Why You Shouldn’t Adopt from Petco or Petsmart
Is there any better feeling in the world than bringing a new pet home? You have everything prepared, now where do you get your new furry (or scaley) friend from? Many people’s answer to that question is, “the pet store”. Are they talking about a small local business that breeds their animals locally and hand-raises the babies? Probably not. Chances are they are going to end up at large chain pet stores like Petco or Petsmart. So what’s the big deal about buying from chain pet stores? Almost everyone buys pets and supplies from them. The issue with these pet stores is that they can lead you to impulse buy a pet, employees can give you the wrong care information about the pet you are buying, and worst yet, many people suspect them to abuse their animals.
I can’t think of anything more fun than going to a pet store. Looking at all the cute animals and seeing all the colorful fish, and you find an adorable little fluffy friend that you can’t take your eyes off of. The next thing that catches your eyes is the price. Usually, chain pet stores sell their animals at a much cheaper price than an experienced breeder, and often times they will have an additional discount if you have a rewards card with them. Due to this, many people will impulse buy a pet that they haven’t done research on how to take care of. This can lead to the animal become ill after purchase because they aren’t being fed correctly or having incorrect lighting or temperatures. Another dangerous thing about impulse buying a pet is that, often times, after the excitement of a new pet wears off, it doesn’t get much attention, causing it to be neglected. Neglect can make your animal aggressive towards humans and other animals, which can then lead to having the animal re-homed, a very stressful and frightening experience for any animal.
Although impulse buying is never recommended, if you decided to buy a pet unprepared, you need as much information about the care of that animal as soon as possible. Usually, you would ask an employee for any information you needed to succeed in caring for that pet. If you are at a small town pet store that breeds and raises their own animals, then they will know exactly what to tell you in order for your pet to live its healthiest life. Larger pet chains ship their animals to them from different states of the United States, they don’t actually breed anything themselves. Therefore they may not be as reliable as most people think they are. A couple of weeks ago, I was in Petco and was looking at the Bearded Dragons. I asked a worker what the best substrate to use would be. The employee told me that they recommended putting sand on the bottom. I went home and decided to research it more, and found out that it is actually life threatening to put sand in with your Bearded Dragon. They can ingest the sand making them extremely constipated, which can cause death. “. . . Recent studies show that 1 of the top 3 causes of bearded dragon deaths is related to impaction. Impaction is the process in which they essentially inhale or ingest loose particles (Dangers Of Bearded Dragon Sand As A Substrate).” Bearded Dragons are unable to digest these particles and can often times have harmful bacteria, causing them to become sick.
As mentioned previously, larger chain pet stores, such as Petco and Petsmart, ship their animals from various parts of the country — or even the world — as opposed to breeding them themselves or using a local breeder. Shipping an animal isn’t the ideal way for transportation, but if need be and with the correct packaging, it can be overnight shipped to the desired location without the animal being harmed. Petco and Petsmart ship several animals at the same time without proper food, water, or packaging. This video goes into more detail about the terrible conditions that these helpless animals are put in. Please be advised that there are some disturbing clips before watching.
In conclusion, when you decide that it’s time for you to adopt a pet it is imperative that you have all the necessary information about its care before you bring it home. The next time you buy a pet, make sure you consult a credible source that has experience in the care of the animal you are adopting. I know that not everyone has the option to do this, but if you are capable of adopting a pet from an experienced breeder please do so. By doing so, you know where that animal has been since the day it was born.
Works Cited
Dangers Of Bearded Dragon Sand As A Substrate. 2016. 15 February 2018.
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). “Reptiles Left to Die at PetSmart Supplier Mill.” 29 February 2016.