[Gpdd] MISC: Problems with Petsmart
bradfolg
bradfolg at vt.edu
Mon Nov 10 16:10:37 EST 2003
Hello to everyone and every pig.
I haven't posted very much in the past year, since I didn't have very happy
news. We've already lost six little ones this year, the latest being this
past Friday. On top of losing one of my sweetest piggies, I encountered
something else very upsetting this weekend.
After having an incident three years ago with Petsmart (buying a little one
who ended up dying within 10 days and making 6 of my herd of 14 sick as well,
even though she was quarantined), I had resolved to not buy anything from them
or go in their stores. Last week, my sister needed some supplies for her
elderly dog, so I thought I would go in to see if they had done any better by
the little animals.
No surprise, there was a little black and white piggie sitting all by his/her
lonesome, breathing very hard with his/her eyes almost swollen shut. I did a
horrible thing by trying to forget what I saw and leaving. As it happens, I
needed to pick up some piggie supplies this weekend and for whatever reason, I
decided to go back in Petsmart. By this time, they had 6 piggies. The black
and white was still there and had been joined by two new piggies, who were
also breathing quite hard. I used my cell phone to call the vet's number,
intending to buy them and take them to her to see if she could help them. It
turns out, due to a problem with my cell-phone, I couldn't get the pager
number for the vet. While I was busy fiddling with my cell-phone, I got down
in the floor to look at the other three piggies. The two in the next
compartment seemed relatively well and were eating.
In the third compartment, there was a little piggie lying partially in and
partially out of a wooden structure. I thought my eyes were deceiving me so I
crawled over a bit closer. I thought the piggie wasn't breathing. In my
mind, I just thought "this can't be." I tapped on the glass pretty loudly and
it didn't move. By this time, I knew that this little one was gone, but I
couldn't get anyone to wait on me. Two other people kind of pushed ahead and
got the attention of a young boy who worked there. He helped them with two
hamsters or gerbils and then said he'd get to me. Well, about the time he got
back to help me, a couple of ladies came along with a little girl who looked
to be about 5. She was so excited to see the piggies, especially the
"sleeping piggie." About that time, the guy asked if he could help me. By
this time, I was shaking because I was so angry and when I am this angry, I
usually end up crying. So when the young man asked if he could help, I
managed to ask him if the little one on the end was even alive. The little
girl's eyes got very big. He opened the door to the compartment (no
movement), he moved the wooden shelter off of the little baby (no movement),
so he proceeds to poke it several times and finally kind of pokes it over to
the side. At this point, he announces that no, the guinea pig is not alive.
By this time, I was visibly upset. I tried to question the young man as to
whether there was a vet to check this little animals. He didn't know. After
standing there looking at me, shaking and about to start crying, he asks if
I'd like to speak with a manager. He goes to get one, who comes back by and
tries to tell me that these piggies just "came in." I questioned him about
the one I had seen a week before still being there (and still sick) and then
he said he wasn't sure if they had all just come in. I pointed out that the
one by itself was dead and that the three in the compartment furthest to the
left were all sick. He got down to look at them and agreed that they were
sick. When questioned about a vet, he said that yes, they have someone who
checks them over. He'd have them pulled from the sales floor and have them
checked over. He said "Thanks for catching that" and wandered off.
I was in a daze. I hate that I left them and I hate that I bought the
supplies I had in my cart. After getting to the car and having a good cry, I
knew I couldn't go back inside.
Is there anything I can do? My sister told me that I should have gotten the
name of the vet and the name of the manager of the store as well. I'm much
too much of a weenie to do something like that, especially after just about
bawling in the middle of the store.
Is there anyone to report this to? I'm expecting a return call from my vet
tonight, to see if there's anything that she knows of or if she knows if they
do have a vet that checks the small animals. Do you report this to the Better
Business Bureau?
>From what I remember, this seems to be a chain thing and not just individual
stores. Can anything be done about them?
Libby and the herd of 9
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