Complaint Review: PETSMART - Hobart Indiana

Maybe this post will get me fired and give me an excuse to do something better with myself. First off, my ethos. I have graduated from a top university, have attended Oxford as well as Al Karouayn in Morocco. I own a private exotic animal business, and have a strong background in husbandry dating back some twenty years. My family's business is held in high esteem in the reptile community for our efforts to preserve endangered species. We are one of the few companies licensed to keep and breed venemous animals, as well as CITES Appendix I species. Let me start by saying that, for the most part, the complaints about inhumane conditions at PetSmart are valid. As a part-time (weekends) employee I have witnessed unsanitary conditions, carelessness, lack of empathy and utter lack of knowledge on the part of SOME employees. However, 90% of employees are extremely knowledgeable as to the care of animals in their respective departments. The conditions you are witnessing are the product of CORPORATE policy. I would never keep a desert reptile on "calci sand", which causes impactions and adverse effecs on health - however, I am required to provide this in all the tanks. "Repti Carpet" is also a total joke for a substrate - but this is what we are told to provide for certain animals. Because customers complain at times that not all animals have water, we are required to place full water dishes in all cages at all times. This subjects a desert reptile such as a Uromastyx to humidity around 90%, when they survive naturally at humidities around 0-10%. Most die, and it's always a worker's fault. I constantly find myself in the position of doing what is right for the animal versus signing my initials on a checklist of detrimental deeds to be done. As a result, I am usually in trouble. Don't blame the employees. Most of us care to the point of risking a portion of our income. Most of us know way more about animals than a normal human being should. The company, however good its intentions may be, is at fault.

I was looking on some information on rearing our australian sulphur crested cockatoo's when i came accross this rip-off report. First i was shocked that this company has not been shut down by a animal welfare group,and praise your country for its freedom a speech,anything like this would be shut down in australia. Could you get the word out more and boycot thier stores? If you can some how get the word out more,with stories like this people will likely choose not to buy from these people,if they were in australia they would be shut down... Good luck to you all this company is a disgrace and the owner(s) need a good kick in the ar*e

I was looking on some information on rearing our australian sulphur crested cockatoo's when i came accross this rip-off report. First i was shocked that this company has not been shut down by a animal welfare group,and praise your country for its freedom a speech,anything like this would be shut down in australia. Could you get the word out more and boycot thier stores? If you can some how get the word out more,with stories like this people will likely choose not to buy from these people,if they were in australia they would be shut down... Good luck to you all this company is a disgrace and the owner(s) need a good kick in the ar*e

I was looking on some information on rearing our australian sulphur crested cockatoo's when i came accross this rip-off report. First i was shocked that this company has not been shut down by a animal welfare group,and praise your country for its freedom a speech,anything like this would be shut down in australia. Could you get the word out more and boycot thier stores? If you can some how get the word out more,with stories like this people will likely choose not to buy from these people,if they were in australia they would be shut down... Good luck to you all this company is a disgrace and the owner(s) need a good kick in the ar*e

That is horrible what has happened. I currently work at one of the Petsmart in Indy. The customers could have taken the bird home once they came back in the store every night to learn the correct way to hand-feed. I've had customers do this before and they love it. No bird should be forced to starve. I completely agree with that. There is no way to wean a 16 week bird off formula until they are ready. It's unfortunate that this store has so many problems. Most who have reported are correct about corporate (my store goes through the same run-around). They really don't care about the little guys who work for them. It's really sad and unforunate because Petsmart is a good company to work for.

