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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7405
Location: Canada, Toronto |
| The truth about Pet Stores |
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I bought all my birds from the pet store, even though it was more expensive than going to a breeder, but having visited that store a million times, I thought it was a place that I could trust, as the birds seemed so well taken care of. Having had the opportunity to work there and seeing how things operate from the inside has totally opened my eyes to the reality of Pet stores.
As you all know, LooLoo, my baby cockatoo is still at the pet store. Last week I noticed he kept on doing this unusual sneezing kinda sound everytime he got excited. He would start panting almost like he was gasping for air. This went on for 2 days before I started to really worry and asked if he could be taken to the vet (it is still their responsibility to take him to the vet and pay for the expenses). They basically kept brushing me off. On the third day I noticed blood in his poop, and I freaked out, I called the supervisor in the bird department and demanded that he be taken to the vet, and she told me that they would take him the next day. The next day I went early in the morning to see if they would do as they said, and they started denying the fact that he had blood in his poop. They kept explainig it off as "it must be colour from the coloured pellets in his bowl" (which by the way I had told them not to feed my bird!!  ) Nonetheless, I can tell the difference between blood and color from diet. That morning LooLoo's poop was all weird colours, nothing close to being normal! So I stayed in the store and kept insisting until they finally agreed to take him to the vet. At the vet his poop was tested, and sure enough, there was blood in his poop 
Basically these people were willing to ignore the fact that this bird could obviously be sick, just so they don't have to spend money on him!!!
This is just one little example of the horrors that I have seen at that store. They really don't care about the birds AT all, and all they care about is PROFIT and selling! The smaller birds, like the lovebirds, budgies, and finches get totally ignored, and they just sit there in those small cages day after day..  and of course they don't try to sell those, because they could get a much bigger commision from selling the bigger parrots.
They lie to customers and convince them to buy birds without telling them anything about what is required in taking care of these birds. I remember when I bought my Grey, I asked a question about feather plucking, and the girl told me "feather plucking usually starts when they're really young, and so if he hasn't started by now, he probably never will"  SO FAR FROM THE TRUTH!!!!!
There's a baby citron cockatoo who is obviously plucking right now, and I've been telling them everyday that he's plucking more... you'd think they'd try to do something different to make this behavious stop, but they just keep brushing it off, because the bird is already sold, so why should they care anymore???!!! 
As I told you guys before, I spent all of my time there educating potential customers about what it takes to own a parrot. I told them about the good the bad and the ugly. And I was honest and truthful about all the products and gave them resources to find better products at better prices.
I feel so bad about all the birds that are there, and I wish I could take them all home and give them all the attention, space, and proper care that they all deserve, obviously that's not possible.. and I can no longer stay there and watch the stuff that goes on in that store because everyday it makes me more angry. I feel like I did my part in educating the few people that were lucky enough to get helped by me in the store as opposed to the others who would've just tried to sell them anything and everything, and so I have quit. Yesterday was my last shift.
This has definitely been a learning experience for me, which I wanted to share with all you wonderful people. Sorry this post is so long, I just want everone to know what the pet stores are really like from someone who has seen it from the inside. |
Saturday July 30, 2005 3:01 pm |
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Tia
Fledgeling
Joined: 13 May 2005
Posts: 319
Location: Illinois |
Shirin, I applaude you for not caving into pressure and looking the other way when it came to the things that go on in the stores. I had a feeling it was bad when I would go into a store and I would find the poor birds either mass crowded in a cage or left alone with absolutely nothing to play with......good for you for talking to customers and opening their eyes and steering them in the right direction! I have since quit shopping in the regular pet stores and now go to a special bird store where the workers do care and they treat the birds there so good, they are left out in the open in a play area and customers can interat with them once they clean and disinfect their hands.....it really is a great place! I am sure the hardest part was leaving the birds behind. I too would want to take them all home! |
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Saturday July 30, 2005 3:24 pm |
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Cheeta
Moderator
Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Posts: 7972
Location: Australia |
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Wow, Shirin, that is just so very sad to read! I can't imagine what those birds would go through. I guess there's really not much a person can do when there are just so many pet stores around the world. It is really tragic.
