Every time you shop at Walmart...

[dramaqueen]

Too many times we blame ALL petstore employees for the poor conditions of pets. Sure, there are some who really don't care about the animals in their care but a lot of things are out of the employees' control. There are things the store may not allow them to do like change water more often. Also, in this bad economy, employees may not want to risk saying anything or doing something against store policies for fear of losing their jobs and I don't blame them.

[harrypotter]

Shopping at Wal-Mart is realistic for my life! I don't know what I'd do without it.

[GreenTea]

Princess Penny, just so you know (I know you're not saying I do this but I want to reassure you) I know that Walmart is horrible to their employees. I know it's a bad system where they chew people up and spit them out. That's why I put my money where my mouth is and have never/will never give them one of my hard earned dollars. I know that they also encourage their employees to have health care with them and shop at the stores, its not good =[ I know that people need to make a living too. Everywhere you go is just people trying to live. If people hadn't spend money there, walmart would not have succeeded and swallowed up local economies and put those places out of business.

Talking to a store employee and educating them is great, but it doesn't do anything in the big picture. Put your money where your mouth is people, shop somewhere else!

To harrypotter and others like him/her - what they need to realize is that while things may be easy, convenient, and comfortable for them, they might not be the best in the big picture. There is always another option, like it or not. There are animals lives at stake, there are local businesses shut down after decades and swallowed by a huge company, and there is no soul in a walmart.

[Amphibianite]

I was at walmart today and there was a ct and vt with NO fins at all. I called an employee over and asked him about them he said I needed to talk to a manager. I had him call one over. She was a very nice lady who was very upset at how the bettas were treated. I told her I want the bettas but I could not afford to buy two fish who may die any minute (sorry but I am unemployed) she told me that by some law all she could give me was a 20% discount and that the Walmart Corp gets a kick back when bettas die and they send them in. SO the company would rather the fish die to get a kick back than to let someone take them to help them out.

[metalbetta]

Well, it's the same argument as every time you buy meat from a major company, you support the often cruel way they treat their livestock. Every time you pay into your insurance, you're making some undeserving fatcat richer. Most of the time, when you buy a pair of jeans, you're supporting the way the sweat shops are run in foreign countries. Every time you buy a puppy from a pet store, you're supporting a puppy mill. Now, it's not that I disagree with what you're saying, I can't stand Wal-Mart and the way it's run, but it's the same argument all around. I'm not about to go vegan any time soon, I'm not going to go into life unprotected without insurance, running around nekkid is (unfortunately) illegal, and... well I prefer adoption. But some people, now more than ever can't afford to shop anywhere else BUT wal-mart. A lot of their stuff is cheaper than what you can find other places. And most places that are just as cheap are just as cruddy. I'd love to buy local/organic groceries, and made-in-the-usa clothing, but it's flat out too expensive for a lot of people anymore.
I don't want to sound like I'm starting any sort of argument, I hate the way the pet trade is run. But there isn't much we can do about it at this point besides boycotting, which a lot of Americans absolutely cannot afford to do.

[GreenTea]

You're assuming I do those things.

I'm a poor college student, and I DO boycott. That's my point exactly. I live paycheck to paycheck. It's really lame, but I can sleep easy. I don't buy meat. If I ever eat meat, it's fish or chicken and it's local and humanely killed. I buy clothes made in the USA, and I sew.

There are alternatives. I'm sorry, but there really are.

And amphib... That makes me feel even worse. It makes sense though, unfortunately.

Also, insurance is necessary through the law, shopping at walmart and buying meat and those other things you mentioned, are not required by law. They let the consumers decide. And consume, and decide, they have.

For some reason it's not letting me edit my posts or I'd put these together, sorry guys.

There are - food stamps, your own garden, farmers markets, community gardens, gov assistance, and food banks. There are thrift stores, sewing machines, and salvation army type places. There is shopping online, trading through craigslist, and other community outlets available.