pets at home - not all bad

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gizmo01

gizmo01

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as some of you know we have recently got little Marmite for a friend for lonely Humphrey, well we got him for the pets at home adoption centre (i know bad idea...) but he is so gorgeous and in need of some loving :-) we were told he was ex stock but had had ring worm but was now fine. within three days he had a uri :-( and soon passed it onto Humphrey after a sofa accident... long story cut short it ended up costing us around £100 for vets bills and an indoor cage you can imagine our displeasure, but the boys are worth it. we thought it would be worth mentioning to pets at home in case there were other piggies in similar situation ( the member of staff was useless) so we sent a letter and email to the store involved, two days later we had the manager ring offering a full refund with receipts :-) collected today now the furies are in for a treat and we feel we have proven a point
 
I don't really think that gives a good impression of pets at home, at the end of the day you would not have had to fork out on vet bills had they provided you with ' HEALTHY' animals.

Glad you got a refund and your animals are now well, perhaps if they didn't get there animals from poor environments in the first place there animals would be healthy, just because they rectify there error does not make them a good company as they caused the problem in the first place!
 
that as maybe you have a very good point but at least they took the unusual step of admitting to being at fault for a change
 
gizmo01 said:
that as maybe you have a very good point but at least they took the unusual step of admitting to being at fault for a change
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There's a thread almost every other day about Pets at Home forking out on Vet Bills or providing a new cage for someone because they sold a pregnant animal in the first place. It's easy to admit to your mistake but it doesn't stop them making the same mistake again and again, in fact I think it's worse that despite the Vet Bills and new cages they have to provide they still don't change there ways and the reason being is because animals are a 'Loss' leader, meaning they lose money on them but make there money back by providing pet supplies - if you buy an animal your more likely to continue buying your supplies from them (at there very expensive prices) resulting in there profit.

They don't care about the animals they care about your custom and it is in there benefit to rectify there mistake so you continue to shop there.

Pets at Home are a corporate evil and there practices are very wrong.
 
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I think people need to keep in mind that although they are "a corporate evil and there practices are very wrong."
Some of the staff DO care, Not all, but some do.
I do occasionally buy my cat food from there as the deals are often good.
These "Rescue Pigs" at the end of the day are still rescued piggies if you hadn't rescued him what would have happened ?! i don't think it's fair to attack people for being helpful people complain they could be snake food etc. but at the end of the day your stopping it from happening by rescuing that pig !

I see people saying they refuse to buy from pets at home, but if they stop making money who do you think will be first effected by the cuts ? The staff ? NO, the animals! the animals will receive even less care than they already do.

Urgh i dunno guess theres some people you can't win over ....
 
They should never have been ill in the first place. The fact that so many people get pigs from there, that then turn out to be unwell means its not a good place.
 
Luigi and bella are babies from a pets at home pig. Both girls my freind brought home were pregnant! One had 2 and the other 3.
 
Each to their own, quite right, but do not call a multi million pound company a rescue. It is insulting to real rescues all around the country.
 
twiams said:
I think people need to keep in mind that although they are "a corporate evil and there practices are very wrong."
Some of the staff DO care, Not all, but some do.
I do occasionally buy my cat food from there as the deals are often good.
These "Rescue Pigs" at the end of the day are still rescued piggies if you hadn't rescued him what would have happened ?! i don't think it's fair to attack people for being helpful people complain they could be snake food etc. but at the end of the day your stopping it from happening by rescuing that pig !

I see people saying they refuse to buy from pets at home, but if they stop making money who do you think will be first effected by the cuts ? The staff ? NO, the animals! the animals will receive even less care than they already do.
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I don't believe I so much as mentioned the staff I am talking about the company as a whole. If people boycott Pets at Home their profit will decrease and the company itself will review it's policies. If they believe selling animals is affecting their business, they will eventually stop selling animals or introduce new selling policies to ensure the animal is getting a loving home to prevent so many neglected animals. After all they used to sell birds, which they no longer sell, I wonder why that is.

The issue with Pets at Home and other Corporate evils is who they are supporting, I have never once said Pets at Home do not look after their animals but what they do is support mass breeding and have no regards for where the animals will end up, if you can pay for it you can have it. Which to me is not in the animal's best interest.

Urgh i dunno guess theres some people you can't win over ....
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Your correct supporting mass breeding and selling sick or pregnant animals will not win me over. Being a caring company and promoting animal welfare could in fact win me over but that isn't what Pet's at Home is about! It's a shame that there customer's can't look beyond the nice things they sell.
 
I dread to think what happens to any piggies that get too old to sell :(
 
emmalala said:
I dread to think what happens to any piggies that get too old to sell :(
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It's ok they go in the adoption bit and are advertised as being to old to sell. Lovely company they are - you aren't cute anymore so you can go in the reduced aisle to make room for the new babies!

grrrr
 
flintstones said:
It's ok they go in the adoption bit and are advertised as being to old to sell. Lovely company they are - you aren't cute anymore so you can go in the reduced aisle to make room for the new babies!

grrrr
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Aww poor babies. I love older ones, more to cuddle :)
Still, very wrong{:|
 
over the holidays i went into pets at home for some hay (get it online now ) and there was a group of about four children being shown the animals,by two members of staff, who were antibac ing their hands, and handling the animals to show how it should be done, also telling them what they need, food housing etc, the children were loving it, i dont know whether it was an organised event, but it did look that way, it was lovely to see, and the advice i heard given was correct, i wonder if all pets at home are the same? the guinea pigs in our local PAH have loads of hay, and in the dish was curly kale , broccoli, and cucumber, i still would nt buy a pet from them- to many in rescue, and of course i dont know where their stock is coming from .
 
