# Who shops at Petco?



## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Might want to rethink it if you value choices you have...This was brought to our attention on another forum I belong to and wouldn't you know it 

Petco is in Cahoots with HSUS AND PETA


Petco has been in cahoots with HSUS AND PETA since the early 1990's. While
obtaining donations for our yearly trial, I contacted Petco and was informed by
the Vice President of Marketing, that they will not donate anything or to anyone
who is associated with Breed/All Breed/ OR Performance clubs.
AS LONG AS PETCO CONTINUES IT'S ALLIANCE WITH HSUS I WILL NOT BE DOING BUSINESS
WITH PETCO. I WILL ALSO PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO ALL ANIMAL OWNERS OF ANY
KIND.
The Petco Foundation has also, for many years, funded KIND News, an HSUS
newsletter for school classrooms focused on helping children become responsible
pet owners.
forwarded from ASSA List
permission to forward
Judy Kelsey
MFSSC


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

I thought Peta has been documented for uthinizing thousands of dogs recently in Virgina or Washington area? I don't care for Peta, but I won't shop at Petco either...


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

I use to work for them. That was the eye opener for me. I don't shop there. 

I am lucky because we have an excellent store "Pet Food Express" literally a stones throw from my house


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## Little Brown Jug (Dec 7, 2010)

I've never seen a Petco before. Is it an American store?


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

we dont have a petco in the upper penisula.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

well, i won't shop there anymore.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Little Brown Jug said:


> I've never seen a Petco before. Is it an American store?


Yea, I don't know where else any are. It's just a big store that carries pet food, toys and supplies.


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## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

Petco advertises that they have over 1000 stores in 50 states. When I lived in a smaller city there wasn't much else available. In Portland though, I think I've been there once in 6 years to buy some much needed item later at night. Otherwise, I give my business to the dozens of individual-owned small pet stores in the city.

It's amazing how most people don't know the full story about PETA.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

eh, everything there is overpriced anyways


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

What is wrong with the humane society HSUS? We don't have that here. We have a humane society but its a no kill city shelter that's awesome.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

The Truth About _HSUS_ : Nathan J Winograd
 

If you google HSUS- why is it bad? Lot's of interesting things pop up


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

whiteleo said:


> Might want to rethink it if you value choices you have...This was brought to our attention on another forum I belong to and wouldn't you know it
> 
> Petco is in Cahoots with HSUS AND PETA
> 
> ...


With respect to the OP, I am again putting on my "Devil's Advocate Hat"....

The above tells us NOTHING. It is innuendo and hearsay from a third party who is being paraphrased here in this forum.

Please people, *before* you start reacting to posts like this, think about what you are seeing/reading.

FWIW,


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Would you like me to say more...Money that you donate to the HSUS does not even go to help animals in need...It goes to administration costs..I think people can pretty much figure this out on their own. Try using Google or do you know what that is?


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

SubMariner said:


> With respect to the OP, I am again putting on my "Devil's Advocate Hat"....
> 
> The above tells us NOTHING. It is innuendo and hearsay from a third party who is being paraphrased here in this forum.
> 
> ...


*I am beginning to believe that hat is permanently glued to your head :wink:

All these people need to do is walk into a petco and look at how the live animals are kept (let alone they sell live animals). Look at how dirty their floors are (the one I worked at had a cleaner come ONCE A MONTH, the petsmart I worked at had one every other day!. Look at how angry every employee is, how high their prices are and how bad their products are. 

Thats all the proof I need to not support this company. The HSUS and PETA business is just icing.*


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

SubMariner said:


> With respect to the OP, I am again putting on my "Devil's Advocate Hat"....
> 
> The above tells us NOTHING. It is innuendo and hearsay from a third party who is being paraphrased here in this forum.
> 
> ...


_Humane Society_ of the United States: Funding sources, staff profiles *...* 
activistcash.com/...cfm/o/136-*humane-society*-of-the-united-states


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

whiteleo said:


> Would you like me to say more...Money that you donate to the HSUS does not even go to help animals in need...It goes to administration costs..I think people can pretty much figure this out on their own. Try using Google or do you know what that is?


Again, the original post is HEARSAY.

"Don't shop at Petco because this is what someone SAYS they SAW in another forum that someone else posted about what they might have found online or in a letter or...."

Google may be your friend, but FACTS are even more so.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Let's see it is a fact that the HSUS IN FACT supported MICHAEL VICK, FACT! Do your research, or do you know how?