That's a very good question Jennifer...why DIDN'T Petsmart just let him take this cockatoo home? NOT ONE manager nor the store director was willing to answer that question. The customer WANTED to, right then & there. Perhaps,due to the fact that the customer was so loud and causing such a big scene (infront of other customers), they simply wanted him removed from the store rather than deal with him or give him any answers. That customer was UPSET and ANGRY...and rightly so! Of course he was loud. We really believe it to be yet another case of "We're right, you're wrong, no matter how WRONG we are". They (the other managers) that were there that day, as well as the store director, were plainly standing up for the manager at fault - they refused to listen to any truth or reason from ANYONE else, including associates that were being forced to starve this bird. Here's another cockatoo case for everyone to think about...(we'll make it short) Before the Umbrella cockatoo, we had a gorgeous Citron cockatoo baby come in. It was in the store for about 3-4 weeks before being sold. Still handfeeding, after taking part in 3 consecutive handfeeding sessions(required),the new pet parents took it home. 2 weeks later, the Citron cockatoo was dead. Necropsy results determined this bird's cause of death to be PDD (Proventricular Dilation Disease).We, the associates who took part in the handfeeding and care of this otherwise beautiful, playful baby bird, were all devistated! However nobody was at fault here. Whether genetic or passed from another bird, PDD can not yet be diagnosed in a bird until it dies. But now here's the real kicker...about 3 weeks later, this customer was back in the store, talking about her bird and how much she & her husband missed it (even though it had only been with them for 2 weeks) She said (in conversation)"I was so relieved to hear that his cause of death was NOT PDD" Now...SOMEBODY was blatently LIED TO...who??? The associates or the customer? Again, same managers, same store director.

This is one of the saddest reports I've ever read on this website. One can only hope that this poor baby bird lived and is being cared for by responsible management. I'd like to think that PetSmart removed this defenseless animal for it's own safety but I still don't understand why they didn't let it's new pet parents take it at that time. Did this bird have to be of a certain age before it could be released to the new pet parents? They seemed to know that there was something wrong with the bird. Wouldn't they be able to maintain it's care even if it was hand-fed? Why did PetSmart give him back his money instead of giving this poor little bird a home? Appalling.

We are getting many,many questions from concerned customers that were in the store on the Sunday that the cockatoo situation took place. As previously stated, Monday (upon coming in to check on his bird) the customer was treated in a most horrific manner,given his money back & police-escorted out of the store..forbidden to ever come back. The cockatoo was imediately moved to an isolation room until Thursday, when a district manager came & picked it up. We were 'told' that the bird was checked by a vet, prior to being delivered to another store, and that no permanent damage had been done. We have only their "corporate word" to go on, and can only hope and pray that now this cockatoo is in better hands. Hopefully the store director at this 'other store' pays a little closer attention to the welfare of innocent animals and birds, than to the ignorance of managers that insist they are right, no matter how wrong they are! The associate that complied with the customer's wishes and fed the cockatoo, has since been "kicked out" of the dept. and the associate's hours and pay have both been cut. (It was stressed by a corp. big-shot, that this would NOT happen) Last, but not least, we would like to thank Rob in Hebron for his comments and input.

We are getting many,many questions from concerned customers that were in the store on the Sunday that the cockatoo situation took place. As previously stated, Monday (upon coming in to check on his bird) the customer was treated in a most horrific manner,given his money back & police-escorted out of the store..forbidden to ever come back. The cockatoo was imediately moved to an isolation room until Thursday, when a district manager came & picked it up. We were 'told' that the bird was checked by a vet, prior to being delivered to another store, and that no permanent damage had been done. We have only their "corporate word" to go on, and can only hope and pray that now this cockatoo is in better hands. Hopefully the store director at this 'other store' pays a little closer attention to the welfare of innocent animals and birds, than to the ignorance of managers that insist they are right, no matter how wrong they are! The associate that complied with the customer's wishes and fed the cockatoo, has since been "kicked out" of the dept. and the associate's hours and pay have both been cut. (It was stressed by a corp. big-shot, that this would NOT happen) Last, but not least, we would like to thank Rob in Hebron for his comments and input.

We are getting many,many questions from concerned customers that were in the store on the Sunday that the cockatoo situation took place. As previously stated, Monday (upon coming in to check on his bird) the customer was treated in a most horrific manner,given his money back & police-escorted out of the store..forbidden to ever come back. The cockatoo was imediately moved to an isolation room until Thursday, when a district manager came & picked it up. We were 'told' that the bird was checked by a vet, prior to being delivered to another store, and that no permanent damage had been done. We have only their "corporate word" to go on, and can only hope and pray that now this cockatoo is in better hands. Hopefully the store director at this 'other store' pays a little closer attention to the welfare of innocent animals and birds, than to the ignorance of managers that insist they are right, no matter how wrong they are! The associate that complied with the customer's wishes and fed the cockatoo, has since been "kicked out" of the dept. and the associate's hours and pay have both been cut. (It was stressed by a corp. big-shot, that this would NOT happen) Last, but not least, we would like to thank Rob in Hebron for his comments and input.

