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Been bossy in pets at home today....

nursecroft

Wise Old Thumper
Had a look at a cute little pew lop buck in the adoption bit at the southampton store.... he was there as no one wanted to buy him and he had to be homed as a single rabbit :shock: he looked about 11-12 weeks... so i asked to speak to the manager... explained i helped write the new info leaflet for PAH and i find it infuriating seeing bad advice being given still... they havent got the leaflets in yet so i explained if this buck was neutered he'd happily go with a spayed female and of course now his hormones have kicked in he's going to fight with the other bucks :roll: he was very nice and said he'd change it straight away... worries me though that the manager can know so little about rabbits.
 
Had a look at a cute little pew lop buck in the adoption bit at the southampton store.... he was there as no one wanted to buy him and he had to be homed as a single rabbit :shock: he looked about 11-12 weeks... so i asked to speak to the manager... explained i helped write the new info leaflet for PAH and i find it infuriating seeing bad advice being given still... they havent got the leaflets in yet so i explained if this buck was neutered he'd happily go with a spayed female and of course now his hormones have kicked in he's going to fight with the other bucks :roll: he was very nice and said he'd change it straight away... worries me though that the manager can know so little about rabbits.

It's good to see that the manager clearly does not know all about the Pet Shop Licence Conditions for his/her store.:shock::censored:

They are likely to be the following (or very similar):

http://www.hart.gov.uk/pet_shop_licensing.pdf


PET CARE ADVICE
  • PTIA Pet Care leaflets or other similar written instructions should be made available to customers where appropriate at the time of purchase.
  • Purchasers of accessories should, where necessary, be given proper advice as to their maintenance and use.
  • The PTIA Pet Store Manual or other appropriate reference books must always be available for use by staff.

STAFF TRAINING AND LIVESTOCK KNOWLEDGE
  • No animal should be stocked or sold unless the staff (or a member of the staff) is familiar with the care and welfare of that animal.
  • In respect of new applications, at least one member of staff working at the licensed premises must hold the City and Guilds Pet Store Management Certificate, or some other appropriate qualification, or must be in the course of training to take the examination (within two years of the introduction of these conditions).
  • The licensee must formulate a written training policy for all permanent staff, and will be required to demonstrate that systematic training is carried out.

Then, of course, there are the claims made by P@H's Head of Pets (HoP) in respect of P@H's training and staff knowledge. (i.e. a senior manager in his/her own company).

  • I joined Pets at Home last year (i.e. 2009) as their Head of Pets and I have to say I have been very impressed by the lengths they go to in order to train their staff, the policies and procedures in place to look after their pets while in their care and the aftercare provided.
  • P@H ensure that they obtain regularly-updated knowledge of the best practice in their welfare for each type of animal that they sell. In the particular case of rabbits, knowledge of the best practice set out by, inter alia, the RWA and like organisations.
  • The HoP communicates his/her expertise and good practice via the training of P@H staff.
  • In the HoP's opinion, the training at P@H far exceeds anything she has seen elsewhere in the pet trade in the UK.
  • P@H staff are are empowered to refuse a sale if they are not happy about anything when they go through the questions they have been trained to ask with the prospective pet buyer. These include finding out if it is the right type of pet for the owner’s situation, housing, feeding, time and money commitment, etc.
  • The HoP noted that some of the most vociferous complaints to P@H's customer services are when a member of P@H's staff refuses to sell a pet to someone, and the HoP is always pleased to hear about it.
  • The HoP was "amazed" by the training given to staff, from basic through to external courses. There are several steps in the training, each book being hundreds of pages long.
  • P@H Staff are not allowed to sell pets until they have completed a certain level of training.
  • Most P@H training is done in-house and completed during their shift in store and with the help of the manager and/or experienced colleague; this is so that they can put into practise the skills they learn with supervision before they are signed off. This training covers all areas of pet care/animal husbandry including feeding, sexing, health checks, enrichment, environment required etc.Then staff can do more advanced training, such as OATA courses, which involve distance learning, or reptile courses at Reaseheath College.
  • In respect of how the care of the pets in store is assured, members of the HoP's pet team perform an audit on a regular basis and any issues are addressed. Stores are also visited by the EHO every year to obtain their Pet licence and P@H has an independent vet visit every year. P@H recently trialled the new PCT standards in their East region, which involved an independent audit by SAI Global and P@H are looking to extend that across the country, leading the way on pet retail standards.
  • P@H staff can refuse a sale if they unhappy about any aspect of the pet's future environment or care or have any doubts as to the customers commitment or ability to care for the pet.

