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I went in PAH today, and wish I hadn't :(

ripminnie

Wise Old Thumper
I had run out of Dandelion from the Hay Experts, so just thought I would call in PAH for a bag of theirs, to keep me going... Big mistake :(
I try not to look at the buns if I have to go in there, but couldn't help it. There was a gorgeous black and white lion head in the adoption section. He was just sat there looking bewildered. He had no water bottle and no hay. Just a tunnel and an empty hay rack :( I collared the nearest assistant and pointed out that the rabbit had no hay and water. She said that he was brought in about half an hour ago, and whoever put him in the cage should have given him hay and water, but they must have forgot :evil: she said she would do it right away, so I decided to wait...
5 minutes later she came back with hay and a water bottle, but by this time there was a woman with a toddler looking at the bunny. The assistant said to the little girl "would you like to stroke the rabbit?!" And then proceeded to chase it around the cage trying to catch it :( she was struggling, and said "it's obviously not used to being handled!" :evil: I was fuming. I had to say something, so said "the rabbit has been here half an hour. It will be petrified. It should be left alone for a while to settle". She replied that she had to open the cage anyway to give it hay and water :censored:
I had to leave then. I can't cope with stuff like that. I can't stop thinking about it. How can someone abandon their bunny in a noisy pet shop, in a glass cage, wondering what the hell is going on? It really upsets me. And seeing that girl chase it around the cage was just awful :cry:
 
I know what you're saying - it breaks your heart! I went in a few years ago and this little b and w lionhead was there - it said she had come in with her 2 sisters and was about 6 weeks old! I thought poor thing, tasken from Mum then lost her sisters, so I brought her home. She is now 4 yrs old. Hopefully the bunny you saw will get a good home!
 
I absolutely HATE P@H everything about their bunny section just horrifies me.. I was in one a few weeks ago (desperate for something for Merlin I think) and the hay racks where filthy water bottles were green, and they were with a customer who said "just throw a handful of hay in with them in the morning"

Seriously I was like a HANDFUL your kidding me? Bunnies should have more then a handful... Then their water bottles are so low too... The bunnies practically have to lay down to drink from them, I don't understand how a LOT of pet shops have been banned/stopped from selling pets, yet they're still allowed too.. And their cage sizes too :( HOW ON earth can they get away with it
 
Have you tried reporting these stores? Not all PaH stores are as bad as these ones so I think certain stores must have staff with less training/ lazy staff. I live on a small island and PaH is pretty much the only place you can buy a good range of pet products. Luckily our store here is very good with rabbit care and the girl who sold me one of my rabbits had rabbits herself. I saw them selling a couple of rabbits this afternoon to a lady and they told her which hutches were actually much too small and went and picked up two big bags of hay for them etc. The rabbits are in pretty small enclosed cages, but usually only one in each cage and they are normally sold very quickly and only spend a couple of days in the shop. I think PaH gets alot of bad press because some of their staff really don't seem to care, but those stores and staff should be reported so they can be brought up to scratch like some of the better stores
 
Have you tried reporting these stores? Not all PaH stores are as bad as these ones so I think certain stores must have staff with less training/ lazy staff. I live on a small island and PaH is pretty much the only place you can buy a good range of pet products. Luckily our store here is very good with rabbit care and the girl who sold me one of my rabbits had rabbits herself. I saw them selling a couple of rabbits this afternoon to a lady and they told her which hutches were actually much too small and went and picked up two big bags of hay for them etc. The rabbits are in pretty small enclosed cages, but usually only one in each cage and they are normally sold very quickly and only spend a couple of days in the shop. I think PaH gets alot of bad press because some of their staff really don't seem to care, but those stores and staff should be reported so they can be brought up to scratch like some of the better stores



I've reported them several times, and even sent in photo's cause I was shocked at how dirty their rabbit enclosure was and the green in their bottle.. All i got was a "we'll look in to it" sort of response, I hate having to go in there, and also the over breeding they encourage when they buy their rabbits in.. Unfortunately the ones who make it to the shop floor are actually the "lucky" ones :(
 
It is shocking how much their staff's knowledge and approach to animal care can differ between stores. Whilst I still like my store and the staff here have good knowledge, your reply just now has shocked me a little as you said you've already reported it and nothing has been done by them. The worst thing is you know they are going to keep getting new bunnies into the store. I'm sorry there isn't more that can be done apart from to keep reporting. I don't know if the RSPCA or anyone would have anything to say?
 
