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Dap?

pet_lover

New Kit
Hi everyone,

I work in a pet food store, and we're going to be getting in animals-rabbits among them. The Manager said that if I don't feel the person who is coming in to buy the animals is a proper possible owner, then I don't have to sell the animal to them-anyways, I asked her where we were getting our animals from, and she said DAP. I'm assuming it's spelled the way it sounded? Have any of you guys heard about this place? Oh, and we're also going to be only getting one or two of each type of animal, and I'm going to talk to her about what we're going to do when it's around Easter-time...hopefully we won't be selling rabbits at that time. We're also probably not going to be getting in rats or mice, so they won't be used as feeders. :)
 
Sorry I haven't heard of it. To behonest you would probably get better quality animals in both temperament and health if you went to a small local specialist breeder. Go to a rabbit breeder for rabbits, guinea pig breeders for guinea pigs etc. Most breeders have excess stock suitable for pet homes.

Is there a reason your manager wants to start selling animals? They don't tend to be very profitable in themselves. The cost of vet bills and food/bedding exceeds the prices when selling. Another option would be to team up with local rescues - this can be excellent local publicity. Gets the newspaper people around. Rescues can put up photos/info on the animals or have special adoption days where they bring animals in, some will also let the store foster an animal so you have a full time pet there.

Tamsin
 
Sorry I haven't heard of it. To behonest you would probably get better quality animals in both temperament and health if you went to a small local specialist breeder. Go to a rabbit breeder for rabbits, guinea pig breeders for guinea pigs etc. Most breeders have excess stock suitable for pet homes.

Is there a reason your manager wants to start selling animals? They don't tend to be very profitable in themselves. The cost of vet bills and food/bedding exceeds the prices when selling. Another option would be to team up with local rescues - this can be excellent local publicity. Gets the newspaper people around. Rescues can put up photos/info on the animals or have special adoption days where they bring animals in, some will also let the store foster an animal so you have a full time pet there.

Tamsin

The Manager and I actually didn't want to sell animals, but the owner did, so we're going to...I don't think we really have too much of a choice, but the Manager said that I could say who would be allowed to take them, and that we wouldn't have to sell them as feeders if we didn't want to, and then I said that we probably shouldn't bring mice and rats in anyways, since people might lie to get them for food. I know a couple rabbit breeders that sometimes have rabbits, but they only really breed them for show-and there are others of our pet stores that already sell animals, so we're probably stuck with the same people that they have-all that I know really is that the manager said that we wouldn't be getting them in bulk, that we'd only have 1 or two of the same type of animal at a time so they're not all cramped, and that we wouldn't have to sell them to inappropriate homes. She said that the only animals that we would have more than a couple of would be hamsters and fish.
 
What a shame that the owner feels it necessary to sell livestock :cry:
IMO no animal should be sold from a shop. Could you not talk with the owner yourself and explain about the problems of more Pets than there are homes for already. 33,000 Pet Rabbits in Rescues all over the UK for a start :cry: OK, he/she might not care and might just be in it for whatever money he/she can make (and it wont be much in the way of profit) but ..............

Animals bred specifically to supply the Petshop trade are often from 'Mills' or intensive breeding establishments. Often little attention is paid to the genetics of the stock and consequently animals with congenital longterm health problems may be produced.

Speaking about Rabbits in particular, a baby Rabbit will be weaned from their Mum at 6-8 weeks and shortly after will endure the stress of being transported to a shop. Weaning is a critical stage in the developement of baby Rabbits and they are at high risk of GI problems causing enteritis. This condition is often *fatal*. The baby Rabbit will then be placed in a new environment ( the shop) which will add to the stress. A shop floor is not a suitable environment for a Baby Rabbit :cry: At least if the Bun is purchased by his/her new owner directly from a reputable breeder the Bun will only have one move.

Rabbits are also used as live food and for greyhound training so it's not just the mice that are at risk as far as that is concerned.

I find it sad and more than a little frustrating that Petshop owners still think selling livestock is acceptable. It must be difficult for you and your manager if you dont agree with it either.

The only 'DAP' I know of is Draught Animal Power

http://www.vet.ed.ac.uk/ctvm/Research/DAPR/Draught power.htm

I hope the Pet Shop owner is not thinking of selling Oxen...........:shock::lol:

Janex
 
:wave:I think the teaming up with the rescue idea sounds a really great one if you and your mananger could wangle it - perhaps the owners don't realise theway things are? would also be great publicity etc for their shop so you could sell it to them that way.
 
Are you in the USA?

Perhaps have some animals in as 'show' animals, to get people interested, then if they actually want to buy a rabbit or a hamster etc., give them a list of local breeders/shelters?

That way, the owner will have animals as a draw for the the public, and yourself and the manager don't have to compromise on your discomfort in selling animals :)
 
I work at a pet shop that sells animals. We sell rabbits, kittens, puppies, hamsters, guinea-pigs and fish. It is good that there is only going to be 1-2 animals of each type because then there isn't over-crowding and more time is spent with each animal. I think selling animals in pet stores is ok if it's properaly managed, there is enough space for them, and that any animal in need of treatment is given it. Try and make the animal prices as high as you can because this stops people buying animals on a whim. For example, our rabbits cost about £30-£40, kittens cost £70-£100, and puppies cost £100-£600. Try to stop selling around Easter, summer holidays and Christmas as this is when the animals will most likely be presents. Good Luck!!
 
I work at a pet shop that sells animals. We sell rabbits, kittens, puppies, hamsters, guinea-pigs and fish. It is good that there is only going to be 1-2 animals of each type because then there isn't over-crowding and more time is spent with each animal. I think selling animals in pet stores is ok if it's properaly managed, there is enough space for them, and that any animal in need of treatment is given it. Try and make the animal prices as high as you can because this stops people buying animals on a whim. For example, our rabbits cost about £30-£40, kittens cost £70-£100, and puppies cost £100-£600. Try to stop selling around Easter, summer holidays and Christmas as this is when the animals will most likely be presents. Good Luck!!

I used to work in a pet shop but they didn't sell any animals and if they had decided to i would not have kept working there as there is no way you can tell if the animals will be cared for once bought. Also even if they are sold for a high price there are many idiots with alot of money so it wouldn't put some people off. Do the puppies/kittens come from peoples pets or do they breeed with a select few females?
 
I found out that DAP is actually where we're going to be getting our fish from. The Manager said that she didn't know where we would be getting the animals from, because we will be ordering the animals from another manager within our stores. I'm in Canada...the Owner has had animals in other stores before, and when I went to another store I saw them and they all seemed very healthy and well. We're going to be getting a large cage that will be on wheels so it's not right on the floor-the Manager said that she thinks that the cage is going to have a couple seperated parts or something, so the rabbits will be on one level, and the guinea pigs on another. I had told her the importance of not housing them together, and she immediately swore that that wouldn't happen-she loves animals as much as I do, which is great. :lol: I think that I may call the other store manager and ask her where we get the animals from-I'm just trying to make sure that it isn't a mill or something, which it MAY be...but, I can't know this for certain, because the animals did look like they were healthy...I should find out soon enough though.
 
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