Bringing pets to Petco/Petsmart

In My Humble Opinion
21

[QUOTE=MissTake]
Do you bring your critters with to the pet store? What’s your take on it being a place for socialization? And how do you tell people “no”?
[/QUOTE]

Yes, it’s the only store she’s allowed to come in and shop too!

It’s a great place for her to socialise. There are big dogs and little dogs and other critters and lots of people. And she loves having people pay her attention and get a cookie at checkout.

I never say ‘no’ to people asking to pet my dog, but am I leery if it’s a surly teenaged boy who looks like he might get off on hurting my 6.5 pound Clover.

The Petsmart close to us seems clean and bright and well-managed, and I love, love, love watching puppy classes there. (Come on, it’s a room full of PUPPIES! Of all sizes! Floppy, fuzzy, PUPPIES! No greater joy!)

I hope the kid doesn’t think all people attached to the end of a dog leash are rude; you’re definitely doing the right thing by having her ask first before petting. I’m sorry the lady was rude.

I will also now endeavor to try and make sure all the big whompin’ dogs get pats and hellos, too. Sometimes the little ones suck up all the attention.

22

We take the dogs to Petsmart, it’s good socialization for them. Widget’s no problem at all, but I usually have to draw the line at three cookies because everybody wants to feed him! Kids love to pet Space because she looks like a big fuzzy stuffed animal but in winter I warn anyone who wants to pet her that she is a very furry outdoor dog who gets a bit of a pong on her–if you pet her your hands are gonna smell like that too. I also don’t let anyone else feed her treats–she’s a big pig and not always as gentle taking food as she could be. I don’t see why anyone would bring a dog to the pet store if it’s not socialized enough to behave at least fairly well, and I also don’t see any reason to be rude if you’d rather someone not pet your dog.

Oh, and our local Home Despot allows dogs inside too!

23

[QUOTE=DiosaBellissima]
Aw, I love giant doggies. cough cough my street cred .

With my last great dane, people would initially be terrified of him- I’ve heard more than my fair share of dingbat mothers screech at their children, “DON’T TOUCH THAT PITBULL! HE’LL BITE YOU AND KILL YOU!” :rolleyes:
[/QUOTE]

Our neighbors get that with their bulldog pup. Geez.

We have one dog who really only wants to be around or petted by people he knows well, and our PetSmart/Banfield no longer has a separate entrance for the vet, so we have to trek through the store to get to the clinic part. We just say that he’s on his way to the vet and isn’t feeling well, so he’s cranky and doesn’t want to be petted. They don’t need to know that’s 99% of his personality! We’ve also taken him to measure accurately for a harness, so that’s one reason why someone with non-petting dog might have had him there, but I agree that she was rude about her refusal. When we have to do stuff like that with Mojo, we try to get in and get out as fast as possible. The other two are attention, er, hounds, so it’s not an issue.

24

[QUOTE=Doctor Who]
While we’re there, she hits up EVERYBODY to pet her.
[/QUOTE]

My little buddy is the same way. I take him there because I know that he is going to get the chance to do his favourite thing - meet new people and dogs.

OTOH, I love it when people ask if they can pet Goliath first, and worry about kids who pet without asking. I know they will have no issues with Goliath, but not every dog is carefree and loving - some kid will get bit and it will be their fault but the dog will take the heat.

25

[QUOTE=What Exit?]
What is your specific complaint?Jim
[/QUOTE]

If you Google Petsmart, you will find that it has a history of lawsuits against it for unsanitary and inhumane practices in regard to the animals it sells. I’ve read reports from ex-employees who swear it is standard practice to feed the mice and other rodents who die to the snakes and other animals they sell. It’s all over the web for anyone who wants to have a look.

I was in a Petsmart in Charlotte NC that was overrun with rats. One ran right over my foot. According to the manager, who was unconcerned with the issue, the rats came from a nearby construction project. They were running around the floor in broad daylight on a Saturday. I reported the situation to the local health department, but I was told it was only against the law to be swarming with rats if the establishment was cooking food for humans to eat.

That was just one episode but it was a case in point. When I did some research online I ran across many similar episodes. My conclusion from that reading - and your mileage may differ - is that Petsmart does not care about animals at all, and in fact engages routinely in animal abuse and neglect.

