:-(Ok, so our landlord doesnt allow pets (otherwise we'd have a beagle and a cat), so we decide to get a fish. My partner goes to petco last wednesday, talks to the fish guy, sees a selection of about 25 bettas. We do on-line research, ask friends, I've had a betta before, etc. So yesterday (sunday) we head back to the very busy petco. They have maybe 10 bettas left. We buy one, with tank, food, water conditioner, the works. Happy little fish.
Before work this morning, I feed it, it doesnt eat. I go to work, my partner gets up later, fish doesnt look good. She goes to class, comes back, fish looks worse. She researches online, finds out fish has a fungus--- white fuzzy stuff all over the fish. She goes to petco, 4 of the bettas on display are dead in their bowls, 6 others look fuzzy and have 'medicated water'. The one and only pimply faced clerks says "yeah, they look dead" :rolleyes::-x
Turns out this fungus is highly contagious to other bettas. appears that the other 25 bettas she saw last week met their end in a porcelean bowl, not happy homes.:-(

Yes, I know its 'just a fish', but its the principle of the thing. Obviously there was a problem with the fish, but they sold it to us anyway. If the fish needed to be medicated, then take them off the shelf. The pimply faced clerk said "we arent responsible for the health of our fish once they leave here". But they are responsible for them in the store, and should not have sold it to us if there was a possibility of it being sick like the others. :mad:
My partner contacted the store manager tonight who said "the fish have been taken off the shelves, and a new batch is coming in tomorrow if you want to buy another" :rolleyes::-o But they must have known there was something wrong with this batch if the stock decreased by so much within a couple of days. That is why our petco store sucks.
Now I need to go into the living room and see if I need to get the net... :-(

I'm sorry for your fish problems. It is very irresponsible of the manager to do that and to "allow" you to buy another one. They should give you another one.

I've moved a few times and had experience with several Petco stores. They pretty much all suck.

They are notorious for that. Their profit margin is in the equipment and supplies.

I was searching online for dog crates and came across several anti-peto websites that had stories similar to yours.

I am sorry to hear about your experience. I hate Petco. The reason I highly dislike them is the ones in my area are horrible, They are always much more expensive than Petsmart and the stores are filthy. Plus I think their selection sucks big time. My 2 jungle beasts like meow mix, the only stuff they will eat. Went to petco in an emergency and was disgusted. The bags of food looked like they had been left out in the rain and a few had mold growing on them. I was like WTF, where the hell is the Health inspector that this would be allowed. I think I also stepped in poo, which is very unsanitary. The litter they have for self serve looks like it is used litter. I would stay away from Petco, especially if they are anything like the ones in my area. I love going to petsmart, they have very clean stores and its just a very nice shopping experience. Plus when stuff goes on sale, you can't beat the prices.

Same exact thing here from what Critical_level2 was saying. The PetCo is dirty, badly lit, overpriced, and overstuffed and the staff there are always grumpy. I was so happy when we got a PetSmart - and even more happy when I found out it was moving in right across from where I work :D I love going there now - the selection is great, the prices are quite reasonable, and the place is clean and well lit.

Additionally, I don't understand why PetCo gets mad if your pet has an accident in the store. Hey guys, it's a PET STORE and your policy is to let pets in. I've seen people throw out of the store because their dog peed or pooped in the store. At PetSmart, there's "emergency cleanup kits" all over the store and if your pet has an accident, a generally cheerful staff member will be right over to clean it up and assure you there's no problem at all.

Moral of the story: Go to PetSmart or Mills Fleet Farm :D

Wow, I had no idea that petco was that way. the ones here aren't filthy. Then again I only go in for food. I've seen plenty of busted food bags but that's about it. It seems that the clerks are just there to take up space.:neutral:

The only petsmart here is clear across town. I've never been there. mabe I should check their prices on science diet?

Thats outta control! I've never had any issues with Petco, but I've only ever really bought puppy food there.... Now I live in a place where i'm just excited for the walmart.

I'm sorry for your loss...

I'm just glad you didn't buy a cat or the beagle from there

Look in the paper - you will probably get a better feeling from buying private
to bad there are no fish rescues out there

Personally, I buy my tropical fish from REI.

:rolleyes:

Personally, I buy my tropical fish from REI.

:rolleyes:

I would do that but the shipping is killer.8-)

Grooooooooan!

anyone else getting a banner ad for Petco.com at the top of their page on this post?

:shock:

anyone else getting a banner ad for Petco.com at the top of their page on this post?

:shock:

I never noticed. That's hilarious.

Sorry to hear. I bought a cedar sided dog house but I did it online. The closest petco to me is 60 miles away.:rolleyes:

I prefer Pet-Smart.

Petco has bigger crickets (for the tarantula) and sell pigs ears individually.

But Pet-Smart is a better store.:cool:

bummer about your beta. i actually took my dog to petco once for a grooming because my local groomer was out recovering from surgery. the teens at petco actually did a really good job and were super friendly. i was pleasantly surprised. but now that my regular groomer has recovered, we take our business there. always good to support the local mom n' pop shops!

