Petco Animal Cruelty

[kimbosaur]

They hire specific employees to care for the reptile section as well as the fish section. I wouldn't expect these people to be experts in caring for these animals, but I DO expect them to know the basics. If you're going to be caring for an animal for ANY length of time, you need to know enough about it to keep it alive.
I honestly don't feel like requiring the corporation to put out caresheets for the animals they carry to all the stores would be asking too much. It would take almost no time, since they don't really carry unusual animals, the basic info is readily available, and the supplies to do it properly are generally in the store.

It's not even just about keeping the animal alive. Even from the angle of the retail industry, salespople should be well informed on the product that they sell. You don't walk into a car dealership and hope the salesman knows a thing or two about the car he's about to sell you; you just expect it. Why should buying pets be any different. The worst part is, half the time people do expect petstore salespeople to be reliable sources of information so they easily accept their advice. This is especially the case with more exotic species. Where they would take their vet's advice for a dog or a cat, many go to a pet store for advice on their snake or fish. On the other end, those same salespeople pretend to be experts and provide false information without ever bothering to do their research. In my opinion, yes, printing out a basic caresheet would be a good start, but it should be part of their job description to go way beyond that.

[d_virginiana]

On the other end, those same salespeople pretend to be experts and provide false information without ever bothering to do their research.

EXACTLY! I've never gone into a chain petstore where that wasn't the case. When I got my frog, not only did the guy give me information that, had I not known better, would have killed her within a week (such as not having to moisturize the substrate or treat all the water you use), but he pretended that he knew pretty much everything about keeping them. She's not even the SPECIES they were selling her as! I mean, I knew that going in, but still. I figured he was talking out his rear because I've kept reptiles since I was ten. No way a first time reptile/amphibian owner would have caught on.
It wouldn't be nearly as bad if he'd just said he had no clue.

I would say that the burden of learning to care for the animal before you buy it is primarily on the owner, but the employees shouldn't be completely ignorant and shouldn't pretend they know what they're doing when they don't.