I wonder how the Pet Shop Licence Conditions and the P@H training and procedures can appear to have just passed by the Manager?

As Manager, he/she is responsible for implementing them. :shock: :evil:
 
Had a look at a cute little pew lop buck in the adoption bit at the southampton store.... he was there as no one wanted to buy him and he had to be homed as a single rabbit :shock: he looked about 11-12 weeks... so i asked to speak to the manager... explained i helped write the new info leaflet for PAH and i find it infuriating seeing bad advice being given still... they havent got the leaflets in yet so i explained if this buck was neutered he'd happily go with a spayed female and of course now his hormones have kicked in he's going to fight with the other bucks :roll: he was very nice and said he'd change it straight away... worries me though that the manager can know so little about rabbits.

The manager in this store I have found to be quite aggressive at times so well done for talking to him and getting a good response. :):wave:
He doesn't like me very much! :lol:

However, since Sue from Southampton RR has been working as a vet nurse at the companion care inside things have been a bit better, she does try to keep an eye on proceedings and will check out any buns that look poorly. There was a very sick agouti female in the adoption centre last time I was in the store, with her guinea pig friend! :roll: Bun was mouth breathing so I made quite a fuss, got the usual 'seen the vet' line but reported it to head office anyway. Saw Sue a few weeks later and asked if she remembered her. Bun had lung secondaries from UC as I suspected and had to be pts :cry: Poor thing.

ETA all the notices on the adoption buns say 'must be a single bun' whenever I go in too. It really riles me and I have written countless emails to head office. I'm really glad your leaflets are coming out.... just hope they take notice in store.
 
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The manager in this store I have found to be quite aggressive at times so well done for talking to him and getting a good response. :):wave:
He doesn't like me very much! :lol:

However, since Sue from Southampton RR has been working as a vet nurse at the companion care inside things have been a bit better, she does try to keep an eye on proceedings and will check out any buns that look poorly. There was a very sick agouti female in the adoption centre last time I was in the store, with her guinea pig friend! :roll: Bun was mouth breathing so I made quite a fuss, got the usual 'seen the vet' line but reported it to head office anyway. Saw Sue a few weeks later and asked if she remembered her. Bun had lung secondaries from UC as I suspected and had to be pts :cry: Poor thing.

ETA all the notices on the adoption buns say 'must be a single bun' whenever I go in too. It really riles me and I have written countless emails to head office. I'm really glad your leaflets are coming out.... just hope they take notice in store.

Hmmm maybe I need to get onto headoffice too then ;)
 
There is something about PAH that has a nasty side to it isn't there? My PAH in MK can be very rude and blunt, not to mention they contradict each other. One woman said that 2 males are fine together, another woman came over and said "it doesn't matter either way cause one will die"!!!!! Shocking :/ I don't perticularly like PAH at the moment. I only ever go there if Thumper needs to go to the vets. Anything I need I order now. Just going in there is sometimes upsetting :/
 
He tried to tell me he didnt know the rabbits history and said he's probably just as aggressive with females... i said well it says on your card he's in there as you couldnt sell him and you keep bucks and females seperate... plus he will fight with any bun now his hormones are raging :roll: he couldnt really argue, i told him id helped to write the new information leaflet and was in contact with head office ;)
 
There is something about PAH that has a nasty side to it isn't there? My PAH in MK can be very rude and blunt, not to mention they contradict each other. One woman said that 2 males are fine together, another woman came over and said "it doesn't matter either way cause one will die"!!!!! Shocking :/ I don't perticularly like PAH at the moment. I only ever go there if Thumper needs to go to the vets. Anything I need I order now. Just going in there is sometimes upsetting :/

Don;t talk to me about MK Pets at home :roll: They are awful, although it doesn;t mean all stores are the same
 
LOL! I've just realised I purchased Thumper from PAH. *Slaps wrist* thumper is a lucky exception as he was healthy and lively as anything, not to mention adorable! And the manager of the store sold him to me with the advise etc :) She was quite good at that time.
 
