Who was the investigator?

Posted by: RS | January 23, 2007 08:08 PM

I can tell you all that all this information about Petsmart is 100% true. I used to work at Petsmart and they treat the pets there very harsh and you never see a vet coming in to take care of the pets. Petsmart os the worst whenn it comes to taking care of pets.

Posted by: not available | January 24, 2007 01:16 AM

I also will vouch for the fact that everything, here shown by Peta, actually does gone on, on a daily basis at Petsmart. I worked as a pet specialist for almost six months, and saw the horrors of what little medical attention these animals recieve. However, we did take are sick animals to the vet, and recieved medication for them. But it only went so far... some animals did suffer. But I agree with Peta, Petsmart defently needs to either stop selling animals, or step up their program, by adding a vet to their staff. Thanks for finally brining this to the public eye. I have signed the petition, and am no longer purchasing anything from Petsmart. Best of luck with this campaign.

Posted by: BM | January 24, 2007 10:38 AM

I used to work at Petsmart in N. Scottsdale, AZ at the store at 90th and Shea. I was there for two years. The video is accurate. Most of the issues were with small animals, many with wettail, or uri. We did have a vet in store, but we were told by the Specialty Manager, and Store Director not to bring animals to them for vet care, it was cheaper to let them die in back. Betta's used to be shipped in small dixie bathroom sized cups, they must have figured it was cheaper to ship less water weight. It's sad, I haven't been in a Petsmart since I quit.

Posted by: MS | January 24, 2007 07:07 PM

Won't be shopping there, and will make sure my friends and family know about this. No excuse for it.

Posted by: Elizabeth | January 24, 2007 08:02 PM

I CAN'T BELEIVE SOMEONE WOULD MISTREAT SMALL ANIMALS THIS WAY. I HAVE NEVER WORKED IN THE STORE AND NEVER WILL. ALSO I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANYTHING FROM PETSMART.

Posted by: L.T. | January 25, 2007 08:35 PM

I noticed that "PetSmart" zeros in on selling pets to small children.
What will be the future of these novelty purchases?

Posted by: Gregg | January 26, 2007 07:38 AM

That is so terrible... I don't see why people would pay 600$ for a pure bread anyways.. unless you want to go through with the whole less disease less problems (genetics) but Me personally wouldn't buy anything from there anyways, I rescue animals, there is no excuse for their actions. They could do some kinda of promotion or donation center. Thats aweful sad to hear. I'll tell you what I will spread the word on that one.

Posted by: Alyssa | January 26, 2007 05:34 PM

I am appalled at your cruel treatment of animals. I will never shop there as long as i live. I hope your company goes out of business.

Posted by: lisa salazar | January 26, 2007 09:51 PM

This is despicable. I know most pet stores really don't care for their pets, especially small animals and reptiles. When my husband was alive we bred Bearded Dragons, and had a very good reputation. Shipped all over the US, but before shipping, each place was checked out carefully, and I was called as soon as they arrived. NEVER did we loose a baby bearded in transport.

We would go to pet stores and check them out thoroughly prior to selling to them, and Pet Smart, Petco, and several local stores were among the NO SALE
customers.

Now, I have dogs, all rescues. Never would I buy a dog from a pet store, why support PUPPY MILLS, no way.
A reputable breeder, and there are many out there, if this is the way a client wants to go. But for me, it was save lives, and that I did for 2 chocolate labs and 2 golden retrievers males and females each.

Hopefully people looking for a pet will learn through PETA to check out these chain stores, and even the private pet stores prior to making a purchase, which in many cases they will regret after spending hundreds of dollars.

GOOD WORK PETA, keep it up, I am a supporter of your continued on going conerns for all animals.

Posted by: Pat | January 30, 2007 12:24 AM

HEY!!!!!Wake up Petsmart!!!!!
If you REALLY love animals, you would not treat these helpless animals like you are!!!!Have you ever heard of respect and love?Animals are humans,too!!!!

Posted by: janis burdin | January 30, 2007 07:31 AM

PetSmart, what a bunch of hypocrites. Will NEVER shop there and will tell everyone I know about this story. Just horrible.

