Do pet stores put injured birds down?

[Vilatus]

Hi everyone, got a bit of an unpleasant question unfortunately.

Do pet stores put injured birds down when the birds are inexpensive? (e.g., budgies and finches)

I just came home from the pet store. When I go I always get what I need and then look at the birds just because. Today I saw a budgie with what a believe was a broken leg- it was crawling on the bottom, attempting to drag itself around with one leg and it's beak. Naturally I informed an employee, and in turn they informed the manager, but I just wonder what will happen. I suppose if they do put it to sleep it's better than it suffering, but the poor thing...

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[Kentuckienne]

Pet stores have been caught putting sick or injured birds in a freezer. Ask your vet if a pet store has ever brought in a bird to be euthanized.

 

[Vilatus]

Pet stores have been caught putting sick or injured birds in a freezer. Ask your vet if a pet store has ever brought in a bird to be euthanized.

That's disgusting... I hope that's not the case. I wish pet stores were only allowed to sell the pet supplies.

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[bill_e]

My daughter was a Petco manager for a few years and I can say that Petco does not. Petco spends a ridiculous amount of their budget on vet bills. They spend just like an owner would, doesn't matter if it's a lizard, hamster or a ferret. My daughter's store sold birds and I don't recall her ever telling me that they had a sick one out for treatment.

I purposely used the word ridiculous because my daughter had one of the highest ratios of rejecting live animal orders because of the way the creatures were shipped, arriving dead or almost dead. She thought that by rejecting the orders (which she should do by policy anyway) maybe Petco would see the problem. But instead, towards the last few months of her employment, she was forbidden from rejecting any shipments (made someone look bad) and all of those animals were sent to the vet and cost her a lot of her budget. Kind of hypocritical, or at least bad business, to treat the animals well while in your care but have crappy shipping policies which injured and killed a lot of them.

So to possibly answer your question, I would think the chain stores act much like Petco while the ma and pa shops just cut their losses.

 

[YUMgrinder]

I know my local pet store uses the local avian vet for their birds, I bet they have a contract with them and they use the vet. I know the nanday I got was losing weight like crazy and he was under the care of a vet. They took him out off the sales floor and had him in the wellness center. But with budgies I could see them getting neglected because of the abundance of them and the cheap price. Hopefully that is not the case but I am sure there's no profit in treating a $20 bird. Same with mice and such. Sad but that's just the way it is I guess...

 

[Vilatus]

My daughter was a Petco manager for a few years and I can say that Petco does not. Petco spends a ridiculous amount of their budget on vet bills. They spend just like an owner would, doesn't matter if it's a lizard, hamster or a ferret. My daughter's store sold birds and I don't recall her ever telling me that they had a sick one out for treatment.

I purposely used the word ridiculous because my daughter had one of the highest ratios of rejecting live animal orders because of the way the creatures were shipped, arriving dead or almost dead. She thought that by rejecting the orders (which she should do by policy anyway) maybe Petco would see the problem. But instead, towards the last few months of her employment, she was forbidden from rejecting any shipments (made someone look bad) and all of those animals were sent to the vet and cost her a lot of her budget. Kind of hypocritical, or at least bad business, to treat the animals well while in your care but have crappy shipping policies which injured and killed a lot of them.

So to possibly answer your question, I would think the chain stores act much like Petco while the ma and pa shops just cut their losses.

Not trying to bag on them, as their animals are usually well cared for, but it was Pet Supplies Plus. Hopefully since they're a chain that's the case. Thanks for mentioning that, it makes me feel a bit better.

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[Vilatus]

I know my local pet store uses the local avian vet for their birds, I bet they have a contract with them and they use the vet. I know the nanday I got was losing weight like crazy and he was under the care of a vet. They took him out off the sales floor and had him in the wellness center. But with budgies I could see them getting neglected because of the abundance of them and the cheap price. Hopefully that is not the case but I am sure there's no profit in treating a $20 bird. Same with mice and such. Sad but that's just the way it is I guess...

There's an avian vet literally 5 minutes from the store, so I pray they care about their "lesser" birds enough to have them treated. Unfortunately though you're right. The less their investment in the animal, the less they care. I just hope that little budgie doesn't have to suffer, whatever the case.

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[bill_e]

I think the big chains have big exposure and it would be bad for business if a story got out where they were euthanizing their animals.

I know that they spend many, many times what an animal is worth (even at the sell price) once the store takes possession of it.

Petco also takes back animals from people who don't want them or can no longer keep them and Petco will spend money at the vet to get that animal fit for adoption.

My daughter did hear before she left their employment that Petco was going to stop selling live animals.

 

[wrench13]

I know my vet, who only handles exotics, like lizards, ferrets and all birds, has many many appointments with several of the local pet shops, including chains. I know becasue I saw the schedule for the CAV once.

 

[SilverSage]

Some do, some do not.

When I was a kid I bought 2 parakeets. I wanted a male and female so I took the only mature female they had even though I thought she was ugly. The store owner clipped her wings for me.

When I got home I was alarmed to see her unable to stand on the bottom of the cage, and falling off perches. I realized she was missing her entire foot.

I went back to the store and the owner offered to give me my money back. I asked what would happen to her if I returned her, and he dodged me. I asked bluntly if he was going to destroy her, and he said "well yeah she can't be sold."

I said instead I wanted store credit and to keep the bird; I used it to buy a rodent cage with a small diamond pattern grate, ladders, and platforms. It was a very small cage but she was able to use every inch of it. Her name was Gahulabird and her mate's name was Gufus-Lou. They lived happily ever after.