I joined the boycott.

26

I don’t take my younger dog to PetSmart because he pukes on car rides lasting more than few minutes and the local store is out of our margin of safety. But I’ve taken the older dog as well as my parents dogs. As mentioned, it’s a good place to socialize a dog and it’s kind of fun.

When I first started taking my mother’s little dog, I didn’t let others pet her. She was very shy (at first) and a bit overwhelmed by the experience. I kept the visits short and slowly desensitized her. Once she’d settled and became comfortable, she started asking (begging) for pets. Then I’d let others pet her.

But I never dreamed of snapping at someone who asked to pet her. I’d just say something along the lines of “she’s a bit too nervous right now.”

27

[QUOTE=Sprockets]
If you Google Petsmart, you will find that it has a history of lawsuits against it for unsanitary and inhumane practices in regard to the animals it sells. I’ve read reports from ex-employees who swear it is standard practice to feed the mice and other rodents who die to the snakes and other animals they sell. It’s all over the web for anyone who wants to have a look.

I was in a Petsmart in Charlotte NC that was overrun with rats. One ran right over my foot. According to the manager, who was unconcerned with the issue, the rats came from a nearby construction project. They were running around the floor in broad daylight on a Saturday. I reported the situation to the local health department, but I was told it was only against the law to be swarming with rats if the establishment was cooking food for humans to eat.

That was just one episode but it was a case in point. When I did some research online I ran across many similar episodes. My conclusion from that reading - and your mileage may differ - is that Petsmart does not care about animals at all, and in fact engages routinely in animal abuse and neglect.

I joined the boycott.
[/QUOTE]

Apparently I have poor Google skills, I got many hits for Petsmart helping animals groups, running cat, dog & rabbit adoptions and a slight name change. The only negatives were a few PETA attacks for selling live birds. However, PETA is against all sales of live birds, so I don’t hold this as particularly damning.

In the news, they stopped selling birds in many locations, but this is because they detected a bird infection, psittacosis.

They apparently had a disappointing 4th quarter.

PETA with hidden video of pet cruelty by Petsmart. Of course the cruelty is actually by a vendor of Petsmart’s and not Petsmart and further, it is debatable if the video is legit.

etc.

Is there a single complaint against Petsmart from a source that does not recommend kids drink Beer over Milk?

Jim

Canada recommending PetSmart as a good place to kennel dogs.

28

I worked at PetCo two summers ago, and the majority of folks who come in are happy to let people pet their dog or cat or ferret, whatever. People would bring in whole litters of puppies and wheel them around in a shopping cart, letting anyone play with them. However, they aren’t required to. I own a large and exciteable dalmatian and I don’t let anyone smaller than me touch him (I’m 5-1, 125 lbs) because he jumps up. That includes any and all children. He doesn’t handle children well–and I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t want some little person pulling on my tail or ears or screaming about my pretty fur. I’ve been rude to a kid or two who wouldn’t leave us alone, and I don’t feel bad about it. I don’t bring him there to socialize, I bring him because it’s on the way home from the vet, where we visit regularly, and because my former coworkers love to see him. I am completely within my rights to refuse anyone, and there’s no rule saying I have to be nice about it. That applies to my neighborhood, parks, the waiting room in the vet’s office, and anywhere else I may take him. Incidentally, I once had a lady in a park try to loosen his Gentle Leader collar while I was messing around in the trunk of my car. I wasn’t nice, and if he’d bitten her, I wouldn’t have apologized.

29

gotta side with sprockets and starwarsfreek42 on this one.

people in general aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed, particularly with regard to other people’s pets. i dealt with enough fools when i owned a pair of german shepards, that it’s left me wary of having my animals in public. schatze and hans were a perfect lady and gentleman with all kinds of folks, but if i had a nickel for every time i heard some idiot caution their child - ‘look out, those police dogs bite!’ i’d be rich. :rolleyes:

while i have no complaints with any of the large-chain pet stores personally, hell would freeze over before i’d take one of my current pets - or the divemaster’s - inside. while every dog and cat we both own is immunized up the ying-yang, the potential for infection in a public building like that is a real concern to us.

