Bad lfs!

HI all ,
just wanna vent some anger!
I called in to a major chain shop in the uk Sea Pets to get some dog food & had a look at there fish tanks and to my shock horror they have started to stock marine life again( they stopped about six months ago as everythink they got died) i was totally stunned to see marine fish in dimly lite tanks....the tanks were so dark i only just reallise they were marine fish as i read the sign above the tanks! then as i continued to look into the tank i couldnt get over that they had anamones totally white & dead, mushroom papls with no colour & totally transparent, all kinds off live stock totally bleached! I lifted up there tank hoods & they had 1 thick flo bulb possible t-8 which is clearly not the right lighting so i wanted to go tell the shop how stupid it is to was marine stock like this but my husband dragged me out of the shop & told me to chill & write a letter of complaint to the managers................................. just wanted to tell them that is soooooo wrong to keep marine if your just gonna chuck them in a tank with no lighting & that its a wast as they will all die , well they were all dead!

I take it there are no rules how to keep marine stock in the uk!

Thanks K

 

I doubt there are many rules - just as there are no rules for the people who keep these creatures

I would write a letter to the store managers simply in their own commercial interests rather than as a moral stance

dead and dying livestock are of no commercial value, so if they are investing in stock and then failing to sell it, then they need to be informed of this and the reasons why

instead of a letter of complaint write a letter of advise - based on your knowledge of keeping there creatures

advise them on how they can realise more profit Via the keeping of these life forms in more suitable conditions and thus increasing the potential of sale before demise!

these large chain stores are mostly interested in the bottom line (nett , nett, nett, profit)
and if you base your letter on that simple premise - you will get more of their attention, than if you take them on simply from a morale standpoint

Steve

 

Yes i do agree but i would have though there would be standards the shop should meet when importing animals , fish ect.........you no like rspca?
I understand that they could be sold on to someone who has no clue but the same goes with like cats & dogs, birds, rabbits its not leagal to keep them in unsuted conditions & there are rules & regulations so if broken they get fined & shut down...........take it its not the same for fish then?

I will put the letter to them as you stated cause like you said its all money, money ,money!

 

It's the same with major chain stores all over the world, not just in the UK.

 

Wow i have to admit im shocked by this!

 

I was under the impression that the UK had stricter laws regarding animal cruelty than we did here in the States?

 

Well yes when it comes to animals like cats & dogs etc
I would report the shop if i new who to report it to!
Like most systems here it would probably get ya nowhere..............

 

I guess not! It sounds very similar to certain chains here Very simple formula: collect using the cheapest, fastest method possible without regards to health or stress, store in as simple and cost effective means as possible at retail, win the price war, rinse and repeat!
FWIW, I do not consider chain stores an LFS. If I did, I could visit 5-6 stores within an hour of my home. Instead, I order online or drive the 250+ miles round trip across the border to get to decent stores that care for their creatures as well as their customers. Unfortunatley, letters and what-not will not help, as it's basically a machine that only looks at its bottom line. The best thing you can do to fight bad practices is to simply take your hard earned cash somewhere else.

 

There might be some way, though I am not sure in the UK. Here, if there are enough sick/diseased/dead (whatever) creatures, NDOW (Nevada Department of Wildlife) can actually step in and close the section and quarantine it. Its something I have actually seen a few times. I am not sure if fines are involved. But it doesn't seem to change any of said business's practices. But it's at least something.

 

Ok ill look into it but like you said im not shore that will apply to the uk
Thanx