Maybe I’m being oversensitive here but pet shops seem to take a lot of criticism here: staff, prices, knowledge and husbandry etc.
It all seems very contrary when so many members seem to want careers in the animal care industry but are reluctant to because it pays peanuts, it pays peanuts because people want everything cheap.
Of course it’s cheaper to buy your choice of pet from the breeder but it’s also cheaper to buy DVDs off a bloke in a pub. Breeders of small animals/reptiles and birds are unlicensed, unlegislated, uninspected and don’t have to have any qualifications other than the ability to add 1 + 1 and come up with loads of babies to sell.
Pet shops have huge overheads, staff to pay and standards to achieve – and also fall victim to uneducated inspectors.
Most of the people that I see with pet related problems, have these problems because they got their pet from a private seller with no reputation to protect and no fear of redress when things go wrong. I regularly have to identify birds and reptiles that people have acquired from some random person and they don’t even know what it is.
I have worked in various branches of the animal care industry for 30 years and I get sick of people telling me what the breeder/their mate/their mates mum said.
Pet shops are the first place people go when or before they get a new animal. It’s the pet shops that are in a position to offer guidance and hopefully get people off on the right footing. As a pet shop employee I have to have knowledge of the husbandry, behaviour and health of rodents, lagamorphs, cats, dogs, reptiles, amphibians, birds and fish as well as knowledge of all the accessories that are available and how they should be used.
Just because I work in a pet shop doesn’t mean my opinions/knowledge and experiences are invalid, and it doesn’t mean I’m stupid! Respect the staff in your local pet shop!

Rant over – just wanted to get that off my chest.

tbh its only a few who are that stereotypical, i think pet stores are ok just that some are'nt experienced with reptiles.

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1.1.0 berber skinks
1.1.0 kenyan sand boas
1.1.0 common garter
1.0.0 het lavender brooks kingsnake
1.4.200 common frogs
1.1.0 crested newts
1.3.0 smooth newts
1.0.0 wired haired pointer
1.0.0 labrador/ doberman



http://www.amphibianark.org/
sign the petition, maybe give a donation.
Amphibians need our help.

I have a friend who works at a rep shop part time while at uni. You say that people moan about the prices , he calls it tight bast**d syndrome a horrible disease that spreads through the reptile hobbyists lol he's also aware that people on forums say bad things about reptile shops but he takes the piss out forums. Be interesting to see what people say about your rant. I see where your coming from

Ive got no beef with pet shop prices, its the lack of knowledge the staff have, poor husbandry and cleanliness i have a problem with.

Its only a minority of shops that are 100% behind the animals over the sale nowadays, how many quarenteen animals nowadays? None that i can think of.

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I'm the first mammal to wear pants, yeah.....I'll do what I want but irresponsibly!!!

listen if your having a rant have it in your head m8, u dnt need to tell us. your experienced: good
you know what your on about: good
you moan: BAD

__________________
1.1.0 berber skinks
1.1.0 kenyan sand boas
1.1.0 common garter
1.0.0 het lavender brooks kingsnake
1.4.200 common frogs
1.1.0 crested newts
1.3.0 smooth newts
1.0.0 wired haired pointer
1.0.0 labrador/ doberman



http://www.amphibianark.org/
sign the petition, maybe give a donation.
Amphibians need our help.

You read it, you replied to it so it must have been worth posting.
I feel better for saying it and you're a great listener petal thanks x

&

Some are good, some are bad but as usual you only hear about the crap or the amazing. It's just as difficult to defend all pet shops as it is to find the praise for all the good ones. Some care about the animals and some just shift them as a a comodity like second hand cars.

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so where do the playgrounds come from?

__________________
1.1.0 berber skinks
1.1.0 kenyan sand boas
1.1.0 common garter
1.0.0 het lavender brooks kingsnake
1.4.200 common frogs
1.1.0 crested newts
1.3.0 smooth newts
1.0.0 wired haired pointer
1.0.0 labrador/ doberman



http://www.amphibianark.org/
sign the petition, maybe give a donation.
Amphibians need our help.

I'm not trying to defend all pet shops, I know there are good and bad and you can have as much knowledge as you like but if you don't use it for the good then it's not worth having. I've politely turned away 4 people this week who wanted to buy a reptile - and it's only Tuesday - that leaves our reptile livestock sales for the wek at 0 - but I sold 4 reptile books

Sorry for moaning though, spend all day being polite so it's good to have a bit of a roar.

There are good shops and bad, and as said its only those you generally hear about. I don't mind payin pet shop prices for an animal that is well looked after and cared for, my BTS was 90 quid, but he was from somewhere where I know they are well cared for and the guys know their stuff....

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Kate

2.2.2 - Eublepharis macularius0.1.0 - Sceloporus malachiticus 1.1.0 - Varanus acanthurus brachyurus0.0.1 - Tiliqua gigas evanescens 0.4.0 - Felis catus 1.0.0 - Fat, old goldfish
Lots of tropical fish...