Posted by: Helga Rodriguez | January 31, 2007 12:48 AM

I am appalled at PetSmart, but, unfortunately, not surprised at their treatment of small animals. It's not only PetSmart, but PetCo as well. I was in a PetSmart recently when a teenage girl came in with her recent purchase of a hamster. I overheard her talking to a PetSmart employee saying that she purchased the hamster the day before and then later in the evening, the hamster was on its back and could not walk. The employee, kept poking at the hamster with a pencil for some reason, I guess to see if it would get up and walk. Stupid. The customer wanted another hamster. People purchase these poor small animals for their kids and these animals just get abused. I have witnessed employees both at PetSmart and Petco help pick out cages and other supplies for customers knowing that the cage, etc. was too small. A majority of the employees just don't care. Another time, I had to inform an employee at a Petco that there was a dead mouse in the mouse habitat. Who knows how long the poor animal died? Another time, I had to tell a Petco employee that they had put male and female hamsters together in an enclosure. Where do they get these workers? Isn't there a petition that can be signed to submit a bill to ban all small animal sales in pet stores?

Posted by: Kimberly Anthony | February 8, 2007 03:50 PM

I know that this goes on in a lot of pet stores, not just Petsmart or Petco. Honestly, it is not like its company policy to mistreat animals. Each store has different people working it, and stuff like this will happen.
I work at a Petsmart and I know all of our sick animals see our instore vet and receive medicine. None are left to die, but it does happen. There is an isolation room in the back where sick animals are kept so no healthy animals get sick. I haven't had many animals that go into isolation die. Most of the dead animals happen when we sell a healthy pet, and pet owners don't see the signs of a sick small animal as easy. Obviously these stores weren't doing their jobs, but don't target the company. Report anything you see to the store manager, or even the district manager. The majority of the people I work with really do care about the animals and we hate to see them die.

Posted by: Kim (Petsmart Employee) | March 26, 2007 01:02 AM

I also work at petsmart and all of our sick animals see vets. We even take birds and reptiles to a seperate vet that specializes in these types of animals. We quarantine new animals and keep sick animals in a seperate room. Atleast Petsmart tries. What about all the petstores that sell sick animals or do not treat them at all? What about the "convenience stores" that now sell animals? I know I ALWAYS inform the pet parent of the proper care of their animal and ALWAYS strongly urge them to do their own research.

Posted by: Julie | May 3, 2007 11:33 AM

IT depends on your petsmart and on the leadership involved in the Pet specialist area. I have worked there for a few weeks and i notice that my manager's highest priority is the health and safety of the pets. Don't blame petsmart, blame the leadership.

Posted by: John | May 30, 2007 09:47 PM

I have work in the specialty department at my petsmart for yrs now. I believe the workers in my department take care of all the small animals well. We don't put them in the isolation room to die. We treat them asap. That includes all birds and reptiles. If we do have an animal who is suffering we dont just leave it there. It is taken to the vet and put down.. Every Petsmart is different, like one of the other people before said don't blame the company. Blame the keadership.

Posted by: Sam | June 7, 2007 10:28 AM

I work as a pet care specialist at Petsmart and I agree that we shouldn't sell small animals, mainly because they are impulse purchases for children and aren't properly cared for thereafter. All of the pet care associates in our store are extremely compassionate. We all understand we are entirely responsible for the well being of these animals, and although we don't particularly agree with them being there in the first place, we give 100% when it comes to the well being of our animals. The living conditions of the animals in the PETA video are appalling. I've seen a FEW hamsters die to wet tail but nothing like the video depicts. The conditions are obviously going to vary from store to store.

Posted by: Allegra | June 10, 2007 02:08 PM

you guys are so stupid animals are living creatures you shouldn't be treating them that way i was thinking about buying one of your hamsters but i change my mind now if you guys don't treat them right then i don't want to buy one of your hamsters and it die like 2 days after i get it that would be stupid and don't think that you wouldn't be getting a call about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: sarah | July 5, 2007 05:08 PM

I too work in the specialtiy department, and like those before me who stated before- blame the leadership. The video posted above was obviously at a petsmart who wasn't doing things correctly- as there should never be that much wettail, that many animals in isolation, and that many deaths..however death may occur- unfortunatly that's life. Yes, the video was disturbing, and PETA made their point rather well with it...however conditions at petsmarts around the country are not that bad.

