r/petsmart

What does your store use to scrub the tanks?

Please don't tell my manager

My local petsmart has had a sad conure in a glass case alone for a long time. I feel sad for the bird and could give it a home but I dont want to encourage this species getting restocked by actually buying from them. What are the chances they’d adopt the bird to me?

Usually on Sundays I am opening and closing pet care… so working the entire day. I get bored so fast as everything is typically done during the week and Sunday is… Sunday. Any advice on how to push through 😭

Has anyone read the new dress code policy? I noticed they removed the terminology about sweatpants. What is your interpretation on it? I’ve noticed salon wears sweats/leggings and even female managers at my store wear leggings, are sweats allowed for males?

hey this is the same person from the post "im scared of being fired" i am officially on my final notice with some of the following write ups being:

- not knowing the treats rewards not om the paper copy ( i arrived at my shift 30 minutes ago focused on customers)

-not being at till when a customer Just got there.

-leaving the small step stool thing around (didn't know that was a problem after doing it for a long time)

i honestly feel very mistreated and hurt as i did my hardest to follow their critiques and i do think they're being very harsh. sorry if i sound entitled or bratty.

Anyone else having a lot of pet/fish sales today? It’s not overly busy besides petcare and I really didn’t expect that. I understand the Christmas rush but the fourth of July??? Really??

Had a family come in wanting a bearded dragon. They had a cricket carrier in their hands and said they would put it in there. Obviously said no, and the mom got really irate with me. I showed them the proper enclosures and said if they decided to get one to lmk.

For the next 30 minutes they basically dragged me around, telling me how they know more than me, they’ve had them for years, etc.

Ultimately they got the enclosure I showed them. I’ve already spoken to managers and reprinted their contract/receipt in case they try to return the enclosure alone.

Is there anything else I can do to make sure nothing happens? I close tomorrow and work the entire day Sunday just in case—

Im just curious, I'm sure there's people in here who have an interest in reptiles & are knowledgeable. What do you guys do for the animals who have drastically different care requirements than what petsmart expects us to do/use to care for them?

Asking this question specifically with chameleons in mind. Anyone who knows about chams knows the first thing you're going to find about their care is no fake plants & tall, mesh enclosure, which we have neither of. Do any of you guys work around things so make habitats/enclosures better for these animals? Also does anyone know if we can get ceramic bulbs for night time instead of the red ones the sales floor enclosure literally comes with?

We also just got all of our enclosures replaced & now the small animals have a blue night light ??? Does anyone know anything about that? Genuinely why would they need that

I have a valid Rx diet card. Does anyone know if I can use the card at multiple PetsMart locations? Or can it only be used at the location that it was issued?

we have SO MANY bladder snails its absolutely insane

This is the worst job I've had. I started working at 14 yrs old as a housekeeper in hotels. I scooped puke and poop out of bathtubs and off of walls. I worked as a hotel receptionist at 2 super sketchy hotels. I worked at a jimmy johns and starbucks. I worked at a banfield vet clinic in a petsmart(which was my worst job until now). A small privately owned doggy daycare where I was bit once and mauled once because the other workers did not warn me or document dogs that had issues . Dogs that did not want to be touched cuz of arthritis or a rescue dog who would completely lose it if you touched his neck for any reason. Both times they said "oh nobody told you about their problems?" And then asked me to stay and work. NO I had open wounds and was dripping blood from both arms but some how that job is still better than this one. I've only ever been let go from one job due to the covid pandemic.

My last petsmart was great and did not have a petshotel. I was a pet trainer. So I know dogs' body language and behavior very well. I really loved that specific petsmart, and my coworkers and managers were amazing. I moved about a month and a half ago and this one is absolutely awful.

The workers know little to none about the animals in the store. Stuff like "reptiles don't need calcium powder on their crickets cuz their food already had calcium" NO. Two hamsters were fighting super bad and my store leader said he has "litterally never seen that" hamsters are solidarity. The corporation makes us keep them together.

And the petshotel is hell. I will say my specific coworkers are better at telling me about certain dogs' behaviors. But they are very strict. You are in a play room for 2 hours at a time. Usually about 10 dogs. And at least 1 dog is toy aggressive so no toys allowed. You pet dogs for even 30 minutes or an hour and by then most of them are tired and want to nap. The room feels like its 80+ degrees consistently cuz of all the body heat and humidity from mopping pee constantly. There's absolutely nothing to do unless you bother sleeping dogs. You want to sit down? You get into trouble.

The wall is a window facing into the store. We are supposed to raido when someone looks at the dogs. Cuz barking can lead to fighting, so all the children running up to the window is a problem. You want to pull out your phone for 2 mins max to put a podcast on or music when every dog is sleeping? You'll get in trouble. Just stand and stare at sleeping dogs or a wall for 2 hours at a time. "Interact with the dogs" well they are resting and if i do I'm just bothering them and risking being bit.

Today the room was hosed down right before all the dogs were loaded into it. The floor was still soaking wet. There was no mop for 30 mins. 8 large dogs peeing and pooping on a giant puddle of water and everything mixing. Dogs running through the mess and jumping on you. So much pee and liquid thst once the mop is there its just leaking and splashing all over you. 10 towels to slightly dry the floor and then the humidity reaches 80% from the soaked floor and body heat. You are in there for 2 hours. The door is dripping wet from the humidity. The dogs are exhausted from the conditions and still sitting down cuase a manager to come into the room and finally give you a fan and say you don't have to sit down anymore.

Please please please do not work at a petshotel.

I had a customer today who came in asking about nighttime bulbs for her leopard geckos.

Yes, plural. I asked some more questions, and she has them both in a 50-gallon, exoterra large, tall enclosure. (For reference, this is the minimum size of tank for ONE of them, and what my own leopard gecko is currently in)

She doesn't know the genders at all, so she could potentially have one lay fertilized eggs.

Her enclosure is too cold. She said it sits around 80⁰F (26.66⁰C) I tried recommending a higher wattage bulb, but she doesn't want to buy a new dome as well, which she would have to do.

The geckos are on a sand substrate. She claims this is fine because they both are pooping normally. I recommended a 70/30 mixture of organic topsoil and washed playsand. She asked if it was expensive and if we sold it. She seemed interested when I said it was cheaper, but then seemed to lose that interest when I told her we didn't, but Canadian Tire did. (Canadian Tire was literally right next door)

Eventually, she got a little frustrated and told me how stupid it was that reptile care changed so much and so often. I told her that the care for any animal is constantly changing as it's being researched and improved. Then she just kind of left.

I was actually fairly upset about this interaction because I know that there's nothing I can do to help these geckos. I have to live knowing thar some people just don't want to view their pets as living, sentient beings, but as decorations and toys to keep their kids entertained.

I've been in the pet business for 4 years now, and it honestly doesn't get any easier.

Needing some advice. So my location has turned into a raging dumpster fire, and it feels like management is not doing anything to fix it. I'm growing increasingly concerned for the well-being of our animals, (we have had a few pass from not getting care sooner or at all) the poor management, the lack of teamwork, and the lack of communication, to name a few things wrong at the moment. At this point, I am considering walking out because of it as I have been reading a LOT about people getting fired or retaliation covered up to be something acceptable to corporate for reporting stuff like this.... I seriously doubt that even if I reported anything, I would be the only one punished, and nothing would change, so should I just leave?

How do I make a complaint? I tried to use the email from the site and it came back undelivered.
I want to use email so I can send images.
Thanks