Pets @ Home

  • Thread starter Thread starter LisaManship1980
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
L

LisaManship1980

I'm getting reall annoyed reading all the bad stories people have had when buying from P@H. >:(
Does anybody else think that instead of just talking on the forum we should be actively trying to get this store to stop the following -
1. keeping piggies and bunnies in the same pen
2. using woodshavings in their pens
3. claiming that items that they sell are suitable for piggies when they actuallu cause harm and possible injury/sickness i.e sawdust which is labelled suitable for piggies. >:(
4. selling ill / pregnant piggies

i'm sorry if anyone on here works for p@h,but it's not fair on those who buy stuff from them with good faith and end up with problems. i thought my experience was unique to my local area but i see others on here with similar problems. if it wasn't for the forum i would have taken all the advice given to me from the free booklet that i had from the store - most of which is misleading and just plain wrong.
 
I totally agree next time i go in there I'm gonna point everything out that is wrong for piggys ! :tickedoff: :tickedoff: >:(
 
i'm thinking more on the lines of everyone on here writing a letter to their local stores - or head office even. total protest movement :police:
 
Most P@H don't put them together now, atleast mine don't. Mine have 4 pens, 2 for female/male piggies and same for buns.

I got hermione from there on Monday and she is most definatly a girl and i got all the right info. Maybe i don't share most peoples thoughts cos i've never had the same problem and the employee's in my local actually care and are knowledgable.

I went today and the assistan manager remember me from Monday and even ased how little Herione had settled in :)
 
last time i went in mine about week n half ago they had bunnies and guineas in one pen :tickedoff:
 
They are in the process of making the changes, they cant happen overnight, but we are assured they are happening.

If you see something wrong, complain there and then, and remember to follow it up.

I dont think they should sell animals at all, but thats just me :)
 
my local store has 2 pens one for female buns/piggies and one for male buns/piggies. they have spare pens at the back that are empty 98)

if one person says something or complains it is easy to ignore - but how many people are on this forum if everybody wrote letters they would have to take notice
 
Our local PetsAtHome have now seperated pigs and buns, and they also don't keep as many in one single pen anymore, so the animals have more room. They also have an adoption centre, where for a donation you can adopt pets who can no longer remain with their former owners.

I agree, it's very annoying when there are pictures of guinea pigs on exercise wheels/balls and wood shavings bags, indicating that these are okay for pigs, but the sad fact is they are not the only store doing it.

Life can be so frustrating! :(
 
yes life can be frustrating but it doesn't have to be - we should be doing something about it as piggie lovers
 
These changes are happening, they DO already know!

It cant happen overnight!
 
Luckily our P@H seems quite good now.

The piggies and buns are in separate areas. And I must say they look clean and well cared for.

We have bought some piggies from there before and they were happy and healthy. Ours also had an older piggie for sale, and they seemed to be checking the person who was buying knew about them before he bought.

My only complaint with them is that they let me hold a tiny baby without checking I'd be happy to do so. As it was I knew how to hold a wriggling baby without dropping it, but that easily could have been different. Then again, I don't think that's the norm, I think the asisstant we had that day was stressed as there was a rugby scrum in there trying to buy babies...

She did check people knew that they needed grass and oudoor running space, and to make sure that they don't suddenly have too much fruit/veg/grass etc because of upset tummies.

So all in alll, I was quite pleased with them and have been for a while.

I'm sorry if other people's local stores aren't so good though. I know of two pet shops in another local town where the piggies look a bit miserable and cramped...one of those being a large chain as well but not P@H. Next time I'm there I'll pop in and check, and write if needs be.

Suzie x
 
LisaManship1980 said:
yes life can be frustrating but it doesn't have to be - we should be doing something about it as piggie lovers
Click to expand...

Just a friendly suggestion..you obviously feel very strongly about this... :)

Why don't you start an online petition with this specific chain of pet store in mind, asking that they update their care advice, supporting your argument with all the information from reliable and informed sources on the web. You could ask them not to stock unsuitable items which are marketed for guinea pigs (ie the balls, wheels, harnesses, etc) and suggest that they (Pets at Home) are generally seen as a respected authority for people buying items for their pets who are also looking for advice, and that if they change their ways... 'where they lead others will follow'. A bit of tactful flattery never hurt and might get you further than being dismissed as 'just another animal rights libber' - an unfortunate phrase, but I've heard it more than once.

I'm sure lots of people here will be happy to sign such a petition....

