You can say a lot about the fish. Notice the hermit crabs, do they have
food, salt and freshwater, and enough shells, for example?

But anyway - the real test of a Petsmart is in it's back rooms. I
worked at a Petsmart in animal care when I needed a part time job after
moving. While they did "care", it took a lot to get someone's attention
to DO anything about vet care. And even then, the vets didn't like to
service us even though they were in the same building, because they
felt they were being gypped. Many reptiles died because the vet would
not see them, and the two animal care managers didn't do anything about
it. I constantly brought this up, every day, and showed the store
manager the reptiles (they needed calcium supplements). I also tried
to babysit other workers and find out what they weren't doing right
(as in feeding, etc).

If you are in the Petsmart again check out the back room; you can
always say you were looking for the bathroom. Often it is unlocked, and
it should be right behind the fish, because that is the entrance to the
aquarium room. Inside there, is the "solitary" or "sick room". Scores
of mice, rats, and hamsters who are unsaleable; they bite, or are
sick, or accidently had babies after being brought to the store. These
animals are eventually culled (put to sleep) after months or even years
of living back there, depending on the manager. None are ever given
away or adopted out unless you really go behind management and tell
customers about them. Every store has about 10 hamsters, 5 rats, and
actually, NO mice usually (they don't have problems a lot) in the back;
birds that have parts "missing" so they aren't sellable; instead of
just selling or giving them away, they keep them back there until
someone decides what to do. They wait for employees to take them home.

Medications are being given by idiots; high schoolers; no, not all
are dumb, but the managers don't make sure medications are given, and
that is too much responsibility to put on part-time kids without
supervision. I would come back and find out the assistant manager just
"forgot" to give meds, all weekend. A hamster died. And if you think
the hamster cages in the front are small, in the back, they live in
plastic "trays" that slide out, and are about a foot by eight inches.
They'll have up to 12 hamsters in there. And usually, by the time they
get out to the floor, 6 have been eaten.

That is another room entirely; where the animals that have been
transferred are kept in order to keep them separate from the sick ones.
But, understand, NO WHERE does Petsmart use cleaning agents when it
switches cages.

A hamster has wettail, let's say. Okay, he dies. What do they train
people to do? Dump out the bedding, put new bedding in. Put a new
hamster in. No wonder they are dying. I read the manuals; they don't
require or teach the wonders of antibacterial and antiviral cleaning
products; they just skip it altogether. Amazing.

So, the next time you think Petsmart is doing their job, remember there
is a hidden side to every store. To your credit, yours might have a
great back room(s), but you won't know until you have seen it.

Laryssa

[Posted in FML 5863]