Do you buy pets from PetSmart?

Poor little Cockatiel at PetSmart! - cockatiel
United States
April 12, 2008 4:25pm CST
The small animals sold at PetSmart cost the multibillion-dollar company next to nothing and make up a minuscule percentage of the company's total sales. So why does PetSmart buy them by the thousands only to leave them to die from disease and injury?The answer is simple. Adorable hamsters are frequently bought on impulse when parents can't resist their child's pleading. The hamster may not cost much, but supplies add up quickly. Cages, bedding, food, and other paraphernalia amount to millions of dollars in annual profit. PetSmart sells birds and other animals to people who often buy them on impulse and don't have a clue about how to care for them properly. Just as there are puppy mills, there are enormous bird factories and massive animal "suppliers," where breeders warehouse thousands of "breeding stock," whose babies are taken away and sold. Regulation of such massive facilities is often lax or non-existent, leaving the monitoring of breeders to the company itself—and leaving the animals to suffer the consequences. For years, PetSmart has assured PETA and concerned customers that sick and injured animals in its stores are provided with veterinary care when they need it. But during PETA's undercover investigation in 2006, we documented that more than 100 small animals—including hamsters, domestic rats, lizards, chinchillas, and birds—were deprived of adequate veterinary care and slowly dying, hidden away in PetSmart's back rooms, out of customers' sight. There are a lot of ways to stop PetSmart from selling animals and just sell animal supplies which would be the most humane thing to do. Check out this site to see how you can help! http://www.petsmartcruelty.com/
3 responses
@rpegan (596)
• United States
12 Apr 08
I never buy anything except for fish from Petsmart. I used to volunteer for an organization that operated within Petsmart, so I know a bit too much about what goes on in terms of the animals there. Locally, we have a pet store that sells small mammals, birds, snakes, dogs, and cats. Unlike most other pet stores, the animals are healthy and genuinely well cared for. The supplies that they sell might be more expensive, but I think it's worth it for getting good quality. I also prefer to purchase a pet that will most likely have a healthier, happier, and longer life.
1 person likes this
@luvstochat (6907)
• United States
13 Apr 08
I don't think there is a Pet Smart anywhere near where I live I don't beleive I have ever been in one either. I don't buy little pets like hamsters or fish for my kids as they tend to die easily I want a pet that is going to be with us for awhile that is why I adopted two 3 month old kittens.
@MH4444 (2161)
• United States
13 Apr 08
I adopted one of my pets from there. I didn't pay anything other than the fee's for their shots.