I do agree about the changes - the way they house animals - I've seen this myself in 2 different PAH even if some stores haven't done it yet. You might want to send a seperate petition/letter to the specific store you have in mind.

Just a few ideas.. I'm not trying to get on anyone's case or being totally pro-pet shop....
 
yeah an online petition or something would be good, some of the ways p@h keep animals aren't great by any means, i rescued 2 of mine from there. :-\
 
Can I post something positive about Pets @ Home. I got Cuzzy on the 27th July and he was fine, after a couple of days I noticed that he had mites and whizzed him up to the vets. I informed P@H via e-mail and they have sent me a refund for Cuzzy plus his vet fees so I'm very happy about that.

I feel that before ANY animal is bought at ANY shop they should be checked for signs of illness etc and ONLY then should they be sold to the public, this should be a basic requirement and the LAW of the land IMHO!

My P@H Stores in St Helens and Aintree don't house Guineas and Rabbits together, at Aintree they have an adoption service.

I agree about the wood shavings, also their is always lots of poop in the food bowls, they should also be provided with a hay rack to avoid boredom and help digestion.

I feel so enraged that the likes of Pets @ Home sell items that can endanger pigs, the leads is a classic example. We have to educate people and ensure they know what is safe for the pigs. I'm new to Piggie Paradise but it is common sense that these harnesses would hurt a pig. My advice to all is keep it natural, don't give anything that they wouldn't have in the wild!

So I've had my ups and downs with P@H I think they have improved but there is always room for improvement and who better to guide them but the likes of us the people who are Cavie Slaves!

Louise
 
I've done everything mentioned to little effect. It's "company policy" to house them on shavings. It's "company policy" to put worthless probiotics in the water. It's "company policy" that all they do is ask for an address and check that the person looks over 16, but they still sell to anyone without question. It's "company policy" that they can't guarantee the sexes of livestock.

I'm on good terms with my local store (I tell them the animals have run out of hay, they have hay within minutes) but their hands are tied when it comes to "company policy". The adoption process in stores is a farce, read my previous posts on this for more details.

Until they stop selling to anyone and everyone there will still be a huge problem with their animals ending up in rescue.

As I've said before, the day they stop selling animals altogether will be the day they get a big round of applause from me.
 
I've been saying for a while how much our local Pets at Home has improved. However, thats down to the staff they currently employ. One of the girls who is very experienced and interested in the rabbits and guinea pigs left yesterday. Is she looking forward to her new job? No, not one bit! The only reason she is leaving a job which she enjoys is the fact the pay is so bad! She says that is the only reason she is leaving!

Until they start paying their staff a decent wage then they won't keep the decent ones and standards won't improve. :(
 
I would never buy another animal from P@H. I work in an independent pet store and the number of people we have in complaining about them is unreal. also my friend who works in the same shop as me and is doing her college work experience at a vets says they have so many people i8n with P@H problem animals.

Some stores are better than others I agree but the ones near me seem to be very bad. And completely clueless about animals.

Amy.x. :smitten:
 
Awww that's terrible. I must stick up for our local one though.

The animals are well kept in big hutches with runs attached and the man there obviously cared for the animals more than making a profit as he gave my mum free food to mix in with ours so that Nutmeg wouldn't have to change food suddenly. I was pleased to see that one animal that had hurt itself had been removed and put in a nursing area which was strictly out of bounds for the public. They also knew all about the animals.

Such a shame about the tiny cages at yours...it's so cruel especially for the babies who have so much energy. :(
 
Ahhh that is sad - The ones in tiny cages have you told them there too small for piggys ? Why dont you report them ! 98)
 
Yeah Garden Centres are the worst! I went to one in Aintree and the area where the pigs where kept was so dark and dingy, they had no fresh floor or drinking water and they were housed next to snakes! I reported it!

I went to one on the Wirral a couple of weeks back and they had Guineas and Bunnys in together, I reported that to!

Don't get me wrong I'll make a stand against Petshops who I believe are disrespecting the animal but some have made improvements and I would go as far as saying one or two are very good in this area.

But it doesn't just stop at Guineas, we have clothes for dogs and dangerous toys for the likes of rats and ferrets (in the shape of hammocks that they could strangle themselves on) more has to be done for ALL animals.

I'm glad I've got my boys, but in future I would rescue, I feel more confident in doing so, I've just touched lucky with Sunshine, Twinkle and Cuzzy (besides the Mite problem) but I would prefer to know some history of the pig received. So in that respect I think educating people is the way forward.

