you more information.http://www.leaguecityanimalshelter.com/r…