Pet's At Home

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This Little Piggie

This Little Piggie

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Hi everybody,

Sorry For The Following Long Grumble :))

This forum appears to be getting more and more complaints about Pets At Home. Complaints range from;

Sick Pigs
Incorrect Advice
Shoddy Goods
And so on !

People on here are very quick to complain however, the only way to make a difference is to act with your feet ! IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY, DON'T GO IN THERE! mallethead The same people seem to be complaining on one post and then on the next post "Oh I just happnened to go into Pets At Home and look what I came home with!). Ohh how cute !

There are so many pigs on here that need good homes, I just dont understand why people keep going to Pets At Home mallethead when they have had a bad experience, why go back for another. If you received food poisining from something you ate, you wouldnt go back to that place again, would you ? Look at the amount of piggies Suzy and All About The Animals has. These people go above and beyond the call of duty to make sure everybody on here has the option of rescuing one of there's.

Just for the record, one of my sons friends recently adopted 2 pigs from our local Pets At Home and guess what, they were home checked, they were also told that the house they had was to small for 2 piggies so had to purchase a larger one ! Our small Pets At Home has a very good reputation around my area. The Manager is very small animal savy, if she doesnt know, she picks up the phone and asks her vet !

My friendly :):) advice to people on here is, "Put Up....... Or Shut UP"

I know this post will rattle a few cages and I do not intend to upset, anger or annoy anybody, I just feel people need to walk away and think for 24hrs before they act. There are plenty of rescues to get animals from (even babies x))
 
This Little Piggie said:
Hi everybody,

Sorry For The Following Long Grumble :))

This forum appears to be getting more and more complaints about Pets At Home. Complaints range from;

Sick Pigs
Incorrect Advice
Shoddy Goods
And so on !

People on here are very quick to complain however, the only way to make a difference is to act with your feet ! IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY, DON'T GO IN THERE! mallethead The same people seem to be complaining on one post and then on the next post "Oh I just happnened to go into Pets At Home and look what I came home with!). Ohh how cute !

There are so many pigs on here that need good homes, I just dont understand why people keep going to Pets At Home mallethead when they have had a bad experience, why go back for another. If you received food poisining from something you ate, you wouldnt go back to that place again, would you ? Look at the amount of piggies Suzy and All About The Animals has. These people go above and beyond the call of duty to make sure everybody on here has the option of rescuing one of there's.

Just for the record, one of my sons friends recently adopted 2 pigs from our local Pets At Home and guess what, they were home checked, they were also told that the house they had was to small for 2 piggies so had to purchase a larger one ! Our small Pets At Home has a very good reputation around my area. The Manager is very small animal savy, if she doesnt know, she picks up the phone and asks her vet !

My friendly :):) advice to people on here is, "Put Up....... Or Shut UP"

I know this post will rattle a few cages and I do not intend to upset, anger or annoy anybody, I just feel people need to walk away and think for 24hrs before they act. There are plenty of rescues to get animals from (even babies x))
Click to expand...

Go on choose a rescue, you know you want to :))
 
I don't go in to P@H anymore. I order everything online. And whilst some branches may be okay the general principle of selling small animals through what is basically a supermarket is an unacceptable policy, no matter how nice the store manager is. If it were dogs, cats and horses being sold in this way the whole country would be outraged - why should it be any different for small furries? Being small doesn't make your life less important and more expendable.:(
 
Our Pets At Home is also very good when it comes to the small furries. The staff at their stores have to go through training in all the different types of animals they sell, and offer advice to new owners coming in their doors. Not easy if you've no previous experiance with those animals, all you can go by is what the company you work for has taught you.....

So perhaps people should be getting in contact with head office to let them know that incorrect advice is being offered at ground level in their stores. Offer them sources of GOOD advice for guinea pigs that perhaps they might update the training and what they teach those who are actually selling us the products and animals.

No point in sitting at the computer desk complaining to other piggy lovers, that's just preaching to the choir. Educate those who are educating the staff!

EDIT TO ADD: And YES! Def go for a rescue piggy over shop bought ones every time!
 
I have resolved now after my last incident never to buy anything from P@H. I did go in to buy Excel pellets for my rabbits and guineas hence how I came home with Gladys and Rita. But I refuse now to support them in anyway.

I've already made arrangements for a local pet store, who don't sell animals to order in Science Selective for the bunnies and some treat hays for me.
 
No point in sitting at the computer desk complaining to other piggy lovers, that's just preaching to the choir. Educate those who are educating the staff!

My point exactly :)
 
Ive discovered a new pet shop in my town and they do not sell animals at all and they are cheaper - so guess who I'm boycotting!
 
mrs_tommo28 said:
Ive discovered a new pet shop in my town and they do not sell animals at all and they are cheaper - so guess who I'm boycotting!
Click to expand...