We are getting many,many questions from concerned customers that were in the store on the Sunday that the cockatoo situation took place. As previously stated, Monday (upon coming in to check on his bird) the customer was treated in a most horrific manner,given his money back & police-escorted out of the store..forbidden to ever come back. The cockatoo was imediately moved to an isolation room until Thursday, when a district manager came & picked it up. We were 'told' that the bird was checked by a vet, prior to being delivered to another store, and that no permanent damage had been done. We have only their "corporate word" to go on, and can only hope and pray that now this cockatoo is in better hands. Hopefully the store director at this 'other store' pays a little closer attention to the welfare of innocent animals and birds, than to the ignorance of managers that insist they are right, no matter how wrong they are! The associate that complied with the customer's wishes and fed the cockatoo, has since been "kicked out" of the dept. and the associate's hours and pay have both been cut. (It was stressed by a corp. big-shot, that this would NOT happen) Last, but not least, we would like to thank Rob in Hebron for his comments and input.

This person is right. I have been a customer at this store for years. I was at the store when this happen. The customer was loud and mad, he should be. It wasn't just a few dollars this customer was handing out. He had all the right in the world to be upset with the management and what they were making the associates do. Like I said, I have been going to this store for years and the associates are the only one's that know anything about the animals that are for sale. Ask any manager a ?? he sends you to an associate, who is already working there but off. I have seen lines at the bagging counter with one associate working. Management just walks by, like they have better things to do then help (sit in the office). Ask them about there bowling night,and they talk your ear off. I have called there corporate office to complain about a few things before. It didn't help. I saw the same old thing going on as before. This is a great store, with some good associates working the floor. If corporate would take a nice long look at the so called managers, they would see a change is needed.Get some people in there that know what the product is or atleast care.

This person is right. I have been a customer at this store for years. I was at the store when this happen. The customer was loud and mad, he should be. It wasn't just a few dollars this customer was handing out. He had all the right in the world to be upset with the management and what they were making the associates do. Like I said, I have been going to this store for years and the associates are the only one's that know anything about the animals that are for sale. Ask any manager a ?? he sends you to an associate, who is already working there but off. I have seen lines at the bagging counter with one associate working. Management just walks by, like they have better things to do then help (sit in the office). Ask them about there bowling night,and they talk your ear off. I have called there corporate office to complain about a few things before. It didn't help. I saw the same old thing going on as before. This is a great store, with some good associates working the floor. If corporate would take a nice long look at the so called managers, they would see a change is needed.Get some people in there that know what the product is or atleast care.

This person is right. I have been a customer at this store for years. I was at the store when this happen. The customer was loud and mad, he should be. It wasn't just a few dollars this customer was handing out. He had all the right in the world to be upset with the management and what they were making the associates do. Like I said, I have been going to this store for years and the associates are the only one's that know anything about the animals that are for sale. Ask any manager a ?? he sends you to an associate, who is already working there but off. I have seen lines at the bagging counter with one associate working. Management just walks by, like they have better things to do then help (sit in the office). Ask them about there bowling night,and they talk your ear off. I have called there corporate office to complain about a few things before. It didn't help. I saw the same old thing going on as before. This is a great store, with some good associates working the floor. If corporate would take a nice long look at the so called managers, they would see a change is needed.Get some people in there that know what the product is or atleast care.

This person is right. I have been a customer at this store for years. I was at the store when this happen. The customer was loud and mad, he should be. It wasn't just a few dollars this customer was handing out. He had all the right in the world to be upset with the management and what they were making the associates do. Like I said, I have been going to this store for years and the associates are the only one's that know anything about the animals that are for sale. Ask any manager a ?? he sends you to an associate, who is already working there but off. I have seen lines at the bagging counter with one associate working. Management just walks by, like they have better things to do then help (sit in the office). Ask them about there bowling night,and they talk your ear off. I have called there corporate office to complain about a few things before. It didn't help. I saw the same old thing going on as before. This is a great store, with some good associates working the floor. If corporate would take a nice long look at the so called managers, they would see a change is needed.Get some people in there that know what the product is or atleast care.