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I've been out to a petshop... Not impressed!

O

OriginalFlintstone

Mama Doe
I decided to go and visit a petshop I've not visited for ages today as I never hear good things about it.

Rabbits and guineas are kept together inside and the pens had flys all over and flying around, They keep Giant Rabbits in aviarys outside surrounded by chickens and budgies, cockatiels, parakeets etc. The giants have the top half of a carrier, and a small pile of straw nothing else.

I was watching a member of staff sell a pair of chinese hamsters to a lady with a small boy. He told them nothing about these little guys at all. Th hamsters were all literally cowering in the corner of their cage and he was putting his hand in so quickly just grabbing at them. One peed on him so he dropped it back into the cage :shock::shock: When they were in the box he wrote the price on top with a marker pen right by the air hole... fumes??

The little boy was carrying the hamsters round the shop and being so rough with them. Eventually he put them down on a shelf... had a paddy, mum went mental and they left the shop. I hung around for about 10 -15 minutes and no one did anything with the hamsters, despite 3 staff walking past and looking at them.

So in a crazy moment I picked up the box and went and paid for them.

I've only got a syrian cage, and I have no idea what they were fed in the shop. I can see their little faces peeking out of the box but they haven't come out yet.

I'm going to be complaining to the shop and the council, but if anyone else is local enough to visit and also complain that would help. This place is a disgrace. It's a garden centre in a village called Porton in Wiltshire.
 
Sounds awful. You really should report them to the council. I can't say I condone buying pet shop animals but in the heat of the moment I would have done exactly the same for those little hams. Lucky little things.

I'm sure they will be absolutely fine in the Syrian cage but if you think the bar spacing is a bit big you could get one of these http://www.equinecaninefeline.com/c...guinea-hamster-cage-free-delivery-p-1083.html or make a cage from a 64 litre RUB and some mesh.
 
Oooh! Definately complain! I complained about a pet shop over here earlier in the year - it's taken a long time but the Council have finally got to the point where they're prosecuting the owner. :D

Also, give Snouter a PM if he doesn't find this thread himself (I'm sure he will, he seems to have a 'pet shop thread radar' :lol:) as he is excellent at helping with complaints etc. :wave:
 
Rhian33 said:
Sounds awful. You really should report them to the council. I can't say I condone buying pet shop animals but in the heat of the moment I would have done exactly the same for those little hams. Lucky little things.

I'm sure they will be absolutely fine in the Syrian cage but if you think the bar spacing is a bit big you could get one of these http://www.equinecaninefeline.com/c...guinea-hamster-cage-free-delivery-p-1083.html or make a cage from a 64 litre RUB and some mesh.
Click to expand...

Yeah it's the bar spacing I'm concerned about. I've already got one of those cages for my syrian, they are brilliant cages!
 
losing-the-plot said:
Yeah it's the bar spacing I'm concerned about. I've already got one of those cages for my syrian, they are brilliant cages!
Click to expand...

If you have one of those for them they will be fine, the bar spacing is small enough and I doubt they can climb that far anyway :wave:
 
Snouter said:
Well done for complaining to the council.

From your description, there are several non-compliances with the Conditions of the Pet Shop Licence.

A copy of the Pet Shop Licence Conditions themselves can be obtained via the contact details in the following link.

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/licensing-pet-shops-guidance-notes.pdf

Good luck with this.
Click to expand...

As if by magic Snouter appears!!

Ironically (sp?) I work in a pet shop in Wiltshire and I've been studying the pet shop licence for the last few weeks!! I'm hoping I can get friendly with the licensing lady!

But I'll still be sending a complaint by post. How long would those hamsters have been left there if I hadn't taken them?!
 
Rhian33 said:
That should be absolutely fine. May have to watch them as babies but as adults they'll be fine in it. Did you know you can get extensions for it?
Click to expand...

Oh thats ok then!! I was just starting to panic about them escaping!! I've struggled to find the extensions which is why my syrian moved out and it got chucked in the shed as a "just in case" I might just buy another Duna Multi!!
 
losing-the-plot said:
I decided to go and visit a petshop I've not visited for ages today as I never hear good things about it.

