Petsmart Employment

[pssh]

I know you probably can't do much about the cages for the larger small animals, but I think recommending that customers buy the larges cages possible and the proper food would definatley be doable. It was just to help with what you could/should keep in mind when selling a pet or supplies for a pet.

 

[Syn]

Right, I had planned on recommending to customers all that I could get away with, but I'm just saying getting the store itself to change will certainly be a challenge.

Thank you.

 

[pssh]

And send sick animals to the vet! Some employees just dont care and shrug it off. I know a lot of petsmarts have a vet in the store, so do what you can. I was talking to this employee about how one of the animals was looking very sick, wheezy, mucus-ey, and like it had a serious RI. The poor thing's eyes were closed shut with mucus and all he did was wipe its eyes off and say it was perfectly fine. Do what you can without getting fired.

 

[Syn]

This specific store does not have a vet clinic in it, unfortunately.

 

[sophie]

I uh, actually bought my veiled at a Petsmart, from a very well informed employee, (comparing his start up guidance with what I read here.) So it did make a big difference in my cham's life that someone like you was working there. He'd made a point of handling the reptiles daily so Nimoy was quite tame at 5 months. He'd been there since tiny and was beautifully healthy. All said, it's true his cage there was small.
Your biggest impact might be with the people who take the chameleons home.
Good Luck and keep us posted - Wendy

 

[draetish]

Right, I had planned on recommending to customers all that I could get away with, but I'm just saying getting the store itself to change will certainly be a challenge.

Thank you.

Syn with your outgoing personality and knowledge, I'm betting you will get corporate to change the procedures. Just throw it at them like look, if you do it right, you can sell all the needed supplies and people won't have to go online to shop for lights, etc. and they can increase their profit. Wait! what am I saying? We don't want Petsmart to sell chams, delete . Try to steer them away from that and sell other "easy" reptiles.

 

[Syn]

Haha Donna, that's true, but there are some people who really want to get that chameleon in the window... I've noticed there hasn't been a chameleon in Petsmart for quite some time now at least.

 

[draetish]

Haha Donna, that's true, but there are some people who really want to get that chameleon in the window... I've noticed there hasn't been a chameleon in Petsmart for quite some time now at least.

You know, I buy my crickets at Petsmart (they are kept very clean) and I have only seen one baby veiled and that's been forever ago.

 

[Syn]

You know, I buy my crickets at Petsmart (they are kept very clean) and I have only seen one baby veiled and that's been forever ago.

I've had to do the same thing lately and I agree they are clean!.. but expensive.

 

[athena9995]

My girlfriend worked for them in Toronto.
The only problem she had was with the people who drop off kittens and puppys at the front door late at night in boxes.( She wanted to bring them all home )
If you do work there, at least we know one big box pet store will be giving their herps the proper care.

I don't think that's the case. I get my crickets from Petsmart and they have a female Jackson's that looks awful. I actually had them get her out today to really look at her condition. I have also talked to them about corrections they need to make to their cham care sheets. According to the reptile people there, the way they care for their animals is based upon corporate standards. They can not make any changes to housing without corporate approval. After several months, they are still housing reptiles incorrectly and still carrying chams. I think you would end up more frustrated than anything.

 

[Warrix642]

I have worked in several "Pet stores". I always bumped heads with the managers because I tried to care for the animals how they should be cared for and not by the "handbook". I did help a lot of customers with animals and I got a lot of respect from them because I never pushed for sales like the others and I knew more about the animals.

It was a good exp but not a good job I say go for it, you get to care for animals all day, try to inform people of the correct ways to care for a pet and you get paid doing it!

Dustin

 

[Syn]

Thanks Dustin, I really just need something to do - the paycheck will be a bonus.

I think I'm going to get fired from this job.....

 

[ijmccollum]

The only store in town is a petsmart and so I am often found there and am on 1st name basis with most of the employees. It definately sounds like a "corporate" job but then so is McD's. They are all animal lovers and they too fall victim to wanting to save all the animals -- not something they can always do and at times seem depressed by it. There are different areas you could be assigned to depending on your expertise -- of course I know you will want reptiles. It could be a good gig for a young person in HS or college. Good luck.

 

[Syn]

Thank you! I think they were hiring up until today, so I may not be able to get a job there after all.

 

[JCDenton]

I would not recommend for someone who likes animals to work at petsmart. I worked there in high school and it was terribly depressing. The store I worked at was actually one of the better ones too. You'll be shocked by how many dead animals you have to deal with, how incredibly stupid most of your customers are, and that the animals are treated as numbers instead of living things. I can only imagine it's worse now since Petsmart has declined a lot in the ten years since I worked there. They don't even bother to provide remotely appropriate enclosures anymore.

If you think you're going to go in there and clean up their live animal department, think again. Most animal maintenance is done before the store opens, and you probably won't work then. Even if you do, you'll be very rushed unless you work in a small store. Maybe it's not as bad now since most of them don't seem to have baby Macaws, Greys, Amazons, etc that need to be handfed. Then there is also a bit of time during closing, but not nearly enough. While the store is open, you're going to be pretty busy.

 

[Syn]

JC, this store isn't a very active one. The reptile department isn't great but it's not terrible, either. I talked to some of the staff today and the few I talk to regularly said this specific store is a lot better than many of the other stores they have been to. She even mentioned the manager keeping crested geckos (which made me laugh a little).

I'm not trying to defend the store itself, I am just saying it's not one that thinks of the animals as numbers. Most of the staff there does have a heart.

 

[Syn]

Petsmart has changed their age requirement to 18. I just found that out last night going in to take a look at their exo terras on sale.

 

[PedroANDAshley]

The petsmart you may work at might be better than most.
The petsmart here where i live is so horrible syn.
I went in to buy some crickets and took a look at the reptiles and there sat a geko away from the group of the other gekos half submerged in the water,eyes shut.
I asked the cashier to have some one check up on him and she said sure.
Two days later i came back and there was the geko still in the same postion it was in before, eyes shut.
Obviously he was never checked on and was, im assuming, dead.

Also a lady came into the store i worked at asking about how to keep lettuce longer (i work in produce) because her beadred dragon cant eat alot and shes sick because of mbd.
Turns out she works for petsmart and her boss was going to let the dragon die and refused to pay for the medicine, ect, ect to help the dragon get well so the lady took her in.

I guess what Im trying to say is I dont think you would be able to take seeing all the poor animals and how theirt treated,i know i couldn't, but maybe its a different story with your store. I know the one here is horrible.

 

[Coby]

That sucks, but its probably good too.

I couldnt work at a pet store I dont think. My love for animals runs deeper than my love for people. And seeing those poor little animals would just not be good.

About the bike/license thing, I was kinda in similar shoes. I didnt get my permit until I was like 17.5. I used to have a mild phobia of driving. IDK why. I could drive, but I was extremely nervous doing so. Plus Ive never really been a fan of all the expenses needed. But alas, Im getting a truck soon.

For the longest time I would either ride my bike around town or longboard. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Syn]

Oh gosh Ashley, that is terrible to hear.. Our petsmart is O-K but definitely not perfect..

I have a mild phobia of driving as well, but I love being in the passenger seat. When I was little my parents would get me to sleep by driving around the block once or twice. That's probably why. Go bikes!