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

I was shocked when Wayne Pacelle said that he thinks Michael Vick would make a great dog owner...


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Dude and Bucks Mamma said:


> I was shocked when Wayne Pacelle said that he thinks Michael Vick would make a great dog owner...


That is just insane.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

SubMariner said:


> Again, the original post is HEARSAY.
> 
> "Don't shop at Petco because this is what someone SAYS they SAW in another forum that someone else posted about what they might have found online or in a letter or...."
> 
> Google may be your friend, but FACTS are even more so.




what constitutes fact in your world?


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I believe this is where the original message started..

*Petco & HSUS/PETA | Savannah Cat Chat - THE Place for Savannah Cat ... 
*


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Sprocket said:


> *I am beginning to believe that hat is permanently glued to your head :wink:
> 
> All these people need to do is walk into a petco and look at how the live animals are kept (let alone they sell live animals). Look at how dirty their floors are (the one I worked at had a cleaner come ONCE A MONTH, the petsmart I worked at had one every other day!. Look at how angry every employee is, how high their prices are and how bad their products are.
> 
> Thats all the proof I need to not support this company. The HSUS and PETA business is just icing.*


If by that you mean that I do not believe EVERYTHING that I see on the Internet, then yes, I am a skeptic/devil's advocate.

For example, you are making sweeping generalizations about "how dirty their floors are....how angry every employee is, how high their prices are and how bad their products are...."

I have a Petco and a Petsmart near me. NEITHER of them have dirty floors; they are always clean, and well stocked. The employees seem pleasant, not "angry" (I'm not even sure what you mean by "how angry every employee is"???)

High prices: yes, I can get some things cheaper online or at a few other places. It's like any other "supermarket" in that respect: you pay for convenience and having "everything under one roof". And you are certainly free to spend your money elsewhere if you choose to do so.

How bad their products are: not exactly sure what to what products you are referring.... their own "private label" goods? 

Live animals? No, I am not enamoured the fact that they sell them at all. And I wouldn't buy one there. But then I also hate salt water fish places because as a diver I have seen the damage that "fishing" for these creatures does to their natural habitat and why they don't belong in captivity. Also as a diver I don't patronize places like Sea World because I don't believe that cetaceans belong in captivity. They're basically circuses, which I object to as well. (Except for Cirque de Soleil which is animal-free and totally awesome. )

Do I support HSUS or PETA? No. But the OP in this thread is so muddled and full of hearsay that I can't rely on it alone as a reason to burn Petco in effigy.

I am not trying to start an argument. However, I think people really need to think for themselves instead of jumping on the "Axis of Evil" bandwagon on every post.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i think the OP is very clear headed.

i also think there are some things going on that ARE pure evil.

And, i am glad we have such an open forum to expose that which maybe we did not know before.

it's good to have the dissemination of information, so that we have a starting point to look things up for ourselves.

we are not a nation of sheep on this forum.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

If the HSUS does support Michael Vick I would not, ever, choose to support them or any business that does. I don't have Petco so I don't have to deal with that at all. I looked it up and he was a spokesperson for them? Seriously? They couldn't find a celebrity that didn't burn and torture dogs after fighting them?


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I will not shop Petco anymore, but not because of what white leo said. 

I used to work there. The store's motto is "Animals always come first."

The employees changed it to "Animals always come first, if we have time."

The place is ridiuclous. They expect so much work done with so few hours and staff available and then come down hard on the staff if a customer is not completely satisfied. I am not sure if every region has this, but when I left the company, they had these surveys that print at the bottom of the receipts randomly. They offered a $2.00 coupon for a customer to call in and rate the store 0-5 based on things such as service, available products, cleanliness, ect. Only about three of the fifteen questions even mattered!!! 

Anyways, if you did not score a 5, it was considered a 0. Yeah, the standards were ridiculous. If we did not receive 5's all the time, we got into massive trouble. People would lose their hours if they were on the shift that failed to receive a 5. The problem is we were always on skeleton crew. We had to clean the animals, stock the store, help customers...with just 2 people and a manager. The store I worked at was a large one and three people to help 30-40 customers at any given time is just ludicrous. 

Each store is different too. Some stores are in much better shape than others (be it animal care wise or friendly customer service, etc.) 

