Although Petco wins on price, PetSmart offers a broader assortment of services. In addition to training and grooming, it provides veterinary care through Banfield Pet Hospital at many locations. Medical services at Petco are limited to vaccinations and other preventive care through periodic clinics. Winner: PetSmart. Loyalty Programs. Both retailers have loyalty programs that promise benefits including coupons and in-store discounts with a free membership.
Just be sure to use the so-called Reward Dollars within 45 days. Online Presence. But Patti Strand, national director of the National Animal Interest Alliance, says buying from a pet store shouldn't automatically be out of the running. Pet stores can be the sole source of particular breeds in some areas, and a better alternative than buying sight unseen. Ask the pet store for information on the breeder and check those records against its inspections at the USDA's site, Strand says.
Petland's spokeswoman says the store's policy is to source puppies only from local adoption groups, hobby breeders as defined by the Animal Welfare Act , and USDA-licensed breeders with no direct violations on their latest inspection report. Company employees often inspect breeders' facilities themselves, she says.
The laundry list of illnesses includes respiratory infections and parasites, which can make the rounds among small mammals, reptiles and birds as well. For puppies, there's also parvovirus and distemper, viruses that can lead to lifelong complications or death. All can be expensive to treat. Dogs from commercial breeders may have more extensive congenital defects -- like heart disease, blood disorders and hip dysplasia -- that may not become apparent for several years, she says.
It's not just purchased animals at risk. Dogs and cats adopted from stores' rescue partners can have those same health problems, too. The stores say veterinarians regularly check animals' health. Sick animals are monitored closely and quarantined while they recover, according to Petland and Petco.
Shoppers should still carefully examine the animal for physical symptoms and unusual behavior before buying. But not all problems are obvious, and animals are good at hiding pain, Lee says.
Many states have "lemon laws" covering pet owners' veterinary bills for illnesses and injuries existing at the time of the animal's purchase, Menkin says. Some allow claims as far as two years after purchase if the pet is found to have a congenital or hereditary defect.
Stores may also include "warranties" with similar coverage. But in either case, the pet store's liability is typically capped at the animal's purchase price, she warns. Some diseases affecting pet store animals can also make you sick, whether you take the animal home or just pet it in the store. Puppies, kittens and other mammals may transmit parasites, while reptiles and amphibians can carry salmonella, says Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, a veterinary epidemiologist with outbreak response and prevention for the Centers for Disease Control.
Ongoing salmonella outbreaks linked to contact with turtles and African dwarf frogs have sickened and consumers, respectively. Although the Food and Drug Administration prohibited the sale of turtles measuring less than 4 inches in , some ill consumers still report encountering them in pet stores, she says. If you want to pick up a box of Milk-Bone dog biscuits, walk your dog past Petco. They cost more than twice as much there compared with Target or Wal-Mart.
If you spot a deal, share it at www. John Ewoldt is a business reporter for the Star Tribune. He writes about small and large retailers including supermarkets, restaurants, consumer issues and trends, and personal finance. Home All Sections. Log In Welcome, User. Coronavirus Minneapolis St. Paul Duluth St. Are people really moving out of the Twin Cities?
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