Hello all, it has been a while since I've posted due to illness, But whenever I see things concerning Petco and petstores in general..I have to speak up. I have been an animal specialist for Petco for a little over 4 years and recently gave my 2 week notice because to put it honestly, I am DISGUSTED with the animal care and the attitudes of management and corporate. I have been bitching for change since just about day one of my joining Petco. In my first store every cage was infested with flies...something that management ignored and it remained that way for months, despite my trying everything in my power to remove them. Eventually the flies packed up and moved. We had animals constantly sick and dying from worms and a staff that knew the bare minimum about the animals in their care. When I was moved, I thought the problems would end. Boy, I could not have been more wrong! Same problems, staff with no knowledge of animals, most of whom didn't really care either way. Animaly cages, the list is a mile long. All the while I was going to everyone in the company, and getting nowhere b/c they weren't really listening. I finally ended up in the store where I am now. Corporate made a big fuss because it is a brand new store, everything had to be perfect,,, at least it has to LOOK that way. The store has been open for about 6 months now and the situation is actually worse than ever. There is an infirmary with no less than 30 animals on any day. I am the ONLY one who gets them to the vet when they need to go. I have seen animals go days without vet attention(this was when I had no car) And even when they do get to the vet, they are sent back with meds that unless I bust balls about them getting it, they most of the time don't. the current staff is deplorable. Except for one person other than me, the rest either don't have animal knowledge or don't care at all, and I really stress don't care! Everything is a big joke. But even management has a blind ey I have voiced out for these animals for years, to the point where my job was threatened if I did not shut my mouth, But they cannot speak for themselves. Although I worry about the animals in my store, I have to get out of that company. I am also a vet tech in an animal E.R so that is where I will focus my energy. I have placed many calls to the animal welfare agencies in my area regarding my store and Petco in general. I have worked in other petstores also, and I really can't say many good things about them and animal care either. Retail stores do NOT belong selling animals. They are simply a replaceable dollar sign in the eye of the corporate heads. I am sure there are Petcos and other stores out there that are really clean and the staff is good and the animals taken care of, But believe me, that is not the norm. I really wish it were, for the animals sake. My heart breaks for the animals and fish in my store( and others) stuck in those cramped, most of the time filthy cy of very incompetent people. Sometimes we get people in that want to learn how to properly care for the store animals and they are supposed to go to a series of training classes and be taught hands on in the store as well. In the last year or maybe more, NOT ONE new hire in my store has recieved any training, This from a company who stresses daily that "Animals come first" yeah right! I personally have had it with Petco, I really have tried to get corporate attention to really change things for the animals, to no avail. No more Petco for me, unless some miracle happens! KATHY [Posted in FML issue 4394]