Most employees are dumb. Sorry if you work there, but I found out quickly that many know nothing about nutrition. Or fish....They work in a pet store and receive no actual animal knowledge training (and yet, were subjected to many mind numbing 'safety' training videos or sexual misconduct videos.)

Adoptions were pushed. We had to adopt out as many cats as we could. I guess it didn't matter if the customers were fit to actually own an animal. All that mattered was the bottom line. So Petco chairmen can say "we have saved millions of animals" on tv. They fail to mention that fluffy now lives with the crack head in the ghetto with 8 kids...

I too heard about where the donations go. The people running these rescues make more money than I ever did. Every week it seemed we were asking for donations at the register for another charity. Regular customers tend to become irritated when you ask them for hand outs every time they come in. I am not AGAINST asking for donations but Petco never takes a break! And if we didn't bring in 'X' amount of dollars....the crap storm would hit us hard. 

I left that company for many reasons that I will not bore you with. I have no regrets. I will not give them my money.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

SubMariner said:


> If by that you mean that I do not believe EVERYTHING that I see on the Internet, then yes, I am a skeptic/devil's advocate.


*No, sorry, but that is not what I meant. I meant you are an instigator where instigating is not needed. 

Do you honestly believe that WE believe everything we see on the internet? We are raw feeders, the kings and queens of questioning the sheep herders. We don't need your instigating to make us do our own reading and research.
*



SubMariner said:


> For example, you are making sweeping generalizations about "how dirty their floors are....how angry every employee is, how high their prices are and how bad their products are...."
> 
> I have a Petco and a Petsmart near me. NEITHER of them have dirty floors; they are always clean, and well stocked. The employees seem pleasant, not "angry" (I'm not even sure what you mean by "how angry every employee is"???)
> 
> ...


*I have quite a few petcos in my area, and I have worked for both companies (PS and PC). I know what goes on behind the scenes and I know it is company policy. Company policy means the entire company adheres to these rules. That means I can make these "sweeping generalizations".

Their products as a whole are underwhelming and cheap crap made in china. I can and do take my money elsewhere. I honestly feel bad for peoples dogs who have to be exposed to those products.*




SubMariner said:


> Live animals? No, I am not enamoured the fact that they sell them at all. And I wouldn't buy one there. But then I also hate salt water fish places because as a diver I have seen the damage that "fishing" for these creatures does to their natural habitat and why they don't belong in captivity. Also as a diver I don't patronize places like Sea World because I don't believe that cetaceans belong in captivity. They're basically circuses, which I object to as well. (Except for Cirque de Soleil which is animal-free and totally awesome. )
> 
> Do I support HSUS or PETA? No. But the OP in this thread is so muddled and full of hearsay that I can't rely on it alone as a reason to burn Petco in effigy.


*It is just icing. It is not meant to be taken as a reason to hate petco, it is ANOTHER reason. *




SubMariner said:


> I am not trying to start an argument. However, I think people really need to think for themselves instead of jumping on the "Axis of Evil" bandwagon on every post.


*Sure you aren't :wink: 

We DO think for ourselves and many of us already don't like Petco for other valid reasons. Have you thought about that? We don't NEED Robin to post this, but she did and it is just another thing to add to the pile. 

Thanks for your concern, however, our minds are intact. We are not sheeple.*


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

caty, when the philadelphia eagles took mike vick as a player, that's when i stopped supporting my home town team.

so if petco supports HSUS and by assocation, mike vick and says he'd be a peachy animal owner, they have lost me.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

magicre said:


> i think the OP is very clear headed.
> 
> i also think there are some things going on that ARE pure evil.
> 
> ...


i realise i am posting on my own post, but i don't understand why you liked this post, submariner. it was sarcasm. 

i also agree with sprocket. you have come into threads with even more broad sweeping posts that are actually argumentative, not at all calming or talking people off the ledge.

indeed, i have noticed more posts that incite, rather than act as the voice of reason.

to even suggest that we, the raw feeders of the world, the kings and queens of research, as sprocket said, would take anyone's word for anything, especially my dear friend, white leo, is absurdist.

please don't assume the OP is muddled, which is insulting....and full of hearsay when i happen to know her and know she does her research and posts these things so that we do ours.

and that is what i meant by what i wrote.