Posted by: Kelly | July 9, 2007 11:13 AM

I have worked at PetSmart as a pet care specialist for three months now, and this video shows nothing but false information. Yes, there is an isolation room, but would you want the hamster with wet tail to spread it to every hamster in the store? As soon as we see signs of any illness, such as wet tail, URI, wounds, etc, we take it straight to the back and make paperwork for it to be treated and logged daily, and to see the vet immediatly. The sick need there time in quiet to heal, NOT in the middle of the store where customers and other animals can stress it out.

Think about the big picture: in vet offices, do animals die? yes. Do you call that animal cruelty? no. I have had my own pet hamsters die while trying to be treated for an illness right at the vet office, but I do not blame it on them. Death happens. Petsmart employees do their best, just as vets do, to keep animals happy and thriving. The world is not perfect.

Another thing to consider: this investagator for peta, she worked at petsmart for six months, right? Did she try and help the problem? or did she sit there and just watch it all happen? Instead of helping the sick animals, she pulled out her video camera to watch them suffer. That is even worse than them dying..that is disgusting. She, being a pet care specialist, was responsible for those deaths as well.

All in all, Petsmart is an amazing store, with employees that came there because they love animals more than anything. I am proud to work there, and I will always be proud of the many family members I sell to Pet Parents.

Posted by: Alisa | October 1, 2007 11:06 PM

I have worked at a PetSmart for over a year and this movie not at all accurate to my store. EVERY sick animal MUST see the vet. Our current Pet Care manager has worked really hard to minimize casualties of the pets we sell, and she has been very successful in doing so.
Of course sick animals are in a separate room from the rest of the store: why stress them out and expose them to unnecessary germs by placing them in the middle of the store?
I agree with the fact that we shouldn't sell pets, just on the principle that mass production of animals is wrong. HOWEVER my store does an awesome job of taking care of the animals.

Posted by: Anonymous | October 2, 2007 09:53 PM

I work at petsmart right now as a Pet Care Specialist, and yes some animals do die but very few!! I think this is a load of bullocks because all our animals that get wet tail, or respitory infections see the vet and get treated...we have a SICK room for the sick pets in the back and we have that so that the other animals dont catch the virus too! The animals get treated REALLY REALLY good, and if we lose a animal i can tell that the other pet care specialist i work with get upset too...Its probably different in every store but i can tell you that our store is awesome, and everyone that works there loves animals...i supported peta in high school and still do...but this is nonsense...

Posted by: tiffany | October 9, 2007 12:53 PM

Of course the situation is different at each store because different people work in and manage each store. However, we can blame the company overall for selling small animals. If this practice were discontinued, there would be no issue of the possible suffering, dying, and lack of medical treatment for the sick and injured. There's no way "the company" will ever be able to be present in each every location to ensure proper care is afforded to each and every creature. The point is to send the message to the company as a whole that selling animals in their stores is unacceptable and should be stopped.

Posted by: Cinnamon Lehto | October 13, 2007 02:06 PM

I'm starting at a petsmart in my community in a couple of weeks and I really hope that the pets there are taken care of good or I WILL speak up and tell someone!!

Posted by: Summer | October 13, 2007 09:46 PM

It's unfortunate that animals are treated as objects, instead of living, breathing, creatures that feel pain & need love just like we do! When you see an animal that may be abused in anyway, ask yourself, how would I feel if I traded places with it. If the answer is NO WAY would I trade places with them, then it's time to speak up for the animal since it has no voice. Their well being & life depends on each one of us speaking up & exposing the abuses. PetSmart needs to be held responsible for the animals' health. Please be a voice for our animals and report any abuse.

Posted by: Dawna Berger | October 28, 2007 03:15 PM

There are many iguanas together in one cage or vertical tank with poor light/heat systems. One or two store personels were ignorant about raising iguanas. Very sad to see...

Posted by: Sher | October 29, 2007 12:21 PM

I shop at the petsmart in falls Church every week and have never seen any of the things you talk about. This must be an isolated case, as can be in any large chain store. It gives this store a bad name when it may be two isolated stores who have bad employees.

Posted by: Sandy | October 29, 2007 08:02 PM

I do at least know that my local PetSmart cares about their small animals. The woman in charge there often buys the sick ones and takes them home to raise them herself, and I've seen her come back with them on her shoulder around the store. (Usually rats, the best small pet.)

