Do pet stores put injured birds down?

[Teddscau]

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.

Unfortunately, a lot of big chains do inhumanely "dispose of" unhealthy animals. They try to keep everything hush hush, so that's why you don't hear about it too often. Many pet stores have been caught freezing live animals, gassing them, and or throwing them in the garbage while still alive. Most animals found in big name stores (PetSmart, for example) are from mills. Bird mills, reptile miles, rodent mills... They're all horrible. They're mass produced in filthy, overcrowded warehouses. Look a some of PETA's exposées on hermit crabs and the companies that supply Petco, Petsmart, etc. And no, these companies did/still do supply pet stores.

However, some stores actually take animals to the vet for treatment. Some do, and some don't. It all depends. I've gone into Big Al's (large aquarium supply store) before and have seen tanks filled with dying animals. Like, the one tank had more than a dozen seahorses in it, yet they didn't have any fake plants for them to cling to. If you know anything about fish, you'd know that seahorses suck at swimming. They're literally the worst swimmers ever. Seahorses need to have a gentle filter in their tank and plenty of plants and ornaments to cling to with their tails, otherwise they're violently flung around the tank. The poor seahorses were all struggling to wrap their tails around one another, desperate not to be thrown into the glass. Some of the seahorses were slammed into the glass by the current, barely conscious. Man, I should've reported them, but I'm pretty sure we don't have any animal welfare laws concerning fish here in Canada.

Oh, and also at Big Al's, I saw these poor black ghost knifefish. There were DOZENS of them packed into this small tank, and I could tell they were absolutely terrified. They were barely alive, and most of them were actually laying on their sides, barely alive. Ghost knifefish are such beautiful, intelligent, sensitive creatures, and to see them like that made me want to cry. Fudge, I know this is way off topic, but I hate stores that sell animals SO MUCH. It's just an absolute horror show. Fudge, the one time I actually saw a dead Russian hamster at a pet shop. She'd been dead for well over a day given the smell. Man, I hate pet shops

 

[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

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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Oh, I didn't mean to contradict you, just mention that there are some stores with problems so people can research. It would be nice to have a thread just for recommended pet stores and supply sources, because it sounds like yours is a good one.

 

[Vilatus]

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.

Unfortunately, a lot of big chains do inhumanely "dispose of" unhealthy animals. They try to keep everything hush hush, so that's why you don't hear about it too often. Many pet stores have been caught freezing live animals, gassing them, and or throwing them in the garbage while still alive. Most animals found in big name stores (PetSmart, for example) are from mills. Bird mills, reptile miles, rodent mills... They're all horrible. They're mass produced in filthy, overcrowded warehouses. Look a some of PETA's exposées on hermit crabs and the companies that supply Petco, Petsmart, etc. And no, these companies did/still do supply pet stores.

However, some stores actually take animals to the vet for treatment. Some do, and some don't. It all depends. I've gone into Big Al's (large aquarium supply store) before and have seen tanks filled with dying animals. Like, the one tank had more than a dozen seahorses in it, yet they didn't have any fake plants for them to cling to. If you know anything about fish, you'd know that seahorses suck at swimming. They're literally the worst swimmers ever. Seahorses need to have a gentle filter in their tank and plenty of plants and ornaments to cling to with their tails, otherwise they're violently flung around the tank. The poor seahorses were all struggling to wrap their tails around one another, desperate not to be thrown into the glass. Some of the seahorses were slammed into the glass by the current, barely conscious. Man, I should've reported them, but I'm pretty sure we don't have any animal welfare laws concerning fish here in Canada.

Oh, and also at Big Al's, I saw these poor black ghost knifefish. There were DOZENS of them packed into this small tank, and I could tell they were absolutely terrified. They were barely alive, and most of them were actually laying on their sides, barely alive. Ghost knifefish are such beautiful, intelligent, sensitive creatures, and to see them like that made me want to cry. Fudge, I know this is way off topic, but I hate stores that sell animals SO MUCH. It's just an absolute horror show. Fudge, the one time I actually saw a dead Russian hamster at a pet shop. She'd been dead for well over a day given the smell. Man, I hate pet shops

I really hope that the store I go to is one of the ones that treat them, or at least euthanize them humanely...

I know conditions are absolutely awful, but I wouldn't trust PETA's word on it. They like to blow things out of proportion. At least they get the word out though I suppose.

Funny you mention Big Al's, I just ordered handfeeding syringes from them because it was the best price I could find. I'll make a note to myself not to buy from them again. Fish tend to get the short end of the stick in terms of welfare rights. Just because they aren't cuddly or cute (imo they're adorable, especially fancy goldfish) like a dog or cat doesn't mean they aren't a living being. Their life is worth as much as any other. The only "good" thing I guess is that from what I understand most fish aren't sophisticated enough organisms to feel pain. Still not an excuse though.

Ahhh that reminds me of when I went to a bird expo, there was multiple people with tiny cages stuffed to the brim with birds. All of them looked super scared as well, and they didn't have much food or water.
Honestly, not really off topic at this point haha- I totally agree with you. It's one thing when it's a mom and pop shop, because generally the animals receive proper care and get a decent amount of attention there, but chain stores are so bad. Hopefully the rules on pet shops get tightened down sometime in the future.

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[Kentuckienne]

She later was fired for tampering with the camera tapes after she was caught on film beating dogs with broom handles. Let me be clear: she was fired for messing with the tapes, NOT killing the one dog or beating the others.

That is upsetting. To say the least. Because it's not the right venue to say what deserves to be said.

 

[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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Oh, I didn't mean to contradict you, just mention that there are some stores with problems so people can research. It would be nice to have a thread just for recommended pet stores and supply sources, because it sounds like yours is a good one.

You're fine! It's good to have the resources nonetheless. Actually, that might be a good thing to pitch to an admin. Wouldn't hurt to try.

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[SilverSage]

I absolutely do NOT trust anything PETA says. Their videos are not accurate at all and they promote hate, lies, and fear mongering that harm animals instead of helping them.

I think we have established that some stores are good, others bad.

I will say this: REPORT REPORT REPORT!

When I lived in Hawaii we had an incident of a sick cockatiel in one of the big chain stores (I don't remember if it was petco or petsmart). Our parrot club called cooperate. We ALL CALLED. Let's just say we got what we wanted; better training for the staff and reports on the recovery of the bird. If you see a problem, notify an employee. If nothing is done, call in the big boys.


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[SilverSage]

I'll also say that I have found a few pet shops, both large and small, managed by caring decent folks who really do their best


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[Teddscau]

Contrary to popular belief, most, if not all, fish experience pain. The same goes for shrimp, crayfish, lobsters, crabs, hermit crabs, squid, octopuses, cuttlefish, etc. In fact, their mouths are extremely sensitive. So, when a fish is hooked on a line and is fighting for their life, they're feeling every second of it. They also form friendships. Check out the book "What a Fish Knows".

As for PETA, I know a lot of people hate it. However, it has done a lot of good. Like, did you know automakers used to use live animals in crash tests? Anyways, a lot of what PETA reports are "embellishments", not lies .

 

[Kentuckienne]

I came across the following complaint by a disgruntled PETCO shopper. My opinion of that particular PETCO just went way up.

===================
Carlos of Fall River, MA Verified Reviewer Verified Buyer
Original review: Nov. 6, 2016
I went to PETCO and was willing to buy a parrot and I was denied. I told I was going to take good care of and still they said, "No poor service". They told it needs a big cage and UV lights and a clean environment. I will never buy anything from them again. I suggest for everyone to do the same. Naive people seems it that they don't need all that lots of people has them in different places with light.