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## 7766 (Sep 20, 2011)

I can only comment on my own experiences, and yes PETCO is over priced on some things. But they are still by far the cheapest place I can find my Flea and Tick medicine from and I HAVE to use it all year round. So I buy mine from them. They also let the rescue hold an adoption event there every month. I am not going to bash the company that helps us get the word out about adopting. I have been there when they have given us boxes of much needed supplies. Our rescue does not make money off of anything. Usually we are paying for stuff out of our own pockets. 

As for the HSUS, I do not know much about them on a national level. The two locally I am familiar with are very different. One I would never recommend and do not have a nice thing to say about them. The other is a fantastic organization. I have worked with member of their board before and they genuinely care about the welfare of the animals. They built an amazing transport system that has saved hundreds of animal’s lives.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

nlboz said:


> I can only comment on my own experiences, and yes PETCO is over priced on some things. But they are still by far the cheapest place I can find my Flea and Tick medicine from and I HAVE to use it all year round. So I buy mine from them. They also let the rescue hold an adoption event there every month. I am not going to bash the company that helps us get the word out about adopting. I have been there when they have given us boxes of much needed supplies. Our rescue does not make money off of anything. Usually we are paying for stuff out of our own pockets.
> 
> As for the HSUS, I do not know much about them on a national level. The two locally I am familiar with are very different. One I would never recommend and do not have a nice thing to say about them. The other is a fantastic organization. I have worked with member of their board before and they genuinely care about the welfare of the animals. They built an amazing transport system that has saved hundreds of animal’s lives.


Normally your local "Humane Society" is not affiliated with the HSUS and therefore people are duped.


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

I'll be looking into this more. My friend just got a job at Petco, the one here actually has started to carry raw and premium brands of food (except champion and the like, since they wont sell to large chains). I like it because they have more options than PetSmart and Pet Supermarket as far as healthy treats and toys, and I just bought some really cool leashes there. Plus our local Petco is a lot bigger and roomier than the Pet Supermarket or PetSmart so I like taking the dogs there. I do hate supporting any store that sells live animals, though. I don't do much shopping there, because my boyfriend still works at the high-end dog boutique so we can just get stuff with is 40% discount, but it is convenient to have near-by. 

But as I said I'm going to do some more reading via the links provided in this thread. I don't want to support HSUS, PETA, or the sale of live animals.


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

magicre said:


> i realise i am posting on my own post, but i don't understand why you liked this post, submariner. it was sarcasm.
> 
> i also agree with sprocket. you have come into threads with even more broad sweeping posts that are actually argumentative, not at all calming or talking people off the ledge.
> 
> ...


  Since this medium is basically devoid of visual/aural cues or nuances, you may want to consider the use of emoticons so people can more accurately gauge your tone. However, to avoid similar miscues in the future, I will ensure that leave my “Sarkymeter” on whenever I read one of your posts. And if it is possible to remove my “like” from your message, I will do so.

Meanwhile, if I post something you do not agree with, by all means present the opposing view. A forum is for discussion. However, do not expect me to do YOUR work for you in proving YOUR point. YOU need to provide the evidence to back up YOUR assertion, not simply say “google it” or “everyone knows”. Surely when you wrote papers in University the professors required you to prove your thesis? 

It’s hardly “absurdist” to ask for factual information instead of hearsay. Even with the best of intentions, hearsay is still hearsay. If you make a statement that I find hard to believe, why get “insulted” if I ask for some sort of verification? FYI, at no time did I call the OP “muddled”; you are taking my words out of context.

Finally, this is the second time in this thread that someone has referred to “raw feeders” as somehow being an elite group of people who by mere definition, are “kings and queens of research” and thus above reproach. Do you realize how condescending this sounds? And how the fact that you are a raw feeder has absolutely nothing to do with this discussion?

As this aside has taken up more than it's share of this thread, if anyone has more to discuss, please contact me by PM.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

SubMariner said:


> Since this medium is basically devoid of visual/aural cues or nuances, you may want to consider the use of emoticons so people can more accurately gauge your tone. However, to avoid similar miscues in the future, I will ensure that leave my “Sarkymeter” on whenever I read one of your posts. And if it is possible to remove my “like” from your message, I will do so.
> 
> Meanwhile, if I post something you do not agree with, by all means present the opposing view. A forum is for discussion. However, do not expect me to do YOUR work for you in proving YOUR point. YOU need to provide the evidence to back up YOUR assertion, not simply say “google it” or “everyone knows”. Surely when you wrote papers in University the professors required you to prove your thesis?
> 
> ...


*I never took you for the sensitive kind :wink:

Getting all butt hurt about a simple descriptive sentence....really? 