So how is your LooLoo. You mentioned that he had blood in this poop, but is he ok? Do you know what caused it? Is he back at the pet store or have you taken him home with you? I would have thought that you'd stay at the pet store just until you got LooLoo home just to keep an eye on things with your cockatoo baby. But you did the right thing by not turning a blind eye on things. I admire you for that. It takes courage to do things like that and we need more people like you in this world to make it a better place for all our pets may it be birds or fish or the fluffy furry kind.
I feel for the Citron baby. I do hope that new owner will say something and demand that they do something about it. I feel so very bad to read all the stuff you posted here.
Thanks for sharing that with us. I really do appreciate it. |
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Saturday July 30, 2005 3:52 pm |
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Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10102
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| Re: The truth about Pet Stores |
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Shirin, I almost couldn't believe your story. How could one be so neglectant about this! And also the fact that they denied the blood in poop thing.. It makes me angry! So angry!
The lies they tell about birds, about the plucking. It makes me so mad! How can people be blamed about their lack of knowledge? These stores should be obliged to tell people about the care of birds..
I'm so sorry to find out that you were disappointed in working there. I remember that you were really happy to start working there, but it all turned out to be some sort of nightmare for you.
Though i want to say that you at least did a great job, educating people about the care & products. I wish there were more people like you working there..
How about Looloo? Please keep us updated.
(((Shirin))) |
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Saturday July 30, 2005 5:41 pm |
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Papug
Experienced flier
Joined: 16 May 2005
Posts: 1293
Location: Canada |
That is sad Shirin I just don't know if taking all the birds from a pet shop would solve the problem, I think they would just get new ones.
You did the right thing by educating people - this is really the best thing you can offer to animals and their owners. It can be done through verbal info (as you did at the store), by distributing pamphlets/stickers, or by making a statement ie. on a T-shirt, etc.
I joined PETA (people for the ethical treatment of animals) a few years ago. I'm mostly active through distibuting pamphlets and forwarding e-mails (about pet adoptions, ignoring stores which contribute to animal abuse, etc..) It makes me feel better that I'm doing something, and that it will help at least some animals.
I wish I could do more but I'm busy with my work most of the time.
All the best Shirin, tell us what will happen with your bird which is still in the store... Is he ok health wise? |
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Saturday July 30, 2005 6:06 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
Shirin, I'm so sorry about your bad experience! But it doesn't surprise me a bit! That's exactly why I would never go to work at a mass pet store, such as that. I'm afraid it would just be too heart breaking 
You know, they were VERY lucky to have someone knowledgable like you working for them, as I think most of the people they employ know very, VERY little, if anything at all, about the care & welfare of birds!
It's a very sad situation, but true, & until someone lays down stricter guidelines & regulations, things will just continue to be that way! Have you ever seen the fish in those stores!!?? UNreal! |
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Saturday July 30, 2005 9:08 pm |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7405
Location: Canada, Toronto |
| Re: The truth about Pet Stores |
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quote:
Originally posted by Fluffy Sue
I'm so sorry to find out that you were disappointed in working there. I remember that you were really happy to start working there, but it all turned out to be some sort of nightmare for you.
I guess I thought that everyone there was a bunch of bird lovers like myself. It was kind of naive on my part.. I still enjoyed being around all the different kinds of birds and hand feeding the babies  |
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Saturday July 30, 2005 10:53 pm |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7405
Location: Canada, Toronto |
Monika, I'm going to join PETA too, thanks for giving me the idea |
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Saturday July 30, 2005 10:55 pm |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7405
Location: Canada, Toronto |
LooLoo is fine as far as I know. The sneezing thing has stopped, and his poop seems to be normal. They told me at the pet store that the vet never called back (for all I know they could be lying), which would mean there was nothing wrong with him. The vet said that sometimes stress can cause blood in the poop.