While it appalls me to see this in other PetSmart, it's better than PetCo, where I have actually seen dead rats and mice in the cages with the others. I often have to notify the store, as sometimes the animals look as if they have been lying there dead for days.

Posted by: Danielle | November 13, 2007 01:17 AM

well they at least are better than petland, they are even worse!

Posted by: Alissa | November 18, 2007 10:54 PM

Um, I work at petsmart currently and it is wrong to point the finger at every single petsmart because some arent following rules. All of our sick animals go to Banfield which is the VET that we have IN STORE. Petsmart is so much better of a store than the rival Petco. We do care about our animals. Maybe some of the petsmarts should do better screening of potential employees. It is stupid for some of you to say "oh ill never shop there, they kill animals." that shows how ignorant you are and that you are nothing more than a follower. Every store has a bad seed, every store has problems including grocery stores and doctors offices. Do you know what goes on at the walmarts or mcdonalds?? yet you still spend your money there. Petsmart is a great company and i enjoy everyday that i get to go to work.

Posted by: jt | November 27, 2007 06:01 PM

also, id like to add... no one was caught in the act of anything wrong in this PETA video. all it shows is the undercover rat holding dead animals. I love animals, but you have to realize SHIT happens!! Peta for the most part are insane jobless morons who are looking for things to bitch about. people die in hospitals, are you going to stop going there also?

Posted by: jt | November 27, 2007 06:07 PM

I believe that this was an isolated situation. Statistically speaking, an undercover "investigator" cannot provide accurate information by working for six months in only two stores - considering the fact that there are hundreds of PetSmart stores in the U.S.
I am currently a Pet Care manager at PetSmart and can tell you that my first priority is the health and safety of our animals - whether they are in our store to be sold as pets or they are just visiting for a day out with their parents. I noticed there were a few people concerned about pets being sold to children and the outcome of the pets' lives after these sales. Petsmart requires that the Pet Parent be at least 18 years old in order to purchase any animal (including fish). However, children DO love small animals. If a child is interested in owning a small animal, bird, or reptile, their parent or legal guardian must sign a contract with Petsmart promising that they will be the primary caregiver for the animal. In this contract, they promise that they have adequate room, financial ability, and the knowledge to properly care for their animal. This must be signed by anyone purchasing a pet. Petsmart also has the right to refuse the sale of any animal if we feel that the Pet Parent may not be suited to care for it or they may be using it as a feeder animal (i.e. rats or mice for snake food). I have had to take this stand in a few situations. We also educate new Pet Parents about how to care for their new pet properly. Petsmart has printed care guides for each type of animal that we sell and even some that we do not.
There is a veterinarian inside our store as well as most Petsmart stores (Banfield, The Pet Hospital) and as a Pet Care manager, I know that it is unacceptable in Petsmart's policies and procedures to refuse to take an animal to the vet. If necessary, the vet should be called in during off hours. No expense is spared at my store for an animal in need of veterinary attention.
Thank you to PETA for attempting to make a good case, but more "investigators" would be necessary in more stores to be viewed as an actual scientific experiment (if that's what you guys were going for).
Thank you for your time, Crystal

Posted by: Crystal | November 29, 2007 03:38 PM

I have worked at Petsmart now for a year in the petcare department.
The information in the video is true for SOME stores. At our store EVERY sick animal gets seen by a vet, even the little mice. If an animal is suffering and there is nothing to help it it is putt to sleep, not left to die in the isolation room.
Another thing. Not ALL employees take care of animals the right way. There are some employees who dont care and will log the paperwork without giving medicine, there are some employees who who would rather ignore than fix a problem. Those employees also don't research about an animal, If we get a new kind of animal in the store I print out information from many different sites for them to read to ensure the animal is being taken care if correctly. Those employees are who you should be yelling at NOT Pet Smart. It is not EVERY petsmart and that needs to be clarified. If anyone has questions about how THEYRE petsmart is being ran, ask. Ask an employee or a manager you can even bring up this video and tell them you want to make sure the store your in takes care of theyre animals.