liquorice allsorts said:
over the holidays i went into pets at home for some hay (get it online now ) and there was a group of about four children being shown the animals,by two members of staff, who were antibac ing their hands, and handling the animals to show how it should be done, also telling them what they need, food housing etc, the children were loving it, i dont know whether it was an organised event, but it did look that way, it was lovely to see, and the advice i heard given was correct, i wonder if all pets at home are the same? the guinea pigs in our local PAH have loads of hay, and in the dish was curly kale , broccoli, and cucumber, i still would nt buy a pet from them- to many in rescue, and of course i dont know where their stock is coming from .
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I'm guessing these 4 year olds then went home and begged Mum and Dad to get them some pigs. They were interested for 5 minutes and then they got forgotten about. I see no point in educating 4 year olds, when they are not the ones that will be looking after them.
 
no the children were nt four years old, there were four of them, i am guessing they would be around 8 or 9 , but yes i see your point, maybe just another way to sell pets ! i am not usually pessimistic, perhaps i need to be !
 
BellasMummy said:
I'm guessing these 4 year olds then went home and begged Mum and Dad to get them some pigs. They were interested for 5 minutes and then they got forgotten about. I see no point in educating 4 year olds, when they are not the ones that will be looking after them.
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I agree with this. I have 4 kids, 10,8,4 and 3 and there's no way I leave any part of the pigs care to them. They are all my responsibilty. Of course they can cuddle them when I allow it:))
I've already had several messages on facebook asking if there kids can have a baby pig, cos they really want one. NO!
 
liquorice allsorts said:
over the holidays i went into pets at home for some hay (get it online now ) and there was a group of about four children being shown the animals,by two members of staff, who were antibac ing their hands, and handling the animals to show how it should be done, also telling them what they need, food housing etc, the children were loving it, i dont know whether it was an organised event, but it did look that way, it was lovely to see, and the advice i heard given was correct, i wonder if all pets at home are the same? the guinea pigs in our local PAH have loads of hay, and in the dish was curly kale , broccoli, and cucumber, i still would nt buy a pet from them- to many in rescue, and of course i dont know where their stock is coming from .
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It's fair enough that some are good within the shop (my local one is always pretty good when I go in) but it's more about what happens behind closed doors I.e. mass breeding for no other reason than to make money, selling sick animals, terrible conditions in both breeding and transport, the list goes on and on. Then there are problems within individual actual stores.
 
liquorice allsorts said:
no the children were nt four years old, there were four of them, i am guessing they would be around 8 or 9 , but yes i see your point, maybe just another way to sell pets ! i am not usually pessimistic, perhaps i need to be !
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I call it being realistic, as this is common practice. Pets at Home are all about profits, they do however need to come across like they are educating. Why not educate and encourage them to buy animals. The person will then buy there supplies from Pets at Home, so they profit.

Coconut said:
It's fair enough that some are good within the shop (my local one is always pretty good when I go in) but it's more about what happens behind closed doors I.e. mass breeding for no other reason than to make money, selling sick animals, terrible conditions in both breeding and transport, the list goes on and on. Then there are problems within individual actual stores.
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Coconut thank you, that is my point exactly!
 
At the end of the day, After being on this forum for a couple of months, i have come to the conclusion that you get what you deserve.

You wouldnt go into a food shop you knew were buying possible "dodgy" chicken, to get some chicken, that would be stupid. So why go into a pet shop thats selling possible "dodgy" (pregnant or ill) animals, to get an animal. If you knowingly buy from somewhere like pets at home dont have the audacity to moan about them afterwards.

However, I do pitty people who dont know the reality behind pets at home untill its too late. I have plenty of time for those people and will always strive to help.
 
My friend was like that, she had no idea. Went in to buy her daughter some guinea pigs (she knew she would have to care for them) and ended up with 2 pregnant females. She told the shop who said do you want to swap them?! By then they had had them for weeks so of course they didn't want to hand over there loved pets! Thats how I ended up with Luigi and Bella. ( Who I thought were two boys, obvs not!) I've shown her the stuff on here about P@H and she doesn't go in there anymore
 
:) Thats the most important thing. Once people find out, they then source things elsewhere. :)

As with any major chain, individual shops will treat animals differently as they have different managers. However, what you have to remember is that if you buy from a "good" pets at home, the profits go into the massive general pot, which funds the "bad" pets at home shops, and the breeders.
 
emmalala said:
My friend was like that, she had no idea. Went in to buy her daughter some guinea pigs (she knew she would have to care for them) and ended up with 2 pregnant females. She told the shop who said do you want to swap them?! By then they had had them for weeks so of course they didn't want to hand over there loved pets! Thats how I ended up with Luigi and Bella. ( Who I thought were two boys, obvs not!) I've shown her the stuff on here about P@H and she doesn't go in there anymore
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that's another thing i hate. i remember a while ago my cousin said she bought a hamster from there, i think it had diarrhoea so she contacted the store who offered her to return the hamster and exchange it for a new one. it isn't a pair of trousers it is a living breathing creature that deserves love, care and importantly medical treatment. any company that thinks you can 'exchange your goods' because it is unwell is dispicable. although having said that, anyone who breeds animals for profit i feel has slightly loose morals to begin with xx
 
emmalala said:
I dread to think what happens to any piggies that get too old to sell :(
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those are the "adopted" piggies, cos we got our wee Otis from the adoption center section 2 years ago, he was also a bit vicious to other piggies (I know they sometimes lie about it but he deffo was cos he used to attack us for a while to)
 
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