Petshops - UGH!

[IceyBlueSibes]

Well, we stopped by my friends work on her break. She works at a movie theater and there's this "puppy store" a couple stores down. Well, my friends wanted to go in there.. so I followed them. I wanted to see what the environment was like for the poor pups. Of course they were all so adorably cute, but I'd NEVER think about buying a puppy from any petstore. Well we were allowed to pet the puppies there... doesn't say anything about not being able to pet them... you just couldn't pick them up due to an incident where someone had dropped one. Let's just say about 90% of the puppies had NASTY biting problems. She said it was because they were teething.... Well we went back there just the other night and I was looking at the chi's they had there. A "tea cup" *cough* and 2 others. Well the puppy licked my finger and this girl was like "You can't touch the dogs... go sanitize your hands again!" And so I stopped touching them and was just lookin' at them... so she keeps being pushy and says "Excuse me! Excuse me!" I turn around and say "I'm goin!" Sheesh... I mean they all need to be on the same page here. Either you CAN pet them, or CAN'T and they don't need to be rude about it. Secondly... if I ever go in there again and they tell me not to touch them... I'm going to ask why the puppies aren't able to hang interaction with people. They NEED the interaction... unfortunately, some of these idiots are only concerned with making a sale... so if you're buying, THEN you're allowed to touch them.


UGH! But that girl was just soooo rude! Why are most petshop, and puppy people like that? I'd turn and run the first time an employee talked to me like that.

Sorry for ranting... have any of you noticed that the people working there are often times quite rude?

[Kade]

Just today, we went into a little boutique pet shop/daycare/groomer that had puppies for sale and a sign that said, "Yorkies available! CKC papers!" We turned around and walked out (and it takes a lot to get me to walk out on cute dog costumes, let me tell you). We found out later, talking to the manager of another pet store, that the first place was facing multiple lawsuits due to animals dying in their care! UGH. Yuck.

I would have told the person behind the counter that we were leaving because we didn't patronize stores that sold puppies, but he didn't look as if he would have cared either way. *sigh*

[sammy]

I worked in a pet store when I was 15 ( a zillion years ago ) and I have to say it drove me nuts when people who weren't looking seriously at the puppies or especially rabbits would pet them and want to pick them up. Sure it seems like a harmless thing but - those little babies get NO rest from it. They get patted and prodded and touched nonstop for as long as the store is open. It's very stressful for them to not be able to sleep, rest or play with each other for more than 1 minute without being interupted so someone can pat them.
I guess that's mostly case in point for why animals shouldn't be in pet stores to begin with- but I just thought I'd share the perspective of the people at the store and why they might not want the pups picked up and patted by everyone who wanders by.

[Pugdawg1]

I avoid those places like the plague. Haven't been in one in years. I detest them with every fiber in my being.

[Tiffany0204]

Pet Stores make me very sad to go into, I try to not go in them because it breaks my heart.

The last time I was in one I watched someone buy one of the puppies. It had been in a cage with it's sister, but the people didn't adopt the sister. So they took the one puppy away and the other puppy threw back it's head and started to cry and howl, I can only imagine how scared and sad she must have been!

No soft spot to sleep, only wire mesh and a small toy. It makes me so mad to think about what those poor puppies have to go through in those pet stores.

[Jamila]

I can't stand pet stores. The one here makes me so angry. They kept cats in a closet that had a screen door. These cats were so sick looking too. Ugh! The people that work there were so rude to me. They also have mentally disabled employees. Not that I have problems with md's working I just don't think some of them belonged in a pet store. The only reason why they work there is casue the owner works at the place that houses and takes care of them. So it's free labor. Talk about taking advantage...

[IceyBlueSibes]

I guess that's mostly case in point for why animals shouldn't be in pet stores to begin with- but I just thought I'd share the perspective of the people at the store and why they might not want the pups picked up and patted by everyone who wanders by

Sure, and I can understand that, but the girl I was talking about was extremely rude. I stopped touching the puppy when she told me to... and she insisted I go sanitize my hands again. For what reason? I wasn't able to touch any other dog.... and I always sanitize my hands on the way out anyways.

She just reeeeeaaallllly got on my nerves with being as rude as she did. Hard to express the way she said it over a computer

[brandysmama]

Are pet stores illegal in some states? I've noticed that I haven't seen one in Kentucky (my home state) for years. Yet down here in Tennessee, there seems to be one in every mall. I mainly go in there because I feel so sorry for those pups; it's not their fault they're there. I don't know how the stores stay in business; the dogs aren't in the best condition, and they want to charge exorbitant rates for them (a female pug puppy was $700 and a male $900, for example). I just want to snap up all the dogs and take them home with me, and I always leave there feeling dejected and helpless.

