I was so disappointed at Walmart

I really wish big places like WalMart would stop selling live animals of any sort. I never visit WalMart but I did yesterday and I was appalled at their fish section..........there were only a dozen tanks...small ones to boot. The two lower rows were filled with goldfish of different types, most of which were very thin and I saw several infections hanging around. The top rows were even worse......one tank of baby oscars, a tank of baby blood parrots, a full tank of green puffers, and then glofish and a few neons and such. Most of the fish had no place being sold by people with little to no fish experience. There was a family there preparing to purchase a one gallon bowl (yes a bowl) and three baby puffers!!!! Of course the employee said this would be fine. I couldn't stop myself I had to stop the family. I explained what they were getting into and they changed their minds. It got worse upon closer inspection of the puffers......they were covered with ich. Poor babies.
I had to get this rant out today......its really sad to see the lack of respect for living creatures that rely on people for proper care. My LFS won't sell people a fish they aren't ready for......period ("You have a five gallon tank? Then no you cannot purchase an angelfish") I wish more places took the time and energy to protect the critters and the people from a miserable experience.

 

How sad Good on you for helping that family, I would have done the same thing had I been there. I went into a big fish shop before and there was at least two ich covered fish in every tank, their goldfish tank had a dead fish in. They had a huge pleco in a small tank. I asked why and all they could say was it wasn't his permanent home... As for the sick fish, they said "Well you always lose some" I'm never going back there.

I've seen a few petitions on sites about stopping Walmart selling animals and I signed them all but I bet they make too much money from having them to stop selling them.

 

In Quebec walmart as been banned from selling any live animal including fish

 

Same in Ontario. Haven't seen Walmart fish in years. When they did carry them, I wasn't into fish keeping though. Looking back on it now, how would they train the staff?

 

The walmart closest to my house used to sell fish, and with the remodel they removed the live fish section.
I was so relieved.

My friend actually bought 5 dwarf puffers from walmart that had over-grown beaks, and were starving because they were feeding them GOLDFISH FLAKES...

They lived for about a year... Walmart knocked their life span to nothing
But she had the means to rescue them, so she did...

 

I'm in Nova Scotia, we also do not have to worry about Walmarts with live animals.

From what I understand, Walmart actually loses money on the fish. They have someone who works in nearby departments help with fish if some crazed person actually wants to buy one. Most of the people who "help" with the fish know nothing and care less.

 

Please be sure to write a polite but firm letter to that Walmart store detailing what you saw as accurately as possible. They may not do anything about it, but it's important that they get these complaints in writing. Telling the "associate" won't do anything - you have to write to management of the store. I've heard of some people who have done this and in some cases, the store in question got their act together a little better when it came to their fish.

I do hope you write to them. It can make a difference.

 

Walmart should be banned from having live animals, considering alone, the fact that they don't EVEN know how to treat humans beings/employees well. Thanks to the local govt./citizens of NYC and the tri-state area they haven't been allowed to open one here despite them spending a great deal of time and money to do so.

 

I will definitely write a letter. What a wonderful idea. I always write to business owners when their employees are awesome. I should do the same with disappointing experiences like that. It would be best for them to not have any live animals at any large store like that. We have a craft store here that sells bettas. I threw a stink a fews years back and the betta care there has been much better ever since. My sister works there now and stays on top of the betta care for me.

 

there was a Walmart in my area that had HORRIBLE conditions, I complained via letter and within two days I received an apology from the manager and the tanks were not only cleaned, but the fish seemed pretty healthy. They have kept up with it for about a month now ( I rarely shop at Walmart but I keep checking back to make sure the fishies are oka ) Today I visited another Walmart to buy some bike helmets, and I was surprised to find the same conditions you described, tiny tanks, sick fish, dead fish, poor sickly goldfish in what couldn't be more than a 3 gallon tank, I will be writing a letter to them as well. I've found they often respond to letters written through the website quickly because the district managers and higher ups get alerted I'm hoping within the next couple years these Walmarts will quit selling fish like all the others in the area, Its such a drag to see such elegant, beautiful, humble creatures treated with such disrespect, Please keep us posted on how the letter goes!

 

It's a battle that people that care about fish have been trying to win for years now. I have nothing against the more conventional pets. In fact, my pit bull goes everywhere with me. He's my shadow and my best friend. But you can't pet a fish. You can't play with a fish. They're not that kind of pet, so most people don't know or care about them being abused. I wish I knew how to get mainsteam America to see that there's no such thing as "just a fish".

 

I don't frequent Walmart but I have never seen one with live animals. Is this a state to state thing? I've lived in NY and OH and never seen live animals. Seems nuts.

 

the bigger ones seem to the smaller ones usually just have some simple supplies which actually have decent prices

never been in any in any other state since I have gotten into fishkeeping so I didn't look

 

I don't frequent Walmart but I have never seen one with live animals. Is this a state to state thing? I've lived in NY and OH and never seen live animals. Seems nuts.

I'm in Cleveland, and the steelyard and brookpark walmart both used to have animals, and I'm pretty sure steelyard still has the live animals...

 

I'm in Cleveland, and the steelyard and brookpark walmart both used to have animals, and I'm pretty sure steelyard still has the live animals...

Goodness...I'll have to check it out with my own eyes. Thanks.

 

I would never buy fish from Walmart or any other big box store. Seems like most of them I have seen have horrible conditions (small tank, sick and dead fish, etc) luckily for me, there's quite a few lfs still around my area to shop at

 

i'd buy fish from the local petsmart or petco they seem alright the walmart is horrible though

but there is also a couple very awesome local fish stores / pet stores with fish also so I have options

 

Our local Wal-Mart doesn't carry healthy fish either.

I get mine either from friends, a fish store owned by a friend of mine, rarely Petsmart, or the local club.

In the past, I have been known to get fish from Craigslist, more as a rescue thing than anything else.