Petsmart has once again sickened me!!!!!!!!

[expo tort]

Maybe you can print some info from this site and go back there, when you have more time and see if you can talk to the manager. Inform him you own tortoises and about your membership on TFO. Ask if he could please read over the info you printed for him and if he could please separate the species and have the shell rot looked at. Also, maybe print some self help shell rot remedies he might try. If you can't make a trip back, a phone call might be enough to help the torts even a little.

I tried that at a petsmart and they still left torts in species mixed and to tiny enclosures.

 

[reticguy76]

Mark, I agree with you, which is why I dont/wont buy from breeders I dont trust (breeding or shipping wise). Anytime we buy anything from substandard conditions (be it animals, food, furniture, whatever), not only are we risking ourselves, and the animal/product , but we are encouraging these sellers its ok to go out and obtain more of these animals/products and continue to ruin them and us. Im all for educating these stores and such, but my experience (as well as many many others) of offering quality advice that really involves not much more effort on their part, has been fully ignored.
Example, Ill give 3 quick ones: one feed store I went into had a sulcata (probably 40-50 pounds) in an octagonal cage with about 12 squre feet of floor space and not light or heat feeding only iceberg lettuce, for sale. I politely informed them. 3 months later, I went into grab some hay, and the tortoise was in same exact conditions, except had romaine lettuce in there this time.
Another, I was in a petsmart and a ball python was in a 5 gallon tank with aspen, no heat, no hides no water dish, and 20% humidity. I again informed them. After the sulcate experience, I went in about a month later, same exact set up with the same ball python and even had a bunch of stuck shed and retained eyecaps. I spoke to them, and they said, "its a snake, they eventually get that all off". Ill just do those two examples. It is wrong and neglectful and abuse. However, as bad as I felt, had I purchased them, it tells them, I can still keep animals this way and its cheap and we make money.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

It's cool that you might get a job, but just so you know, "Reptile Care Manager" isn't a thing. There is only the Pet Care Manager, Pet Care Lead, and then Pet Care associates. All pet care people are responsible for all fish, reptiles, birds and small mammals. There is no specializing, except in-so-far as what you happen to know most about.

Actually, at the Petco that I work at, we do have different managers for different areas of pet care. Technically they are all just listed as "sales floor managers" but we have a small animal manager and a reptile manager, nutrition manager, etc.

That being said, my Petco does a pretty good job of tortoise care, although I can't say the same about our snakes and lizards. We have only two Russians in what seems to be around a 30-40 gallon tank area, with a basking spot as well as a soaking spot. We don't officially "soak" the tortoises but I will do my best to put them both into the water while I'm cleaning out their habitat.

But in all honesty, Petco and Petsmart don't hire people based on their ability to care for animals... they hire them based on their availability and experience in retail. Actually having some animal knowledge is only a plus when they hire you on to the team. It also makes your job infinitly harder, since you aren't allowed to give people ACTUAL information, you are only allowed to give them the information that Petco tells you to -_-

 

[reticguy76]

But in all honesty, Petco and Petsmart don't hire people based on their ability to care for animals... they hire them based on their availability and experience in retail

Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Petsmart-has-once-again-sickened-me?page=2#ixzz1z88jNlQ8


Right there is the problem. Nothing against you or anyone imparticular, that mentality and way to run a pet store is, in my opinion, unethical. I get hiring a running those stores as a retail based system. But, dont carry and sell animals, especially ones that require much different care than your average dog and cat. Dogs, cats, ferrets, and other mammals, dont rely as much on proper micro-environments and such as reptiles do. They are more specific and more care is needed.

Im assuming that the russians at your place should be separated ??

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

But in all honesty, Petco and Petsmart don't hire people based on their ability to care for animals... they hire them based on their availability and experience in retail

Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Petsmart-has-once-again-sickened-me?page=2#ixzz1z88jNlQ8


Right there is the problem. Nothing against you or anyone imparticular, that mentality and way to run a pet store is, in my opinion, unethical. I get hiring a running those stores as a retail based system. But, dont carry and sell animals, especially ones that require much different care than your average dog and cat. Dogs, cats, ferrets, and other mammals, dont rely as much on proper micro-environments and such as reptiles do. They are more specific and more care is needed.

Im assuming that the russians at your place should be separated ??

I agree with you. It is a retail based system, so they hire people for retail, which actually very much annoys me. I was certainly not defending that, just pointing it out. If one of the ferrets has a swollen eye or something, something that is completely obvious to anyone, it's rushed off to the vet right away. Yet our ball pythons probably had mites for months and although I kept telling people, they would basically say "until a costumer notices, it doesn't matter".

Surprisingly enough, the russians get along quite well.

 

[NudistApple]

It's cool that you might get a job, but just so you know, "Reptile Care Manager" isn't a thing. There is only the Pet Care Manager, Pet Care Lead, and then Pet Care associates. All pet care people are responsible for all fish, reptiles, birds and small mammals. There is no specializing, except in-so-far as what you happen to know most about.

Actually, at the Petco that I work at, we do have different managers for different areas of pet care. Technically they are all just listed as "sales floor managers" but we have a small animal manager and a reptile manager, nutrition manager, etc.

It's nice that your Petco works like that, but I was actually referring to Petsmart, which is where they mentioned that they may be getting a job. (-:

I do not know anything about Petci.

 

[mattgrizzlybear]

they are discusting those petsmarts. poor tortoises