> > Plus, $75 for
> > MOST peopel is not an "impulse buy"- but somethign youll hae to stop and
> > think about.
>
>So you'd think, but look at all the people who impulse buy $500-$1000
>dogs from pet stores.
-------
You know, those dogs have serious problems that the peopel arent aware of
until after the problems show up. Alot of peopel who buy those dogs end up
totally unable to cope with or to afford intensive operations, hip
replacements, behavioral therapies etc. Many of them have such terrible
temperments that they are ORDERED to get rid of the animals or are afraid
that the aniaml will be killed on order because they are unable to control
it.
The petshop example doesnt compair well to RESPONSIBEL breeders and
RESPONSIBLE shelters that are upfront with peopel about the pros and cons of
a breed, its lien and the individual animal in question.
If we are going to talk petshops, we also have to talk about "puppy mills",
behvioral genetics, health genetics, veternarian costs, soem of the
unethically opperated "pet insurance" companies, how or society and laws
deal with biting animals, and the unfortunate LACK of information easily
available to the average joe-smo on how to evaluate an animal for stabil
health and temperment and its suitability to that persons family and
lifestyle- among many other things.
These peopel think they need to pay XX$ for food and water and XX$ for
periodic vet visits... and then are blown away when they end up lookign at
those "unexpected" (which coudl have been expected if they were not lied
to!) ENORMOUS bills for surgies, pet insurance co's that cut off their
services, and the fear of their children or neighbiors children gettign
their faces chewed off by a dog they cant control. (Or int he case of say
cats, ditto for vet bills and insurance, and then problems with the cats
litterally destroying the furniture, clothes, walls, etc in the house).
between my girlfriend and I, we have worked in numerous petshops, shelters,
vet offices and are active in aniaml fancies (shows, breeding, rescue etc.).
We'veseen this stuff and the individuals. Many of the times the peopel
that you say "impulse buy" those animals in petshops 1) really do want a pet
(but they dont necissarily knwo what exactlyt hey want and 2) get pressured
into a particular animal EVEN IF ITS NOT THE RIGHT PET FOR THEM because the
associates get a commission onthe animals. the salesmanship that is
"rewarded" involves withholding the truth from the customer, emphasizing
only the positive, turnign the negativies into neutral or positive
statements, and LOTS of pressure (such as saying that soemoen else was
looking at the animal and said they were coming back tommorrow so they
better buy it now or theyll never get that pet--- Or Ive seen sales peopel
hear a person mention they "just lost" their siamese cat, so the sales
person PUSHES a baby siamese cat on them, preying on the greif they still
havent worked through- and dooming that siamese kitten to being rejected
when it doesnt "become" the former pet)(ARGH!)
I mean, are these peopel placing pets- or sellign cars????
No Responsible breeder or shelter should even think of using those petshop
sales tactics. Any such breeder or shelters that gives me the feelign of a
petshop-sale I will run away from!!! :) i dont think the two can be
compaired, enless you compair petshops to IRRESPONSIBEL breeders/shelters,
of which Im disgusted to even think of them.
When you have the higher price and DO NOT USE SLEEZY SALES TACTICS, then YES
most peopel *DO* stop to think it out. But when they are bombarded with
lies and half truths and extreem pressure, it gets hard to think.
When peopel come to me for a rodent and im chargign $10 but stores charge
$6... those peopel want to know WHY mine are more... and they ARE going to
think about it- becuase they are (and do, even out loud and verbally to me
as they try to figure it out) goign to wonder- Why pay $10 when I can go
down the block to the petshop and buy the same kind of critter for $6???
they expect MORE of my animals (eg a health guarentee, support in
transitioning the animal to its new home, advice in training for or against
certain behaviors, guarentee that males and females were seperated so that
they wont have a "surprise" litter in a few weeks etc etc.). And If you
charge more but dont "deliver" you end up ruining your name and your ability
to place animals because peopel will not recommend you- they will see you as
tryign to rip peopel off. Peopel know (at least in THIS SOCIETY and
Culture) "you get what you pay for". And when Im at a show and peopelknow
they can get say, a "Mill bred" blue rat at the store for $6 and a blue rat
for $10 from Rattery XYZ and a blue rat for $15 from me.... *why* do they
pay $15 when they coudl have gotten it for $6 or even $10??? And why do
they come BACK in a year or two to get another? And why do they tell their
friends to coem get these $15 blue rats?
America LOVES a bargain- so you'd think theyd go for the $6 rat. Now these
peoepl cant all be idiots. So why dont they?
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