Generally the Soton store is very good. Well a lot better than regular pet stores, and since they redid the accomodation things have really improved and i've been impressed at times. There is a young guy that works there that is lovely and loves the buns and is really helpful. I noticed one of the giants was avoiding weight bearing on his hocks so he promised me he would go straight in and check on him. I don't usually believe the staff when they say this but he actually shut the till after me and went straight over there to check, really sweet guy. In summer they all had ice pods and a fan on which again is pretty good for a petshop. :)

Some of the other staff are pretty rude though, manager included so I think you did very well Nursecroft - I can't bear the man and avoid him like the plague! :lol: I'm also not very good at keeping my cool and I know I come across as aggressive which doesn't help anyone. :roll::oops:

I think a personal word with HQ as the lady who helped them write the leaflets would be great. :D
 
Major hater for PAH!!!!!

I absolutly hate PAH they sold me a very sick dutch bunny.

He had so much wrong with him i had to have him PTS at 4 months old. He was so ill!

He came with snuffles and started having fits a few months later. Luckily i had him insured and i have the best vet in the area. Unfortunately he was to poorly to pull through. It was devistating to see him have so many fits and be helpless.

My vet gave him a blood test and it turned out he had Ecuniculi!!! Which ment all those other bunnies probabely went through exactly what my little Franky went through. I wrote letters to PAH, Trading Standards, Watch Dog and the RSPCA. PAH now have signs up saying they advise you worm your rabbit!

I did get a payout from PAH but i wrote to them to mostly highlight the fact they will have a lot of sick bunnies if they dont sort the issue. I was devistated, just think some poor little child may have had to witness their bunny go through just as much pain!

Turns out i knew 3 other peoplr who brought rabbits around the same time as me from the same store (Crayford) and their rabbits died to!

Makes me sick, those bunny farms.... Arrgghhhh!!! :evil:
 
tum te tum te tum ... :roll::roll:

i am corresponding with pets at home about serious concerns with their adoption process ... this is after i took two special bunnies fromthere not so long agao ..

again this was mostly a case of staff not having a clue :roll: :evil:
 
tum te tum te tum ... :roll::roll:

i am corresponding with pets at home about serious concerns with their adoption process ... this is after i took two special bunnies fromthere not so long agao ..

again this was mostly a case of staff not having a clue :roll: :evil:

Mmmmm, "Staff not having a clue" after all the training and mentoring that the P@H Head of Pets claimed that P@H already have in place.:roll::roll:

Wonder what happened to that?:roll:

Tum te tum te tum.
 
it makes me glad my pets@home is fairly good!
I cant belive they can sell these animals with such little understanding :?
I acctually looke for the new leaflet but it wasnt out, is dreamer going to be in it or not? :wave:
 
it makes me glad my pets@home is fairly good!
I cant belive they can sell these animals with such little understanding :?
I acctually looke for the new leaflet but it wasnt out, is dreamer going to be in it or not? :wave:

If what the P@H Head of Pets claimed about P@H's staff knowledge, training and procedures was correct then all of their stores should be very good and that this should apply all the time.
 
Well here is some interesting information I no about pets at home. Some one I know *taps Nose* help build the aquatics in many PAH stores and other stored around UK and told me that PAH give a TOTAL of 45 minute training session on both FISH/RODENTS/LIZARDS etc! How discusting is that. 45 minutes to learn as much about all the animals in their care!!!! It has taken me 2 years to be fairly knowkedgable about aquatics let alone 45 minutes shared about between ALL types of animals.
 
Well here is some interesting information I no about pets at home. Some one I know *taps Nose* help build the aquatics in many PAH stores and other stored around UK and told me that PAH give a TOTAL of 45 minute training session on both FISH/RODENTS/LIZARDS etc! How discusting is that. 45 minutes to learn as much about all the animals in their care!!!! It has taken me 2 years to be fairly knowkedgable about aquatics let alone 45 minutes shared about between ALL types of animals.

I wonder how that is reconciled with the claims by the P@H Head of Pets that:
  • The HoP was "amazed" by the training given to staff, from basic through to external courses. There are several steps in the training, each book being hundreds of pages long.
  • P@H Staff are not allowed to sell pets until they have completed a certain level of training.
  • Most P@H training is done in-house and completed during their shift in store and with the help of the manager and/or experienced colleague; this is so that they can put into practise the skills they learn with supervision before they are signed off. This training covers all areas of pet care/animal husbandry including feeding, sexing, health checks, enrichment, environment required etc.Then staff can do more advanced training, such as OATA courses, which involve distance learning, or reptile courses at Reaseheath College.
Not quite the same as 45 minutes.:shock: :lol: :evil:
 
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