# Animal abuse by wal-mart?



## wapaksentra (Apr 25, 2006)

hey just got back from wal-mart and being really pissed off. went to the aquarium section looking at the fish and what i seen made me upset. They have the fish of the month deal. well the fish for this month is green puffers. Ok i didnt think they were carnivores. but they have seem to eaten the fins off of all the fish there in the tank with. Instantly i was pissed and told the customer service desk to put them in a tank by themselves due to there "appitite" <- (spelled wrong i know). And they said that they are ok where they are and the other fish will be fine. What can i do is this animal cruelty or what?


----------



## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

sadly, you cant do a thing accept refuse to purchase anything fish related from walmart and maybe one day they will get outa the fish business.


----------



## crzyduchunt (Mar 21, 2006)

they probably never will get out. enough people go in there and see the "cute little fish" and diecide to buy one for their lil son/daughter/niece/nephew etc.


----------



## wapaksentra (Apr 25, 2006)

it just pissed me off to watch the green puffers chase the dinosaur fish around and nip there fins. Not to mention most fish at wal-mart are sick and die within the week like the ones i bought. all but 1 female swordtail who i think is preg.


----------



## ALFA WOLF (May 24, 2005)

AS I HAVE SIA DBEOFRE WALMART IS EVIL. I bet if someone stepped up and got sombody big to investigate the conditions without them knowing then almost all the walmarts would get busted for animal cruelty cause fish are animals.


----------



## nero66 (Apr 26, 2006)

yeah one time i went to get some stuff i past the fish section and fish really got me mad, there was a castle with like 9 dead fish crammed in it this pissed me off so much i put everything i wanted back and left:evil:


----------



## MonknSharona (Mar 6, 2006)

On another board, I can't remember which, someone once posted how they managed to get their WalMart to no longer sell fish. I guess they were in a small town and had some sort of petition where most of the folks in the town signed it and they then went to the Wal Mart Home Office. I'm not sure of the details or anything but they said that there was some sort of investigation and WalMart ended up taking down their tanks. 

If it's true, I suppose there is hope, with a lot of commitment and a lot of work. 

I too saw the green puffers as the special this month; just saw them a couple days ago as a matter of fact. It really is very sad; not just for the puffers but all the fish in the tanks, the fish in the cups, the frogs in the cups, and the snails in the cups. I agree; WalMart is evil.


----------



## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

ok, what's worse then walmart killing fish is all the people who bicker about it. Not trying to be mean, it's just i'm sick of all the posts on every forum im on lately lol. Like the one person who felt petco was bad so they were going to boycott it..whoopdedoo. Theyre practically a worldwide company, ya think your going to stop it by not buying 20 bucks worth of stuff a month?

All you can do is suggest some stuff to them and if they ignore you or say something just say hey, if you know so much about fish than why are they all dead? Dang, the littler pet stores out there are becoming more of a problem then walmart lately. Walmart has maybe 10 dead fish, well take 3 pet stores in the town you live or around where you live, times that by two for each store, and add it together. They usually kill like 20 times more fish than walmart does. Luckily the one here isn't bad, i;ll admit it too..I like walmart!


----------



## Worldwide73 (Feb 11, 2006)

One person can make a difference................


----------



## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

Wow Flam........thats a pretty pessimistic opinion. Margaret Mead once said, all it takes is a small group of concerned citizens to change the world.......and its very true. If one person boycotts, they spread the word to their friends......they boycott.......eventually miracles can happen. Don't take lightly the power that ONE person has. 

And this sort of thread shouldn't make you mad, if you truely love animals then what Walmart and others like it do to animals should make you mad!!


----------



## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

And yes, if lots of people band together, their collective "20 bucks" can change the industry!!!!!


----------



## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

if you can get enough people to e-mail wal-mart and complain;they might actually do something.either stop selling fish or hire somebody that is experienced.


----------



## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

I have to agree with flaminghot. When it all comes down to it they are just fish. And if you complain about fish why dont you complain about other forms of animal cruelty like the poultry industry or animal testing. I bet you guys dont complain when your grilling your barbecue chicken.... Or the pollution your car makes... yada yada yada When people pick and choose what they are for and against in related areas it makes them a hypocrit.

Sorry if this sounds mean or negative, im not trying to disrespect anyone. Im just showing that there are a lot of things we have to learn to live with.


----------



## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

I don't think anyone is a hypocrite because they are more passionate about one area than another. I don't think fish are "just fish" either. They are still living creatures that feel pain. And, btw, I DO complain about MANY areas of animal abuse AND I've been PROACTIVE in my compaints of animal abuse so don't you sit there and pass judgment or act like you know what any of us do with our time.