And why is peta not attacking Petland? They have one of about 50 different breeds as puppies. At least petsmart has adoption groups in the store and holds charity events to help unwatned animals.

Posted by: Kimberly | December 14, 2007 11:23 AM

I think that in order to effect real change in this situation overall, consumers need to be educated about other alternatives for buying pets, such as licensed breeders and adoption agencies, and these options need to become more convenient (but not convenient enough to encourage impulse buying) and more affordable.

Unless this happens, I don't believe anything will change because people are often too concerned with convenience to even think about the implications of their actions. A few weeks ago, I bought a betta fish from PetSmart just because it was easier to go out to the store than to order one online from a breeder for about 15 times the price and to wait for it and pick it up from the post office... See what I mean? I care about animal rights, but, once again, convenience and affordability... >_< Speaking of which, my betta's not doing too well, but I should have thought about how crappy his condition was! Instead, I'm setting myself up for what could possibly be a huge heartbreak. T_T

Posted by: Shirin | December 30, 2007 02:17 AM

I currently work at Petsmart, all of this is true. Just so everyone knows, I am a pet care specialist also and we only make $7.50 an hour. We are not vets, everything we know about our pets they teach us at the store. It is screwed up that Petsmart tries to make us look like we are some sort of vetrinarians. I can't tell you how many times I have seen Pet care associates give false information to a concerned customer just to make a sale.

Everything about the animals dying is completely true, it is referred to as "pet losses" they wont let us call it dying because they don't want the customer to hear that word. Cannibalism is rare, but it happens amongst the gerbils. They do it under extremely stressful situations. Wet tail is common too, but in defense of the store, 90% of the time when an animal has it, it came from the distributer and not the store. Another thing that I will defend about the store is that the reason why they take sick animals to the back of the store is not to "hide the truth from the public", but to quarenteen the disease so that it wont spread to the others. Honestly, the problem is the distributers more than it is the store. Don't get me wrong though the store is a hell for most of those animals anyway. We do take animals to the vet when they are really sick. We wont just sit back and watch any animal die. We even have a tank in the back specifically designed for the treatment of sick fish. I believe that any neglect is caused by pissed off under paid employees that are only working 20 hrs a week and are trying to pay the bills on it. I personally have never taken my frustrations out on any animal ever, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't happen.

Posted by: Jay | January 21, 2008 03:58 PM

One more thing. The ceasing of all pet sales will never happen. Petsmart makes most of its money on its small animal sales. One thing that you could ask for that might actually happen would simply be better conditions at the pet distributer. Back to the bettas, the bettas use to come to the store in little bags, now they come in small cups with about 8 ounces of conditioned water. I will look into posting some information of my own on the treatment of bettas by employees. Employees are supposed to change the betta water 3 times a week, but I know for a fact that it only gets done once or twice. We usually pull about 3-15 dead bettas every time we clean the betta cups because they will sit for days without being cleaned properly. There is a book that lists all of the things that petcare associates must do to open the store. Since my store is so understaffed due to Petsmart trying to cut down on paying employees. The task of opening the store and completing these procedures falls on the shoulders of 2 associates. Since the store is trying to cut costs the 2 associates have 4 hours to get everything done before their shifts end. After the four hours one of the two employees will go home and for another four hours the department is run by the remaining associate. The one person must then do customer service, any procedures that are left to do, and they have to find a way to take their break. Normally, the thing that gets cut out are breaks and lunches. Meaning that you have 1 pissed off, hungry employee. The reason that breaks are cut is because only the one person is qualified to run the department and the managers like to pretend that they are too busy to cover the department for 1/2 and hour even though the department is usually never crowded until like 5 oclock when people come in to buy their feeder fish. Anyway, I am starting to get mad so I need to stop.

Posted by: Jay | January 21, 2008 04:19 PM

I hate petsmart...we took our shi-tzu to get groomed there and they broke his tail. he now has a large lump on his tail and I wish I knew who did it so i can break their bones!

Posted by: Eric | January 23, 2008 09:24 AM

WHAT IS PETSMART DOING NOW! I SEE THEM SELLING E-THING! I DIDNT SEE THIS ON THE NEWS...ANONE KNOW

Posted by: vici | January 23, 2008 12:53 PM

I currently work at a Petco and am appalled by the treatment I saw in the video about Petsmart. At petco we have a policy that animals come first and they do. we spend more in vet bills on our animals than they are worth to sell and we do it proudly because they deserve the best care we can provide. I coulld not beleive that they are the number one pet supply retailer and they treat their animals that way. I have never shopped there and I will definately never shop there now!!

