Unfortunately I find myself forced to be a frequent shopper in the Petco stores since they are the only large pet store in town. I mainly shop for crickets for my reptiles. Or dog products. Laredo only has 2 Petco stores, and both stores have poor customer service and that includes management. It is always a challenge to find someone who can help. Seems like they all hide in the back rooms or grooming area. The last time I visited the store I noticed a baby veiled chameleon severely dehydrated and extremely weak. He has laying on the floor of the display tank he was in. I asked to speak to a manager concerning this chameleons conditions. I myself have several chameleons so I am fully aware of how they should be kept in order to be in a healthy environment and the various colors they can sprout especially when they are stressed and/or dying. The water dripper was empty but the manager insisted that the chameleon had water and was doing just fine that morning. He also exclaimed that he had just placed an appointment with a local veterinarian at 1pm, yet at the moment of our discussion it was 1pm.
It was so ridiculous of how quickly this manager brewed up one lie after another. I finally asked him to remove the chameleon from customer viewing so that he would not stress out any longer, which he did. I'm sure the little guy never made it to the veterinarian since there are no DVM's in Laredo that see reptiles. I have called all of them and their only patients are domestic animals such as cats n dogs or large animal. Petco should have stricter guidelines and policies on the care taking and handling of their live animals. It's heartbreaking to see the conditions that some of these poor animals are kept in. That was just one example, I have come across several over the years. It's heartbreaking !!! read more