LooLoo is still at the store, technically I can bring him home now, since I've been hand feeding him myself everyday, but I don't even have a cage for him yet, since I wasn't expecting to bring him home until September-October. He's still on 3 feedings a day. I have to figure something out.
Thanks everyone for your support on this issue |
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Saturday July 30, 2005 11:03 pm |
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Papug
Experienced flier
Joined: 16 May 2005
Posts: 1293
Location: Canada |
quote:
Originally posted by shirin
Monika, I'm going to join PETA too, thanks for giving me the idea
That's great Shirin  Welcome to the club  |
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Sunday July 31, 2005 12:04 am |
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shells picasso
Flier
Joined: 29 May 2005
Posts: 900
Location: Sydney |
It breaks my heart when I go into pet stores that don't look after their animals. A lot of them don't know much about the animals to start with so even the ones who may have had good intentions in the begining run into trouble later on. After my experience with Picasso in future I will only go to breeders, the RSPCA or this one pet store I know that takes all the hard to sell pets from other pet stores (kittens and puppies that are too old to be considered "cute" enough to sell) and animals that the public surrender to them, they spend a lot of time getting the animals healthy and socialised, a lot of their cases were destined to be put down, still it's pretty bad they have to compensate for bad pet store practices. |
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Sunday July 31, 2005 2:22 am |
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koukouvagia
Fledgeling
Joined: 18 May 2005
Posts: 300
Location: Melbourne |
That's such a sad story . I suspected it would be like that with many pet stores after one store here in Melbourne sold us a very sick cockatiel with psittakosis (which infected my mom and nearly killed her) and then denied any knowledge about it.
It's sad that your experience with working at a pet store turned out so negative, I wish there was something that could be done to stop these stores from literally torturing innocent animals. I hope Looloo is okay at least, it must have been so stressing knowing there was something wrong but not being able to take her to the vet to check it out.. Let us know what happens with him! |
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Sunday July 31, 2005 3:51 am |
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Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10102
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About PETA, not that I have personal experiences with them, but according to some other board, they are AGAINST exotic animals as pets.
Also parrots..
I will have to look into this, and provide the links to those articles! |
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Sunday July 31, 2005 9:19 am |
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Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10102
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| Re: The truth about Pet Stores |
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Shirin..
This is not naive.. Don't blame yourself please!
You're a good person, and assumed that other people were just as 'good' as you.. Sadly, good people are scarce..
I'm glad you posted your experience. I am very thankful..
Good to hear that LooLoo is fine.. Will you have some tests done?
What pellets are they giving him now?
PS I have moved this topic. I found it far too important to be placed in the chit chat forum.. |
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Sunday July 31, 2005 9:22 am |
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dim1g
Flutterer
Joined: 15 Mar 2005
Posts: 126
Location: Chicago |
| ugly side of petstores |
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oh, yikes Shirin, I just read this. I am so very sorry!!! I had really hoped when you started working there that you would not find yourself at such a place. I admire you and applaud your actions! and i believe you did the right thing to quit. one has to be able to recognize where one can make changes and where one cannot. you did exactly right while working there, and by spreading the word when you saw the reality of the situation, but with your strong and good heart, staying as an employee would have been impossible.
as always, education is the key to change, held by people such as yourself that want to make a difference.
i don't know if i've mentioned this, but i always wanted to be a vet myself. from experiences as a young adult, i learned that I could not emotionally handle the dark side, an example of which you have just seen. (I ended up just getting my further degrees in chemistry rather than going to vet school - i now teach it at the university level.) i hope this has not discouraged you from your career choice - i sometimes still feel like I was weak for backing out, that I should have made it my career to help and fight for animals. but i had to recognize where i was strong and where i was not. i do what i can in a small fashion now, rescuing if i can, donating when i can, etc. i hope you will forge on and become the vet that you want to be! use this experience as a lesson and hang in there, that is all i can say...
let us know about Looloo, what you decide to do.
thinking of you -
dim |
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Sunday July 31, 2005 10:23 am |
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