What Are Your Thoughts On Pet Shop Adoption Services?

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BlueBird

BlueBird

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Hello all,

[Sorry if this is in the wrong place, I didn't really know where to put this in all honesty]

So as you may be aware, I'm looking for a friend for my single pig and I am casting a wide net (there seems to be a lack of homeless guineas in my area right now - which I guess is a good thing).

Recently, it has come to my attention (without naming any names) that some pet shops can have adoption services embedded in them. Personally, I am nervous about using this service since it has been drilled into me that you should only buy supplies from pet shops not actual pets. Just wanted to know people's thoughts about them. And maybe some experience stories if people are willing.
 
Scribbled28 said:
Hello all,

[Sorry if this is in the wrong place, I didn't really know where to put this in all honesty]

So as you may be aware, I'm looking for a friend for my single pig and I am casting a wide net (there seems to be a lack of homeless guineas in my area right now - which I guess is a good thing).

Recently, it has come to my attention (without naming any names) that some pet shops can have adoption services embedded in them. Personally, I am nervous about using this service since it has been drilled into me that you should only buy supplies from pet shops not actual pets. Just wanted to know people's thoughts about them. And maybe some experience stories if people are willing.
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My latest 2 girls were from the adoption section at pets at home x
 
Personally I think its a crossed between them trying to do the right thing and palming older stock off. Pets at home do take in pets from the public when they can, which is great to find them a new home, but I don't like it when I see ones in the adoption section who have been in the store a while, that's not fair.
 
I think if it offers people an alternative to 'buying' and raises the awareness of rehoming, that's good, as some people aren't aware that rescues exist.

It's really difficult though, as no individual pig is any more or less deserving of a home based on where they are bought/rescued. No pig asks to be 'unwanted' having been born to a show breeder, or to a lax/unscrupulous owner or pet store designated :(
 
If you adopt a piggy from a pet store its better than buying one, but they may just be 'old stock' rather than returned animals. You should quarantine for 2 weeks and get the sex checked by a competent person, also be prepared for possible pregnancies in female piggies.
 
There are some genuine adoption piggies in those sections, however many are actually old "stock"or returned "stock" (mis-sexed or sick but then treated and fit for rehoming) or the product of a sale of a pregnant or mis-sexed piggy. So by adopting from them you are still perpetuating (albeit indirectly) the intentional breeding of piggies for profit. But I accept if you are going to get a pig from one of those shops then it's better to "adopt" than buy their "for sale" babies.
The genuine charity and volunteer rescues are full of piggies who've been surrendered for adoption. That's why as a forum we support and promote the approved rescues rather than the "adoption" section of the pet stores.
 
I'd agree with the sentiments above, it's a cross between shops wanting to get rid of old stock, claiming that the single piggy didn't get on with his or hers cage mate. I've taken 3 in my time, including Captain Jack (avatar) and frankly I don't think he would have been taken up quickly because he only has one eye - and why? Well that was due to the pet shops fault...anyway, I digress.

I guess the argument is that if people keep talking piggies from pet shops as adoption then there is the chance they will abuse that service. I'm no longer in favour of this practice.
 
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pig in the city said:
If you adopt a piggy from a pet store its better than buying one, but they may just be 'old stock' rather than returned animals. You should quarantine for 2 weeks and get the sex checked by a competent person, also be prepared for possible pregnancies in female piggies.
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It's very true that a lot of the pets for rehoming are sadly not babies anymore and are therefore classed as old stock.The 2 I adopted were only 12 weeks old so I'm not sure how they got into the store.Heres a couple of pics x
 
I think it's fine to adopt old stock if they really have been there for that long. I remember at my local Pets at Home they had a pair of boars in rescue there for about a year. Someone adopted them for two days, then brought them back under different names and they stayed there for another 6 months. I really wish I had adopted them and I know my dad would have, if we had the space. I think about them a lot, surprisingly, and where they are now. My Pets At Home ended up being refurbished and all animals got moved to other stores. I went around looking for them at all the local Pets At Homes, but never saw them again. I just hope they are ok.

I wouldn't purchase from Pets At Home again as I did with Toffee and Oreo when they were babies. I don't regret getting them though, as I don't think they would have the care I give them or dedication from a different owner. Other kids at school think I'm crazy when I have to explain that I can't do something because I have to take Oreo to the vets, in Northampton. Toffee was a very sickly pig his whole life, and I believe it was from bad genetics. I also think he had an undiagnosed heart problem, but my vets told me it was too hard to diagnose and I just ended up agreeing. I would still use them in an emergency, but I would now just go to Simon if I thought it was serious enough, but not a total emergency. I am now looking for a new vet. I think I might ask my local guinea pig rescue about where they go (Hazelcroft) or use my hamster's breeder's vet, who I have heard excellent things about (hamster breeders are different and there are some approved ones who totally do not breed for profit. As a result, my hamster is super healthy and tame).

If you can obviously see there is a really sick animal in the baby pigs, or obviously pregnant, I think it is ok to buy them as they clearly need urgent medical attention, which the pet shop may not give them. If they were pregnant, they wouldn't have the pregnancy care that they need. I was once in Pets At Home where they had a heavily sneezing rabbit, who clearly had a URI (or rabbit equivalent. I don't know much about rabbits) so I told a member of staff. They said it was a cold and took it to the in store vets.

The best thing to do is find a good rescue, if possible.

I think pet shops really do abuse the service. They once had a golden agouti in the baby cages, who was clearly a lot bigger, so they just separated him and put him on his own in the adoption centre. I was absolutely disgusted (I knew it was the same pig because I always keep my eye on the golden agoutis).
 
Thank you all for your comments. You seem to all echo my sentiment towards these adoption services. As I said, I'm casting a wide net, however guinea pigs seem to be a bit scarce in my area. Slightly impressive considering how many rescues there are local to me. I guess it's nice that the rescues don't have any piggies in them right now; I just hope that there weren't all snapped up by people who didn't think things through over the Christmas period. :/
 
I adopted one of my hamsters from P@H sadly they didn't know him well enough to know he bites lol, but I think thats just a normal thing with a lot of hamsters. Adoption was easy enough.

I know of a rescue in Nottingham that has a pair of boars at the moment.
 
Scribbled28 said:
Thank you all for your comments. You seem to all echo my sentiment towards these adoption services. As I said, I'm casting a wide net, however guinea pigs seem to be a bit scarce in my area. Slightly impressive considering how many rescues there are local to me. I guess it's nice that the rescues don't have any piggies in them right now; I just hope that there weren't all snapped up by people who didn't think things through over the Christmas period. :/
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It's as well to liaise directly with the rescues. Often the websites do not fully reflect the piggies they have in their care. Many rescues are still full after Xmas!
Some rescues will also rehome beyond their local area for the right home, as long as they can be satisfied as to the conditions for the piggy. Some will organise a local home check even though you are out of their area. So please feel free to look beyond your local rescues.
You could also consider any of the other piggies offered on the rehoming section of this forum. Good luck
 
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