Once again, pet stores and chins.

[Brittney]

So I was out driving around to destress today, and I walked into a pet store that a bunch of people in the area boast about. I walked in and it smelled horrible. They had every animal you could think of, minus livestock. I had heard a bunch of people brag abut their great selection of chinchillas. I looked and the poor chinchillas were very tiny. Looked like as soon as they were weaned, they put them up for sale. The place was hot. It is 85 today in Phoenix and they had the door open, so it was just as hot inside. They had 2 chinchillas, one of which was dead, and the other looked bad as well. I pulled an employee aside and asked if I could see them. They wanted $125 for them and said I could only see them if I could prove that I had money and I was going to buy one. I walked away before I let a few words slip out.

They were selling baby chicks, and of course, little kids were going crazy over them wanting to hold them. Poor little chicks were getting squeezed to death by the little kids. The parents realized it and just layed them back in the box, others were just stressed out and weren't doing well either. I picked up one that looked just miserable and he had a broken wing and leg :cry3: I wanted to put a few in my bag and take them home.... That is why women carry huge bags right? To put helpless chicks in?

The rabbits were skin and bones, though, you couldn't tell until you got your hands on them.

Oh God, I can't believe I even went in there. I don't understand why people are bragging so much about the chins they get there and the store itself. It was horrible. I took a pic of the poor chin, not that I will post it on here. No one needs or wants to see that. Geeze. I just want people to be educated about the animals they are selling.

 

[EveningChin]

If that is true you should call the police... Now! Its animal cruelty and they should be shut down.

 

[Brittney]

Should I call the police or animal control?

 

[3CsMommy]

Go back with a camera, and then call the cops. If they get word of an inspection, they'll probably clean up before the authorities get there. A well-worded complaint about the animals you know best would help too.

I'm so sorry you had to see that. I'll light candles for those unhappy little lives ending too soon.

 

[Brittney]

OK, I called the police and they said I needed to call the Pheonix SPCA. I called and they said they would make a priority trip out there, today. I'm so relieved, but I can't stand things being mistreated.

 

[AZChins]

That's awful! The chin was dead? Oh man. I am so glad that I wasn't there. I have to admit that I have given up on places that sell animals completely. They do bad, bad things to the chins and other animals. I can't deal with it anymore. I tried for years and years, but now I am just worn out.

When you call the SPCA you will probably learn that they've been out there several times already. There's a lot of stores up your way that are like that. Most will not listen about how to care for the animals. If they did, they would stop selling them.

 

[AZChins]

Oh, and I can't believe that they let kids handle the chicks like that! I don't mind places selling chicks, it's okay because they go to people that raise them to make eggs. But, most of the time the feed store people are right on it if a kid is handling the chicks. There's usually a sign that asks people to not disturb them!

Selling chicks is the only exception that I have about selling animals, but even that has to be done right.

Don't tell me where this store is...just don't. I'm too close and I will probably stop by sometime with my big mouth. The police will be called, etc etc. Poor baby chins...I can't deal with seeing them mistreated.

 

[Brittney]

So I have noticed. It was in a trashy part of town. Their website says that they offer tours to people and school field trips....why??

 

[ChinchillaSteve]

Poor animals
and a dead chin?! I'd break the place down if i'd see such a thing.
I can't even stand people tapping on the glass let alone that

 

[Sendra]

Here is the direct information to contact the Arizona SPCA. Do it as quickly as possible, because as 3Csmommy said, they might clean up, so you will need to take pictures before the SPCA even comes.

Arizona SPCA

P.O. Box 33334
Phoenix, Arizona 85067
Phone: 602-246-8280
Fax: 602-246 -8588

 

[aashly23]

I went into a store a few months back that was advertising a huge sale. I thought I would go in and buy a few things for my chin but when I walked in I was almost knocked down by the smell. They had 3 chins in 1 cage together and the store owner couldn't even tell if they were male or female. They had many dogs in crates with no food and feces in all of the crates. There was a rope strung from one wall to the other with sheets hung over it. The owner said it was the breeding "room". The dogs were yelping and whining. It was pitiful so I called spca in my area. The store is now shut down. I hate those stores!

 

[Brittney]

I have already contacted the SPCA yesterday as soon as I got home. They made note of it and said they would make a priority visit out there ASAP. As far as I know they have been out there already.

 

[AZChins]

I hope they do something, normally they do nothing at all. I feel so bad for that little chinnie that passed away. I keep thinking of how she probably suffered and they ignored the problem.

There's a lot of bad petstores out there...