Posted by: dawn | January 23, 2008 02:55 PM

I currently work at a Petco and am appalled by the treatment I saw in the video about Petsmart. At petco we have a policy that animals come first and they do. we spend more in vet bills on our animals than they are worth to sell and we do it proudly because they deserve the best care we can provide. I coulld not beleive that they are the number one pet supply retailer and they treat their animals that way. I have never shopped there and I will definately never shop there now!!

Posted by: dawn | January 23, 2008 02:55 PM

As a PetSmart employee in FL, I can say this this is all blown out of proportion. If your manager told you not to take an animal to the vet, you should do it anyway! That is why we have District Service Managers! Yes, animals die. People who haven't worked with small animals don't know how easily they get sick! Sometimes, you can't save every animal! Use common sense. This does not go on in my store and PetSmart is not to blame because some managers don't care.

Posted by: Kelsey | January 23, 2008 08:10 PM

a few weeks ago i bought two male fancy mice at petsmart in evansville they told me they would live together nicely...well in two days the fights started and it was horrible one mice ripped the fur and skin off the others back i had to go and buy another cage and all the extas . i called and talked to the manager STEVE and he told me he never heard of mice fighting like that....well i looked it up on the net and it said to NEVER put two males together...petsmarts manager was rude and didnt care...I WILL NEVER SHOP AT PETSMART AGAIN.....my little fellow made it through with lots of care and neosporin....I WISH PETCO WOULD COME TO EVANSVILLE IND...AND PUT PETSMART OUT OF BUSINESS.

Posted by: joan brandle | January 28, 2008 01:05 PM

I fully support PETA in their efforts of stopping animal abuse I have attended the Helping Animals 101 conference I have boycotted Ringling Bros and KFC. I also believe keeping birds in cages is wrong. However, I work as a Pet Care Specialist at a Petsmart and was both shocked and appalled at the video I just watched/ This is not how things are run at our store. ALL of our animals see the Veterinarian if needed. Yes wet tail is common we probably have one case of wet tail a week not too bad considering the amount of small animals in our care and the majority of the time an animal is sick is because it came in that way from a breeder as it so happens our particular store has stopped selling rabbits, black bear hamsters and other various small animals because of the conditions they come to us in...Our particular team of Pet Care Specialists not only enjoy our job including the treating of sick or injured animals, but in cases where an animal is deemed "unsellable" ie has nerve damge or a deformity of some kind from careless breeding. We adopt the animal out more often than not one of us ends up taking it home. I personally adopted a rabbit with a misaligned jaw because the breeder was going to put him to sleep if we returned him. I had to go through two interviews and several certification tests before being able to work in Pet Care. Everyone in my department has received some sort of customer complaint because we would not sell an animal against our better judgment none of us have ever been reprimanded for this. I am positive there are stupid careless employees working at dozens of Petsmarts across the country our store just keeps them out of the Pet Care department. I would suggest that instead of attacking all Petsmarts use your own judgment and detective skills perhaps go in and ask if you can buy a hamster for your pet snake (we dont sell live feeders under any circumstances) or ask about adding goldfish to a bowl or a 5 gallon aquarium I know we wont sell a goldfish unless it is going to a home with at least a 10 gallon aquarium and even then we tell the customer they can only have one goldfish per every 10 gallons anyways what I am getting at is go to your local Petsmart and see for yourself and really look hard at the water bowls the bedding the betta bowls (ours come in the cups we sell them and get water changes 3 times a week) I think we should attack the breeders and demand healthy animals and better shipping methods.

Posted by: Caboose | January 28, 2008 06:21 PM

Ive worked in a Petsmart store as a pet care associate for three years, and this video holds alot of truth. While the company has certain 'policies' in place, they are not reinforced for various reasons. Animals are typically crammed into cages, which arent cleaned often enough (once weekly). Illness can spread quickly in those conditions, and aggression between animals (especially hamsters and birds) means alot of injuries.

