Pets At Home .... Yet again again!

[Goldie]

I visited Pets at Home on Friday ... I just wanted a nose around the piggy for sale pens and also the Adoption Centre.

Well they did have about 8 young boars for sale and 3 young sows. Housed separately and away from the rabbits. The Adoption Centre had two lots of two piggies in each with no information as to why they were up for adoption.

Anyway, while I was there a lady asked if she could look at a couple of boars. I pretended that I was looking at the piggy toys etc. and listened carefully to the advice and information that was given to the potential owner.

I have to report that I was pleased at the sales assistant's approach. She let them hold the pigs, she double checked that they were boars, then proceeded to explain that pigs can get pretty big and then took them over the show them indoor cages and outdoor hutches. She highlighted that they needed the biggest indoor cage and pointed out that the hutch suitable for two pigs was the upstairs/downstairs type so that they would have plenty of room.

I didn't hear anything else but on the basis of what I heard, I was quite pleased. It is a pity that each and every P@H assistant doesn't have the same approach!

PS. Another lady was also watching with her two young children ... I said to her "have you ever considered going to a rescue or the RSPCA if you are interested in having a guinea pig when your children are old enough?" -c

 

[Laura-CCC4]

It's nice to hear something more positive after so many bad cases lately. It does seem to be a case of which store it is and who works there that makes a difference for the animals, and the customers.

And thank you for recommending rescue/shelter and making a point of the children being older!

 

[MemberY]

Thats positive! I think it varys from store to store as I had no real problems with mine apart from of course total lack of veg and the water bottles were always too high up, until recently when they started keeping pigs and buns together!

Thanks for the report xx>>>

 

[starla]

good to hear.

Did the lady you suggested rescue to respond when you said 'when your children are old enough' !

 

[sharonS]

pets at home

Hi Goldie, just reading your article about pets at home. I fell in love with a little boar at our local pets at home we decided we had to take him home. Having had guinea pigs over the past fifteen years there isnt much i dont already know. But on our purchase the sales assistant never asked me any questions or told me of their requirements but i was asked to sign a form saying i had been told all manner of things. Thinking back it was rather careless of them, why are these companies that sell pets allowed to do this!pow-pow I think the rspca should make more of a fuss about these sorts of practices. Look for a rescue next time i think. Sharon S.

 

[Angeladeedah]

But on our purchase the sales assistant never asked me any questions or told me of their requirements but i was asked to sign a form saying i had been told all manner of things. Thinking back it was rather careless of them, why are these companies that sell pets allowed to do this!

Did you sign the form to say that you had been told the information even although you hadn't?

 

[Goldie]

Obviously the stores vary according to their staff. It is a shame that they don't have a "code of conduct" for staff to comply to when offering animals for sale! :{

I certainly would not sign anything if I wasn't happy that I was in agreement with what I was signing for ... if you see what I mean!