not only that, but should i suddenly suffer a severe mental lapse and bring in, say, rommel, the divemaster’s 130-pound male german shepard, no, i wouldn’t permit anyone to pet him and i’d make darn sure no one got near him. and if push came to shove i doubt i’d be too nice about it, either.

just because i brought him inside while i grab a bag of dogfood, that is not an open invitation for a kid or anybody else to make a beeline for him. unlike my two, rommel isn’t aclimated to children. he is a lovely, well-behaved dog with adults, but he has no experience with the junior-edition human and their quick movements make him nervous.

and on the other side of the coin, *dude, where have **your ** hands been lately? * i used to work in a wastewater treatment plant. you don’t want to know what i know about infectious tranfer. :eek:

30

[QUOTE=Sprockets]
If you Google Petsmart, you will find that it has a history of lawsuits against it for unsanitary and inhumane practices in regard to the animals it sells. I’ve read reports from ex-employees who swear it is standard practice to feed the mice and other rodents who die to the snakes and other animals they sell. It’s all over the web for anyone who wants to have a look.
That was just one episode but it was a case in point. When I did some research online I ran across many similar episodes. My conclusion from that reading - and your mileage may differ - is that Petsmart does not care about animals at all, and in fact engages routinely in animal abuse and neglect.

[/QUOTE]

I think a good case can be made against buying a dog from any pet store. But we’re not talking about that, we’re talking about taking our dogs there. My PetSmart is clean. We don’t take him to the vet there, but we board him there now when we must. The last time we boarded him at a kennel he got kennel cough - he is clearly much happier at PetSmart.

31

[QUOTE=Scubaqueen]
gotta side with sprockets and starwarsfreek42 on this one.

people in general aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed, particularly with regard to other people’s pets. i dealt with enough fools when i owned a pair of german shepards, that it’s left me wary of having my animals in public. schatze and hans were a perfect lady and gentleman with all kinds of folks, but if i had a nickel for every time i heard some idiot caution their child - ‘look out, those police dogs bite!’ i’d be rich. :rolleyes:

[/QUOTE]

On the other hand, when we raised guide dog puppies (Goldens and Labs) we took them everywhere, and people, almost without exception, asked if they could pet them. (We usually said yes as part of their socialization.) As for cleanliness (viz Sprockets) I wouldn’t say the pet store is much dirtier than the floor of our very nice supermarket.

German shepherds are intimidating to lots of people, especially those who remember the police using them at civil rights marches. Unfair, true, but understandable.

32

[QUOTE=MissTake]

However, yesterday the Kid walked up to a woman with a minpin on a leash, and upon asking if she could pet her dog, the woman snapped at her. “NO you may NOT!” We were both kind of taken aback. She has been told no before, but it’s always been “Sorry, no, Spike/Fido/Fluffy is not people trained yet / ill / a killer attack dog that likes chewing on teenagers”, never just a flat out rude NO!

[/QUOTE]

In knowing that you’re supposed to ask before petting someone else’s dog, you kinda know that the answer may be “No”. No one has to explain why you can pet their dog when they say “yes” and no one has to explain why you can’t pet their dog when they say “no”.

Taking a dog to Petsmart is no more an invitation to pet it than being pregnant in public is an invitation to cop a feel of a protruding bellybutton.

33

[QUOTE=Voyager]
we board him there now when we must. The last time we boarded him at a kennel he got kennel cough - he is clearly much happier at PetSmart.
[/QUOTE]

OM freaking G

34

[QUOTE=What Exit?]
Apparently I have poor Google skills, I got many hits for Petsmart helping animals groups, running cat, dog & rabbit adoptions and a slight name change. The only negatives were a few PETA attacks for selling live birds. . . .Is there a single complaint against Petsmart from a source that does not recommend kids drink Beer over Milk?
[/QUOTE]

We find what we’re looking for. Google “Petsmart lawsuit.” Google “Petsmart unsanitary.” Those are the two that I thought of first, and I just woke up.

35

[QUOTE=Sprockets]
We find what we’re looking for. Google “Petsmart lawsuit.” Google “Petsmart unsanitary.” Those are the two that I thought of first, and I just woke up.
[/QUOTE]

You know if you can’t bother with a few links, maybe I should be ragging on you. I already played this game once. Cite already!