While we do have an isolation room for sick animals, they often cant see a vet in good time. An animal has to be in grotesque condition and clinging to life to even have a *chance* of seeing a vet at my store. Less than one tenth of the animals in our iso room ever see a vet. Thats just how management runs things. I do what I can to catch illness early and treat it, but Im not trained as a vet. Animals do die and its a fact of life.

I realize this video is not a reflection of all stores, but enough of these animals have fallen through the cracks already. The situation is the same at Petco (alot of my coworkers are ex-employees of Petco and claim conditions there were even worse). Anyone who claims their store spends more on vet bills than the animals are worth is delusional.

This a business unfortunately, and Petsmart is out to make money. The employees in my dept are told to make 'priorities' because we are severely understaffed. This means 'decide which tasks will not get done, and try to fit them in during the next shift.' The attitude of Petsmart management is proof of their priorities.

I do agree Petsmart should discontinue sales of all small animals, reptiles, and birds immediately. As a matter of fact, none of the stores can currently sell birds because of a recent psittacosis outbreak. Of course the employees arent always provided the necessary protection (because supplies arent typically reordered in time).

I feel that Petsmart management has failed us on too many occasions because of continually looking out for their bottom line, and I honestly feel sorry for the animals that have to suffer because of it. I back PETA on this one.

Posted by: Petsmart Employee | January 28, 2008 10:30 PM

i cant belive they would treat animals that way i will never shop there ever in my whole life EVER again.

Posted by: hailey cooper | February 6, 2008 02:49 PM

I currently work at petsmart in the grooming salon as a dog and cat groomer. i have been there over a year and have never seen any bad things happen to our animals that are for sale. they always have clean cages and are taken care of. PETA will do anything for attiention but they never seem to help out. Stop eating bananas if you are concerned about animals. I have been to Costa Rica and seen the destroyed rainforest for the production of fruit for the U.S. Think about all the life killed from that.

Posted by: Shyann Reed | February 10, 2008 10:32 PM

As if you needed any more comments from Petsmart employees... Sorry, here's another.

I am a "pet care" associate at my local Petsmart, and here's my best interpretation of the situation. It's retail. Any business that moves/sells as many animals as this corporation does is going to have variable care practices. Is it more likely to happen at a big retail chain? Possibly. But they are definitely more likely to be targeted for "investigations" like this one than local pet stores are. In the store I work at, all of the associates care very much about the animals. I have personally told customers when I don't have sufficient knowledge to answer their questions. I have also been reprimanded multiple times for refusing to sell animals to customers who, to the best of my knowledge, weren't prepared to take care of them. The same goes for the other employees in our department. Additionally, we take all of our animals to an exotic animals veterinarian when they are ill (our in store vet sees only cats and dogs), and routinely pay far more than the sales price of an animal to treat them. Animals that have genetic or physical defects that mean we can't sell them also see the vet, and are then adopted out to employees or knowledgeable customers.

Do animals ever die? Of course. So do humans. But at least at the store I work at, it is not because of the indifference of the employees.

Posted by: Carly | March 6, 2008 03:09 AM

i think its great that there are a few good petsmarts but please TELL PEOPLE WHICH ONES ARE GOOD!

Posted by: anonymous | March 13, 2008 06:22 PM

i work at Petsmart as a pet specialist and this does not happen. if an animal is sick we take it to the vet right away and we medicate our animals that need it. and i take animals out of their cages and give them room to move around after the store closes. you cant base research on two stores out of thousands. im sure there are some bad people out there abusing animals and they do need to be punished, but this does not happen at every store.

Posted by: chad | March 16, 2008 08:49 PM

I just entered this chatroom and noticed all of the things about Petsmart. I truly did not know any of this was happening. We just went there yesterday and that is where I adopted my two cats. At my Petsmart I was told that this is where the animals go as the last stop. The animals here have apparently been up for adoption for a very long time. Every time I have went in there it is always so clean and the animals all seem to be extremely healthy. There is usually a few cats up for adoption and I believe once a month they have adoption weekend for dogs. I always thought that this store and the Humane Society worked together with the animals that were there. I am not sure what goes on behind the scenes but I definitely will be researching this before I go back into the store.