----------



## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

another thing ive learned to live with.


----------



## Scy64 (Apr 23, 2006)

Having read everyone else's posts, here's my two cents. =)


First off, I feel that fish are still living animals. I don't want to step on toes, but people who think of something as "just a fish", or "just a lizard", even "just a dog or cat", might want to consider if having these types of pets are right for them. It's unfair for an individual to allow an animal to suffer (fish, lizard, dog or whatever it is), so why should it suddenly ok for a large corperation to do the same thing? I feel that, individual or corperation, you MUST take care of the animals that you sell. It SHOULD be a standard. Of course, having said that, I can't continue on and tell you that I've boycotted my local Wal Mart because of it. I have actually purchased some fish from this Wal Mart (I've actually seen a drastic improvement in their fish tanks), and so far, both the fish I've bought (albino cory and pleco) have done just fine with no problems. Of course, there WERE some tanks with dead fish, and it did make me sad. But looking back, every pet store (chain and lfs) I've seen have had at LEAST one dead fish somewhere, in some tank. I think that's just part of what comes along with putting animals that originated in lakes, ponds, and oceans, in a tank of any size. Fish are a lot harder to diagnose and heal then a cat or a dog going to a vet for a checkup. They take more care, more guessing, and depending on the fish, more money. Some places like Walmart seem to have taken the profit on fish above the well-being of the animal, which isn't right. but to find a tank with sick but quarentined fish isn't all that uncommon.

Oh yes, and as for the dead fish problem someone mentioned, I encounted that at petco one day. I mentioned to them that the tanks had a bunch of dead fish, and there were a few I had wanted to buy but didn't because of the dead ones. I asked them who wants to buy live fish from a tank with dead fish? I'd noticed over the past month or so, not their fish healther with dead fish removed quickly, but they'd actually redone their fish section and made larger tanks (especially for their larger fish). All the fish looked healthier and happier, and all were for sale. Who knows how many people mentioned the fish problem to this store? Apparently it was enough to get something done about it, and so far, I've had nothing but luck with the fish I've gotten from them.


----------



## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

Well posted Scy.


----------



## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

Id like to say that i garauntee my fish are healthier than your goldfish and two koi you have in home aquaria scy... I hope that tank is on the 150+ gallon size if you plan on even thinking about keeping those koi in a humane environment.

Just a thought


----------



## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

Ownager2004 said:


> another thing ive learned to live with.



Specifically, what would that be?


----------



## Caitlin Rose (Apr 28, 2006)

I think it is funny that people who are sick of complaints about animal cruelty came to this thread.... didn't they read the title? If you don't want to hear people "bickering" about it don't read what they write! That is the glory of freedom of choice. Also it is not hopeless there are things people can do, such as talk to the managment at the store, or go over them to send letters to the head office or what-have-you. While people talking about it on this forum may be irritating to some, spreading the word is another way of helping end the mistreatment. No it won't happen overnight, but some people will stop buying their stuff because of what they read hear so it does make a difference. I'm sure it won't close them down or anything, but I have known of other ways people have made a difference with big companys. In fact a Wal-mart story with a good ending happened because of grass roots work just like this. They were carrying a plant which in this area is very invasive and is everywhere (Pampas Grass) because it looks cool and enough people contacted the local one and the head office and got them to stop selling it! Also I personally prefer to learn through other people's bad experiences so I don't have to waste my time on a [email protected] company... which I already don't buy from because of the way their employees are treated. Enough said!


----------



## ALFA WOLF (May 24, 2005)

i would boycott but all the mexicans down here (90% of population) is already on protest.


----------



## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

I came to this thread because I support the walmarts petcos and all those and i think the condition of a few stores shouldn't be used to bash the chains as a whole.


----------



## IloveCichlids (Jul 11, 2005)

I have been a member on this forum for quite some time and have heard the same complaint over and over, it is nothing new that Wal-Mart is not exactly what you would call a wonderful pet store. If you go back and look at some of the previous threads on this topic you can read many many posts ranting and raving, most of which I agree with. The best thing you can do is to try and contact the corporate HQ to try and get something done. There have been a few people on here that have actually done that, with little to no success. But if people like us who love and enjoy this hobby and have the best interests of our scaly friends in mind keep up on informing the big giants in the industry of their neglectfullness, someone up their might actually listen, although this is probably unlikely. Who knows, maybe someday someone will listen to our pleas and take action.