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[Vilatus]

Some do, some do not.

When I was a kid I bought 2 parakeets. I wanted a male and female so I took the only mature female they had even though I thought she was ugly. The store owner clipped her wings for me.

When I got home I was alarmed to see her unable to stand on the bottom of the cage, and falling off perches. I realized she was missing her entire foot.

I went back to the store and the owner offered to give me my money back. I asked what would happen to her if I returned her, and he dodged me. I asked bluntly if he was going to destroy her, and he said "well yeah she can't be sold."

I said instead I wanted store credit and to keep the bird; I used it to buy a rodent cage with a small diamond pattern grate, ladders, and platforms. It was a very small cage but she was able to use every inch of it. Her name was Gahulabird and her mate's name was Gufus-Lou. They lived happily ever after.


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It's nice to hear you took on that responsibility and gave her a good life. I wish I could have taken home that little budgie, unfortunately I just don't have room... I hope they treat it rather than put it down.

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[SilverSage]

I was attached already and I had already bought her when I saw the problem. The store credit was the only reason I could afford a new cage, I think I was 12 at the time.


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[Vilatus]

I was attached already and I had already bought her when I saw the problem. The store credit was the only reason I could afford a new cage, I think I was 12 at the time.


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Still, it's wonderful you did that. Especially being so young you still wanted to help the bird, rather than just take the easy way out. Can't say for sure I would have as a kid.

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[SilverSage]

I've always been a sucker lol. And budgies are my crack.


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[Vilatus]

I've always been a sucker lol. And budgies are my crack.


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Trust me I'm the same way. When I was nine I got a puppy, and the vet wanted my family and I to put her to sleep because a previous vet had botched her hip surgery. (We think she was run over by a car because both hips were broken) But no, I wouldn't give her up even though my parents offered to get me a new one. And just like your budgie, here we are ten years later, still kicking lmao

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[SilverSage]

Wonderful! Yes we work heavily with foster and rescue; my husband lets me bring them in as long as they don't stay. Sometimes he doesn't notice when they stay...


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[Vilatus]

Wonderful! Yes we work heavily with foster and rescue; my husband lets me bring them in as long as they don't stay. Sometimes he doesn't notice when they stay...


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Hey, what harm is another if you can care for it am I right???

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[Kentuckienne]

Sounds like each store may be different. I remember these cases from my time living in the Bay Area: the abuse was well documented. It’s not right to give a blanket condemnation OR endorsement of animal treatment...it depends on the parent organization, the corporate cukture, the local store management, the employees, and the animal’s personality. And it’s not just the endpoint that matters - the animals sold in the store come from somewhere, and pet store decide how closely to monitor - or not monitor - these suppliers. It seems to me that it creates at least the appearance of a conflict of interest. If suppliers have to take better care of the animals, the price of those animals will go up, or be made less available. Any time living being enter the marketplace, it’s not usually good for them. I would at least ask for documentation showing the breeder’s info, and then research them.

What to do when you find animals in substandard conditions at a pet store | Animal Legal Defense Fund

Small But Mighty - Pet Business Magazine - November 2016

Petco to Settle California Lawsuits - latimes

https://www.mercurynews.com/2010/06...ging-customers-improperly-caring-for-animals/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...abuse-small-animal-supplier-federal/79105326/

Pet Mills Churn out More Than Puppies : The Humane Society of the United States

 

[Vilatus]

Sounds like each store may be different. I remember these cases from my time living in the Bay Area: the abuse was well documented. It’s not right to give a blanket condemnation OR endorsement of animal treatment...it depends on the parent organization, the corporate cukture, the local store management, the employees, and the animal’s personality. And it’s not just the endpoint that matters - the animals sold in the store come from somewhere, and pet store decide how closely to monitor - or not monitor - these suppliers. It seems to me that it creates at least the appearance of a conflict of interest. If suppliers have to take better care of the animals, the price of those animals will go up, or be made less available. Any time living being enter the marketplace, it’s not usually good for them. I would at least ask for documentation showing the breeder’s info, and then research them.

What to do when you find animals in substandard conditions at a pet store | Animal Legal Defense Fund

Small But Mighty - Pet Business Magazine - November 2016

Petco to Settle California Lawsuits - latimes

https://www.mercurynews.com/2010/06...ging-customers-improperly-caring-for-animals/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...abuse-small-animal-supplier-federal/79105326/

Pet Mills Churn out More Than Puppies : The Humane Society of the United States

Thank you for the resources, but don't get me wrong!! The store I go to always takes very good care of it's animals. This is the first time I've ever seen any animal sick and/or injured. All the other animals were healthy looking, and actually unafraid of me so they seemed well socialized. I will absolutely report it if I ever see poor conditions though.

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[bug_n_flock]

I've worked at several shops of different sizes and I would say they all are different. I worked for a small shop that the owner would literally pay out of pocket and sleep in the store office for days at a time to make sure animals got the care they needed. At Petcosmart(legal reasons, I will not say which it was) I quit on the spot the day my manager killed a dog and didn't get fired for it. She later was fired for tampering with the camera tapes after she was caught on film beating dogs with broomhandles. Let me be clear: she was fired for messing with the tapes, NOT killing the one dog or beating the others.

I've known large stores that did get medical care for their animals, and I have worked at small shops whose answer to a hamster with problems or who had been there too long was to feed it to a snake the owner kept on her desk....

so basically, some shops are good, others are terrible nightmare places that aren't even worth as much as the poo that the animals leave there.