I'm boycotting pets at home!!! Fuming!!!

Just visited my store to buy straw for rabbits - (they have large bales, nice and soft!)

They have renovated their store. Guinea pigs and rabbits now right in front of you as you walk through the door. All glass enclosures. Hardly anywhere for rabbits to hide. 1 tiny log cabin (about the size of a mini lop) between 3 - 4 rabbits. So where do they go when they're frightened?! They have absoulutly NOWHERE to hide and glass pannels all around them!! I'm getting mad again. Guinea pigs are just at kiddies eye level so they can stick their faces up at them and bang the window with their sticky little hands!!!

I spoke to two members of staff about my worries and they said that the public seem to like the new enclosures because they can see the rabbits better!!!! "They're not thinking about the rabbits!" I said, "They're only thinking about themselves!"

Think I'll ring the council and voice my concerns and see if I can get at least some shelter for the rabbits to hide in.

Am I over reacting? Made my blood boil. Never going to P@H again and I'm gonna write and tell them so!

No you are not overreacting.

I am sick to death of them (and most pet shops to be honest)

I haven't brought things from P@H for ages but I can't even step foot in one now as I get too upset

Good on you for speaking out.

I dont think you are overreacting or being unreasonable. I think you should let them know in writing, make a formal complaint. Contacting the council may help as well.

Its horrible to go in there isnt it?

ha! i nearly made the same decision on wednesday! my local store has a sign outside advertising reptiles for sale. but worst of all, the attitude of the staff - what a rude little on the till.

I really feel that more people should boycott Pets at Home if they are truly shocked by their behaviour. I will not go in one for anything. No point in moaning about them and then go in and support them by increasing their sales.

I don't think you are overreacting. I wish more people would act and try and speak out for the animals.

I try to avoid it but we go when there is just one thing we need, or in an emergency. I hate going in there and I hate giving them my custom. But then again they are better than 2 of the local independent pet shops who just make me sick with their 2ft hutches

helgalush said:

I dont think you are overreacting or being unreasonable. I think you should let them know in writing, make a formal complaint. Contacting the council may help as well.

Its horrible to go in there isnt it?

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I hate it! I'm never going back - although I thought I might go in tomorrow and talk to the manager, tell him I'm going to the council and ask him to at least put one tiny, measily log cabin in per rabbit before I leave the shop.

Why WHY are shops allowed to treat little animals in this way? In this day and age, you'd think something would be done in legislation. I could get very militent about this.

bensonlola said:

I hate it! I'm never going back - although I thought I might go in tomorrow and talk to the manager, tell him I'm going to the council and ask him to at least put one tiny, measily log cabin in per rabbit before I leave the shop.

Why WHY are shops allowed to treat little animals in this way? In this day and age, you'd think something would be done in legislation. I could get very militent about this.

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I know what you mean. It makes you so angry that they arent better protected. And its not like its ever a one-off, its like a constant battle.

The pets at home near me have their guinea pigs and rabbits in glass enclosures which are also lower enough for children to stick their heads over the top, I've lost count how many times I've seen children tapping on the glass trying to get the guinea pigs/rabbits attention but end up scaring them instead :evil: (I wish parents would tell them not to do it) Me and my partner went in there last week to buy some rabbit food but changed our mind and went somewhere else to buy it..

bensonlola said:

Just visited my store to buy straw for rabbits - (they have large bales, nice and soft!)

They have renovated their store. Guinea pigs and rabbits now right in front of you as you walk through the door. All glass enclosures. Hardly anywhere for rabbits to hide. 1 tiny log cabin (about the size of a mini lop) between 3 - 4 rabbits. So where do they go when they're frightened?! They have absoulutly NOWHERE to hide and glass pannels all around them!! I'm getting mad again. Guinea pigs are just at kiddies eye level so they can stick their faces up at them and bang the window with their sticky little hands!!!

I spoke to two members of staff about my worries and they said that the public seem to like the new enclosures because they can see the rabbits better!!!! "They're not thinking about the rabbits!" I said, "They're only thinking about themselves!"

Think I'll ring the council and voice my concerns and see if I can get at least some shelter for the rabbits to hide in.

Am I over reacting? Made my blood boil. Never going to P@H again and I'm gonna write and tell them so!

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Isn't there any laws about this so animals may shelter away from the public view?

Many zoos have parts where the animals can hide away from the public, such as the one way glass etc

The Duchess said:

No point in moaning about them and then go in and support them by increasing their sales.

