[Gpdd] [MISC] <shelters, breeders, and Petsmart>

[Lauren Cordeiro]

I also think shelters should be the first place to go for a pig, but I would much rather buy a pig from a local breeder who breeds them as pets only than to buy one from a petstore, although to point out my hypocrisy both of my pigs are from petstores, and I work at one (PetsMart). I don't think I'll ever buy an animal from a petstore again. The people at the store I work take good care of our small animals, and some have even been taken to the vet to be treated and sold, but what I found out today: The store associates aren't "allowed" to know the name/location of the breeders we buy our "stock" from, only the managers are allowed to know. I asked someone who works in the specialty dept, specifically because someone who belongs to a rat forum whom I met at the store has had several of the rats he bought from the store suffer from what he believes to be genetically-based spinal abnormality. He could always utilize the "14-day return policy," and the store would probably bring the rat to a vet, but there is likely little the vet could do, and might even euthanize him, and for him that's not the point. So I wanted to know the truth about our breeders. Why are they keeping it a secret? Do they think I'm some kind of radical, PETA animal-rights undercover agent? What do they have to hide? I'm sorry for ranting, I was just very disturbed by this policy and I'm not sure if there's some employee-complaint line or something where I could ask about this policy. I don't know what to do. I just want to encourage everyone never to buy from a petstore who will not give you the name, address, and telephone number of their breeder. I don't even know why I work here. I should have known.
Lauren