[Ritz459]

What really makes my blood boil is when I see the working breeds stuck in the tiny cages. I've seen Rotties, Akitas, Shibas (I know...not a working breed. But still high maitenance), Wemarainers, Huskies, Mals, and American Bulldogs stuck in these tiny cages, with NO kind of warning that these dogs are very high matenance, are often stubborn, have guarding tendancies, and all of the other "bad" traits about them. (I love their "bad" traits! lol )
And then the condition they keep the smaller animals in are awful...sure their cages are halfway clean, but what good is a clean cage when you can barely move because of other animals packed in the cage with you?
And then when they sell there cute little mutts for 1,000+ dollars...oh that ticks me off.

But at least the Petstore in the mall lets their puppies run, whether it be in the store, or in the tiny get-to-know-the-puppy area. When my mom and I went in there, they had a Saint pup running around the store.
(And my mom just about died because she was a female and was just soooo cute and looked like a Sugar. My mom is obssessed with Saints and wants one sooooo bad.) Even though I've told my mom NOT to buy from there, I don't think it has sunk in yet...*sigh*
Anyway, my mom asked about the pup and the lady said that she was three months old and knew how to sit on command. So hopefully they do some kind of training with them too. But I doubt it.
My mom even called up my dad asking, "Can I bring home Sugar?" But of course, as bad as I want a new puppy, I yelled, "It's a Saint Bernard, Dad!" so mom was mad at me. lol

I just want to snap up all the dogs and take them home with me, and I always leave there feeling dejected and helpless.

I agree...every time I go in there, I want to pick up all of those working breeds and take them home. My heart breaks every time I'm in there because they always have an Akita, which is NOT NOT NOT the dog for everybody.
And then when that poor little AmBulldog was in there...and the Wemariner...and those Rotties...and those two Akitas that looked like they were being bought by some "gangsta" thugs...I hope you found a good home and are safe.

[princessjodi]

I just want to snap up all the dogs and take them home with me, and I always leave there feeling dejected and helpless.

That's how I feel too! When the bf and I were looking at the various local shelters, I wanted to take home each and every dog we saw!!! He wouldn't let me....

[minpinsrock]

Oh Pet Stores are horrible..There is one around here and it is just horrible..the puppies are kept in what i like to call bird cages..the bigger dogs are barley able to turn around..and you can't pick the puppies up..and half of the puppies are almost dead due to infection from the fecies they sleep in...its horrible..they finally closed that horrible place down.

[Sayuri]

What really makes my blood boil is when I see the working breeds stuck in the tiny cages. I've seen Rotties, Akitas, Shibas (I know...not a working breed. But still high maitenance)

LOL Ritz - I will be the first to say that I think you put Shibas in the perfect context. I'm friends with quite a few Akita breeders, and all of them say *I* am crazy for having Shibas, and that they're an impossible breed. I've always said they'd really be more at home in the hound or working group - but whatever group they're in, I agree, they're one of the most ill-suited breeds to be offered up to the masses in a "instant gratification" geared set up.

[Mom2Many]

I guess I am lucky, in my neighborhood and surrounding city we don't have any petshops that sell dogs or cats. Just typical pocket pets, birds, and reptiles. Although there are more than enough ads in the paper at any given moment with free pups, or pups for 15-20 dollars.

[Miss. Chi]

I must say that its really irritating when any type of sales person is rude not just in pet shops. I usually just give them a piece of my mind....but I digress. I was in a chain pet store in Calgary and they had a couple min-pin puppies. As far as I know the chain only operates in Western Canada so a few of you GPers may know it. In any case I was going to pick up something for Charlie and I overheard the salesperson saying that the min-pin puppy was a miniture Dobberman Pinscher . Not to mention they were trying to sell this completely adorable but unregisterable puppy for well over $1000 CAD. hmmmm.....makes u stop and wonder what comes first, the puppy or the almight dollar?

[Ritz459]

Originally Posted by Sayuri

LOL Ritz - I will be the first to say that I think you put Shibas in the perfect context. I'm friends with quite a few Akita breeders, and all of them say *I* am crazy for having Shibas, and that they're an impossible breed. I've always said they'd really be more at home in the hound or working group - but whatever group they're in, I agree, they're one of the most ill-suited breeds to be offered up to the masses in a "instant gratification" geared set up.

What is written below is completely off the subject of the title....

Well, I have to agree with that! lol In the future, I might find myself capable of owning an Akita, but I don't know if I'd ever be able to handle a Shiba! I think with small dogs that are "high matienance" I'll stop with the Basenji, thank you very much.
BTW, what group are the Shibas in? Are they a sighthound or are they in the Non-Sporting group?