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Exactly!! I won't be buying anything from there again. I wish more people would see it that way.

Wow, I'm glad there is not PAH in Canada. :? We have lots of petstores but I think the bunnies get adequate care. They have glass cases and they are in with the other animals, but they all have only two at the most to a tank, normally one, and they all have a house. There's also workers there who make sure that they help you touch the bunnies and don't annoy them.

AriaSwan said:

Wow, I'm glad there is not PAH in Canada. :? We have lots of petstores but I think the bunnies get adequate care. They have glass cases and they are in with the other animals, but they all have only two at the most to a tank, normally one, and they all have a house. There's also workers there who make sure that they help you touch the bunnies and don't annoy them.

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I'm a store manager for PAH and myself and my team and many hundreds of other employees love animals and ensure that they are very well cared for.

I understand people don't like animals being sold in pet stores, but I get fed up with the stores being tarnished as evil places where the staff have no knowledge and just don't give a damn!!

The ones I have been in all have hutches for the buns to hide in, shame yours doesn't seem to

Sounds exactly like the set up in my local P@H. Except the buns are also right next to the tills - which I can see being a good thing as the staff can keep an eye on them but at the same time, people take their dogs in and get in the queue (there's always a queue :roll and don't seem to give a toss that the rabbits are going nuts whilst their dog is pawing up the glass and chasing them up and down. :shock: The dog section is also to the left of the animal pens so there are dogs walking back and forth past them all day.

They did have some green bendy tunnels a while back but these eventually disintigrated and haven't been replaced at all. The guinea pigs have those little plastic igloos but they're just at the right height for people to lean over and tip them out for a better look.

Sadly, P@H are probably still the best pet shop on the island in terms of welfare though. Standards here are awful and the little independent shops seem to get away with anything.

Haven't stepped foot in one for years as there's plenty of alternatives available for rabbit supplies be it online or pet shops that do not stock livestock.

Lspacehopper said:

I'm a store manager for PAH and myself and my team and many hundreds of other employees love animals and ensure that they are very well cared for.

I understand people don't like animals being sold in pet stores, but I get fed up with the stores being tarnished as evil places where the staff have no knowledge and just don't give a damn!!

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I don't think most people have an issue with animals being sold in pet stores so long as they're housed adequately, fed properly and the people working there are giving out good advice.

Unfortunately people tend to remember bad experiences more than good and talk about them more. Human nature, mud sticks. It sounds like you're a caring, dedicated person who is genuinely interested in helping potential pet owners make the right decisions. Maybe you could help by giving the feedback from this forum to senior management within PAH? They surely would be interested that some customers are not getting a good experience and that people are actively avoiding buying anything from there? It must be very frustrating for you to see negative comments about PAH when your store is so well run and it's a shame that not all stores have someone like you in charge

Following the recent correspondence from many people about P@H's Easter Offer, there was a reply by the P@H 'Head of Pets'. (This is shown on another thread). This reply set out P@H's claims in respect of their extensive staff training, care for animals, knowledege of applicable welfare standards, etc, etc. P@H are also members of the 'Assured Pet Specialist' scheme.

If the experiences of so many people visiting P@H are different, then perhaps P@H need even more emails regarding what they actually do. At the moment, there appears to be a significant difference between 'what they say they do' and 'what they actually do'.:shock:

Training is of no use if it's not implemented in practice or if it's over-ruled by commercial considerations.

There are obviously some P@H stores that are better than others, but they should all be showing the claimed high standards.

I have already prepared my polite reply to P@H's Head of Pets addressing numerous deficiencies and inadequacies in their previous response and will send it shortly. Others might wish to do likewise citing their own specific experiences.

P@H have already lost my business and that of my friends who are aware of the facts.

If I get an adequate reply from P@H, then I might re-consider. P@H have got to convince me to give them any business in future.:evil:

I went in for the first time in ages as an emergency to get a couple of things I wasn't in there long. I had a rant last time I went in about sick rabbit being for sale

The Duchess said:

I really feel that more people should boycott Pets at Home if they are truly shocked by their behaviour. I will not go in one for anything. No point in moaning about them and then go in and support them by increasing their sales.

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I completely agree. I find it strange that people who don't like the way a pet shop keeps their animals (whether P@H or any other pet shop), continue to buy from them and sustain their business.

I highly recommend the Hay Experts and Animal Magic Supplies for great quality hay, treats, toys etc.

If you don't support the pet trade, spend your money with companies that don't trade in live animals