----------



## toadstoool (Apr 29, 2006)

My Wife Works At Wal-mart And We Know The Dept. Manager And They Take Good Care Of The Fish.


----------



## Scy64 (Apr 23, 2006)

Ownager2004, how can you possibly say that with confidence? A big tank doesn't garentee healthy fish. You have no idea the size of my fish, nor how permanent or temporary their home is. You also don't know how often it's cleaned, cared for, and so forth. Besides, this isn't a personal attack on fish owners, we're talking about chain stores not medicating ill fish, keeping dead fish in the tank, and so forth.

There are PLENTY of large tanks out there with unhealth fish, due to neglect, over/under feeding, and so forth. Please do not make factual statements based on guesses and/or opinions.

Many people have different opinions on the subject. I asked around, both chain, lfs, and individuals with experiance in koi. I made a choice based on what I heard from others doing the same thing.


----------



## Ringo (Apr 10, 2006)

wal-mart has good decorations/assecories but why not provide good fish. question that will ale me forever...

the way i see it a fish is a fish, jst differant breeders.



wal-mart fishes are good, wal-mart fish keepers are evil :evil: :twisted:


----------



## Imbrium (Feb 7, 2005)

If you want to change something in your local Walmart, the best way is generally to write a note, _with details_, and hand it to one of the customer service managers.


----------



## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Here's a new flash for you people who don't already know this:

WalMart's fish... aren't Walmart's.

That's right.
The big tank rack and the associated equipment and the fish are all supplied by the local fish wholesaler from whom any given store gets it's fish.
WalMart has no real say in what species are offered for sale, and no knowledge of them, either. In a very real way, the fish section is just a rented space. WalMart takes the lion's share of the profit as rent on that space, and the wholesaler gets to sell some fish at full retail price for a change.

This is a very good system for WalMart, being all profit with zero loss potential, and there is simply no way that will ever change. WalMart has no reason to worry about it, and no way to correct the various problems if it wanted to.

Complain all you want. There is nothing to be done. The wholesalers are the only ones really affected by any boycotts, and they only make their money back from everyone buying from petshops instead, which works out better for them because those shops at least pay for the fish outright with no free replacements for dead ones.


----------



## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

Wow, never even thought about that the oldsalt. So walmart has absolutely no incentive to take care of the fish.


oh yeah, learning to deal with such a horrible problem isnt nearly as good as just dealing with the problem itself ownagaer.


----------



## FortWayneFish (Mar 8, 2006)

Central Filteration Systems are Great if you don't have sick fish...
but if one tank is infected they all are infected. MOST WALMARTS have 2 filteration systems. 
One for freshwater fish and one for coldwater fish ( goldfish ) this allows for the goldfish ( ammonia producers ) to be filtererd on there own. Still one tank is effected they all are infected...

Don't buy from Walmart if youa re not happy with quality of fish, but don't go pissing and moaning about it, to long. Next thing you'll know we'll have laws like in Italy. Where you have to walk your Dog or Cat at least 3 times a day for 20 minutes at a time. No fish in fishbowls even bettas...


----------



## Lydia (Feb 6, 2005)

IloveCichlids said:


> I have been a member on this forum for quite some time and have heard the same complaint over and over, it is nothing new that Wal-Mart is not exactly what you would call a wonderful pet store.



Same here. 

Here's a story I had to tell though. I went to Walmart the other day and stopped and looked in the fish section just out of curiousity. There was a lady that worked there so I stopped and talked to her to see how much she knew about fish. In the course of our conversation, she mentioned the oscars and I said something about how they are neat fish. She immediately agreed and proceeded to tell me that there was a really neat oscar that used to be there that she had trained to eat out of her hand. She went on lunch break and told her relief not to sell that oscar. Well, that person walked away and someone else sold that oscar. Boring story so far. Here's the "interesting" part. The reason the lady wanted to keep the oscar is because - get this....it's pretty unfathomable to me - she wanted to keep him in a place below all the tanks (I guess it would be an overflow box? I don't know much about those type of filters...) that probably held 7 gallons of water, although the water was continually cycling through other tanks etc. The place was dark, filthy, and without a cover. She thought the fish would be happy in there because every once in a while a feeder fish slips down there. She said the oscar was about 4-5 inches (with fins). That blew my mind. So then to test her, I said something about how neat I thought oscars are and too bad my tank isn't big enough for them. She asked what size tank I had and I told her a 20 gallon and she told me I could put one or two oscars in there easy.  

There's my little rant...


There was a beautiful crown tail betta there I almost bought, though...


----------

