Pet stores improving?

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Cheshire Catfish

Post   » Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:24 pm


Leb, don't worry- I said I wasn't going to re-argue, not that I was going to stop reading. :)
Those are some great marketing suggestions and I will look into them! Thanks for the advice.



Our main obstacle in getting rescues into the store, realistically, will be volunteer shortages. Because we're a small store, I expect some rescues will consider it not worthwhile to devote a full day of precious volunteer time. I hope I'm wrong about that, but we'll see.

I know my mom had talked to some dog rescue groups in the past, and that was the answer she got. I suspect that that's why she hasn't pursued it much. But, she is extremely busy just trying to keep the place open at all, and I wasn't really involved with the store until recently. I hope I can "donate" the time/patience necessary to work something out.

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Cheshire Catfish

Post   » Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:28 pm


"I would definitely echo Leb on people not knowing about the dangers of Petsmart pigs."

Very true! In fact, I'd just say that there's a serious problem with people not knowing the problems with Petsmart, period.

I've long since lost count of how many people I've had to re-educate about fish (I work in the aquarium section), after they've gotten all kinds of misinformation (and sick fish) at Petsmart.

Example- I get probably at least one customer a week that thinks that plecos ("suckerfish") eat the poop of other fish and don't need to be fed at all! It's crazy what they hear over there sometimes. I can't imagine their small animal advice is much better.

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sus4rabbitsnpigs

Post   » Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:32 pm


Volunteers wouldn't need to be in store all day. That isn't feasible. You could house the animals there if possible and have applications and the rescue info on hand.

Or sponsor adoption events on weekends.

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Cheshire Catfish

Post   » Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:45 pm


Sus, that's what I hope we can do. I guess it just depends on whether each particular rescue is comfortable leaving the animals with us for a day- I get the impression the dog rescue guys wanted one of their volunteers to be there the whole time.

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GuineaPinny

Post   » Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:47 pm


They might have thought it was like the Petsmart adoption days. Or maybe they thought he was getting a job as security dog :)

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Leb
Supporter in '08

Post   » Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:58 pm


I think the reason why your Mom encountered trouble with a rescue dog agency is that they are probably so passionate about their "saved" animals and want to place the animals themselves and not to a pet store that would turn a profit on them and sell to anyone. Whether you would or not their fear was probably there.

But GP's would be different as people don't always value them the same way as dogs and there is a lot for the average person to learn, your store could help this by showing them the right cages, beds, hidey houses, food, water and maybe a colorful poster of the vegetable chart they should be eating.

In my town we have three family owned petstores. One with dogs and the works, one with only small and furry and reptile, and the third I am happy to report is now pet supply only! That is the store I frequent. They don't sell any animals, but they do usually have kittens available to adopt. They don't turn a profit on these kittens but when you walk by and see them frolicking in the window it forces you to go in and visit with them because they are so precious! Then you see their supplies, knowledge, friendly attitude and want to support them.

Some other ideas I had above were on supply and demand. When I first got my pigs I had a super pet cage because it was the biggest I could find. Then I found GL and saw C&C cages and was going to order one off eBay until my boyfriend wanted to make it instead. I was too lazy, I am sure there are tons like me who would prefer to buy one and not have to make one.

Also I bought my pigs this bed from the pet store.
Image
They hated it and never ever went in it. I had to place them in it and bribe with lettuce so I could take pictures. I tried with the Weaver beds and they popcorned so hard for about 3 full minutes that Vinny (pictured) fell out of his Weaver bed! It was amazing and hysterical. They love them and I have no idea what the difference could be other then these were made with love.
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If you wanted to go crazy and really drum up business you'd show people the horrors of breeding mills with big shiny photos. You could have adoption day, the pet of the week, raffle prizes, the sky is the limit. It would be my dream pet supply store. Plus a lot of things you can buy from GL members are great for rabbits, rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, and other small animals.

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Cheshire Catfish

Post   » Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:04 pm


"They might have thought it was like the Petsmart adoption days. Or maybe they thought he was getting a job as security dog :)"

Heehee... now I'm picturing a feisty little pack of security guinea pigs....

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Cheshire Catfish

Post   » Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:07 pm


Leb, I'm not sure if big shiny photos of breeding mills would be the best idea for the shop... But addresses of websites with them, perhaps. :)

Actually, I was talking with my mom this week about building a little "adoption info center" at the shop, with a poster, flyers, and donation jar for each of the various rescues in the area (GPs, rabbits, ferrets, dogs, cats, iguanas, etc). Maybe we could add a section about the alternative- a clear but not-too-graphic explanation of where pet store animals usually come from, and why not to buy at big box stores.