36

The Min Pin lady is a tightly wound individual who dotes on her doggie and despises kids.

There’s also an old saying that people and their dogs come to look alike. Maybe it ought to be extended to acting alike. Snappish little dogs breed snappish little people.

True, Madame Min Pin is under no obligation to be social or civil. But there do seem to be a lot of folks these days defending people’s non-obligation to be decent and understanding about anything. Including to impressionable young folks.

And that’s all I’ll say about that.

Now, Petco vs. Petsmart. In my area, the Petco is depressing, poorly stocked and empty of either staff or customers. The Petsmart is quite a bit better, perhaps because it has the local animal shelter’s cat room on the premises. The kittehs looked frisky and well tended and their cubbies clean.

37

[QUOTE=What Exit?]
You know if you can’t bother with a few links, maybe I should be ragging on you. I already played this game once. Cite already!
[/QUOTE]

Since you’re the one who wants proof, I really don’t understand why you don’t do the research yourself. However, here is just ONE link which I did have time to find for you.

I don’t believe in duelling links. I somehow expect that when I post my opinion it will be understood that I’m not talking out my nether orifice. I only have opinions about subjects with which I am familiar, things I’ve thought about and researched. It demeans both of us when you automatically assume I don’t know what I’m saying and you demand links to the opinions of other people in order to believe me. The information is out there if you want it.

38

[QUOTE=Sprockets]
Since you’re the one who wants proof, I really don’t understand why you don’t do the research yourself. However, here is just ONE link which I did have time to find for you.

I don’t believe in duelling links. I somehow expect that when I post my opinion it will be understood that I’m not talking out my nether orifice. I only have opinions about subjects with which I am familiar, things I’ve thought about and researched. It demeans both of us when you automatically assume I don’t know what I’m saying and you demand links to the opinions of other people in order to believe me. The information is out there if you want it.
[/QUOTE]

I looked last night and found nothing but PETA links. I said as much. You made the claims that counter most posters experiences with this chain. If I have to choose between trusting PETA (Beer not Milk PETA) and PetSmart, I will place more trust in the business that keeps a clean store, provided us with a hermit crab that lived two years and did an excellent job training us and our dog.

This place has help adopt out more adult cats & dogs than any “for profit” company. The humane society appears to approve of them. PETA is a crazy group. It is tough to treat them seriously.

PETA wants to end all live animal sales if you read deeply into their website. Petsmart is just the largest target available. Unless you also support ending all live animal sales, basing your protest on PETA makes little sense to me. PETA would also have us all become vegetarians. There might be some benefits to this, but it is hardly a reasonable goal and goes in the face of the fact that humans are omnivores. They want to end the dairy industry. It is better in their minds that their are no dairy cows than having humans treats dairy cows so horribly. If you cannot tell by now, I dislike PETA strongly and find them an embarrassment to other groups that are trying to help animals.

Jim (paying member of Humane Socieity and WWF along with being an active Green)

39

[QUOTE=Sprockets]
We find what we’re looking for. Google “Petsmart lawsuit.” Google “Petsmart unsanitary.” Those are the two that I thought of first, and I just woke up.
[/QUOTE]

If you Google “UFOs ‘cosmic friends’”–a few hundred references appear. That doesn’t mean they can be trusted.

Besides, your first post on this thread indicated you’ve got larger problems than your distaste for Petsmart.

I hope you don’t mean “put down” in a veterinary sense?

40

[QUOTE=Bridget Burke]
If you Google “UFOs ‘cosmic friends’”–a few hundred references appear. That doesn’t mean they can be trusted.
[/QUOTE]

I agree absolutely, and that’s why I don’t normally post links. We find what we are looking for. I went through the “researching Petsmart” thing a few years back, but that wasn’t good enough for some people. Links just show you someone else’s opinion. And they are usually demanded by people who only want to argue.

Not a problem, but an observation. I’ve been amazed at how intolerant of different opinions - to the point of abuse - many people have been on this board. I’ve never understood why some people need to attack other people just because they can get away with it.

Oh gosh, is it possible to do that online?