Petco...Petsmart..they all S**K!! While my yellow Lab was deathly ill, my old friend, a veterinarian, prescribed some prescription dog food. He was kind enough to do it long distance from Vermont. When I went into Petsmart with my prescription, they would only sell me prescribed food the first time I bought it...since the poor critter was having trouble eating anything, I didn't want to buy tons of prescription dog food. Well, when he ate it, and it seemed to be helping, I went BACK to PETSMART to get more - they would NOT sell it to me UNLESS I had my dog diagnosed/examined from thier veterinarian on site!!!!!! Now I had already spent mega bucks on my dog, gone to extreme lengths to get help from vets I knew well, knew my dog for years, and were well trusted 'guardians'....and Petsmart would NOT sell me food unless I went to a "mega retail, make the money kind of veterinarian"??? The clerk there told me 'it was a law' which is absolute BS....

Needless to say, I hate that place. Petco is up there as well. I try to support the local 'doggie' places that are owned by individuals, not corporations. The prices might be a tad higher, but in the long run, it helps me and the local economy - not some mega corporation that only 'pretends' to care about animals...

nuf said!

electra

Needless to say, I hate that place. Petco is up there as well. I try to support the local 'doggie' places that are owned by individuals, not corporations. The prices might be a tad higher, but in the long run, it helps me and the local economy - not some mega corporation that only 'pretends' to care about animals...






Yeah. That's what I was going to say. :)

All of my Mom and Pop pet store sell puppies They will not get a dime of my money If they quit selling dogs and cats I would bethere in a heart beat until then Pet Smart it is.

I prefer Pet-Smart.

Petco has bigger crickets (for the tarantula) and sell pigs ears individually.

But Pet-Smart is a better store.:cool:

IRV has a tarantula. That just screams "cuddly".

All of my Mom and Pop pet store sell puppies They will not get a dime of my money If they quit selling dogs and cats I would bethere in a heart beat until then Pet Smart it is.

totally 100% PLUS agree!! :-D I wouldn't support them with my hard earned $$$ or my spirit - NEVER; however, poke around! there are places that sell 'doggie supplies' without the puppy mill support - the best dog store in my town sells anything for dogs; also have 'doggie daycare'; and training classes....it is a very cool place and they will 'special order' anything you need that they might not have in the store. NO critters for sale!! Also, it is a great place to get local canine info on groomers, breeders, trainers...and of course, local rescue! I don't live in a sprawling metropolis...this is small town. I hope there are lots of places like this all over...if not, let me know! It might be time to start my own business:wink:

electra

I hate Petco too. They only want to sell you certain things. If you ask for a type of feed from the very same manufacturer, they will not order special. They are HORRIBLY OVERPRICED. But so are the locals....

Anyway, they are dirty, irresponsive and not a worthy place to spend my dime.

Personally, I buy my tropical fish from REI.

:rolleyes:

...steel head trout???

YUMMY''...:lol:

All of my Mom and Pop pet store sell puppies They will not get a dime of my money If they quit selling dogs and cats I would bethere in a heart beat until then Pet Smart it is.

What she said.

Seriously, I do most of my shopping online at wholesalers - but then I have a 'few' more dogs than the normal family (we have seven). I learned a while back, that actually buying stuff in bulk does cut down on the total expense.

I don't mean to infer that I don't go to Petsmart and Petco, but I have to have a real urgent need and then it's usually Petsmart - the closest Petco is a good ways off from us. I try hard not to use either.

MSNBC on puppy mills:
Damaged dogs plucked from the assembly line (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22100558/)

"... adult dogs, housed in above-ground rabbit hutches where they bred countless litters ... eyes were bloodshot, and their hair was matted. Most had intestinal parasites. None were trained or housebroken."

As if we need proof that evil exists...

Uno

I seldom buy anything at PetCo. I don't like the way they sell small animals. Most of the time the ferrets are not kept properly and are sold before they are weaned.

Folks let their dogs water the things on the lower shelves .... not good

I get the pet food from Flint River Ranch - food comes to the door, no extra delivery charges.

Petco=bad
Petsmart=better
Local co-op=best

If you consider your pets part of the family then do them a favor and treat them right. Research their food and toys to make sure they do not contain harmfull ingredients from China. Buy only quality products with good customer feedback. Talk to other customers and see what they like or dislike about the store. Never buy a pet from a big box pet store. Go to a local breeder that will allow you to see where your pet is coming from.
Just my $.02.

Go to a local breeder that will allow you to see where your pet is coming from.


I would agree with this. My golden retriever I had growing up came from my neighbors litter. Their dogs were very well taken care of and the puppies were as healthy as could be.
The two idiots I have now roaming my house came from an unofficial "breeder". My friends cat had 8 litters, I have one from the 4th and the 7th litters (there cat is the town *****).
I have always been one to get local animals from people whose pets have litters and they want to give them to good homes. I don't raise animals for show, so I real breeder is more than I would ever spend.

Wow, thanks for your words of support and stories. :) Right after I posted, I went out to the living room and poor Ferdinand needed to meet his porcelian maker. :sad: I then wrote a strongly worded e-mail to the Petco people, and actually received a response two days later from one of the customer service reps saying that corporate would make sure that the store manager and district manager were aware of this problem :rolleyes:

We had visited the local Petsmart, but it was a very unfriendly environment and the one guy in the fish area was just going around scooping out the 'floaters' and marking them in a very large log book.

A week or so ago we went to our local mom-n-pop (actually probably more of a mom-n-mom store... :wink:) and as soon as we walked in it had that "we're not corporate" smell and feel to it. :) The animals were happy and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable and actually knew what they were talking about. :)

Well,we made the unfortunate mistake of visiting the Johnstown (actually Richland) PA PETCO today. It will be the last time. High prices, un helpful staff and poor selection. Nine customers in line, with only one register open and it was tied up needing a manager's approval on the sale of a floor sample or something.:x