Who cares if it sounds condescending. Its the truth :biggrin:*


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

for you to like a post of mine, submariner, emoticons are hardly necessary to convey how i feel about you liking anything of mine.

this medium is hardly devoid of nuance. i can sense your condescension a mile away.

the written word is very powerful. surely university taught you that, presuming you went to university.

let's just agree to not like each other and leave it at that, shall we?


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

Regardless of PETA, and regardless of HSUS... Why would anyone shop at either store? Buy local! 

If I don't have what I need in my store, I drive 40 minutes to the next boutique to get it. I'd much rather pay for someone's kid's summer camp than for someone's insane corporate bonus.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

CorgiPaws said:


> Regardless of PETA, and regardless of HSUS... Why would anyone shop at either store? Buy local!
> 
> If I don't have what I need in my store, I drive 40 minutes to the next boutique to get it. I'd much rather pay for someone's kid's summer camp than for someone's insane corporate bonus.



amen to that. vive la mud bay...in seattle. 
and dog daze.

they might be a tad more money, but they surely know their stuff.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

CorgiPaws said:


> Regardless of PETA, and regardless of HSUS... Why would anyone shop at either store? Buy local!
> 
> If I don't have what I need in my store, I drive 40 minutes to the next boutique to get it. I'd much rather pay for someone's kid's summer camp than for someone's insane corporate bonus.


AMEN SISTER!

I shop at a small local chain or the local boutique, Vineyard Dog


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## frogdog (Aug 10, 2011)

CorgiPaws said:


> Regardless of PETA, and regardless of HSUS... Why would anyone shop at either store? Buy local!
> 
> If I don't have what I need in my store, I drive 40 minutes to the next boutique to get it. I'd much rather pay for someone's kid's summer camp than for someone's insane corporate bonus.


I concur...always shop local first...for myself and my dog. Why would anyone support corporate America rather than the small business owner's in their area. Chapel Hill, NC has one of my favorite boutique pet stores, Phydeaux, 3 hrs away...visit every time I'm there.


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

Yep, reasons I'm glad I always drive the extra mile or ten to hit up the local pet store. I love this place, I get $5 off after every like hundred or so I spend in store, they always have S&C's on hand instead of crap treats for the employees to give my dogs, and their do-it-yourself dog wash is super cool. Pretty much just buy cat food and dog toys here since I feed raw, but its still nice to buy local and have a pleasant experience every single time. Thats sure hard to come by at the big box places and they aren't any cheaper either. 
Northwest Pets Is The Ultimate Outfitter for Four-Legged Friends!

This place is awesome too, I've ordered in turkey necks and random other stuff there. The grooming place next door that they have an ad for is where I took Scout when i first got her, so we could start with a clean slate. Lady did a great job with them. www.kringleskornerpetfood.com


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

No one has to like eachother around here, but you DO have to be respectful of the fact there are hundreds of pekple, and hundreds of opinions on this forum. 
Let's keep the personal issues to PM and the intelligent conversation to open forum, k? 

And shop local. :biggrin:


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

Yep, we buy everything we can at our Naturally4Paws. Only the occasional item comes from either Petco or Petsmart when Naturally4Paws doesn't have it. SOME of us can't afford to drive 40 minutes away to the next store  Hahaha


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Dude and Bucks Mamma said:


> Yep, we buy everything we can at our Naturally4Paws. Only the occasional item comes from either Petco or Petsmart when Naturally4Paws doesn't have it. SOME of us can't afford to drive 40 minutes away to the next store  Hahaha


*You do what you gotta do  *


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

wolfsnaps88 said:


> I too heard about where the donations go. The people running these rescues make more money than I ever did. Every week it seemed we were asking for donations at the register for another charity. Regular customers tend to become irritated when you ask them for hand outs every time they come in. I am not AGAINST asking for donations but Petco never takes a break! And if we didn't bring in 'X' amount of dollars....the crap storm would hit us hard.


PetSmart had a big display one year selling stuffed bear toys for $5 with a giant sign that said "proceeds go to charity." So I asked what charity, and what portion of the $5 went to that charity.

turns out no one could really tell me the charity, but I did find out only fifty cents of the selling price went there. Wherever that was.


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

I'd rather just buy some dog stuff and take it to my fav local rescue. I've donated collars and toys and various other stuff to Moonsong Mals and the local shelter quite a few times.


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