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On PeTA and pet stores...
Feb. 8th, 2007 07:54 pmSo this week's ranting in my email from PeTA was in regards to the evils of PetSmart. Long story and much rambling cut down short: Some of the rodents that are shipped to the stores die. PeTA accuses that they die because nobody cares and PetSmart won't pay their own vets to treat them. In particular they're pissed at a store in Connecticut. (http://peta.org/feat-petsmart.asp?c=weekly_enews)
Now, I don't know anybody in Connecticut, but I do know someone who works at a different PetSmart, so I asked for an insider opinion.
"Yes, there is a back room where we quarantine sick animals (following the law that says sick and healthy animals shouldn't be together. Actually, we have 2 back rooms - an arrival room to quarantine new animals and a sick room). Yes, more than we would like die (we'd rather none did!) - especially rats. Our suppliers of rats SUCK but we aren't allowed to switch because they have to be FDA/USDA/someone certified. I'd want to go after them, frankly. Animals do get vet care and medication as needed. I don't know if we take every animal to the vet every time - I'm not in that department. You'd have to call and speak with our pet care manager. Some things (wet tail especially) seem like it would be possible to take an educated guess. Like URI in cats...
Frankly, it would be nice if it could all be perfect but it can't be and I would strongly argue with the horror show they are portraying. A lot of the deaths are due to the fact that, as you know, once the animals start to show signs they are usually pretty bad. When you combine shipping stress with possible exposure before arrival - heck, when you just go with shipping stress! - you're bound to lose some animals. We don't consider this an "acceptable loss" but it does happen and we do our best to limit it. Frankly, the animals we have the most trouble with in our store are rats and hamsters. Our birds/GPs/Chins seem to be fine the vast majority of time. Now, should we be selling chins is an argument off topic.... We never intentionally sell a sick animal but unless they show signs we can't know. And if we have an animal that we know has a problem that it won't get over we adopt it out free to an educated owner (we have done this with 1-2 hamsters who had seizures and at least 1 with malocclusion that I know of)."
Which is about what I expected. And being on an email listserve of exotics vets, I have witnessed several discussions between vets at different PetSmart stores who have been trying to coordinate treatments on animals sent from the same supplier to different stores BEFORE they get deathly ill.
All told, I have much more issue with the local pet store, but I don't imagine PeTA will bother them--too low profile.
Now, I don't know anybody in Connecticut, but I do know someone who works at a different PetSmart, so I asked for an insider opinion.
"Yes, there is a back room where we quarantine sick animals (following the law that says sick and healthy animals shouldn't be together. Actually, we have 2 back rooms - an arrival room to quarantine new animals and a sick room). Yes, more than we would like die (we'd rather none did!) - especially rats. Our suppliers of rats SUCK but we aren't allowed to switch because they have to be FDA/USDA/someone certified. I'd want to go after them, frankly. Animals do get vet care and medication as needed. I don't know if we take every animal to the vet every time - I'm not in that department. You'd have to call and speak with our pet care manager. Some things (wet tail especially) seem like it would be possible to take an educated guess. Like URI in cats...
Frankly, it would be nice if it could all be perfect but it can't be and I would strongly argue with the horror show they are portraying. A lot of the deaths are due to the fact that, as you know, once the animals start to show signs they are usually pretty bad. When you combine shipping stress with possible exposure before arrival - heck, when you just go with shipping stress! - you're bound to lose some animals. We don't consider this an "acceptable loss" but it does happen and we do our best to limit it. Frankly, the animals we have the most trouble with in our store are rats and hamsters. Our birds/GPs/Chins seem to be fine the vast majority of time. Now, should we be selling chins is an argument off topic.... We never intentionally sell a sick animal but unless they show signs we can't know. And if we have an animal that we know has a problem that it won't get over we adopt it out free to an educated owner (we have done this with 1-2 hamsters who had seizures and at least 1 with malocclusion that I know of)."
Which is about what I expected. And being on an email listserve of exotics vets, I have witnessed several discussions between vets at different PetSmart stores who have been trying to coordinate treatments on animals sent from the same supplier to different stores BEFORE they get deathly ill.
All told, I have much more issue with the local pet store, but I don't imagine PeTA will bother them--too low profile.