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Feylin

Post   » Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:10 pm


Let me tell you a story. I have just now gotten the whole story and it seems highly appropriate here. I got some of the pigs from this rescue, other people took the rest. So some of these examples are mine, some are from what I have just been told by others.

I just spent a lot of my time, money, and worry on some of the breeding stock that was being used to supply the local independent pet store. People were buying these pretty black and white dalmation colors and Abby pigs. The breeder advertised in the paper, sold to the store, and did not sell large numbers of babies- she seemed to be quite a responsible breeder. The town I grew up in is small, I knew this lady and never thought twice about what she was doing. The petstore is one I loved, and spent a lot of time in as a kid- my parents did most of their shopping there for our pets over the years.

2 months ago, the local humane society got a call from someone who had gone the the breeder's house to pick up a piece of furnature. She didn't think the conditions she saw were quite right. So, animal control went over and the breeder assured them that everything was in order, showed them the pigs and explained their care. It seemed reasonable to the AC officers (who didnt know about guinea pigs) so they left. The person who complained didn't let up and got a local vet involved. The breeder became defensive and angry at the "interference". The AC officers told her they were coming back. This is what they found AFTER they had been educated by the vet. The breeder was convinced she was treating her breeding stock "well".

-Baby pigs about 4 weeks old, separated by sex just taken from mom. Babies were healthy, happy, eating pellets and hay. They were in TINY cages, but they were about to go to the pet store to be sold. These were located in the front room.

-In the back of the house, adult pigs were living separated by sex except for the pairs she was actively breeding. Adults were on clean news paper bedding, in home made wire cages stacked on top of one another. They had pellets and hay. The cages were about 3ft by 5ft and had about 10 males or females in each.

- The pigs all had the same host of problems. They had scurvy from not being fed veggies. Their teeth were rotten and falling out. 2 months after they were removed, I still have pigs who's teeth shatter constantly. They had NEVER been treated for mites or lice. Their skin looked like raw meat in places and they would scream in pain just from brushing up against something. They were covered in cuts, scars, abcesses from fighting (too small conditions). I had a boar with an infected cut on a testicle that the vet said it was a miracle it healed at all. They all had URI's and had never been treated. Several of them have scarred lungs now. The pigs all had serious socialization issues from living like they did. A boar I just adopted out STILL has trouble with attacking other pigs after they are introed and settled in a cage....24hrs later. Pigs were bred at 3 or 4 months of age. I had a sow die trying to give birth to a very large pup. She was too small to give birth.

I could tell you all of the breeder's reasons for why she was responsible and caring. She did NOT get fined in court because she honestly beleived she was providing adequate care to her breeding stock. They could still breed and give birth in their condition. The babies looked good. People who bought from her honestly thought she was a responsible breeder.

The most important part is that a whole community was "fooled". I wouldn't be supprised if your Mom is fooled in the same way. It says nothing about her intelligence! The babies were healthy and happy- no one ever saw the lethals that were produced until the AC officers found a dead lethal pup in the corner of a cage. No one saw the breeding stock, since she brought the babies to the pet store.

I think it is fantastic that you are going to work on finding ways to have rescue pigs in your store. Having a local small business to support would just thrill me! I think though, that it's hard to really understand the cycle of breeders, pet store pigs, impulse owners, and YOU if you have no first experience. I sure as hell didn't know any of this when I got my first pig, and I REALLY didn't get the "don't support petstores" thing until I had these rescue pigs.

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Sammiannes Man

Post   » Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:15 pm


Feylin. I know Ya said she wasn't fined or anything, but is she now out of the breeding business altogether and not allowed to start it again?

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Cheshire Catfish

Post   » Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:18 pm


Everybody from this thread, please check out this one:

https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=45999

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Leb
Supporter in '08

Post   » Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:27 pm


Cheshire Catfish I meant big shiny pictures of the horror that happens IF you turned your shop into a pet supply/rescue store.

Let me tell you when I was 14 years old I was at a show (bands playing) and the Animal Defense League was there with posters and a video playing showing animal abuse in slaughter houses and so on. Let's say I haven't eaten meat in 14 years. I stopped right then. All it took was those big shiny pictures.

Breeders near me have gotten bustly it seems a lot recently. One lady had 88 pigs and various others animals, a Vet ratted her out after seeing one pig she brought in. All animals were taken from her but are all in foster care and not adoptable as she is fighting the charges. Apparently she'll never get them back but could be hung up in the courts for a year.

Feylin, you are so right. The babies barely weened are perfect while the breeding pair is skin and bones barely clinging to life being forced to give birth over and over till they die.

Let me tell you I was tricked too! I would never get a cat or dog from a petstore, only a rescue but until I found GL I had no idea there were rescue agencies for GP's.

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