Thomas says:
 
>I work at a pet store, and it is the cleanist pet store I have ever seen and
>I know cause I clean it a whole lot!  I agree there are a lot of pet stores
>out there that are not clean and they don't clean up after the animals but
>it is UNFAIR to classify ALL pet stores under that!"
 
Okay, I am willing to accept that some pet stores sell animals under clean
conditions.
 
>As far as over pricing stuff, I agree that supplies are expensive BUT the
>quality is so much better than at a non-pet store or at a pet supply place!
>Our big name pet supply place here in NC sells nothing that is really good
>and most of the stuff that they sell that our pet shop sells is the same
>price!
 
I know of very few brands of pet supplies that are exclusive to only certain
stores.  The pet stores here sell the same things as the pet supply stores,
as a matter of fact the PSS's have a more varied selection (more space to
put it due to lack of live animals) and concentrate on better quality items.
I have priced items from PSS's compared to PS's and found as much as 100%
higher prices on PS stock.  I suppose there might be regional variations but
overall I believe this holds true since there is a reason for the higher
prices...pet stores do not make much money on the live stock, they *rely* on
"one stop shopping" to sell their food and supplies, and they rely on the
live stock to draw the customers in.
 
>As far as the animals go, if you look at breeders for pure bred dogs and
>cats and any other type of pure-bred animal you will find that they are
>expensive too!
 
Yes they are, but I can accept a breeder's justification for the price of an
animal when it includes such things as yearly genetic testing of breeding
stock, lifetime money-back or replacement guarantees should a temperment or
genetic defect show up, time off work and money out of pocket giving proper
care to animals produced, etc...I could go on.  The stuff a *reputable*
breeder goes through and offers can not be remotely matched by pet stores.
 
I also have matched prices, and I have witnessed prices on live stock in pet
stores selling for *hundreds* of dollars in excess of what reputable
breeders charge.
 
>Most people don't know that there are bird, reptile and other type of
>animal breeders out there and our pet store eliminates the middle man!
 
What the hell is wrong with the middle man if she/he is doing is *right*???
People need to be *educated* to find the good sources, not diverted into
making easy purchases on living creatures.
 
>So before you jump to conclusions and assume that ALL pet stores are evil,
>do a little research!
 
Do a little research?? <**ROTFL**> I've got research pouring out my ears.
 
I'd just like to say in closing, that my main experience and concern is with
dogs, and this is a ferret group and with that in mind, this is my last post
on the subject.  Also, it seems obvious that a pet store could do a better
job with pets like lizards, rodents, birds and possibly ferrets...any
animals which can live in relatively small, self contained spaces, with a
limited need for socialization.  Also, since we don't yet have all kinds of
genetic tests and health certifications to put ferrets through, there isn't
such a very huge gap between responsible ferret breeders and pet stores as
there is between dog breeders and pet stores.  Hopfully that will change,
with more and more hobbyists breeding for healthy ferrets, and providing
them with more than just "adequate" environments and socialization.
 
Valaria
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[Posted in FML issue 1831]