Louise
 
Ahhh thats sad - Good job of making a complaint
To be honest if anyone thinks somethings bad then let the manager or person know as then at least something will probably get done - If not then make another complaint ! ;) Keep up on the complaining as good things like complaining can only get better
 
I work for pets corner, and as part of our employment, we have to undergo animal training before we sell an animal. We are not even allowed to give advice on an animal in case we give out the wrong info until we have completed the training.
We are also trained to "put off" potential owners, and give all the negatives to pet ownership. and to the individual species. We often refuse to sell animals because we have felt the owner doesnt know enough, or simply doesnt care.
All of our breeders are checked by our livestock manager, the animals get a daily health check, if they are sick they go straight to the vet they are handled all the time (they are behind glass doors so that they dont get frighten/prodded) the new owner gets a birth certificate, and 3 week guarantee.
 
SunshineAndTwinkle said:
Yeah Garden Centres are the worst! I went to one in Aintree and the area where the pigs where kept was so dark and dingy, they had no fresh floor or drinking water and they were housed next to snakes! I reported it!

I went to one on the Wirral a couple of weeks back and they had Guineas and Bunnys in together, I reported that to!

D
Louise
Click to expand...

Louise which garden centre on the Wirral did you go to? We rescued one of our bunnies from Waterworld near Neston.. he was being kept in a tiny g.pig cage when he is actually a large rabbit. was it there?
 
Our little rex Fuzzy that we got from P@H died exactly 2 weeks after we brought him home, despite frequent trips to the vets.
We are now facing the prospect of losing Lucky who we brought home on Saturday (like 6 days ago). If the worst happens, I am sending OH to read them the riot act. Its awful, we are both so upset.
 
i think the pets at home near me isnt too bad either (derby).

they seperate pigs and buns, and have a section for adoption too.

they do use woodshavings though, but the piggies there always have plenty of hay and water, and food when i go in.

my friend got her piggies from there, and when we went to get them the guy selling them asked if we'd had piggies before and knew how to look after them, and if they would be living with our piggies we already have.

the only thing that bothered me was that the guy i spoke to didnt know what sex the piggies were that they had in, and had to go and check when i asked. i did double check when we got home to make sure they were both boys, after hearing of mis-sexes at P@H but they were correctly sexed, and both perfectly healthy :)

also when ive been before when i had only recently got my piggies, they did recommend carefresh bedding to me, and recommended to my friend that she used the same food they were already on and showed her which one it was

i did make a complaint to a little pet shop once about their piggy/rabbit housing and ended up storming out :S if my P@H did anything like what some people mentioned i would have said something, and i think people who do have problems with them should too, but ive not really seen mine do anything yet that has made me want to complain
 
[/quote]

Louise which garden centre on the Wirral did you go to? We rescued one of our bunnies from Waterworld near Neston.. he was being kept in a tiny g.pig cage when he is actually a large rabbit. was it there?
[/quote]

Hi Katie,

Sadly it was. We went over as we were going to get another boar but found there pigs seemed quite agressive, we have now decided to leave that idea. I just felt so sad for the bunnies more than anything as one had matted hair. I found the store quite reasonable for hutches and cages (I was after a large cage for the boys for the winter but have decided on a hutch hugger instead). At the time when I went they only had boars and no sows, even the birds didn't look properley cared for. But sometimes I think is it me? Am I being too picky?

Where you from Katie? I'm in Naylorsfield near Huyton, Liverpool.

Take care,

Louise
:)
 
Kerriebaby said:
I work for pets corner, and as part of our employment, we have to undergo animal training before we sell an animal. We are not even allowed to give advice on an animal in case we give out the wrong info until we have completed the training.
We are also trained to "put off" potential owners, and give all the negatives to pet ownership. and to the individual species. We often refuse to sell animals because we have felt the owner doesnt know enough, or simply doesnt care.
All of our breeders are checked by our livestock manager, the animals get a daily health check, if they are sick they go straight to the vet they are handled all the time (they are behind glass doors so that they dont get frighten/prodded) the new owner gets a birth certificate, and 3 week guarantee.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear that Pets Corner take it seriously, but I must say I was really unimpressed by both the staff and the guinea pig conditions in the one near-ish me :(. We rung them once to see if they had any baby females as we needed one urgently and couldn't find any anywhere (this was when Sevi was losing weight through loneliness when her cage-mate died) and they offered us completely wrong (and unwanted) advice. :(

I'm pleased the one you work at is good though! :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top