Rabbits and guineas are kept together inside

5(i)


and the pens had flys all over and flying around,

10


They keep Giant Rabbits in aviarys outside

7


surrounded by chickens and budgies, cockatiels, parakeets etc.

5(i)


The giants have the top half of a carrier, and a small pile of straw nothing else.

4, 5(iii), 8


I was watching a member of staff sell a pair of chinese hamsters to a lady with a small boy. He told them nothing about these little guys at all.

22


The hamsters were all literally cowering in the corner of their cage and he was putting his hand in so quickly just grabbing at them.

22

One peed on him so he dropped it back into the cage :shock::shock:

22


When they were in the box he wrote the price on top with a marker pen right by the air hole... fumes??

12(i)



The little boy was carrying the hamsters round the shop and being so rough with them.

5(i)


Eventually he put them down on a shelf... had a paddy, mum went mental and they left the shop. I hung around for about 10 -15 minutes and no one did anything with the hamsters, despite 3 staff walking past and looking at them.

5(i)


So in a crazy moment I picked up the box and went and paid for them.

I've only got a syrian cage, and I have no idea what they were fed in the shop. I can see their little faces peeking out of the box but they haven't come out yet.

I'm going to be complaining to the shop and the council, but if anyone else is local enough to visit and also complain that would help. This place is a disgrace. It's a garden centre in a village called Porton in Wiltshire.
Click to expand...

I reqested a PDF copy of the Pet Shop Licence Conditions from Wiltshire Council and received a reply within 4 hours.

I have looked at it (very quickly) and marked what I believe are some of the non-compliances above in bold (referred to the Clause number).

I am sure you will find lots more.


Hope this helps.
 
i have been to porton once! its sort of near me, i never ever go there anymore, its disgusting makes me so upset.. i go to scats now if i need bits now and again ^^ atleast they dont have animals there that i can get upset about, i cant belive there still keeping piggies and buns together! :censored: poor poor animals :( they should have much more training! if they have had any... people working with living things should have training and take a number of tests before being let into a room with one!
 
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beccimarie said:
i have been to porton once! its sort of near me, i never ever go there anymore, its disgusting makes me so upset.. i go to scats now if i need bits now and again ^^ atleast they dont have animals there that i can get upset about, i cant belive there still keeping piggies and buns together! :censored: poor poor animals :( they should have much more training! if they have had any... people working with living things should have training and take a number of tests before being let into a room with one!
Click to expand...

They should ALREADY be doing that in accordance with their Pet Shop Licence (Clauses below):

22. No animal shall be stocked or sold unless the staff (or a member of the staff) is familiar with the care and welfare of that animal.

23. All new licence holders shall, within 12 months of obtaining a first licence, obtain a suitable qualification in Pet Care, e.g. The City and Guilds Certificate in Pet Shop Management.
 
beccimarie said:
:( then why are they not putting it into practise :(
Click to expand...

Perhaps because they can get away with it and maybe because no one has complained to the Council with evidence of it happening.

They should be managing compliance within the shop and not need telling, but maybe that's not happening.:evil:
 
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iv complained at so many pet shops, but you have to, they are selling the pets when they dont know how to look after them themselves, people will go there and think yea if i get a rabbit and a piggie that will be ok because the petshop has them like that, and i can just put a giant outside and shove some straw in and it will be fine.. :roll:
 
beccimarie said:
iv complained at so many pet shops, but you have to, they are selling the pets when they dont know how to look after them themselves, people will go there and think yea if i get a rabbit and a piggie that will be ok because the petshop has them like that, and i can just put a giant outside and shove some straw in and it will be fine.. :roll:
Click to expand...

It's so sad.

If it's a bad pet shop, then they are unlikely to improve unless they are "compelled" to do so.

The Council inspecting, requiring improvements and maybe threatening prosecution or to remove their Pet Shop Licence might be "educational".
 
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