Depends on the pet store...the chains probably do....small family businesses might be different...there's a decent one nearby, they don't do dogs though, nor rats.

I actually got my last couple of rats from a local chain, but only because the missus used to work with the person who now manages it and we know that the rats are from a decent breeder...there aren't many in the state, but it's from one of them...I'd go direct, but they're over 40 mins away...

This begs the question. What does this local, independent pet store sell then? No animals?

I'm not letting her go near anymore pet shops - she broke my heart seeing her so upset ... I was also heart broken going into the same pet shop.. ended up crying my eyes out and OH giving in and buying the puppy.. And trying to hide it from the landlord.. until the shaggin' gardners told him we now had 2 dogs!!!!!!

Nobody's obliged to buy a pedigree dog. Your route to pet ownership is determined by your budget and your conscience.

I personally don't have a problem adopting a (domestic) rat from a rat rescue. I'm not so keen on rat breeders.

cats, fish, hamsters, rabbits and a handful of birds.

The cats have a huge walk way that goes over all the aisles, it's pretty cool...a lot of them are from a shelter. That's why they don't do dogs, wouldn't be enough room for them in the store.

They don't do rats or mice because of the breeders for snakes around here.

LOL - i know, sorry samba!! I'm just over emotional when it comes to animals!! and those doggies just look so sad and unloved sat in there.

Move awayyyyy from the petshops.....

No, they're given massages after a hard day's work of looking cute and then served fillet mignon in a solid gold food bowl, then tucked up in a huge fluffy white bed and sung lullabies to until they drift of into sleep.

Believe my story.

Its nicer that way.

thank you sarah, i'll sleep better now!!

awwww how sweet Sarah... i reckon thats exactly what happens

I'm in the process of trying to adopt a dog right now. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a dog that meets my requirements at a Humane Society shelter so I've been having to deal with "Rescue" shelters. I'm sure these people are well meaning and compassionate about animals, but I am unwilling to agree to some of the clauses in the application/contract. I can deal with the background security check. I can deal with questions about why I want a dog and what physical and personality traits I would like in a dog. I can deal with questions about the size and type of our home and wether we own or rent and how many children we have and their ages. I can deal with them calling our vet and requesting copies of all of our prior vet records. The initial site visit bothers me, but I can put up with that as well. What I cannot deal with is the clause that states at any time after we adopt the dog, for the duration of the life of the dog, they can come by our house unannounced and if conditions aren't to their satisfaction they can take the dog back. They also require notification of any move or change of address and you are not allowed to give or sell the dog to anyone else, if you cannot keep the dog for any reason it must be returned to the shelter. Both of these are also for the lifetime of the dog.

I understand that their concern is for the welfare of the dog and that's great. If there are people willling ot agree to these conditions that's also great. But I'm not.

My daughter's rat Oreo died last week. Its the first pet death the kids had to deal with and they were gutted (me too) He was close to 3, if not already there, so did well really, but it's a short life. It was an URI that got him in the end. She's planning on having two together next time, but taking a break from rat ownership for a while.
We happened to be in the local pet shop yesterday, so checked out the rats they had. There was an all black one, plus a cream one which she took a liking to. I noticed a bald patch on the back of another rat in the cage and the skin looked red raw. Then I noticed another, and another. This wasn't barbering as the skin would have still looked nice and smooth. So, will be definitely avoiding that cage of rats. In any case, we had planed to find ones to rescue or get from a breeder this time around.

There's a pet shop near us (independantly owned) that has puppies for sale in cages - I remember the first time we went in there - my jaw must have hit the floor I was SO shocked! There was a boxer puppy in there with a price tag offering a payment plan to purchase him for $40 a month Needless to say I don't go to that particular store anymore, too upsetting. They should ban selling dogs/cats this way - totally different if it's an animal shelter taking a few of them to Petsmart on a weekend to offer for adoption....

I hope you havent been back again!! I went in every day when we first got here, torturing myself with them urgh.....no i try not go in there is i can help it.........altho might go today to check out the kittens as im running out of options (but they are rescue kittens not from breeders!!)