I don't know about the RSPCA - I've seen them raising funds for their cause in the shop before.. Obviously it's just volunteers.. Maybe ours just suck, but I have about 3-5 in local vinicity to me - 2 of them are awful :( the others I tend to avoid because of it
 
I also went onto a p@h yesterday and it took everything I had to walk out without this little lop eared bunny.....hubby told me I'd end up selling my car to pay for all the rabbits if I carried on (only been driving 3 months!!)
I do agree advice can vary from store to store, I'm really nosey so when I see people buying a pet I like to listen in and it's different in the different store and the different staff!! I think the ones who are up for adoption always look so sad and with no space to move about!!
Surely they should have the correct and same training across all stores so all new pet owners receive the same advice!!!
 
What you described sounds awful. I'm sure it is on a store by store basis though as our local one seems to be well staffed. I had been in years and years ago when I had fish and there are still a lot of the same staff in store now. They all seem to have their own knowledge areas too.

Their adoption cages often have signs on saying that the pet in question has only just come in and wont be ready until a certain date. All other animals appear well looked after too with clean water and enclosures.

We got our two boys from this particular store and the lad that helped us seemed to know what he was doing too. When one sneezed he picked him up and listened to his breathing, then he showed us their teeth and explained how to check they weren't overgrown and said to check them over daily if possible, even if it was just stroking them to make sure they weren't too fat/skinny. He told us to just feed nuggets and hay (lots of) for the first week before introducing veggies to them slowly. He even said that the one looked like he might get longer hair in the future which would need to be brushed.

I was expecting him to put them in a box and ask for money but was surprised at his service.

It might be because this store has the vets in it that they are more knowledgeable maybe as the vets have all been great when we have seen them.


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Even the most knowledgeable staff cannot compensate for the awful breeding conditions which buying from them will only encourage.

I bought two of my rabbits from a pet shop but having seen and read up about rescues and the kind of breeders that shops use it will be rescues from now on.
 
I do have to say, I do see incredibly variable conditions across the P@H stores I've been to, but reporting it somewhere is something I'd do if I'd seen this sort of thing in any of them.
 
Well my sister (who has a BTEC in animal management and has done two years of volunteer work at a Zoo) went for a interview in P@H yesterday. She said she doubts she'll get the job, apparently there was no questions or anything to do with animals or animal care - just retail experience. IMO they could do with someone like her who actually knows how to look after animals of all species.....
 
Afew years ago before I knew about RU and the desperate situation rescues are in I bought 2 young boys from PAH.They smelt very bad (wee)and their white fur was infact yellow.I think their state was more due to the breeding place than PAH as the enclosure in PAH was fairly clean but youd think theyd have cleaned the poor things up.I was lucky as they were healthy but I had(I realise now) shocking advice from staff including not to get them bonded with females as they will become less friendly towards me.Neutering was not necessary and a 4 foot hutch was perfectly adequate.Luckily I had been researching and knew better especially when I found RU!
 
The information I've heard them give is shocking.. There's a forum somewhere too about P@H and about the living conditions the bunnies are kept in out of the shop floor and how they're actually brought in too... It's so saddening and really shocking.

The staff in my 2 local ones aren't very knowlegeable at all, and I find even some of their hay crappola too. I've heard lots of bunnies suffering & dying at a young age too when brought from P@H so obviously not well bred from good breeders (if there is such a thing?)

I couldn't even use their adoption in there without feeling bad, as most of them are just rabbits which weren't cute enough for the main enclosures and din't sell, I always feel so sorry for the bunnies in there :(
 
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