I went to Petco with excitement and hope that they had the particular guinea pig I was looking for. To my luck, or so I thought at the moment, they had one that met my search criteria. She was young and multi-colored, with rosettes all over that gave her a "bed-head" look all day. :) I took her home on a Saturday evening. I bought a huge cage and the whole deal. For the next two days she was really quiet, and I assumed she was merely adjusting to the environment. Boy, was I wrong!
On Tuesday I came home from work and my guinea pig was in her cage in the exact same spot where she had been in the morning, falling over to the side, foaming at the mouth, cold, breathing hard, with her eyes halfway shut. I almost had a heart attack, as I had quickly become attached to her over the 3 days. I wrapped her in a blanket and stormed to the Petco where I had purchased her. I brought her to the counter, and coincidentally the gentleman who had assisted me with the purchase was at the register. I showed him my guinea pig and explained what was going on. He looked at me bizarrely and said she looked fine, but if I was that worried I could leave her at the store and they would take her to the vet the next day. In order for the vet bill to be Petco's responsibility, I had to return her. They took my information and promised that I would have her back within 10 days.
For the next 3 days I came into the store asking about my guinea pig, and each time I was told she was still at the vet. It was Friday, and I was frustrated that nobody could be sure of her status. So after the 3rd time at the store I went home and called them. The girl who answered the phone told me the cold-hearted truth. She said, "Oh, didn't they tell you? They didn't take her to the vet. They let her die because they knew she was untreatable. But you can get a refund." I hung up immediately. I was heartbroken.
Petco, where the pets go. And indeed they go (die). To Petco, their merchandise is merely another point of sale. They care little about other people and those in their hearts, like their pets. They figured the vet bill would cost more than the price they paid for the guinea pig, so they let her die. Honestly, how can you know my guinea pig was untreatable if you said she looked fine and could not even tell me what was wrong with her? Petco is horrible. I ended up going to an SPCA and adopting a cute little guinea pig. I recommend going to a local SPCA. Those animals are loved at their temporary homes and are waiting to be loved. :)
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