Thoughts on Pet Stores????

[gingerluck3]

I have adopted one dog from a pet store, but it was not a big chain store. It was a local shop owned and "funded" by a locally based breeder. Two of my cats were adopted from a chain store, but it was during their hosted weekend adoption fairs, so in actuality it was adopted from an animal shelter organization. I'm much more willing to give a good home to a shelter animal, but any animal without a home deserves a chance. The pets don't pick where they can be adopted from, after all. Some just get stuck in a pet store.

[klkwid]

It's not fair to say all pet stores are bad because some really aren't.  There are a lot of them that give the few that aren't a bad name, though!  For the most part it does seem like they look at the animals only as merchandise and that's just not fair.  The ones that are bad shouldn't be bought from, but SHOULD be reported to authorities. 
As far as breeders go, some of them shouldn't be allowed to breed, either!  There are a lot of "backyard breeders" that don't do a good job, either.  My rescue German Shepherd was from a backyard breeder-they bred him to sell and when he didn't, they locked him and his brother in a cage to die.  Fortunately, the rescue group got him somehow.  He was about a year old, 30 pounds, skin and bones, with sores all over his body from laying in his own waste and losing hair from malnutrition. 
Bottom line is that you have to research everyone before buying a pet from them!  It's hard to do, but it's worth it to keep the scumbags of the earth from breeding animals that are going to be abused.

[starcharm24]

some pet stores are really nice but they are so big that they lack service.

[iamkiener]

pet stores friggen rip you off. I don't understand why an animal has to be so much. could buy a 150cc scooter for just as much as a pit bull or whatever other dog is normally really pricey......