Posted by: nickykaiser | March 28, 2008 02:04 PM

It just makes me cry to see so many innocent lives have to suffer not just at Pet SMART BUT ANY WHERE
they have no voice and are at the humans mercy for what ever treatment it will receive whether it is good or bad to harm such innocence is so cruel at the deepest level.
I do not understand it,
it hurts me that we can not stop it, there is just too much and too many this happens to, no matter where these animals are, humans should have to answer for their actions and the same thing done to them, then they did to a life, i wonder how many people would then really think about how they will treat a life then, HMMM.
Society has a long way to go.

Posted by: Annette | March 29, 2008 10:26 AM

Besides the small animals what about the beta and the feeder fish that are cramed in tiny tanks.And the beta that are put in tiny cups that they have to bend their body in.

Posted by: jimmy | March 31, 2008 11:26 AM

NO, sick and injured animals are taken to the vet, and when released, are kept in the back for several reasons. 1, it's quiet so that the animal can recuperate, and we can observe the animal for a few days to until they're healthy again. 2, if they have an infectious condition, it helps keep the other animals healthy. 3, other animals may pick on an injured or sick animal, and he (most stores sell only male animals) doesn't need that stress when he's trying to heal. As for bettas, that's how the farms ship them to us, and most stores don't have the room for the 30 or so extra tanks to house one single fish in. I mean, duh! Don't you ever think? I work at a Petsmart, and we take our animals to the vet as soon as they show sign of illness, as we observe and check on them several times a day. Peta doesn't love animals so much as it hates people.

Posted by: Chris | April 3, 2008 12:09 PM

I work at a Petsmart Canada. The company itself has nothing to do with this cruelty! If you knew what their procedures were for sick animals, you would know that they HAVE to see a vet if they don't respond from isolation. Petsmarts problem is the shitty employee's who don't care. When you hire a bunch of young part-timers who just want to get things done so they can go home, obviously stuff like this is going to happen. It's not an excuse but don't blame the company because as far as it knows the logs are signed saying that the proper care is being given. its the employees who don't follow through with it.

Posted by: MW | April 8, 2008 02:52 PM

PetSmart sucks! I only worked there one day during helping out for the store opening. They're really picky about how dog/cat food is stacked and appearance. I can't afford to work for 7.50/hour it totall blows. I will never go to a PETSMART again..................

Posted by: CAH | April 17, 2008 04:22 PM

that was crule for what all the people that hurt their pets they can attack them back once they have anough of being abused byt their and they will be killed if they get seriusly injured and abused its not a good thing to go to our animals they have the same reason we are in the world today soon enough their will not be enough animals in the future

Posted by: Nicole Boeritne | May 8, 2008 10:14 AM

I start at my local PetSmart on Monday.

To everyone who is saying this is awful and disgusting and horrible and that PS is evil and needs to be shut down.. you know what? Death is a part of life. If this employee worked at ANY pet store for six months, they would see that many deaths of various animals. You know why? Because when the animals arrive to the stores, they're unhealthy. They're mass produced and shipped out all over the country. If you want to take a stand against small animal dealers, go to the source - why not give A-Pet a call? They're the ones who supply most large grocery stores with their small animals and fish.

And let's not lie - hamsters and gerbils aren't that sturdy of a pet to begin with. A common cold to us can kill them. Who's to say some moron's toddler sneezing into a cage isn't the cause of all the infection?

About the cannibalism thing.. it's all about survival. Mice are notorious for it. It's gross to us, but it's nourishment for them. They don't know any better, and they don't have "morals" to say that eating a sibling is a no-no. Mother mice (and hamsters, gerbils, whatever) eat their young all the time, for many reasons, including stress from too many people poking at them. The store is not to blame.

I can't wait to start at my local store. I worked for two years at a family run place up north and learned about every single animal PS carries. Not every employee is a moron.. it's not necessarily their fault that they don't know about goldfish and cycling tanks, or that cedar bedding in small animal cages is dangerous, or many of the other things MOST PEOPLE don't have a clue about. If you think an employee is ill-equipped, ask to speak to their manager. If you know something that they don't seem to, say so, but not in a rude way. The only way to learn is through others. If your only solution is to get everyone fired and shut down the corporation, you're going to be hard-pressed to do so.

Posted by: Adrienne | May 11, 2008 01:02 AM