Well done you, if your dont think they act as they should, vote with your feet and dont go in. If people dont go in, they wont be temepted !
 
AndreaJane said:
I don't go in to P@H anymore. I order everything online. And whilst some branches may be okay the general principle of selling small animals through what is basically a supermarket is an unacceptable policy, no matter how nice the store manager is. If it were dogs, cats and horses being sold in this way the whole country would be outraged - why should it be any different for small furries? Being small doesn't make your life less important and more expendable.:(
Click to expand...

for those that are still in exsistance, cattle markets are stronger regulated and provide more care and welfare to their animals than p@h.
 
I have said it before, I dont like the shop and havent been a regular to them for years - only if I had no other option would I go in which was rare. They used to have great products and great prices that simply were not found any where else in the smaller pet shops. But in a short time they stuck with specific brands (which IMHO is far less quality than other stuff, and much pricyer) and if you dont want to buy for instance the rubbish type of dog food or the premium pricy stuff then you can forget it as they dont stock it (I stopped feeding the additive full and E number stuffed dog foods years ago which do not get shelf space in this shop anymore).

I hate how they house their animals and sell tiny cages/homes for them, and then I discover on this forum that what I thought was a responsible adoption center for a supermarket set up is just another outlet to sell the unwanted "old or damaged stock" - discraceful that they still just think about the profit levels and not the welfare of the animals they are selling.

It was no hardship to stop going in there, I have good pet shops around that dont sell animals and I can get what I need online or through my friend who goes to wholesalers (pet shop one), I am lucky enough to have these alternatives and in a position then to educate other people to alternatives to p@h, others are not so lucky but at least they can know about what the shop is about.
 
AndreaJane said:
...If it were dogs, cats and horses being sold in this way the whole country would be outraged - why should it be any different for small furries? Being small doesn't make your life less important and more expendable.:(
Click to expand...

No, instead unscrupulous breeders stick them all over gumtree and preloved instead where there are no regulations whatsoever!

Dare I say I would actually rather keep P@H selling small furries and get them all off Gumtree, as if it were harder to see your guinea pig/rat/cat/horse/african goat eating snake, people wouldn't buy them then churn out more to sell on Gumtree.

Also if you would like to see some of the ways horses are sold, check out some of the horsey classifieds for some lovely 1 and 2 year old yearlings being sold as broken and ready to drive/ride away...and to those that don't know, NO, in no circumstances should a horse be backed before they are at least 2 and even then it should just be a person leaning over there back perhaps. I personally would wait until 3 at least.
 
I agree with the above to a degree, i would prefer to stop seeing small furries on gumtree and preloved as the ads scare the hell out of me.

I used to use p@h many years ago as living in a small town with limited supplies, when this opened it seemed like a godsend becase as far as supplies go there was so much more variety than my one and only store. Then 5 years ago I had a piggie that died for no reason I could fathom at 13 weeks. And then another. So I stopped going there and shopped around. Then I joined here, heard a lot of horror stories and totally avoided it. However very occasionally I get caught out and pick up food there because its convenient, I have to pass it to and from work and its open until 8pm. However, this is VERY VERY rare and certainly hasnt happened this year.

I dont blame the staff, its the fat cats in their fancy office not caring and not educating their managers to educate their staff. I have been on the snoop lately to help clairelove and went in today as have been meaning to for a few weeks to see what my local one is like. Whilst the animals seemed well fed and had space, I did see they had a special price to 3 boars! as we all know trios can be tricky. And you would get a free 100cm cage! mallethead
So I took photos of these prices, and ripped off the sign about the feee cage and stuffed it in my handbag. And a very strong winded letter of complaint is going their way this week. grrrr I just need to work out how to word my feelings on that advertisement so I dont get into trouble for stealing the poster or taking pics. I just didnt want anyone else thinking it might be ok to cram 3 piggies into a 100 cage.....

But yes, off on a rant there, we need to write more letters and vote with our feet, was my point lol
 
mrs_tommo28 said:
Ive discovered a new pet shop in my town and they do not sell animals at all and they are cheaper - so guess who I'm boycotting!
Click to expand...

I also discovered one of the same description about a year ago and do this also, no pets just supplies!
 
AndreaJane said:
If it were dogs, cats and horses being sold in this way the whole country would be outraged - why should it be any different for small furries? Being small doesn't make your life less important and more expendable.:(
Click to expand...

Unbelievable its not just small furries that are over bred with no care for their health, just to be sold for a profit in a pet shop.
There are actually pet shops that sell puppies in the same way, and they are bred in sickening conditions from puppy farms. :0

This is a link to a group who campaign tirelessly to stop puppy farmers who supply pet shops and sell through free ads. pow-pow
(Hope no one minds me posting, but as animal lovers we all need to be aware)
http://www.puppylovecampaigns.org/index.shtml

How anyone can use and abuse animals all in the name of a profit. Its a disgrace. grrrr
 
Btw...

I'm well aware that some pet shops do sell puppies etc ( and also all about pre-loved; horse markets etc ). But I was speaking specifically of P@H as that's what this thread was about.
My point was that they advertise themselves as pet friendly and loving and caring etc but the general public wouldn't be quite so taken up with it all if they were selling larger animals - my bugbear being that P@H seem to think it's acceptable to sell smaller animals like that. And yes, it's the bigwigs at headoffice raking in the cash who are responsible, not the shop assistants who seem very freindly ( if a little ill-informed, but once again that's head office for you ).
Sorry if I didn't make myself clear in my original response and appeared to be completely unaware of the traumas horses, puppies etc go through with other pet shops, breeders, markets etc. I'm not, I was just being thread specific. :)
 
no, no i think it makes us bring up lots of valid points about why this should no longer be somewhere we choose to go first on our lists and can educate people.

But yes, its not good ranting at the staff, it needs to go higher.......

Also I must re-phrase my post above, the 100cm cage is advertised because if you buy that you will get free food, bedding, hay etc but it WAS stuck the the piggie enclosure right under the price for 3 piggies...
 
I think it's all well and grand voting with yer feet and cash by not shopping there, but unless each person contacts head office and lets PAH know WHY they are no longer shopping there, we can't expect things to change and improve.

I think stores like them could prove to be a really helpful and useful place to shop, a one stop place for advice and supplies; IF all staff are trained properly. The only people that can improve apon that are at the top and if they realise that they are loosing alot of customers due to the current standards in alot of the stores, things ain't gonna change.
 
You're quite right of course - I must email them to let them know why they've lost my custom. Hope everyone else does too.
 
AndreaJane said:
I'm well aware that some pet shops do sell puppies etc ( and also all about pre-loved; horse markets etc ). But I was speaking specifically of P@H as that's what this thread was about.
Sorry if I didn't make myself clear in my original response and appeared to be completely unaware of the traumas horses, puppies etc go through with other pet shops, breeders, markets etc. I'm not, I was just being thread specific. :)
Click to expand...

Ok sorry if I offended. I know my post was not very thread specific ;)
I just thought It was worth a mention, as I certainly wasn't aware puppies were still sold in this way until not too long ago.
We do all agree though that no animal should be sold through pet shop chains.
Sorry for going off topic then guys. :)

I definately agree that it goes beyond the staff, and without informing the people at the top why we refuse to shop there, how can we expect any change or to educate people.
 
I brought two piggies from p@h. I hadn't intended too but fell in love with a little boy. I went on holiday and when I came back he was still there so ..... We also got mr tufty and I called my beautiful boy badger. All seemed fine, badger always seemed much braver than mr tufty and seemed happy to be handled. I got them on the Sunday on Wednesday he was running round seemingly happy, on Thursday he was a little quiet but I'd had people round for brunch and thought maybe it was all the noise that had unsettled him. He was still eating drinking peeing pooing etc and had a run around in the evening.
Friday morning I noticed he was eating his veg very slowly so an appointment with the vet was made for a couple of hours later.
His symptoms were neurological and by the time we got to vet he had a head tilt little control of his back legs and twitchy eyes. It was felt he either had an ear infection or a parasite that had got to his brain, he was treated for both and I took him home and got on with hand feeding, I knew the outlook wasn't good but I had to give him the best chance.
Sadly badger later had a large seizure and so I called the vet who came out and he was pts.
It was a horrid experience and looking back I guess the fact he seemed so brave etc were signs he was poorly but not knowing him......
I am however pleased I was the one who brought him because he was given the best chance and I did my best, given that anyone could have brought him his final days could have been alot worse.
 
That's a very sad story, so sorry you lost Badger after such a short time with him. R.I.P little piggie. Are you going to write to P@H?
x
 
Pets At Home in my area has a very good reputation as well.

I have always found the staff very knowledgable and helpful.

The lady I adopted my boyz from originally got them from Pets At Home and she said they asked her a lot of questions before she was allowed to take them home.

I guess everyone has to make a personal decision.
 
I phoned straight away due to possibility or e colichali (? On spelling!) so was worried about the other pigs. I went to store on the Monday and they had taken pigs off shop floor. They paid vet bill and refunded the cost of badger and gave me a gift card. To be fair I wasn't worried about the cost while I'm not that well off vets bills are part of keeping animals but just so sad he suffered and wish I'd had chance to get to know him so I could have spotted changes, I know I'm a responsible pet owner and I didn't decide to get them without lots of research etc but will always feel I failed him. Amazing how quickly you fall in love with these 4 legged things!
 
Btw badger was buried in my flower bed and I'm going to let dandelions grow on his grave, a little tribute to him when my boys get thier fav greenery!
 
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